Are Arduino kits worth it?

Thread Starter

SeanV123

Joined Nov 12, 2020
108
Hello everyone,
I'm an electronic engineering student and electronic/arduino/raspberry pi hobbyist and I'm looking to get into learning about using IOT with microcontrollers. Basically I was looking at getting the Arduino IOT Explore kit (https://store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-explore-iot-kit?variant=40788881834135). It looks really good and has excellent reviews. However, being a student, money is tight, and the kit is quite pricey. Nonetheless, I am willing to invest in my education and hobby. Does anyone know if this kit good/worth the price? Are there any alternatives?
Thank you very much,
Happy Christmas.
Sean.
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,157
Hello everyone,
I'm an electronic engineering student and electronic/arduino/raspberry pi hobbyist and I'm looking to get into learning about using IOT with microcontrollers. Basically I was looking at getting the Arduino IOT Explore kit (https://store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-explore-iot-kit?variant=40788881834135). It looks really good and has excellent reviews. However, being a student, money is tight, and the kit is quite pricey. Nonetheless, I am willing to invest in my education and hobby. Does anyone know if this kit good/worth the price? Are there any alternatives?
Thank you very much,
Happy Christmas.
Sean.
If you don't know how to design, layout, fabricate, and assemble your own boards, they are an incredible value. Even with current shipping delays you can't get up and running faster. Be aware that, anytime you experiment with something new you're eventually going to end up throwing the first one away. It is the nature of things.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
Does anyone know if this kit good/worth the price?
I haven't seen any Arduino kits for anything that I considered a good price ($5 for a USB cable?). All of my Arduino Unos and Mega are third party. The Uno clones were all under $5 and the Mega was around $8; 2-3 years ago. The same goes for Raspberry Pi.

But I've been doing electronics since the 70's and have accumulated 10's of thousands of dollars worth of parts and equipment.
 

ElectricSpidey

Joined Dec 2, 2017
2,757
The only one that can answer that question is you.

For me personally it would not be worth it because I am long past experimenter kits, but I got plenty of good use out of them back in the day.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
If you think you’ll use everything in the kit, it MIGHT be a good value. But many times, people have a narrow interest and will get better value buying the parts individually.

I’ve never bought a kit. I’ve used my money to buy a variety of boards compatible with the Arduino IDE. ATTiny, and Nano, Uno, Mega (and clones)…

Then I’ve either used parts in stock or bought for a specific project. In the long run I’ve gotten better value for my $$.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
I do have a complaint about the arduino arrangement, which is that they have chosen to use an entirely different set of names for so many fundamental things. Using a different language like that assures that there will be a challenge in communicating with others, and difficulty understanding other publications. That may not seem like a big deal to some folks, but using a different language is certainly not a way that I perceive as a way to provide a useful education.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,701
I do have a complaint about the arduino arrangement, which is that they have chosen to use an entirely different set of names for so many fundamental things. Using a different language like that assures that there will be a challenge in communicating with others, and difficulty understanding other publications. That may not seem like a big deal to some folks, but using a different language is certainly not a way that I perceive as a way to provide a useful education.
I agree.
Sketch?
Shield?
 

k1ng 1337

Joined Sep 11, 2020
940
I decided to buy all my components and modules separately to learn their individual characteristics but eventually I realized having a kit with one of everything is not a bad idea either. Unfortunately I have two classes of components now, the cheap versions and the expensive versions. I opt to spend extra now when buying tech.
 
Hello everyone,
I'm an electronic engineering student and electronic/arduino/raspberry pi hobbyist and I'm looking to get into learning about using IOT with microcontrollers. Basically I was looking at getting the Arduino IOT Explore kit (https://store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-explore-iot-kit?variant=40788881834135). It looks really good and has excellent reviews. However, being a student, money is tight, and the kit is quite pricey. Nonetheless, I am willing to invest in my education and hobby. Does anyone know if this kit good/worth the price? Are there any alternatives?
Thank you very much,
Happy Christmas.
Sean.
To me, given the price, the quality and my level of knowledge and what I expect to learn from it, yes, I think it is highly recommendable.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
I do have a complaint about the arduino arrangement, which is that they have chosen to use an entirely different set of names for so many fundamental things. Using a different language like that assures that there will be a challenge in communicating with others, and difficulty understanding other publications. That may not seem like a big deal to some folks, but using a different language is certainly not a way that I perceive as a way to provide a useful education.
Another perspective may be that you already understand the usual definitions of these terms. And have an understanding of what they mean.

But to e beginner, these are introductory terms, a portal to understanding further. Particularly with regard to the Arduino’s original audience which was artists. Plus, consider that in these cases there are no standard terms. Sketch? Program? Code? Routine?

And it’s not just the Arduino platform. Ever hear of a hat ?
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
You have to remember that the Arduino is a device built by engineers to be simple enough for Artists to use! Be glad they use at least somewhat technical descriptions.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
You have to remember that the Arduino is a device built by engineers to be simple enough for Artists to use! Be glad they use at least somewhat technical descriptions.
"Sketch" is a technical description of a program listing?? "shield"is a technical description of an add-on function module? If I wanted to learn to understand the Spanish language it would not help to be spoken to in Greek.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
"Sketch" is a technical description of a program listing?? "shield"is a technical description of an add-on function module? If I wanted to learn to understand the Spanish language it would not help to be spoken to in Greek.
Again, you pre-conceived notions are precluding understanding.

When you code, what do we recommend beginners to start with? To sketch a flowchart or pseudo-code.

When an artist starts a painting, what does he do first? Create a sketch. Since the Arduino was originally targeted to artists, the use of the word sketch clearly indicated how they should start.

edit: corrected autocorrect
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
At least they don't call the daughterboards (where did that came from, I wonder) Bob's thingamajig. Bill I have a tough hide, you can gig me all you want to.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
At least they don't call the daughterboards (where did that came from, I wonder) Bob's thingamajig. Bill I have a tough hide, you can gig me all you want to.
"Daughter" boards came about because they attached to mother-boards. That was obvious, really. At least to me it was. But perhaps others think differently. And I never thought of a block diagram, or rather a program action sequence, as a sketch. It was a drawing, even freehand and ugly. And never would I think of a sequence of instructions as a sketch.
Usually a program was developed from a vertical list of actions, with arrows leading the way that jumps went. But it was never a sketch, it was a list. Long and ugly and with branches and arrows showing loops. Then that became the instruction list, and finally the code.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
I give up…


And never would I think of a sequence of instructions as a sketch.
Usually a program was developed from a vertical list of actions, with arrows leading the way that jumps went. But it was never a sketch,
So you aren’t an artist. That’s ok, they probably have contributed a lot more to society than you understand. It takes all sorts of intelligence to be a contributor.
 

k1ng 1337

Joined Sep 11, 2020
940
"Daughter" boards came about because they attached to mother-boards. That was obvious, really. At least to me it was. But perhaps others think differently. And I never thought of a block diagram, or rather a program action sequence, as a sketch. It was a drawing, even freehand and ugly. And never would I think of a sequence of instructions as a sketch.
Usually a program was developed from a vertical list of actions, with arrows leading the way that jumps went. But it was never a sketch, it was a list. Long and ugly and with branches and arrows showing loops. Then that became the instruction list, and finally the code.
I thought the word sketch was strange for code as well but I suppose many brands outside electronics even give their products bastardized names and instructions to attract attention. When I think of a sketch I'm thinking of a #2 pencil on some paper.

Take "Dr Ho's Foot Massage" for instance, it's a nice way of saying muscle contraction inducer but that doesn't sound as nice.
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
Hello everyone,
I'm an electronic engineering student and electronic/arduino/raspberry pi hobbyist and I'm looking to get into learning about using IOT with microcontrollers.
What hardware do you already have access to, as a hobbyist? Emulated I/O on an internet capable board allows full exploration of the concept right up to deployment.
 
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