My first breadboard....

Thread Starter

kirit

Joined Sep 9, 2008
35
My professor told our lab that having our own breadboad might make our lab go easier. Since we would be able to take it home instead of disassembling the resistors/etc from the one attached to the lab table.

So Im looking at the following one:

from:http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/Pr...020&R=2370015&SEARCH=2370015&DESC=TW-E40-1020

Im looking for some advice. Is there anything better for around $25 or less (although i dont mind spending more if it gets me something that will last a long time)?
Thanks in advance.

kirit
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Radio Shack carries a selection of breadboards. I bought one there a number of years back that's similar to the one you're looking at, but it's mounted on a flat black aluminum panel with three banana jacks; two red and one black. The jacks make it very convenient to quickly connect/disconnect power supply cables to the breadboard's supply rails.

Radio Shack's website doesn't show the board I have; but a couple of Radio Shacks close to me carry one quite similar to it. The catalog number of the one I have is 276-169a.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
I have a larger breadboard similar to the one in the 1st auction that ScubaSteve posted; mine cost considerably more than the asking price in that auction.
 

scubasteve_911

Joined Dec 27, 2007
1,203
Kind of like how the electron always flows in the path of least resistance; the student always finds the most inexpensive route!

Once I am working in a few months, maybe that will dissipate?

Steve
 

thingmaker3

Joined May 16, 2005
5,083
As much as I hate to give an endorsement to the Rat Schak, they've actually got good prices on breadboards.

Here's a bigger one from a different vendor: http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=phoenixent&product_name=HWS16088

And here's an expensive one: http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=phoenixent&product_name=HWS16091

Kind of like how the electron always flows in the path of least resistance; the student always finds the most inexpensive route!

Once I am working in a few months, maybe that will dissipate?

Steve
My experience is that expenses rapidly rise to exceed any increase in income. This is especially true once one acquires a wife.:cool:
 

Metalfan1185

Joined Sep 12, 2008
170
Radio Shack used to sell a Brand of breadboards called Archer, those were the best. Since then they've recently been replaced with a crappy radio shack brand. it's not too bad, i guess...

i bought a bunch on ebay in the past, the last set was about 6 of the ones you have posted for a total of about $30. mount them all side by side and there's enough room for just about any circuit you can think of.

Good luck!
 

Metalfan1185

Joined Sep 12, 2008
170
you may also consider this...

I was given a copy of GTA 4 for the Xbox 360, and the collectors box that it came with is perfect.

I mounted my breadboards to the lid, and keep all the loose parts in the box. There's tons of room, and if you really want to, you can use the couple of inches on the front side of the box to mount a little power supply with binding posts. Im always traveling back and forth to work and whatever so it's nice to have a big enough box to keep all the pieces in. it's steel and there arent any holes for resistors to fall out of
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Radio Shack used to sell a Brand of breadboards called Archer, those were the best. Since then they've recently been replaced with a crappy radio shack brand. it's not too bad, i guess...
The one I have from RS is an Archer. It does have one little quirk; the power rails on both sides aren't jumpered between the 5th and 6th blocks.

The last link to MPJA's site is very similar to the Archer breadboard that I have, except the banana jacks look nicer, and it looks like the power rails are contiguous from one end to the other. Nice board for $10. Maybe the OP could get all the students to agree to buy them all together, and get the quantity discount price. That'll save on shipping, too.
 

Metalfan1185

Joined Sep 12, 2008
170
yes, but it's not the same one.

the old ones from radio shack made by Archer were very white, and only had a single rail on each side, not the dual rail ones...the dual rail ones are the newer ones made by a different brand.

if you have an old one, and you look on the back sticker (the one that covers all the nickel plated contact rails underneath) it has the Archer logo on the sticker. the newer ones dont have that.

My dad bought me my first one when i was 12, (im 23 now) and i remember, what a quality board. made all the others i've used seem cheaply made. I still have one, and i use it every day, but unfortunately, i cant find them anymore, otherwise i'd buy tons of them. ill post a pic or something so you can see the one that i am referring too. you can post pics in this forum, right?
 

Thread Starter

kirit

Joined Sep 9, 2008
35
Thanks for the replies everyone. Lots of great suggestions, Im glad I took the time to ask for your opinions. :)

Ok, I think I settled on the following:
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=4445+TE
Within budget and looks pretty sturdy.

Got another question, not sure if this should go on its own thread or not. Looking at how sturdy the breadboard is, I got to thinking that it shouldnt be too hard to turn this simple breadboard into the learning circuit board we are using in the lab. Basically all we plan on using it for is: the breadboard on it, the 5v power supply, ground, 4 led's, and the 4 switches. Do you think that I could turn the breadboard above to do all this within a reasonble budget and looking reasonably neat? I looked at the RS learning kit but I dont think I could go to lab with it, LOL. Is it do able? Has anyone done it? Pics?

thanks again.
Kirit
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
The Radio Shack Electronics Learning Lab is perhaps the best value that RS still carries, even at $70. It is a bit bulky to carry around though.

For pushbuttons, you might consider something like this:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16891
Or: http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G14045
With the first switches, you'll need to bend the switch leads down at appropriate points to fit the breadboard. You'll need to use a meter to figure out which pins connect to which when the button is pressed.

Electronics Goldmine also carries LEDs. Something like this could make for a good choice:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16270
I suggest that you do NOT buy "super-bright" LEDs for this project. Looking at them can cause blindness, particularly when you're in close proximity.

You will also need resistors to limit current through your LEDs. Green LEDs may have a Vf (forward voltage) anywhere from 2.0v to 3.0v. Normally, you get a specification for typical Vf @ current, and maximum Vf @ current - however, the LEDs I linked to above do not have specifications. In such a case, I will assume a low Vf of 2.0 and a low current of 15mA in order to not burn out the LEDs immediately. Then you subtract the LED's Vf from the supply voltage, and divide the result by the desired current to obtain the current limiting resistor value necessary:
Rlimit = (VSupply - Vf(LED) ) / DesiredLEDCurrent
Rlimit = (5 - 2)/15mA
Rlimit = 3/0.015
Rlimit = 200
200 Ohms is a standard resistor value, available in this link:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G439R
 

Thread Starter

kirit

Joined Sep 9, 2008
35
SgtWookie, wow. Thanks for that goldmine of info. The pushbuttons, do they stay down when pressed in? I dont want to get confused on its state (open/closed) when testing logic states/tables.
 

Thread Starter

kirit

Joined Sep 9, 2008
35
The Radio Shack Electronics Learning Lab is perhaps the best value that RS still carries, even at $70. It is a bit bulky to carry around though.
Yep, if it was a bit more compact, I wouldnt mind carrying it around school. It just has more than I need, I think.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
SgtWookie, wow. Thanks for that goldmine of info. The pushbuttons, do they stay down when pressed in? I dont want to get confused on its state (open/closed) when testing logic states/tables.
No, they are NO (Normally Open) contacts. When you release them, they immediately open (disconnect, turn off). They are compact and low-profile, which will minimize the possibility that you'll dislodge them from the board when you are transporting it from place to place.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Yep, if it was a bit more compact, I wouldnt mind carrying it around school. It just has more than I need, I think.
While it's a bit large for transporting back and fourth between classes and home, it is a really great kit for learning electronics. I highly recommend that you get one when it fits your budget. It comes with a couple of lab books that were written by Forrest M. Mims III, a noted citizen-scientist. You can actually download the lab books from the RS site for free.

From the Learning Lab online catalog page:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=Electronics+Learning+Lab&parentPage=search
Click on the owner's manual link near the bottom.
You'll then be able to download both PDFs.

Oh, and the Lab also requires six "AA" batteries to power circuits. You do not need 9v batteries.
 
Top