Hello!

I'm new to this forum, this is my first post here! Seems great so far! I was wondering if someone could
please give me some advice on what electronic components to start out with, I'm primary into IoT'ish type stuff
and robotics, Microcontrollers, SBC's, and Radio Stuff. I'm an electronics newbie but I have been trying to get
into it for a long time, but each time I hit the road block of not having the electronic components I need to start.
Transportation is currently a bit of a problem for me and I am looking for the nearest electronics store to me
however the best one I know of is 40 minutes in the opposite direction I go to school (currently scowering google maps).
In any case, my thought is to buy a bunch of starter components I will need, and later buy specifics for specific projects.
Currently my "arsenal" includes some small PNP transistors, some resistors (I bought a 1000 pack a while ago
however I think they got lost in storage), a boat load of DC motors, some 50V capacitors, (I need to buy some LED's)
3 Atmega8 microcontrollers, an arduino, some other SBC's, a giant dishwasher motor, and some old boards scrapped for parts from
old electronics. My main problem is, for example I want to create a wall hookup for a project I want to do over spring break
hooking a few SBC's up (I would like the system to run 24/7/365) and I need a circuit that looks something like this
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/15v-power-supply-circuit-for-wall-clock/ , or hook up a wall wart with a couple of capacitors.
In either case I need capacitors that can handle 200+ voltage, and I want to follow someone else's instructions since I am just
starting out and don't want to shock myself. I would have to wait several days to obtain this and pay shipping for what is likely ~1$ component;
not knowing what else I will need as I encounter problems down the road. My other option being look for it on one of the old boards I have for parts.

To summarize my main question is, what can I build up for a starting out "part library" for the general line of things I am interested in, just some
basic components I am going to run into a lot that I can just make one big order and buy the whole lot of components I will need in the future.

Thank you
- TFB

 

You think you can put a paragraph or two in here?? VERY hard to read.


Forget about purchasing a parts supply. Just purchase some extra parts every time you build a project. Maybe plan a couple of projects ahead. Soon you will have adequate supplies on hand to work on most projects.

 

You think you can put a paragraph or two in here?? VERY hard to read.


Forget about purchasing a parts supply. Just purchase some extra parts every time you build a project. Maybe plan a couple of projects ahead. Soon you will have adequate supplies on hand to work on most projects.

Thank you for the reply. I guess the main question I have with that is what about the unexpected or wanting to try different things, or just impromptu just trying something?

 

You will get there quickly. Don't worry. In fact you might soon have the problem with too many parts.

 

My recommendation is to plan ahead and build up your stock as you go. Order extras of whatever you use (I typically order qty 100 to get a price break).

Not having a local parts store isn't an issue these days. Everyone is accustomed to ordering online. Just buy parts from reputable sources (e.g. Jameco, Newark, Mouser, etc) and not eBay, Amazon, AliExpress.

Good grammar is always appreciated...

 

you might soon have the problem with too many parts.

My problem. Too many parts. Too many OBSOLETE parts. I'm well equipped to build any 70's project. Which means I'm not versed on micro controllers. Yet. And I may never get there. I'm stubborn and set in my ways.

My biggest source of parts has been (and not limited to) tread mills. I find that they tend to carry the same chips over and over. And I'll probably never use most of what I have. I also bought a bunch of stuff REALLY cheap when Radio Shack closed several stores and wanted to get rid of everything. Again, mostly obsolete parts. But they're the parts I know how to work with.

 

Thank you for the reply. I guess the main question I have with that is what about the unexpected or wanting to try different things, or just impromptu just trying something?

Well, the unexpected and impromptu trying of different things is almost certainly going to involve at least something you don't currently have. It's the nature of the beast.

But, as others have said, build up a stock of things based on what you DO need for the projects you are working on and planning for. Let THEM be your guide. By a stock of things that you think are going to be common things and think about what similar things might be worth having. For instance, if you need a few zener diodes in a project, then ask if it might be reasonable to have a few zener diodes on hand in the standard values up to the voltages you typically work with or some reasonable fraction of it. Same thing with capacitors.

Don't get a bunch of different types of transistors, but stock a decent amount of the ones you've used (unless they were expensive ones that were used in a way that you don't foresee needing often). As you need a different type of transistor, then get some extras.

Every time you order parts, ask yourself if you can think of anything that seems reasonable that be useful based on your experience thus far. If it's cheap enough, the consider adding a few to the order, particularly if doing so gets you above the floor for reduced or free shipping.

As for the impromptu stuff, try to restrain yourself to what you have on hand -- and trying to figure out if you can accomplish something using limited parts is a good way to expand your knowledge and skills, even if you fail. If you don't have the parts, the ask yourself if it is really worth the trip to get them, or if it can wait till the next time you get parts you need for something you are working on.

 

Thank you everyone for the replies! Iv been trying to get started for years and really appreciate the advice and Ill take it!

 

Thank you everyone for the replies! Iv been trying to get started for years and really appreciate the advice and Ill take it!

Good luck on your journey!

 

Hello!

I'm new to this forum, this is my first post here! Seems great so far! I was wondering if someone could
please give me some advice on what electronic components to start out with, I'm primary into IoT'ish type stuff
and robotics, Microcontrollers, SBC's, and Radio Stuff. I'm an electronics newbie but I have been trying to get
into it for a long time, but each time I hit the road block of not having the electronic components I need to start.
Transportation is currently a bit of a problem for me and I am looking for the nearest electronics store to me
however the best one I know of is 40 minutes in the opposite direction I go to school (currently scowering google maps).
In any case, my thought is to buy a bunch of starter components I will need, and later buy specifics for specific projects.
Currently my "arsenal" includes some small PNP transistors, some resistors (I bought a 1000 pack a while ago
however I think they got lost in storage), a boat load of DC motors, some 50V capacitors, (I need to buy some LED's)
3 Atmega8 microcontrollers, an arduino, some other SBC's, a giant dishwasher motor, and some old boards scrapped for parts from
old electronics. My main problem is, for example I want to create a wall hookup for a project I want to do over spring break
hooking a few SBC's up (I would like the system to run 24/7/365) and I need a circuit that looks something like this
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/15v-power-supply-circuit-for-wall-clock/ , or hook up a wall wart with a couple of capacitors.
In either case I need capacitors that can handle 200+ voltage, and I want to follow someone else's instructions since I am just
starting out and don't want to shock myself. I would have to wait several days to obtain this and pay shipping for what is likely ~1$ component;
not knowing what else I will need as I encounter problems down the road. My other option being look for it on one of the old boards I have for parts.

To summarize my main question is, what can I build up for a starting out "part library" for the general line of things I am interested in, just some
basic components I am going to run into a lot that I can just make one big order and buy the whole lot of components I will need in the future.

Thank you
- TFB

buying kits is probably your best route. You might want to explore various PCB prototyping options for when you start developing your ideas.

Most suppliers do price breaks if you buy 10s or 100s of a part - occasionally a decent quantity can work out cheaper than a single part. Once the Farnell operator misheard an order for 50 parts, the 15 she placed on the order cost me more than the 50 - I complained and got the balance, but they didn't refund overcharging me. Check out the price breaks and build up a stock of parts.

 

Hello,

You could also have a look at this thread:
Components Selection Guide

I also have collected quite some parts over the years.

Bertus

 

Thank you everyone for the replies! Iv been trying to get started for years and really appreciate the advice and Ill take it!

If you're in the US, I've accumulated tens of thousands of components (I bought resistors and diodes in quantity 5000) over the years and am interested in finding people to barter with.

 

If you're in the US, I've accumulated tens of thousands of components (I bought resistors and diodes in quantity 5000) over the years and am interested in finding people to barter with.

If you have several kilograms put them on ebay

My prices are about 16 per kg for large heavy parts, and 60 for small lightweight parts
So A) is power resistors electrolytics larger mylar capacitor + all kinds of junk parts
B) is small transistors IC LED resistors capacitors

Pretty much all are genuine + branded + old

If you have carbon comp resistors, tropical fish capacitor or older than 30 years obscure mylar, you can charge much more for these,
as well old transistors.

If you feel generous make some lots by weight, not by single piece like others sometimes do.

Recently I shipped 4x the 440 grams lot to USA, about almost 50 USD with shipping, and it was highly appreciated by the customer.

Distributors never have these parts lots though in the 1970s and 1980s they did sell them.

You can get some on Aliexpress, and they arent so cheap actually
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CNI...c-polyester-capacitor-Random/32808025092.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CNI...-light-bulbs-mixed-varieties/32808450688.html

also you can try futurelec http://futurlec.com/
In the past I did some orders and some PCBs with them

 

Deriving a 1.5V power supply directly from mains probably isn't the best beginner project. Go with the wall wart option.

 

Deriving a 1.5V power supply directly from mains probably isn't the best beginner project. Go with the wall wart option.

There is an off the shelf chip for that - but it wouldn't be allowed on this forum.

Getting such a low voltage from the mains is surprisingly difficult.

 

When I started (or restarted) electronics constantly I found myself ordering this and that from distributors.

From the TB303 schematics I learned a controller can be clocked with IF transformer coil, then I made a small 16F54 circuit board, and secured a lot of these IF transformers. Soon I found they actually sell for much higher prices than what I paid for the NOS lot.

Also some day I made bids on a box of old SC68000 CDIP, had them sitting around for quite a while. Then I found theres a market for them and I could get several dollars for a single piece.

Certainly I spent thousands of hours searching, comparing prices, learning about categories of components, and also to understand market, what buyers actually search for and especially, not represented well on the market.

Still often Im at my laptop deep into the night. Its a tedious work and never ending.

What does OP want, a breadboard circuit, some experiment, work from a book, produce circuit boards just so, or to make money?

The chinese have parts kits on offer, some are good, some are rather not so good (depends what you need them for).

Then otherwise if you buy a few pieces each youll see higher prices than 1000 pcs bags of course.

Done that at some stage, I think they were called Tayda electronics and they arent expensive to sample several kinds of parts.
Also Futurlec.

If you make for instance switching supplies, I did some 20 or so circuits to get some idea how they work, you need several coils,
some will work well others not so well (bad efficiency). Several kinds of power transistors as well, they will burn out eventually, so you need several pieces each.

The more you buy the more you have, the more experiments you can make with advanced circuits, without having to wait for new parts.

Many buy some Arduino or PI + module boards and wireless stuff and rather focus on that. Others like electric guitars, old radios or nixie clocks or retro computers, and often specialize on that.

If you want to do all at once youre going to need thousands to do it comfortably + a room for it or it will be a giant mess (I had some experience with that).

It can be helpful to team up with other people some local club / organization, amateur radio, model cars or these hacker spaces.

Since inventories can become expensive and will consume more and more space, theres also many who buy kits with PCBs, though they are often expensive, or use modules for a purpose, even if they could build it from parts.

I have used distributors in the past and still do, larger well known ones and smaller companies too, but mostly they dont have the parts i need, simply put. How much do you pay for emerald green superbright LED, they are not strawhat and very expensive, spot cheap from China. The chinese have many new parts the distributors dont have yet and probably never will.

One example, flat RGB LED, when I first saw them about 200 per 100pcs but now similar to the round kinds. They are not old crap or rejects, new on market and they do work just as a LED would.

Very few distributors have these as flat dual color, mostly were used in consumer electronics + not sold on the open market, if they have these they will not be low cost.

Before the internet there was a small number of mail order companies, anything they did not have, you were not able to buy as individual. These were the days of VCRs with japanese MASK ROM controllers.

 

Two mods see the OPs post and jump on the bandwagon to address one of his paragraphs while the Elephant in the room goes unnoticed.

I guess the following would be honest wishes as written but I read it as sarcasm since I see the elephant.



Doesn't anybody READ anymore?

According to his link in post 1, the OP said he wants to build THIS!


(Link to attachment violating user agreement removed)

It could be done with 47nF a much smaller battery and one diode. Perhaps less than 47nF.
But in general the circuit is bad and should not be built.

Its good the TS comes here and seeks advice and he says he doesnt know exactly, so these circuits arer just bad.

Sure you could use a cut off plug from broken switch someone lefft when they brought the new one, fiddle the parts on it + tape it just.
It will work but is bad you can judge yourself.

Transformerless, only inside professional appliance, only inside enclosure, and only with properly rated parts, as well mostly it is either used for auxillary only and often not at all. They use a tiny ferrite transformer instead, gives galvanic isolation.

You have no idea what a load of circumstance could start a fire at some stage, so they use fusing resistors, creepage distiances, fire retardant materials and in general, prefer galvanic insulation.

I dont oppose transformerless not to be allowed, I have built with 1000uH coil and LNK IC, but as I understand its only used in some case for auxillary supply. As with the availability of these IC, it is no longer needed, incidentially most of them can also be setup not to use a transformer a simple RF inductor does the job.

For instance a power factor corrector may use it to get some 30 mA, since it is already a complicated circuit and deals with high voltages.

It is even worse in Europe since we use 240V and that has much more potential to kill you or to start fire while some 110v you get some effect with touching but not that much as with 240v.

I want to follow someone else's instructions since I am just
starting out and don't want to shock myself

Then dont build bad circuit, dont build dangerous high voltage circuits, dont play stunts with MOT and flying wires.

Statistically each year people die from fires and electric shocks.