|
I am building an electronics lab for my 15 year old. He is really interested in this stuff and I figure now is a good time to get him a bunch of stuff to get a jump start on college. So far I have this stuff: 1. Hakko FX-888D digital soldering station 2. 60/40 solder, led-less solder, thin and thick 3. Honeytek A6013L Capacitor tester 4. Digital multimeter 5. Wire leads, different colors and sizes 6. Flux and Copper desoldering wick 6. Resistor pack, common values 7. Capacitors of different values 8. various components 9. Ardunio (x3) 10. Ardunio Due (more outputs and inputs) 11. speakers/microphones 12. computer accessories for taking apart 13. USB voltage/amp tester (for usb stuff) 14. LEDs 15. various Ardunio shields and ATMEL attiny 8 bit 20mhz cpus 16. 8 channel relay module (for power control via Ardunios) 17. various switches and buttons 18. Helping hands w/ magnifying glass 19. USB Software Defined Radio dongle w/ antenna 20. Heathkit electronics manuals (general stuff) Now, I am quite sure I forgot a bunch of stuff that would be useful. Any recommendations or ideas for a budding computer/electrical engineer would be most appreciated! [edit] I need an oscilloscope but man are they expensive.. anyone know of a cheaper alternative? redeyes fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Dec 20, 2014 |
#
?
Dec 20, 2014 19:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 12:44 |
|
|
Hakko iron and a generic multimeter? I would have gone the other way with a 10 dollar radioshack iron and a 100 dollar name brand multimeter. I'm more of the mindset of buying stuff as you need it, not just buying things because they sound good. It'd suck to spend 300$ on a cheap scope and it turns out he really needed one that was 350$ and you're stuck frusturated wishing you only spent 50$ more. Arduino shields and kits are very gimmicky, but maybe they have a use from an educational standpoint. I've never had a job that an Arduino would be the best option for. I've mostly used them for throwing together something quickly for a proof of concept before going forward with a more specialized and much cheaper design. Get a solder sucker, they're cheap and I like them more than wick for a lot of tasks.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2014 19:56
|
|
|
craig588 posted:Hakko iron and a generic multimeter? I would have gone the other way with a 10 dollar radioshack iron and a 100 dollar name brand multimeter. I'm more of the mindset of buying stuff as you need it, not just buying things because they sound good. It'd suck to spend 300$ on a cheap scope and it turns out he really needed one that was 350$ and you're stuck frusturated wishing you only spent 50$ more. Arduino shields and kits are very gimmicky, but maybe they have a use from an educational standpoint. I've never had a job that an Arduino would be the best option for. I've mostly used them for throwing together something quickly for a proof of concept before going forward with a more specialized and much cheaper design. Its a Innova 3320 multimeter like so: http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3320-Auto-Ranging-Digital-Multimeter/dp/B000EVYGZA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top "This little meter is outstanding! I own a Fluke DMM 179 and of course that meter is top of the line. But would you believe this Equus 3320 is 99% spot on with it's readings when compared to a recently calibrated Fluke 179" I have a piece of poo poo 20 dollar soldering iron and have had quite enough of it. The Hakko is a dream compared to it and so I consider it money well spent... was only 90 bux. I have a solder sucker as well, forgot to mention that. The kid knows ardunio programming and it has turned out to be a good educational tool so I got him a few to be able to do more than one thing at once. This is all for learning and not for a particular project. redeyes fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Dec 20, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2014 20:17
|
|
|
You might look into a giant magnifying glass or even a 20x-40x binocular microscope (especially if he starts doing SMD soldering, which is really useful and not at all hard). You might also try to start him on eagle or orcad layout software (as its a ton of fun imho) and small boards are cheap enough to have made with oshpark and the like.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2014 20:27
|
|
|
Watermelon Daiquiri posted:You might look into a giant magnifying glass or even a 20x-40x binocular microscope (especially if he starts doing SMD soldering, which is really useful and not at all hard). You might also try to start him on eagle or orcad layout software (as its a ton of fun imho) and small boards are cheap enough to have made with oshpark and the like. Great idea about the magnifying glass. Poor kid has bad eyes and this would be handy. Also a great idea about the layout software. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2014 20:32
|
|
|
that is a lot of stuff... Where do his interests lie? Does he want to focus more on micro controllers? analog systems? robotics? Most of that stuff applies but it's hard to just sit down and "learn electronics" without a specific interest. Tons of EE students learned all they needed with a 5000-in-one kit from Radioshack and a free summer. If he's just starting out the only thing of value at this point is #20.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2014 17:01
|
|
|
redeyes posted:I am building an electronics lab for my 15 year old. He is really interested in this stuff and I figure now is a good time to get him a bunch of stuff to get a jump start on college. I would probably recommend getting either a ready built robot (something like this) or a big kit of Arduino stuff. Soldering and actually building anything that does anything is really, really hard unless you have a mentor to guide you.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2014 17:13
|
|
|
I prefer solder wick but it's way too expensive if you want to harvest junk off old TVs and stuff. I use it for the delicate stuff like microswitches on old mice. Even (somewhat) more important than just learning how to shoot the poo poo and soldering up stuff is learning circuit software. Get EAGLECAD and PSPICE. Get a grip on those. They are free.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2014 19:30
|
|
|
Are there any recommendations on a good, hobbyist-level oscilloscope? I've been generally been told to look at craigslist / whatever and to try to score one for cheap, but that isn't really working in my area.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2014 21:20
|
|
|
Orcs and Ostriches posted:Are there any recommendations on a good, hobbyist-level oscilloscope? I've been generally been told to look at craigslist / whatever and to try to score one for cheap, but that isn't really working in my area. Sparkfun has a kit for $80 to build one. USB scopes are fairly cheap and there's a ton on eBay. it really depends on what you are doing with it... Simple stuff like making speaker crossovers require a different level of precision than troubleshooting TTL. Craigslist is great but also check eBay sellers in your area, often you can just drive over and pick up the item. Swap meets, antique shops... watch business auctions too! Dirty Beluga fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Dec 22, 2014 |
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2014 21:35
|
|
|
Get him one of these: Get one yourself while you're at it. It so nice working under a magnifying lamp.
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2014 00:14
|
|
|
craig588 posted:Hakko iron and a generic multimeter? I would have gone the other way with a 10 dollar radioshack iron and a 100 dollar name brand multimeter. I'm more of the mindset of buying stuff as you need it, not just buying things because they sound good. It'd suck to spend 300$ on a cheap scope and it turns out he really needed one that was 350$ and you're stuck frusturated wishing you only spent 50$ more. Arduino shields and kits are very gimmicky, but maybe they have a use from an educational standpoint. I've never had a job that an Arduino would be the best option for. I've mostly used them for throwing together something quickly for a proof of concept before going forward with a more specialized and much cheaper design. A good solid soldering iron is definitely worth the money. The poo poo ones perform like poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2014 01:53
|
|
|
In addition to what's already been mentioned, I recommend a hot glue gun and a subscription to EEVblog.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2015 00:11
|
|
|
KozmoNaut posted:In addition to what's already been mentioned, I recommend a hot glue gun and a subscription to EEVblog. +1 for the EEVBlog. As soon as I saw this thread title I thought of that eclectic and knowledgeable Aussie.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2015 00:41
|
|
|
craig588 posted:Hakko iron and a generic multimeter? I would have gone the other way with a 10 dollar radioshack iron and a 100 dollar name brand multimeter. I'm more of the mindset of buying stuff as you need it, not just buying things because they sound good. It'd suck to spend 300$ on a cheap scope and it turns out he really needed one that was 350$ and you're stuck frusturated wishing you only spent 50$ more. Arduino shields and kits are very gimmicky, but maybe they have a use from an educational standpoint. I've never had a job that an Arduino would be the best option for. I've mostly used them for throwing together something quickly for a proof of concept before going forward with a more specialized and much cheaper design. The Hakko rules. You get the option of easily replacing the tips, digital readout of the exact temperature with a lot more control, it comes with the sponge and magical cleaning brillo pad thingy. I'm glad I bought mine. They are built like a tank. I need to get a helping hands for my own kit, and a couple good pairs of tweezers for working on smaller parts. I like the cheapo sets of parts you get on places like dx.com that come with an organizer, or you just get some of the organizers. It makes it so much easier to find things. At one point I just ordered a bunch of cheap stuff like LEDs, patch wires, mini breadboards etc. Oh yeah a breadboard is always handy, or a breadboard shield for the arduino or whatever you go with.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2015 00:43
|
|
|
Im recommending simple and cheap logic analyzer for protocol decoding(reverse engineering and troubleshooting). Best bet would be checking Cypress FX2 based logic analyzers which usually gives you 24MHz/8channels that is enough for most projects in embedded electronics. These FX2 based devices are usually clones of Saleae and USBee devices and can be reflashed to work with their software and have support for https://sigrok.org software. I personally have Saleae Logic(old 8channel version) analyzer in my toolbox and its working great(with original software and sigrok). Also i have tested couple generic china clones with Saleae, USBee and Sigrok and they work fine with them. If you are working with more in audio signal and other slow rate stuff i would recommend as cheap alternative to real oscilloscope something like 2ch/20MHz USB-connected one. These have enough bandwidth for most applications since microprocessors running usually 8/16MHz and audio applications working under 100kHz. There are some solutions that combine logic analyzer and oscilloscope(more like just analog input), with these devices you cant expect great fidelity with analog signals but are usually nice for ocassional debugging. I havent used too much these since having access to real scopes. I didnt notice any variable power supply in your list. I would recommend one for more versitility when needing different voltages and more power for projects. Cheap ones are plentiful online, but some models can have terrible ripple voltages and switch spikes on turning power on/off. If you are going for more extensive Atmel µC developement (in arduinos or custom) i would recommend Atmels own AVRDragon debugger/programmer and Atmel Studio (based on Visual Studio and has plugin for arduino libraries and bootloaders + syntax checking and code completion). Basic Arduino IDE is just horrible in my honest opinnion. General recommendations for different modules: Ethernet (basic 10/100M) module, for interfacing with computers and internet Wireless module(s) (wifi/bluetooth/cellural(2G/3G)/custom(400/800)), for interfacing with computers/internet and between devices Display modules (with/without touch), for more information display Sensor modules (temp/pres/lux/etc..) +1 for eevblog.com forums As for disclaimer i would recommend checking eevblog forums and elsewhere for reviews and like before you buy anything online. Also window shopping in shops like adafruit and then checking cheaper clones from places like dx.com aliexpress.com and ebay.com can save you buck or two (caution being they are clones).
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2015 18:30
|
|
|
This might sound obvious and you've probably already got something for it but consider some sort of fume extractor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWwtHxc7uRU
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2015 01:17
|
|
|
I think eventually you will want more supplies. It gets hard after a while relying on discrete component testers (DMM, Cap testor, etc). Sometimes the best tool is a good scope. Scopes are expensive...digital ones are stupid expensive. Things changed a lot for me when I got a DAQ from NI....http://www.ni.com/mydaq/ Its a "learning thing" I guess, but its a full IO, scope, logic analyzer, really anything and insanely powerful for the price, plus comes with Multisim and Labview (which are both pretty awesome). You could do all of this with an arduino I guess, but sheesh...why reinvent the wheel. When I got the DAQ, things got a lot nicer. I love the porn of having a vast array of bench top discrete tools, but until that day, I think the myDAQ serves a good role. Also, this guy.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2015 02:24
|
|
|
Why not go for a soldering setup with a heat gun as well? They work wonders for when you have to do a solder rework, like power jacks onto laptop motherboards. I can get the name of the one we use at my work, it wasn't pricey but it is a great soldering setup. Also some old crappy PCBs to practice with are always a good addition for when you're first starting out.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2015 05:03
|
|
|
Definitely get a variable power supply. This is my favorite el cheapo. If he doesn't have a breadboard, definitely get him one. Ideally, he won't have to solder until he's done with his design. If he wants to make semi-permanent things, perfboard is a good choice-- the step between breadboards and a real printed circuit board. Depending on what he's interested in, some cheap sensors can be fun to add to projects -- magnetometers, IMUs, temp sensors. They are typically very easy to add to arduinos. Send him to sparkfun or adafruit and try to work through some of the simpler projects. With regards to the oscilloscope, I would highly recommend avoiding a USB scope, because they tend to become useless at higher frequencies. I think the go-to cheap hobbyist scope is something from the Rigol DS1000 line, which can range from $300-$1000.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2015 14:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 12:44 |
|
|
I'm not a fan of these digital soldering stations from china. Try to go with Ersa or Weller. Even used, relatively ancient ones you can pick up for cheap are very good and spare parts are plenty, which is often a problem with these chinese stations. They also seem to be less forgiving in general regarding wrong handling from all I have heard, although accounts vary here. Also if you don't want your boy to hate soldering forever, don't get him lead-free soldering tin. Soldering tin containing lead is much easier to solder. Better teach him proper etiquette regarding cleaning up his work area after himself so that rests of soldering tin flying around don't become an issue. Soldering with lead-based soldering tin isn't really all that more poisonous as the lead doesn't turn into anything that's easily taken up by the body at these temperatures and with 15 he should be smart enough not to eat the soldering tin. The stuff that's harmful for human health and you have to watch out for is the flux. You might want to invest into a fume if he picks this hobby up and solders a lot, as that's the stuff that'll end up in your body, lead or no lead. To make SMD soldering painless, just get "no clean" flux pens. Which brand they are is mostly irrelevant. Again: Always wash hands after using, this stuff is bad for your health. A good pair of ESD safe precision tweezers is a must for SMD soldering and always handy. At this stadium, I'd skip oscilloscopes entirely as they are not strictly necessary to build small hobby circuits and not really helpful when you don't even know what you're looking for. The moment you want to have an oscilloscope in design because you have trouble with reflection, jitter and stuff, you probably need one with a relatively high bandwidth anyways and they're pricey. As a rule of thumb an oscilloscope should always have ten times the bandwidth the fastest signal you want to look at, else all you'll get to look at is malformed sinus waves. A logic analyzer might be more interesting in seeing how things work in relation to each other in existing circuits, but I'd only look into that direction when things get a little more advanced. He's not desiging for a living and the stuff we look at here can easily be designed "blindly". Also, get a nice, manual desoldering pump preferably made of metal with exchangeable tips. That's a tool (along the soldering station) that he will have his entire life when not bought too cheaply. EDIT: Oh, also there's really no point in buying passive components for storage, as you'll always have that one part you need and don't have. Better find a good, cheap distributor in your area and get used to the thought of ordering parts regularily (or driving to the shop, although that's getting more rare these days). Don't go to some "hobby store" or something, as they'll charge you an arm and an leg for parts that cost mere cents elsewhere. For some of the more pricey ICs, you can also often easily contact the manufacturer and they'll send you production samples at no cost, even by courier. That falls into their advertising budget and is rarely a problem. Just don't do it too often. Police Automaton fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Mar 2, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2015 17:32
|
|