Getting started

[Guest]

I have a bit of programming background, and am trying to figure what I want to do in life. I am going to college this fall for Electrical Technology and considered getting started in practicing ET. 

I have soldered before; I made a Christmas tree thing, a chirping device, and soldered wires together on airsoft guns. (No circuit boards on the Airsoft guns I worked on. Only soldered ends of wires together, or wires to a metal plate that would make a switch connection, or ends of wires to connections on a motor so it can recieve power.)

 

I know for a fact that this fall I will be programming Arduino chips in C, and learning about DC circuits, following the upcoming spring will do AC circuits. 

I found a few channels on youtube I started watching (in order of funny)

1. ElectroBoom

2. Tinkernut

2. Great Scott

2. Cody's Lab

 

I don't want to spend TOOO much money, but I am willing to spend a bit of money. (50~ USD to start)

I have a soldering Iron, and Desoldering Iron, and solder so that is not necessary. I have some wire but I think 20 gauge may be too big for some things but I doubt wire size matters at this stage. 

I don't have much knowledge in all this, so I am guessing I need something that teaches about capacitors, diodes, resistors, or something that will teach me how to make circuits that would work with an arduino and then an arduino to go with it. 

 

If I had to say what I wanted to get into to help you decide what to recommend, I would say I think

1. airplane mechanic would be fun as there are a bunch of circuits, and they're friggin airplanes

2. Manufacturing

3. Maintenance of manufacturing machines

4. Computers- like supercomputers, quantum, personal, anything.

5. Drones (Gotta get on the profitable side of 1984. Know what I'm sayin'?)

 

The above list is NOT in any particular order. I just jotted a few things in my notebook a few days ago, and this is what came to mind in the order it came to mind. 

I am trying to make a larger sum of money, but I have to start somewhere. I hear security companies (like ADT and competitors) hire electrical technicians for installing their systems in people's houses, but I want to be able to afford a house. 

 

Any additional information is helpful. I don't know how to read circuits very well, so I am confused when I see them. If you can recommend any open source textbooks, videos, or more readily available media for me to learn I'd love to read through it. 

[Billy_Mays]

Wait three 2's that's impossible how did you manage?!

[JPT555]

If you want to start out learning about resistors, diodes and capacitors I would suggest looking at A-level physics or some other qualification where they study electronics. There are a lot of vidoes on YT

 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Billy_Mays said:

Wait three 2's that's impossible how did you manage?!

it was a joke in itself haha. Electro boom is really funny-the others are mostly just information. 

4 minutes ago, JPT555 said:

If you want to start out learning about resistors, diodes and capacitors I would suggest looking at A-level physics or some other qualification where they study electronics. There are a lot of vidoes on YT

Is there anything you would recommend specifically that goes over all the equations and everything? I love the math aspects of electronics. 

[Billy_Mays]

1 minute ago, fpo said:

it was a joke in itself haha. Electro boom is really funny-the others are mostly just information. 

Is there anything you would recommend specifically that goes over all the equations and everything? I love the math aspects of electronics. 

Yeah I know who your talking about with Electroboom (he is an idiot some times)

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Billy_Mays said:

Yeah I know who your talking about with Electroboom (he is an idiot some times)

From what little I know, most of what I learned was from him because he keeps it interesting with the explosions all the time. It helps me to remember all the safety precautions I should take because I know what the results of violating them are. 

[Julian5]

Greatscott has a great series of videos about transistor etc, buy a cheap soldering station, some 555 timer chips, capacitors, transistors, PCB's, resistors and arduinos to build simple circuits.

[Guest]

Just now, Julian5 said:

Greatscott has a great series of videos about transistor etc, buy a cheap soldering station, some 555 timer chips, capacitors, transistors, PCB's, resistors and arduinos to build simple circuits.

Can you link Great Scott's video series about transistors? 

 

I have a soldering Iron, de-soldering Iron, Solder, paper towels, water, and paper plates. That should be enough for a station right? 

This is the 555 timer chip

http://www.surplus-electronics-sales.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=829&gclid=Cj0KEQjwnPLKBRC-j7nt1b7OlZwBEiQAv8lMLOKlkozomfdjfhstngqRU3bePW6vHIEfc_stjPxwAfYaApqJ8P8HAQ

 

Any capacitors you'd recommend? I learned there's a few different kinds. 

Same question about transistors, and resistors.

Any PCB boards you'd recommend? Or just get the blank kind and cut them to length when I need them smaller? 

Is there any collections for sale on Amazon that come with like a bunch of capacitors, transistors, diodes, and resistors? Or can you recommend a variety of pieces to start with to go along with the arduino? 

[Julian5]

 

I Have added a list of eBay listings with the parts needed, of course, change them to your needs but this is what I would buy when I started.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/125-Pcs-1uF-Electrolytic-Capacitors-2200uF-25-Values-Assorted-Kit-Set-AD-/112247472454?epid=1375132773&hash=item1a22788146:g:DuwAAOSw241YXxKj

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-values-1280pcs-1-ohm-10M-ohm-1-4W-Metal-Film-Resistors-Assortment-Kit-/261374861457?hash=item3cdb27e091:g:gyUAAOxyQj9RV--g

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Double-Side-5x7cm-Printed-Circuit-PCB-Vero-Prototyping-Track-Strip-Board-LW-/172129140619?epid=1254422972&hash=item2813b23f8b:g:9ksAAOSwxp9W4cQL

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/951-10ml-Capacity-Free-cleaning-Soldering-Flux-Pen-for-Solar-Cell-FPC-PCB-/282472547321?hash=item41c4ad03f9:g:VBkAAOSww5hZFDQN

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300pcs-10-Values-50V-10pF-100nF-Ceramic-Capacitors-Assortment-Kit-Box-10-/201773347931?hash=item2efaa0f45b:g:EWUAAOSwol5Y30Tg

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARDUINO-COMPATIBLE-Starter-Kit-UNO-5110-LCD-Distance-Light-Soil-Moisture-Sensor-/152428070227?hash=item237d6bc553:g:YSIAAOSwdGFYxWqT   (not needed as expensive but very helpful and worth it)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/600Pcs-15-Value-x-40-Pcs-Transistor-TO-92-Assortment-Box-Kit-New-/172488761513?hash=item282921a0a9:g:HuwAAOSw4A5YrV9k

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70-PCS-14VALUES-1-2W-0-5W-regulator-3-3-33V-Zener-Diode-Assorted-Assortment-Kit-/192073115354?hash=item2cb87326da:g:NQQAAOSw5cNYcfRq

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIY-0-30V-3A-Adjustable-Regulated-DC-Power-Supply-Kits-Variable-CC-CV-Lab-PSU-/251913656675?epid=1474757007&hash=item3aa7395963:g:PlAAAOSwcwhVJ7yX (Must!)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Ohmmeter-Multimeter-Volt-AC-DC-Tester-Meter-US-Seller-/271496690158?hash=item3f3676b9ee:g:qgUAAOSwHnFVkYPk (must!)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Assembled-DSO138-2-4-TFT-Digital-Oscilloscope-Kits-DIY-Parts-1Msps-Probe-/162200576235?var=&hash=item25c3e860eb:m:mvk8LLKOOoKgTSLSX9sPyfg   (not needed but will be needed at some point)

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Julian5 said:

Snip

 

Thank you very much. I'll see what I can come up with using what you've given me. Thank you! 

[Daysy]

Don't be expecting quality but This corner of banggood is a great place to find some cheap practice just keep an eye out for listings in good English or that show the instructions so you can check they make sense.