[sdiy] Useful equipment

[sbernardi at attbi.com]

You can get one of the lower end Weller temp controlled 
soldering irons for about $40.

In my opinion, eBay is the best source for cheap but 
good (read "used") test equipment. I've bought scopes, 
function generators, power supplies, breadboards and 
lots of components from there. The only problem I've had 
is getting a decent frequency counter. First one didn't 
work right, and I thing I blew out the inputs of the 
second one by running a +/-5v VCO into it with the 
sensitivity turned up!

Another thing I would stock up on is components - the 
resistor kit is a good start. Buy some extra 10K and 
100K's. I'd also pick up a bunch of TL074 and TL072 
opamps, some LM13600 or LM13700 OTA's, some capacitor 
assortments, a bunch of 2N3904 and 2N3906 transistors, 
1N4148 or 1N914 signal diodes, some trimpot assortments. 
Be on the lookout for pots, jacks (you have to decide 
what kind you'll use - 1/4", 1/8", banana). Get a bunch 
of 22ga or 24 ga stranded hookup wire. LED's, mounting 
hardware, brackets. Get some of those compartmented 
cabinets to hold stuff.
You can stock up on things over a period of time. I 
constantly keep an eye on eBay for deals.  When I make 
orders from catalogs, I always get a few extra than what 
I actually need for the current project. I've gotten to 
the point where I have sufficient stock on hand that I 
can breadboard most anything, unless it calls from 
something exotic.
> What constitutes a good soldering iron?  I'm guessing mine is far from it, since 
> it was under 10 dollars CAN. :)
> 
> I'm on a budget, but I'm willing to spend more than I should, if it comes to 
> that :)
> Thanks for all the great advice, I'm gonna be spending the next week or so glued 
> to ebay, and see if I can't get a decent selection of equipment out of it!
> 
> > Steve Begin
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Neil Johnson [mailto:nej22 at hermes.cam.ac.uk]
> Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 2:19 PM
> To: Steve Begin
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Useful equipment
> 
> 
> Steve,
> 
> I'll assume (a) you're on a budget, (b) you're only interested in audio
> analogue, and (c) you like visual stuff (seeing things!).
> 
> So, with that in mind:
> 
> 1) O'scope -- ESSENTIAL!!  So you can see waveforms, and measure frequency
> fairly well, and volts too.  I think for audio 20MHz is plenty enough
> bandwidth, so 50MHz may be way too much.  Have a hunt around eBay or local
> second-hand shops.  Try the local hobbyist magazines or the internet for
> equipment resellers.  My first scope was a dual-trace 20MHz Hameg HM203-6.
> Very well made scope, still going strong after, oooh, 15 years.
> 
> Certainly aim for dual channel.  Tektronix and HP make really good scopes
> (my second scope is a Tek) but they are quiet pricey.  Phillips are pretty
> good, as are Hameg (like mine).
> 
> For example, there's a brand new B+K 30MHz dual-trace scope at $151 on
> eBay now.  A bit pricey, as you probably don't need *new*.
> 
> I'd steer clear of the older Tektronix plug-in scopes for now---while they
> are very good, they are quite daunting for a beginner!
> 
> There's a Phillips PM3232 dual-trace scope currently sitting at $10, with
> 4 days to go.
> 
> LeCroy -- the Rolls Royce of the scope world -- with prices to match!!!
> 
> The HP180 is a pretty good machine, robust, reliable, many around.
> 
> Telequiment are pretty good too, if a little on the clunky side for my
> personal taste.  Reliable though.
> 
> 2) DVM
> 
> Get a good one, like Fluke or AVO.  Will last years if looked after.
> Here, I'd recommend buy new, as they might have had a brutal life before
> you get it, in which case it may be so out of calibration as to be
> virtually useless :(
> 
> Beckman is a good make too.
> 
> 3) A good soldering iron
> 
> Essential for good joints.  Otherwise your problems will be in your
> soldering, not your understanding.
> 
> 4) Breadboard
> 
> Fine for trying stuff out.  One with built-in PSU and function gen might
> be good.  Or, start by learning how to make your own function generator.
> Build your own tools as you learn, that way you'll enjoy learning even
> more!!
> 
> I wouldn't both with those substitution boxes, way too much bench space,
> and not much use anyway---what's the point in dialling in a resistor value
> you can't buy??!!  Anyway, once you get a feel for what values go where,
> you just won't bother with them.  I know, I have both types, haven't
> touched them in years!
> 
> What's more important is a willingness to start from the basics, and to
> learn as you go along.  Start with a simple amplifier with a transistor or
> op-amp.  You can power if from a battery, and use your finger (or
> microphone) as signal source.  Look at the input signal with channel 1 of
> your scope, and the output of channel 2.  Hopefully (!) the output should
> be bigger than the input.
> 
> Now add a feedback circuit to make it into an oscillator.  Understand the
> maths behind the frequency of oscillation, and the various types of
> oscillator (Wien, RC, phase-shift, etc).
> 
> And so on.  AofE will guide you.
> 
> Its all good fun!
> 
> Hope this helps,
> Neil
> 
> --
> Neil Johnson :: Computer Laboratory :: University of Cambridge ::
> http://www.njohnson.co.uk          http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~nej22
> ----  IEE Cambridge Branch: http://www.iee-cambridge.org.uk  ----
>