Re: [PLUG] Electronics gear

[jeff <jeffv@op.net>]

Mojotone.com was just having a sale on Weller (iron) products.
Regardless, there are tons of places, Amazon + ebay.
DigiKey
Mouser

There's a cheaper Weller alternative but I'll be damned if I can 
remember the name. I think it might be foreign. Get a solder sucker too, 
to desolder. Buy good stuff - this way you'll buy once. A really good 
set of wirecutters and an all in one stripper/crimper/babysitter. 
Craftsman should win an award for their 4 in 1 screwdriver. Needle nose 
pliers. More than 1 DMM is always good - Harbor Freight has cheapies. A 
'helping hand' which has a horiz bar w 2 clip ends, to hold stuff while 
you work on it. Some come with a small magnifier, depending on your age. 
Pill bottles are great for parts and hardware, especially while you're 
working on something - put everything you take out in one. You should 
probably remove the meds first. Take a picture or 3 of everything you 
work on in stages, so you remember how to re-assemble it.

Soldering makes an electrical connection, not a mechanical one, so make 
sure everything's tight before you solder.  Practice on wire til you're 
confident. Make sure to hold the correct end of the iron. Never solder 
in shorts (or out of shorts). Don't use a soldering gun for anything 
that not humongous. Buy good solder (60/40 tin/lead, 63/37 ultimate). 
Always measure high voltage with one hand in your pocket, lest you 
provide a convenient path for current, involving your heart.

Buy some beginner kits and assemble. Don't use your A.D.D. to leave a 
project open and walk away. You might not remember to finish it. Android 
has a really cool electronics reference app.

Sometimes you can find sig gens, parts, and tools at hamfests 
arrl.org/hamfests. Basic electronics texts can be had by searching.

Feel free to ask questions offlist.


On 5/20/19 12:17 PM, Paul Walker wrote:
> A little off topic but I have a feeling this is the place to ask. I'm 
> trying to get a small / starter electronics bench put together and am 
> looking for some gear:
>
> * Temp. controlled soldering iron
> * Multimeter
> * Power supply
> * Signal generator
> * Solder / flux / wire / solder-sucker / etc
> * parts
>
> Contact me offlist if you have stuff or onlist if you have general recs 
> for getting started
>
>   - Paul
>
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