Do It Yourself Electrical Circuits
Electronics is a hobby that requires a number of unique skills and specific equipment. To get started in electronics, you need to know what equipment, components and skills you'll need.
-
Equipment
-
A breadboard, preferably a powered breadboard, is essential for beginners, as is a bag of breadboard wires. You also need a small soldering iron and a few coils of solder. The breadboard is for testing circuits, since it's easy to assemble and disassemble breadboard devices. The soldering iron is for building more permanent devices or repairing parts.
Components
-
You will need capacitors, resistors, NPN and PNP transistors, and LEDs. If you're not sure which ones to buy, look at top selling lists. Better yet, buy bags of assorted components from electronics outlets. The keyword is variety. The more different parts you have, the more flexible your options for building circuits.
-
Skills
-
Learn how to read schematics, diagrams which show how a circuit is put together. Get a feel for using a soldering iron: know how long it takes your iron to heat up to maximum temperature, how to hold it and how to apply solder.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit circuit board image by mite from Fotolia.com
