Essential Components

[edward_g]

I thought I’d put this question to the forum:
What components do you consider to be essential or at least really handy to keep on hand?

As a hobbyist I’m noticing that I’m putting as much money into shipping as I am into parts. Since my interest is down at the hobby level, five or ten dollars of parts plus eight dollars to the courier every time I do a little project begins to add up in my brain. Plus, it’s kind of a bummer to get to the weekend with a little free time and find that I don’t have the bits available to de-bounce a switch or the right voltage regulator; takes the momentum away. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a list of components together and putting in a more substantial order, something to build up a little inventory of parts that I’ll be able to draw on for awhile.

I’ve already got a bag of 1/4 watt resistors, a bag of ceramic caps, a few battery holders and 9v clips, a box of LEDs, that sort of thing. I’m thinking I need some voltage regulators, various switches and buttons, maybe some ICs, the kind of stuff that has applications in just about any project.

[McMonster]

I would add a nice set of electrolytic capacitors, some LEDs, a few larger inductors for switchmode regulators and a few smaller for signal filtering (like uC ADC filtering), large quantity (because they're dirt cheap) rectifying and signal diodes, perfboards of different size, different guage wire, bipolar transistors (large quantity of both small, 100 mA NPN and PNP), some power MOSFETs, a few Schottky diodes, opamps of all kinds and devices per package, 555 timers, MC34063.

I think this covers most of the basic parts I needed for just playing around. I also love building circuits with 7400 and 4000 series of chips, they have a little of magic in them and I collect all the different chips I can find.

[johnboxall]

I thought I’d put this question to the forum:
What components do you consider to be essential or at least really handy to keep on hand?

As a hobbyist I’m noticing that I’m putting as much money into shipping as I am into parts.

Are you in Australia or New Zealand?

[edward_g]

McMonster: Thanks for the ideas! Some of that stuff, like the perfboard, I wouldn't have thought to order.

tronixstuff: Nope, USA. I can't imagine the international shipping y'all have to pay. 

[Chet T16]

Yeah dammit, there's only one shop and its in the US

[johnboxall]

McMonster: Thanks for the ideas! Some of that stuff, like the perfboard, I wouldn't have thought to order.

tronixstuff: Nope, USA. I can't imagine the international shipping y'all have to pay. 

Generally I don't pay shipping

[hacklordsniper]

There are verry nice kits on ebay with all that you could need.

[Zero999]

Generally I don't pay shipping

Nor do I.

[edward_g]

It's been a long time since I ordered anything off of Ebay... I think the last thing I got from Ebay was a Nintendo Gamecube back in the day!

As far as a kit, something like this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Electronic-Components-Development-KIT-LOT-2300-pcs-/160641818908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2566ffa11c

[hacklordsniper]

It's been a long time since I ordered anything off of Ebay... I think the last thing I got from Ebay was a Nintendo Gamecube back in the day!

As far as a kit, something like this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Electronic-Components-Development-KIT-LOT-2300-pcs-/160641818908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2566ffa11c

That is verry nice and price is right too. There is no way i could buy all that here for that price.

[snoopen]

I was looking at this kit once and started compiling my own list of components!

I think to replicate the kit would cost way more than $100, but my list generally has 10 times more components just for the sake of craziness

Can't vouch for the quality tho but here's what I've found so far.

~US$19 - 170 values 1700pcs resistors:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-4W-1-E24-Metal-Film-Resistor-170-values-kit-1700-pc-/110720682417?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c77789b1

~US$6 - 50 value 1000pcs ceramic capacitors:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1000-Pcs-50-Values-Ceramic-Disc-Capacitors-Kits-New-/130485675439?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e618d65af

~US$12 - 25 value 140pcs electrolytic capacitors:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/25-value-Electrolytic-Capacitor-Assortment-Kit-140pcs-/300590728233?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fc9a8429

~US$14 + poostage - 26 value 520pcs polyester capacitors:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/26value-520pcs-Polyester-Film-Capacitors-Assortment-Kit-/250879673589?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a699804f5#ht_1807wt_1163

~US$19 - about 110pcs assorted transistors and power transistors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transistor-Assortment-Kit-Power-PNP-NPN-VHF-UHF-TO3-AMP-/110765273278?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ca1ff0be#ht_594wt_1163

~US$8 - 30 values  300pcs zener diodes:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-2W-2V-39V-Zener-Diode-Assorted-Kit-30valuesX10pcs-/190584264794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5fb5185a#ht_5522wt_1163

~US$6 - 200pcs diodes
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DIODE-SELECTION-KIT-1N4000-SERIES-1N4148-k012-/290580768038?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item43a7f6a526#ht_1458wt_905

~US$10 - 100pcs potentiometers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/100-1M-ohm-Single-Turn-Trimmer-Potentiometer-Kit-/400244729683?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5d3071e753#ht_4628wt_1163

~US$6 - 10 alligator clips
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-set-35mm-Alligator-Test-Clip-Lead-5-colors-50cm-long-/330491076197?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf2cd9e65#ht_557wt_1163

~US$5 - 6pcs momentary buttons
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6x-Momentary-Push-Button-OFF-ON-N-O-Switch-6-COLOR-M1-/280719562702?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415c3097ce

~US$3 - 10pcs spdt switches
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-x-Mini-Toggle-3-Position-SPDT-ON-OFF-ON-Piano-Switch-/260793118711?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item3cb87b2ff7