Description:
Electronics 2000 contains interactive calculators, technical data, software downloads, links to other electronics sites, a beginners guide to taking up electronics as a hobby and much more.

Welcome to Electronics 2000. This site has something for everyone interested in electronics - a beginners guide to project building, technical data, interactive formulae calculators, software downloads such as my own Electronics Assistant program, links to other sites and much more.

OK, so you're new to electronics, or wondering whether to take it up as a hobby. The question is, where to start? Electronics covers many areas, just think how many pieces of equipment use electronics - you're using one of them right now. It can leave you wondering just where to begin.

This guide covers everything you need to get started. Probably the easiest way to start is by building a kit. This allows you to get experience of the practical side of electronics, without worrying about any theory. Sooner or later you will probably want to learn some theory, so that you can design your own circuits, but you don't need to worry about that yet.

As well as a kit you will need a few tools to construct it with. However, don't be fooled into buying every tool under the sun - only the basics are needed to get started. This is discussed further on in this section.

That's all you need to start with, apart from a few basic skills such as soldering, also covered in this section. Use the arrows at the bottom of each page to view the pages in order. You can also skip around if you want, using the contents in the frame at the top. Make sure you read the whole section before starting.

The easiest way to take up electronics as a hobby is to build a kit. There is a large range of kits available, but many are only suitable for more experienced constructors. Hence the choice of kit is very important - if it too complex and you can't get it to work when built it might put you off electronics completely! Firstly a word of warning:

DO NOT CHOOSE A MAINS POWERED PROJECT. MAINS ELECTRICITY CAN KILL! ONLY BUILD A PROJECT CONNECTED TO THE MAINS WHEN YOU ARE MORE EXPERIENCED AND ARE SURE YOU CAN CONSTRUCT IT SAFELY.

That said, if you really hate batteries, most projects can be powered through a commercially built low voltage mains adapter. Dire warnings over, let's continue. I suggest buying a catalogue from a large supplier such as Maplin, or browsing their online catalogue. (Try your local newsagent, if they don't have a catalogue they can order it for you.) Maplin have quite a good range of kits, although they have recently reduced the range. Many of their kits are manufactured by Velleman.

Your choice of kit depends on what takes your fancy, but don't choose anything too complicated. Kits from Maplin they have a complexity rating on them. Choose a project rated '1' or '2'. Kits rated '2' will normally need a multimeter to set them up. It's best to choose a project that will operate on it's own without needing to be connected to another piece of equipment. I would urge beginners not to choose audio projects, as these can be more difficult to get working properly.

Good kits from Maplin to choose include 'Electronic Die' (code VX98G), 'Classic TV Tennis Game' (code QF59P) and 'Frost Indicator' (VE04E). If you choose the car frost indicator, or any other automotive project you need some basic knowledge of car electrics to install it in a vehicle. Personally, I would recommend the 'Electronic Die', as it is suitably impressive, and immediately obvious whether it works or not.

Some kits are based around a microcontroller. The 'Classic TV Tennis Game' is an example, and allows a complex item to be built with minimal circuitry. However if you want to understand how the circuit works it is perhaps best to avoid microcontrollers, as 'real' circuitry is often easier to understand than a 'black box' controlled by programming, the function of which may not be fully explained in the kit's instructions.

It's best to choose a good quality kit from a reputable source, not one from 'bargain list' supplies. As I have found the hard way, these may have been lying on a shelf for too long, and the components may have degraded - there's nothing more frustrating than a faulty kit!

Remember, the main emphasis at this stage is getting an easy-to-build project that will work, even if it doesn't do anything particularly earth - shattering when finished!

When you've chosen your project you'll need some tools to construct it with.

You'll need a few basic tools to complete your first project, however don't go mad and buy every tool under the sun. The most essential items you will need are a soldering iron and some solder - note that this is not normally provided with kits. You will also need some wire-cutters, wire-strippers and a pair of small pliers. Other items are also useful although not essential.

Here's a list of essential / optional tools. I have included Maplin order codes for them, although alternatives are available from other suppliers:

Essentials:

Soldering iron - Antex 18 Watt type CS (code FY62S) or 25 Watt type XS (code FR12N). The XS model is probably better due to the higher power, but it is physically larger, and the 'bit' (the business end) is bigger. A full range of bits is available if you later decide you want a smaller bit.

Solder - Solder comes in different thicknesses, 22SWG is thinner than 18SWG. The thinner 22SWG is best for small joints (code FR21X). Buy a pack of (say) 10m for the moment - you can buy a large reel later.

Wire Cutters - Also called 'side cutters' these are used for cutting component leads close to the circuit board after soldering. I suggest Maplin's 'Snip Cutter' (code JH20W) or '155mm Side Cutters' (code GW49D).

Wire Strippers - These are used to strip the insulation off wires you connect to your circuit. Strangely Maplin seem to have stopped stocking their simple 'Model 9' and the only really suitable ones they sell are quite expensive (code NF59P). It might be better to try another supplier such as Farnell or a local supplier for these. More complicated models aren't really worth the money for hobby use.

Pliers - Used for bending wires on components to fit into circuit board. These MUST be small - not the ones you use for plumbing! The range of pliers available is vast - I suggest the 'Miniature Long Nose Pliers' (code RL84F) or similar.

Optional:

Screwdrivers - Needed for some kits, not for others. A small straight type (code RM00A) and Medium cross - point type (code RM14Q) are most useful.

Soldering iron stand - Stops you burning yourself, the lead or the table when the iron is not in use! Also has a sponge to clean the iron. (code FR20W)

Desoldering tool - Useful when you need to remove a solder joint for whatever reason. They work by sucking the molten solder into the pump, away from the joint. (code FR26D)

Wooden board - If you don't have a workbench, use an old piece of shelving or similar to protect your table. If you don't have a board, buy a piece of chipboard or conti - board.

Test equipment - The only item of test equipment that's worth considering at this stage is a multimeter. A basic kit shouldn't require you to have one, although if it doesn't work one can be useful to find out what's wrong. If you do get one, choose a reasonable model so you don't 'outgrow' it too soon! I suggest Maplin's 'PG10B' model (code GW18U). However, these are quite expensive, and not essential at this stage. Basic multimeters are available for around £8.

Now we've sorted out tools, lets look at basic techniques starting with soldering.