The adorable hurdle of implementing an idea is the lack of proper set up or a workplace to experiment it out! There is also the other obstacle of methods or means of trying out your idea, we will come to that later. This post will deal with how you can start a small Lab and see it getting transformed into a production unit or a command center!
Like I mentioned when I say 'Lab' don't think its going to be like the one they show in Dexter's Laboratory , a very little computer desk or a kitchen table is all that is required to start your own mini lab.
Now coming to the most important part - the tools. Your work will only be as good as your tools so never hesitate to buy yourself quality tools, it is never an expense only an investment! This guide is for starting an electronics lab facility so if you are looking for test tubes and pippets in the inventory list, then you are reading the wrong blog dude!
Screw Drivers:
These are the first tools that should come to your mind when talking about a Lab. Buy yourself a screw driver set as shown below. You never know when which tip will come to your rescue! Again the varieties in the bits and the variation in size is completely up to your needs. But at the very beginning a similar kit should do the trick!
Breadboard:
The moment you decide to try out a circuit you see in a magazine or in the web be sure to wire that up using the breadboard. This will save you precious time in case you are not so sure about the authenticity of a acquired circuit and you want to mass produce it or make a prototype. Spend some time with the below video to learn all about breadboards.
Soldering Iron + Lead & flux:
This is certainly one of the most important tool you need to make a prototype of an electronic circuit. There are huge varieties and variants of soldering iron. Since we are just starting up we will settle for a 30W pointed tip "SOLDRON" make iron. I still own a 8 year old soldering iron and he is my pal when it comes to heating things up! Then once we have enough experience we can move on to the temperature controlled ones and SMT types. Watch & learn the fun behind soldering.
Power tool box:
There may be a time when you may need some hard cutting tools to bring stuffs into shape. Try getting yourself a mini toolkit from Bosch or its Chinese equivalent ;) It may come in handy! But if it is way too pricey for your budget then let us deal with this later!
Laptop/Desktop:
Trust me! you will need this more than all the other tools combined together. This will surely be the most essential part of your lab and almost 70% of your research will be through this awesome tool. Thought I will add this one too!
Bench Power supply:
Now, what is electronics without power supply. But wait can we use the live AC voltage for our small circuits. The answer is no and you need to either buy a 12 V power adapter with standard jacks or build yourself a variable power supply. I would recommend the 12 V power adapter, but if you want to start your research by building your own variable power supply, then here you go:
Multimeter:
This is your next best friend in electronics. You are going to need this as much as your fingers.
Storing Components:
One word of advice. Whenever you are buying components for your projects don't buy the exact quantity required to build the circuit. Always get some spares in excess than required. This will:
- Avoid wastage of time to visiting the shop again in case of components malfunctioning or breakage and loss due to improper handling
- You will start building your store and you never know when you will be need of a particular component
- Get ideas on how components will 'look like' in case you are designing a PCB or a Dot board circuit based prototype
Check this out on ideas of how you can stack or store your components and how a Lab may look like:
Connecting wires and Wire strippers:
Wires are of different types and I recommend to start with the single stranded wires and get your self a wire stripper to use them in your bread board.
And one last thing:
The one thing you should always have ready on the go is your patience. You loose this and all your work will be at stake. No first electronic project has ever worked for any one who tried it out for the first time & if yours worked for the first time then my heart full congratulations and best of luck on your future projects.
Go start your first project and let me know in case you need further support!
P.S: Just as you rightly thought all stuffs are already available in the web. This blog is an attempt to kindle interest on any budding electronic practitioner by putting together stuffs and guide him/her on the process of starting out your dream electronic project!
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