Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [hobbyist]

92 questions
33
votes
4 answers

Building a hobbyist oscilloscope

I have a project that I've been thinking about for a little while, and I've come to the realization that at some point during its development, I'm going to need an oscilloscope. Okay, not a problem. Instead of purchasing an oscilloscope, I've…
kestrel
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4 answers

How do you store ICs used in hobby electronics?

I've recently started working on a project and I need to find a way to store some ICs that I'm using. I have around five different ICs and someone said I could just put them all together in a small cylindrical tube I have (think a little box…
Asitha Navaratne
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18
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4 answers

What well-known ICs have essentially no packaging?

As a kid I once found a calculator whose IC was protected only by a loose plastic cover. With the cover removed, and with appropriate lighting, I could make out distinct features of the IC– including company logos– with a simple classroom…
rezmason
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15
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6 answers

Can I get help troubleshooting a simple hobby electronics circuit? Multimeter not measuring current drawn

I am following the experiment in the popular electronics book - "Make: Electronics third edition". However, when replicating one of the experiments mentioned in the book (specifically Experiment 3 "Applying pressure", the part under the subheading…
Archit K
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8
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5 answers

Does it make sense to measure components in-circuit in order to prove non-functioning?

When an electrical circuit is not working properly does it make sense to use a multimeter to measure/test the individual components in-circuit (without soldering them out), e.g. measure transistor continuity test/ fall of voltages? I am asking…
MRalwasser
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7
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4 answers

Ideal location to practice soldering

Sounds like a stupid question, but really hasn't been asked before, or I haven't found a post about it. Either way, here it is: I bought a soldering iron recently and am looking for a place in my house to do my soldering. Of course the first thing…
ProspectiveEng
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7
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6 answers

When did DC-DC buck converter modules become so popular?

Is it just me or from maybe since 4 years ago every project online for hobbyist electronics is using switch-mode power circuits in them? Looking back 15 years ago at projects from when I started doing electronics as a hobby, virtually every project…
dsalazar
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7
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7 answers

Is it cheating if I use an SRAM chip as a register file?

I'm currently building my very own processor using discrete logic (74LSxx series and that) using my very own instruction set architecture. I am starting to rack up a bit of a bill because all the chips I need. For any of you that have seen people…
DylanG
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6
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2 answers

What are the characteristics of a memristor?

This is an in-spirit follow-up to my earlier question. So I'm an electronics hobbyist, and I've been curious for a while about the proposed new component, the memristor. My research has turned up this link demonstrating the creation of one, and now…
Albert Perrien
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6
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5 answers

What is a good alternative for the UA741 opamp in hobby projects?

Related to What's the uA741's appeal?, a lot of schematics use this rather dated opamp. My follow-up question would be: What is a good alternative? Of course if you have specific requirements you just search for the correct part. What I'm talking…
Pepijn
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4 answers

What is so special in the power MOSFETS IRFD120 and IRFD110?

I was trying out a hobby project and I was using the IRFD120 and IRFD110 power MOSFETs to control a motor. The transistors worked pretty fine and we simply ran out of them. When I went to buy some more I found out that they are outrageously…
himura
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5
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6 answers

How to hand drill PCBs?

Drilling 300 holes in fibre board is tedious, difficult to do neatly and prone to snap bits. What simple methods and tools are available to the home user to drill PCBs effectively? In my case it's only going to be used occasionally and then on a…
Rob Kam
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5
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6 answers

Would it be possible to make a solid state transistor by hand?

I am curious, would it be possible to fabricate a modern BJT/FET transistor with hobby/garage tools only if size and aesthetics was not important? Which materials would one use and how would one acquire them?
Mr. Developerdude
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4 answers

What's the difference between chip families

I've been trying to follow Ben Eater's 8 bit computer design (https://eater.net/8bit) and I've manged to build something that broadly works but it's not very reliable. Sometimes modules don't work, if I reset the system and try again they might…
Stormcloud
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3 answers

Is electronics an expensive hobby?

I recently just finished my Eagle schematic for a simple robot that moves and plan to order the parts and the PCB soon. Unfortunately with the soldering iron, helping hands, lights, solder, parts, and PCB all add up to $125. Is this a lot of money?…
IronApe
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