Start Electronics Now! Part 4:
Beginner's Shopping List
Created on: 27 July 2012
Updated on: 2 November 2012, 20 April 2015
When starting your new electronics and Arduino hobby, you will need to buy some electronic components and tools so that you can build the circuits and projects. Always order some extra parts such as LEDs, resistors, transistors, wire, etc. to keep in you spares box so that you will have your own supply of components available whenever you want to build a new breadboard circuit or other project.
This page contains a component and tools checklist for beginners to give you an idea of what parts and equipment you will need to get started in electronics and to follow the starting electronics beginner's tutorial series.
You may also be able to find a nice kit of parts that already contains most of the components that you need and avoid having to buy each part individually.
Consider buying a slightly bigger breadboard than the really tiny ones. A bigger breadboard can be used for building bigger circuits in the future as you progress in electronics.
Side-cutters are used for cutting wire, stripping insulation from wire and cutting long component leads.
3. Long-nose Pliers / Half-round-nose Pliers
Used for bending component leads, holding small parts while soldering, to push a component lead or wire into a breadboard that has 'tight' connection holes and has many other uses in electronics.
4. Soldering Iron
A soldering iron is not normally needed with breadboard circuits, except when a component does not have leads that can plug into a breadboard, e.g. the LCD used in the beginner's tutorial. Wire then needs to be soldered to the component so that it can be plugged into the breadboard.
Stand-alone soldering irons are available as well as soldering iron stations.
A stand-alone soldering iron will normally not have a temerature controller or a stand with a cleaning sponge. A soldering iron station will have temerature control, a stand for the iron with a cleaning sponge.
5. Solder Wire
If you buy a soldering iron, you will also need to buy some solder wire to use with it. Solder wire diameters anywhere from 0.7mm to 1mm or even slightly bigger will be fine for beginners.
Electronic Components for Tutorial 1 to 20
Arduino, USB Cable and Breadboard Jumper Wires
- An Arduino Uno is used in the beginner's tutorial series.
- A standard USB cable is needed to connect the Arduino to a PC to power it up and to load software to the Arduino.
- Breadboard jumper wires are used to connect the Arduino pins to the breadboard.
The table below contains a list of all the resistor values used in the beginner's tutorial series. Boxed sets of resistors that have a whole range of values are available to buy.
|1||1M ohm (1,000,000 ohm)||All resistors are 1/4W 5%.
If any value of resistor is not available in 5% tolerance, 1% tolerance can be bought instead.
It is not worth ordering less than 10 of each resistor. You may have to buy packets of resistors that contain more than 10 resistors, depending on how the supplier packages them.
|3||100k (100,000 ohm)|
|1||56k (56,000 ohm)|
|2||33k (33,000 ohm)|
|2||22k (22,000 ohm)|
|4||10k (10,000 ohm)|
|1||4k7 (4,700 ohm)|
|6||2k2 (2,200 ohm)|
|1||1k5 (1,500 ohm)|
|1||1k (1000 ohm)|
All of the capacitor values used in the beginner tutorial series is shown in the table below. Boxed kits of capacitors are also available for purchase.
16V or more
Semiconductors are devices that are made from semiconductor material such as diodes (including LEDs), transistors and integrated circuits (ICs).
The table below lists all of the semiconductors used in the beginner's electronics tutorial series.
|10||5mm red LEDs||5mm red or green diffused through-hole mounting LEDs. Choose if you want red or green or some of both.||Semiconductors|
|10||3mm red LEDs||3mm red diffused through-hole LEDs.
An alternative to the above 5mm LEDs.
You only need 10 LEDs: either 5mm or 3mm, but if you want to spend some more money, you can get some of both sizes and/or different colours. It is a good idea to keep some spares.
|1||5mm white LED||A bright white clear LED|
|2||2N2222||NPN transistors, metal can package.
Alternate transistor that will work in the tutorial are:
|3||PN2222 or KSP2222||NPN transistors, plastic package|
|1||PN2907||PNP transistor, plastic package|
|1||MCP9700||Linear Active Thermistor IC|
|1||PCF8563P||Real Time Clock IC (RTC)|
|1||4047||Monostable/Astable Multivibrator IC|
|1||4017||5-stage johnson decade counter IC|
|1||PCF8574P||I/O expander IC|
|1||74HC595||8-bit SIPO shift register IC|
|1||741||741 op-amp IC|
|1||7 segment display||Seven-segment LED display, common cathode|
The remaining parts needed for the beginner's tutorial series are listed in the table below.
|1||9V battery clip||9V battery clip to fit 9V battery or battery holder||Battery clip|
|1||Battery holder for 6 x 1.5V AA cells||Battery holder for 6 x 1.5V AA cells (to make up 9V).
If using a 9V battery, then the battery holder is not needed.
|1||CR2032 battery holder||Only needed if using battery backup on the real time clock (RTC)|
|1||9V battery or 6 x 1.5V AA cells if using a battery holder||Or use a rechargeable battery (below)||Battery|
|1||9V rechargeable battery||Use a non-rechargeable battery (above) OR a rechargeable battery.|
|1||CR2032 3V coin battery||Only needed if using battery backup on the real time clock (RTC)|
|1||10k panel-mount potentiometer or 10k preset (trimmer) potentiometer||Potentiometer|
|1||10k trimmer potentiometer|
|1||8 ohm loudspeaker||Speaker|
|1||LDR||Light Dependent Resistor, or photoresistor||Transducer|
|1||Piezo disc||Piezo transducer|
|1||Momentary push button switch|
|1||LCD||LCD, 2 lines by 16 characters||Liquid Crystal Display|
|1||Single in line 16 pin header||Single in line 16 pin header, 2.54mm pin spacing (for LCD)||Pin headers|
|1||32.768kHz watch crystal||32.768kHz watch crystal (0.032768MHz)||Crystals|
There are many electronic parts kits, project kits and Arduino kits on the market.
Where to Order Parts
If you buy parts and kits through the Amazon links above, you will be helping to support the Starting Electronics website with no exta cost to you.
Other buying options are: You may have a local electronics shop that can supply some or all of the parts. There are also many on-line shops that you can order parts from.
Things to Consider
Where you order from will depend on price and availability of parts. Also consider postage costs if you are ordering online. Some suppliers may have more expensive parts, but free postage.
If you are ordering parts from another country, you may have to pay import duties or taxes, depending on the laws in your country.