Finally getting around to some electronics work, I've a few questions for those in the know...
Planning to start off with some op amps and basic RLC circuits
1) Looking at ~£22 for a soldering iron kit and ~£10 for basic component kit. Are there any pitfalls or good deals I should be aware of?
2) Op amps need an AC supply, loath to buy a ready made one however. Worth building a power supply from scratch?
( @freemo I know you recommended building some LED/RLC stuff first but I can't find the post and since I'll be needing an AC source soon anyway)
3) Any other practical considerations to bear in mind?
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1) at that price most irons will be the same low quality. They will get the job done but they will work against you. To start out its fine. But I do recommend you investing in a nicer one as soon as you are willing. A TS100 is the best and cheapest IMO at ~$75, a high end set is easily $500 or more, but the $75 one is surprisingly close to the high end ones in performance. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for and a cheap iron will mean headaches in the future.
2) Op amps dnt need an ac supply, the opposite they use a DC supply. Perhaps you are thinking of a dual rail supply? An AC source might be useful to play with an opamp, but not needed as you can feed it any signal including pulses of dc or whatever else you want to.
3) Yes, dont test if wires are live by licking them, I cant stress this enough!
@freemo 1) yeah figured this would be the case thanks, any similar recommends on multimeter or can i save there?
2) yeah was thinking I could just make do with 9V batteries and *insert homework here* use those to drive a small AC current when needed
3) if i want a cheeky citrus boost that's my business
@skells 1) thats tricky. A cheap multimeter will work for the purposes of a multimeter for a beginer. What youll really want is a cheap handheld oscope because it will really help you learn. Seeing the circuit change in realtime just helps so much with understanding. That said they can be a bit pricey (though cheap kits exist). So might want to skip that till your more committed and hobble along.
see this for a super cheap one: https://www.amazon.com/AUKUYEE-Oscilloscope-BNC-Clip-Assembled-Finished/dp/B08DKQZDC3/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=oscilloscope+kit&qid=1638544949&sr=8-3
2) 9v battery works, you can also just use a random wall wart for an old device or something which id recommend over a battery honestly. You probably will wind up making your own "AC" in circuit from the batteries (really time varying DC for most things)
3) just make sure if you do lick wires strip off a nice large contact off the ends, do it right.
@skells re #2 keep in mind for a dual rail opamp you'd need x2 9v batteries in series. single rail opamps exist but id suggest you start with dual rail
@freemo PS soldering iron kit comes with multimeter, which seems suspiciously generous for under £30...