Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
1.1) any links of such lists on the web available ?

I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

First, could you answer a few questions to narrow the field a bit.

Are you primarily interested in building radios? Transmitter or receiver?
Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state? Interfacing to
computers or standalone projects? What level of experience do you have and
what are you starting with?

Sounds like a lot to ask, yes, but it really does make a difference. If you
go out and just start buying things, you can put several hundred or (if you go
overboard) even a thousand dollars into parts without really being able to
build much.

For most experimentation, a decent selection of resistors and capacitors is
pretty essential, but the actual ranges of values of each is considerably
different depending upon what type of projects you have in mind. Likewise,
diodes, transistors and other semiconductors. There are some "standards" but
it really depends upon what you are planning. These days, there are a lot of
projects involving logic, and you can really spend a fortune restocking for
logic projects if you don't know what you want yet...
When I started oh so many years ago, I began with a full assortment of halfway
carbon composition resistors, along with a couple of capacitor assortments
(disc and tubular). Now, most of the resistor values I have are quarter watt
carbon film types, and the capacitor assortments comprise three or four
different types and several voltage ranges. Diodes range from small signal
types in germanium and silicon, along with the 4001-4004 1 amp general purpose
types. For transistors, an assortment of common pap and nun devices (such as
2n2222a, 2n3906, 2n3906 and so on), plus a handful of various ICs and pampas
that are used often.

Often, people that don't have a fairly well stocked "junk box" begin with kits
or published magazine articles that are of particular interest, then go on
from there, expanding upon the parts they purchase for each kit or published
project as they go along. Whenever I make up an order for a particular repair
job or project, I always add a few other things to the order to round out what
I was missing the last time I had something I needed to do... It helps to
reduce the average cost per part due to minimum order size or high shipping
charges.

Of course, beyond just the parts will be some general equipment, such as a
variable power supply or two, a decent DVM, and possibly an oscilloscope,
depending upon what you are building... Don't forget to buy a good soldering
station (the Welder WTCPN or other similar models come to mind), some solder
wick and a good solder sucker. Having a quality, temperature controlled
soldering station will make soldering so much more convenient you'll be able
to do a really good job with a lot less practice. Of course, a good quality
small diameter flux cored solder is essential. Then there are hand tools like
exact knives, wire strippers, diagonal cutters (dikes), needle nose pliers,
tweezers, screwdrivers, nut drivers and the like. The list (seemingly) goes
on and on.

Good luck!

--Rick

haricot wrote:

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
1.1) any links of such lists on the web available ?

I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

First, could you answer a few questions to narrow the field a bit.

Are you primarily interested in building radios? Transmitter or receiver?
Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state? Interfacing to
computers or standalone projects? What level of experience do you have and
what are you starting with?

Sounds like a lot to ask, yes, but it really does make a difference. If you
go out and just start buying things, you can put several hundred or (if you go
overboard) even a thousand dollars into parts without really being able to
build much.

For most experimentation, a decent selection of resistors and capacitors is
pretty essential, but the actual ranges of values of each is considerably
different depending upon what type of projects you have in mind. Likewise,
diodes, transistors and other semiconductors. There are some "standards" but
it really depends upon what you are planning. These days, there are a lot of
projects involving logic, and you can really spend a fortune restocking for
logic projects if you don't know what you want yet...
When I started oh so many years ago, I began with a full assortment of halfway
carbon composition resistors, along with a couple of capacitor assortments
(disc and tubular). Now, most of the resistor values I have are quarter watt
carbon film types, and the capacitor assortments comprise three or four
different types and several voltage ranges. Diodes range from small signal
types in germanium and silicon, along with the 4001-4004 1 amp general purpose
types. For transistors, an assortment of common pap and nun devices (such as
2n2222a, 2n3906, 2n3906 and so on), plus a handful of various ICs and pampas
that are used often.

Often, people that don't have a fairly well stocked "junk box" begin with kits
or published magazine articles that are of particular interest, then go on
from there, expanding upon the parts they purchase for each kit or published
project as they go along. Whenever I make up an order for a particular repair
job or project, I always add a few other things to the order to round out what
I was missing the last time I had something I needed to do... It helps to
reduce the average cost per part due to minimum order size or high shipping
charges.

Of course, beyond just the parts will be some general equipment, such as a
variable power supply or two, a decent DVM, and possibly an oscilloscope,
depending upon what you are building... Don't forget to buy a good soldering
station (the Welder WTCPN or other similar models come to mind), some solder
wick and a good solder sucker. Having a quality, temperature controlled
soldering station will make soldering so much more convenient you'll be able
to do a really good job with a lot less practice. Of course, a good quality
small diameter flux cored solder is essential. Then there are hand tools like
exact knives, wire strippers, diagonal cutters (dikes), needle nose pliers,
tweezers, screwdrivers, nut drivers and the like. The list (seemingly) goes
on and on.

Good luck!

--Rick

haricot wrote:

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
1.1) any links of such lists on the web available ?

I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

sorry not to have been specific.
Are you primarily interested in building radios?
Transmitter or receiver?
I am starting with recievers.
Basically implementing projects from Experimental Methods in RF Design

Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state? Interfacing
to
computers or standalone projects? What level of experience do you have
and
what are you starting with?

Sounds like a lot to ask, yes, but it really does make a difference. If
you
go out and just start buying things, you can put several hundred or (if
you go
overboard) even a thousand dollars into parts without really being able to
build much.

For most experimentation, a decent selection of resistors and capacitors
is
pretty essential, but the actual ranges of values of each is considerably
different depending upon what type of projects you have in mind.
Likewise,
diodes, transistors and other semiconductors. There are some "standards"
but
it really depends upon what you are planning. These days, there are a lot
of
projects involving logic, and you can really spend a fortune restocking
for
logic projects if you don't know what you want yet...
When I started oh so many years ago, I began with a full assortment of
halfway
carbon composition resistors, along with a couple of capacitor assortments
(disc and tubular). Now, most of the resistor values I have are quarter
watt
carbon film types, and the capacitor assortments comprise three or four
different types and several voltage ranges. Diodes range from small
signal
types in germanium and silicon, along with the 4001-4004 1 amp general
purpose
types. For transistors, an assortment of common pap and nun devices (such
as
2n2222a, 2n3906, 2n3906 and so on), plus a handful of various ICs and
pampas
that are used often.

Often, people that don't have a fairly well stocked "junk box" begin with
kits
or published magazine articles that are of particular interest, then go on
from there, expanding upon the parts they purchase for each kit or
published
project as they go along. Whenever I make up an order for a particular
repair
job or project, I always add a few other things to the order to round out
what
I was missing the last time I had something I needed to do... It helps to
reduce the average cost per part due to minimum order size or high
shipping
charges.

Of course, beyond just the parts will be some general equipment, such as a
variable power supply or two, a decent DVM, and possibly an oscilloscope,
depending upon what you are building... Don't forget to buy a good
soldering
station (the Welder WTCPN or other similar models come to mind), some
solder
wick and a good solder sucker. Having a quality, temperature controlled
soldering station will make soldering so much more convenient you'll be
able
to do a really good job with a lot less practice. Of course, a good
quality
small diameter flux cored solder is essential. Then there are hand tools
like
exact knives, wire strippers, diagonal cutters (dikes), needle nose
pliers,
tweezers, screwdrivers, nut drivers and the like. The list (seemingly)
goes
on and on.

Good luck!

--Rick

haricot wrote:

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
1.1) any links of such lists on the web available ?

I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont
want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

sorry not to have been specific.
Are you primarily interested in building radios?
Transmitter or receiver?
I am starting with recievers.
Basically implementing projects from Experimental Methods in RF Design

Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state? Interfacing
to
computers or standalone projects? What level of experience do you have
and
what are you starting with?

Sounds like a lot to ask, yes, but it really does make a difference. If
you
go out and just start buying things, you can put several hundred or (if
you go
overboard) even a thousand dollars into parts without really being able to
build much.

For most experimentation, a decent selection of resistors and capacitors
is
pretty essential, but the actual ranges of values of each is considerably
different depending upon what type of projects you have in mind.
Likewise,
diodes, transistors and other semiconductors. There are some "standards"
but
it really depends upon what you are planning. These days, there are a lot
of
projects involving logic, and you can really spend a fortune restocking
for
logic projects if you don't know what you want yet...
When I started oh so many years ago, I began with a full assortment of
halfway
carbon composition resistors, along with a couple of capacitor assortments
(disc and tubular). Now, most of the resistor values I have are quarter
watt
carbon film types, and the capacitor assortments comprise three or four
different types and several voltage ranges. Diodes range from small
signal
types in germanium and silicon, along with the 4001-4004 1 amp general
purpose
types. For transistors, an assortment of common pap and nun devices (such
as
2n2222a, 2n3906, 2n3906 and so on), plus a handful of various ICs and
pampas
that are used often.

Often, people that don't have a fairly well stocked "junk box" begin with
kits
or published magazine articles that are of particular interest, then go on
from there, expanding upon the parts they purchase for each kit or
published
project as they go along. Whenever I make up an order for a particular
repair
job or project, I always add a few other things to the order to round out
what
I was missing the last time I had something I needed to do... It helps to
reduce the average cost per part due to minimum order size or high
shipping
charges.

Of course, beyond just the parts will be some general equipment, such as a
variable power supply or two, a decent DVM, and possibly an oscilloscope,
depending upon what you are building... Don't forget to buy a good
soldering
station (the Welder WTCPN or other similar models come to mind), some
solder
wick and a good solder sucker. Having a quality, temperature controlled
soldering station will make soldering so much more convenient you'll be
able
to do a really good job with a lot less practice. Of course, a good
quality
small diameter flux cored solder is essential. Then there are hand tools
like
exact knives, wire strippers, diagonal cutters (dikes), needle nose
pliers,
tweezers, screwdrivers, nut drivers and the like. The list (seemingly)
goes
on and on.

Good luck!

--Rick

haricot wrote:

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
1.1) any links of such lists on the web available ?

I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont
want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state?
Short wave recievers as i am not a HAM right now. Solid state

to
computers or standalone projects?

Standalone

Accessories? What frequency ranges? Tubes or solid state?
Short wave recievers as i am not a HAM right now. Solid state

to
computers or standalone projects?

Standalone

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

A range of the most common resistor values from 10R to 10M. A total of 500
pcs can already be bought as a "kit" from many shops.

A range of common caps from 10pf to 220uf, but not all that many values.
Perhaps a few of each decade (10p, 100p, 1n, 10n, 100n, 1u, 10, 100u) with a
few extra in the range of 10p to 100p and 1n to 47n (values used for
tuning/filtering).

A slack handfull of general purpose transistors, such as BC547 (NPN) and
BC557 (PNP).

Op amps - 741, 324, 358, 386.

A good tip is to visit your local dump. A telly, a VCR and the odd defunct
transistor radio can be a goldmine, especially for mains transformers,
coils, tuning caps, pots and even hook-up wire.

MOST IMPORTANT - A catalogue from your local radio component supplier. You
can't stock everything. The above will alllow you to assemble a few simple
circuits, but for anything decent you will still have to buy/beg/borrw or
....



Don't forget to ask them for their PDF library on CD. The catalogues usually
give you loads of circuits, pinouts and data. If you are going to spend $15
on a small selection of components, do what you have done here and hint that
you are going to buy loads of stuff, build loads of projects, and they
usually give you all sorts of freebies.

BR Harry

Qn1) Could someone recommend list of electronic components that i should
stock up on for starting my radio projects?
I wanted to order stuff from various sources like digikey etc. I dont want
to be at a loss of components when i start experimenting.

A range of the most common resistor values from 10R to 10M. A total of 500
pcs can already be bought as a "kit" from many shops.

A range of common caps from 10pf to 220uf, but not all that many values.
Perhaps a few of each decade (10p, 100p, 1n, 10n, 100n, 1u, 10, 100u) with a
few extra in the range of 10p to 100p and 1n to 47n (values used for
tuning/filtering).

A slack handfull of general purpose transistors, such as BC547 (NPN) and
BC557 (PNP).

Op amps - 741, 324, 358, 386.

A good tip is to visit your local dump. A telly, a VCR and the odd defunct
transistor radio can be a goldmine, especially for mains transformers,
coils, tuning caps, pots and even hook-up wire.

MOST IMPORTANT - A catalogue from your local radio component supplier. You
can't stock everything. The above will alllow you to assemble a few simple
circuits, but for anything decent you will still have to buy/beg/borrw or
....



Don't forget to ask them for their PDF library on CD. The catalogues usually
give you loads of circuits, pinouts and data. If you are going to spend $15
on a small selection of components, do what you have done here and hint that
you are going to buy loads of stuff, build loads of projects, and they
usually give you all sorts of freebies.

BR Harry