This is the analog/dedicated enthusiast setup. Beginner/Digital:
* Use the Falstad sim to play around. It's amazing and runs in a browser.
* Plano molding ammo boxes. If you can't fit everything in a few, help is available, a few months in parts bin addiction rehab can change your life!
* Pinecil soldering iron
* Unless you're working with mains there are almost no bad meters, just ones with crappy specs. Get one with good accuracy and all the features.
* Now get an ESP32 Arduino-alike module. Something similar to a wemos S3 mini. Don't pay more than $15. Or get an M5stack.
* Those crappy little modules are your friends. Especially if you are making installations and art. You don't wanna be fussing with actual soldering for onsite parts. Use female pin jumpers. Might not even need a breadboard till later!! There's a crappy little module for everything these days and they're all pretty reliable.
* But not LM2596 buck modules Those are actually crappy. Other cheap regulators are probably fine.
* Don't buy a bench power supply. That's more towards the enthusiast stage. Instead buy yourself some USB-PD trigger modules. Watch for 12v ones, they actually give 9v aside from some newer PPS ones, because they removed 12v from the spec.
* When your thing needs power, put a trigger module on. They're like $2. If your thing needs something other than 5, 9, 15, or 20v, use a cheap regulator.
* Or just power it right from the ESP32 Arduino-ish board. Either way, USB saves the day.
* If you want to do anything beyond this, just buy exactly the stuff you need for the project. Parts hoarding is an unrelated hobby that doesn't have much to do with electronics.
* Get a 3D printer or learn woodworking if you want to make nice finished projects
* Wago connectors are your friend if you ever encounter wire bigger than 24awg or so.
* All cherry MX keyboard switch clones are good. All other cheap switches are suspect
* Use the Falstad sim to play around. It's amazing and runs in a browser.
* Plano molding ammo boxes. If you can't fit everything in a few, help is available, a few months in parts bin addiction rehab can change your life!
* Pinecil soldering iron
* Unless you're working with mains there are almost no bad meters, just ones with crappy specs. Get one with good accuracy and all the features.
* Now get an ESP32 Arduino-alike module. Something similar to a wemos S3 mini. Don't pay more than $15. Or get an M5stack.
* Those crappy little modules are your friends. Especially if you are making installations and art. You don't wanna be fussing with actual soldering for onsite parts. Use female pin jumpers. Might not even need a breadboard till later!! There's a crappy little module for everything these days and they're all pretty reliable.
* But not LM2596 buck modules Those are actually crappy. Other cheap regulators are probably fine.
* Don't buy a bench power supply. That's more towards the enthusiast stage. Instead buy yourself some USB-PD trigger modules. Watch for 12v ones, they actually give 9v aside from some newer PPS ones, because they removed 12v from the spec.
* When your thing needs power, put a trigger module on. They're like $2. If your thing needs something other than 5, 9, 15, or 20v, use a cheap regulator.
* Or just power it right from the ESP32 Arduino-ish board. Either way, USB saves the day.
* If you want to do anything beyond this, just buy exactly the stuff you need for the project. Parts hoarding is an unrelated hobby that doesn't have much to do with electronics.
* Get a 3D printer or learn woodworking if you want to make nice finished projects
* Wago connectors are your friend if you ever encounter wire bigger than 24awg or so.
* All cherry MX keyboard switch clones are good. All other cheap switches are suspect
* Microusb is evil