Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Breadboards are awesome!

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
206
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
206
As some of you know I'm brand new with electronics. I got myself a breadboard with the jumpers and a couple big mixed bags of components. I've been playing around for a couple weeks now and can't believe how much you can learn with a breadboard,jumper wires,a couple batteries a multimeter and a big box of random components.
The breadboard is such a simple thing but such a great help just having fun trying different components.
I love mine and am getting another to join up so I can make bigger projects.
 

Audioguru

Sep 24, 2016
3,656
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
3,656
Many posts on these forums ask, "Why does a circuit not work?". I ask, "Is it built on a solderless breadboard?".
A solderless breadboard has:
1) Intermittent contacts that are not soldered.
2) A tangled mess of wires all over the place that makes troubleshooting very difficult.
3) Capacitive coupling between the rows of contacts and/or tangle of wires that cause crosstalk, oscillation and interference.
4) Inductance of the each wire.

I use stripboard that has many parallel strips of copper and the entire board is perforated so that all normal size parts can be mounted and soldered to the strips. The strips are cut to length with a drill bit then each strip is used a few times for parts of the wiring and are like a pcb. The wiring is easy to see and the circuit becomes very compact with almost no capacitive coupling and almost no inductance in the wiring. It soldered together so it is not intermittent. A part can easily be changed with a solder sucker.

During my career I made many custom projects that only one or a few circuits were made and my stripboard circuits looked good enough to be the final project. They all worked perfectly the first time they were powered.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
14,254
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
14,254
As some of you know I'm brand new with electronics. I got myself a breadboard with the jumpers and a couple big mixed bags of components. I've been playing around for a couple weeks now and can't believe how much you can learn with a breadboard,jumper wires,a couple batteries a multimeter and a big box of random components.

yes, they are good value to for knocking up basic ick circuits before finally transferring them to a PCB or veroboard
Tho Audio guru has an active negative attitude, he does make some good points for you to be aware of

Also DONT use them for high current circuits ( avoid anything over ~ 500mA) and also never use them for RF ( radio) related circuits

Keeping those things in mind and you should have a lot of fun :)
I still use them in the workshop for a quick circuit knockup :)

Dave
 

kellys_eye

Jun 25, 2010
6,514
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Messages
6,514
There are also some truly awful breadboards out there too. If you must buy/use one make sure it's good quality.
 

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
206
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
206
All points taken on board. I have a couple strip boards too but I'll keep them for when I'm a bit more fluent with the parts and their purpose. Its good to be able to pull parts and change them around to see what didn't work before suddenly works!
 

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
206
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
206
Maybe one of the site Moderators could edit the title of this post..... "Breadboards are awesome for beginners" ...
I see why strip boards are better for sure but think for people just starting out like me with my limited knowledge and keen interest the breadboards have a place?? If I was soldering and de-soldering everything I've learned in the past couple weeks it would have literally taken 10x as long! I suppose it all depends too on if you just want hobby fun or serious scientific results. Different strokes for different folks.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
14,254
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
14,254
Maybe one of the site Moderators could edit the title of this post..... "Breadboards are awesome for beginners" ...

it's OK as it
they are good for anyone .... As I said in my earlier post, I still use them and have been doing electronics for 45+ yrs
 

Audioguru

Sep 24, 2016
3,656
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
3,656
I don't pick parts at random and "try them" to see if they work in a circuit. Instead I learned the basics of electronics and use circuit theory for a design and parts datasheets to see the spec's of parts to be used in a circuit. Then almost no parts need to be changed for my circuits to work perfectly.

Electronics was my job (I have been retired for 17 years) and has been my most important hobby for most of my life.
 

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
206
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
206
I like it as a hobby. You did it as a job and made a profession out of it. I started getting interested after waking up disabled. Its a long day when you don't have work to go to each day. Electronics passes the time and is very interesting. Just goes to show how it can do something for everyone.
 

Audioguru

Sep 24, 2016
3,656
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
3,656
I am sorry to hear that you are disabled.
I am retired so I also don't go to work each day and every day is a very busy Saturday for me and my electronics hobby and family life.

I was also disabled but not anymore:
1) I had a heart attack 8 years ago and nearly died. My wife rushed me to the hospital and I watched as they put stents into my blocked heart arteries (anesthetics do not make me asleep). Tests showed that they fixed me soon enough so that there was no damage.

2) I became completely blind with cataracts. Again I watched as they removed the cloudy lenses in my eyes and replaced them with custom-made synthetic lenses. The next day and now, my vision is better than when I was young.

Now I am healthier than before. I am 72 years old in a week but I feel like when I was 32 or 42.
 

Cannonball

May 6, 2017
193
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
193
Electronics has been the way I made my living and was my hobby before that. Bread boards are the best thing in electronics since light bread.

I too am retired and playing with electronics and hobby kits makes the time pass.

May you have as much fun with your bread board as I have with mine.
 

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
206
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
206
Electronics has been the way I made my living and was my hobby before that. Bread boards are the best thing in electronics since light bread.

I too am retired and playing with electronics and hobby kits makes the time pass.

May you have as much fun with your bread board as I have with mine.

Oh I am buddy!

I ordered a capacitor mixed pack and got a boost converter instead so I've been playing about with that. Now I understand how it works I'm going to make a much less powerful one on the breadboard to mess around with too. A few of the guys here like them also,I've just to not put anything with any amount of power through my board. As far as I can make out you can play about till your hearts content. Just keep the volts and current right down. I trust what they say and know I can ask anything I'm nor sure about.
This really is a great forum.
 
Top