Reccomended breadboard

[Kipper4]

Has anyone got any suggestions as to which breadboard i should get?
Uk based.
Bearing in mind its for effects pedal prototyping.
Anything i shoud go for?
Anything or make i should avoid?
How many holes etc

At the moment im thinking Maplins A14
What do you say?

[slacker]

Do you mean the AD-14, that should be more than enough for anything pedal related, it's a monster.

I've got the RH-32S, haven't needed anything bigger yet, then I've also got a couple of small cheapo boards which are fine for fuzzes and other small circuits.

Linky for anyone playing along http://www.maplin.co.uk/productsearch?criteria=+Breadboards

[gcme93]

Yepp that'll do you! I'd say you may as well go for that big "monster" as you can breadboard up a few small things or one massive thing... It's not too much more cost wise and its a good investment

[nocentelli]

www.bitsbox.co.uk have a couple of cheap but adequate breadboards, and their fixed shipping is very reasonable. If you decide to go with Maplin, and can't face schlepping down there in person to be told they don't have any in stock despite their inventory "system" saying there are five units out on the shelves, you can order most of the Maplin catalogue via Tesco's online shop, AND you get free shipping (versus something like five quid from Maplin direct): Just go to Tesco's online store, search for the item using the Maplin catalogue name or number, and order. After paying 20p each for 2p capacitors in an emergency, I vowed never to buy from Maplin agin, but they do stock the same knobs used by Lovetone, and some larger or more unusual enclosures at a relatively reasonable price.

[deadastronaut]

+1 on the RH32S...i have 3 of those...(this one is a little different, but my missus bought it for my xmas prezzie without asking me)...but same size.



wire it for true bypass too....perfect.


with the RH32S you get the backplate to attach jacks/switch /led/3pdt toggle/dc  too..

(had to bodge my own for the AD12..

[Kipper4]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110887787457;jsessionid=3D70557679310DA551BDA3BE903D8A84?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D110887787457%26_rdc%3D1

this is my first buy as a cheapy one with a few extras.



my second will be the Wisher Breadboard sold by farnells.here


http://uk.farnell.com/wisher/wbu-501j/bread-board-wbu-501j/dp/1472849



I was reading up reviews and most said that the maplins ones dont last long.

which wire do you guys use for breadboarding?
I'm getting a few with the srater kit but i thought i might use some good old cat5 to make jumpers from.
Godd idea or leave well alone and use something else?

I cant wait to get it so i can breadboard a tube screamer.
The one i built has lots of problems so many i cant even face looking at it yet.

[Kipper4]

Anyone use a walt wart 9v to power the breadboard?

[senko]

I suggest getting large breadboards.  The larger, the better.  It's a personal preference to have multiple circuits that I can swap in and out of the central design, such as oscillators or digital control circuits.

When you do get a breadboard, custom circuits are an invaluable time saver.  Here are some ideas:
- I have 555 astable timer circuit set up with alligator leads and a large output frequency range.  That's a great digital test circuit!
- Build yourself an LM317 adjustable power supply to use with an AC Adapter and you'll never have to use a battery for initial design work. 
- Clamp on or attach input/output jacks for quick testing.
- An on-board audio probe (like R.G. Keen has on his website) would be pretty cool, too.

There's always more you can do.  Get a big breadboard and get to work bringing the world cool pedals!

[Madkatb]

Heathkit Experimenter (probably the ET3100 is best)
These are kind of vintage and are probably more than you would want to spend but...
-breadboard
-power supply, positive and negative
-built in signal generator with frequency and volume
-three different wave shapes
-built in pots
Like I said, they aren't cheap but you get three major items in one and it's all self contained. (Just ask anyone around here what happens to your work surface when you have three things connected by wires AND a hot soldering iron.)

[Tony Forestiere]

This was my first:

I still have it. I thought one of my kids would get the bug, but no. 

[Mac Walker]

This was my first:

I still have it. I thought one of my kids would get the bug, but no. 

WOW, I just flashed back in time to 1980.......

Do you still have the manual, and if so, I am interested in the very last project in the book, it is supposed to flash a message on the LCD.

I literally spent weeks trying to get it to work, I still remember this thirty years later.

Sorry to hijack the thread!!!

[Jdansti]

I wanted one of those sooooo badly in the 70's!!!  Fortunately, dad had cigar boxes full of parts, so it wasn't as though I was totally deprived

[Kipper4]

Thanks guys.
I'll look into the power supply.
I'm loving the kit Tony and i wouldnt worry about the kids getting the bug they might eventually. It just may take longer than you think. Heck it took me 50 yrs. Partly because i was always told i cant do it because i'm colour blind. Until a few years ago when someone said i could do some of the things i wanted to do (eg;Printer) because colour blindness was only a matter of perception. Sad but true and i'm only colour blind to a few colours too.
I know bettter now, Turns out i could be less of a retard than was thought back in the 70's.
I wish i'd done this years ago.

[deadastronaut]

Anyone use a walt wart 9v to power the breadboard?

yep i use my daisy chain psu all the time....after all thats what i'll be using with it when its built.

re maplins boards:  never had a problem with them and i have 4 big ones , all setup for true-bypass...they are the same as that little one you pointed to... (blue/red lines)

never buy a cheapo board it'll really piss you off...i know i tried. .


i also use the maplins 'bell' wire to make  jumpers..

[Kipper4]

Thanks Dead Astronaut.
I'm gonna go with the same maplins one as you have.
To get an account at Farnells they have a minimum order of 20 squid and apparently (according to a mate) they want everything inc a pee sample to sign up.
I cant be bothered just now.
I have a cpc account maybe one day i will. They (farnells) just seem a little expensive on lots of stuff too.
I'll put my order in for the breadboard at the weekend.
I'll wait to see what size ends on the hook up wires that come with the kit are then make some jumpers from there.
I'm bound to have something laying about that will suit.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys
Regards
Rich

[Tony Forestiere]

Now that Rich has made up his mind, I am going to derail for a bit. 

This was my first:

I still have it. I thought one of my kids would get the bug, but no. 

WOW, I just flashed back in time to 1980.......

Do you still have the manual, and if so, I am interested in the very last project in the book, it is supposed to flash a message on the LCD.

I literally spent weeks trying to get it to work, I still remember this thirty years later.

Sorry to hijack the thread!!!

I do have the manual, but I am off from work tomorrow. I will scan the project to PDF on Monday and post a link from Drop Box.
Funny story: I was helping my in-laws move house fifteen to twenty years ago, (empty-nesters downsizing), and come across the exact same thing in their attic. The plastic bag holding the wires and accessories had not even been opened. Nobody could remember where the kit had come from, so they didn't mind if I took it.
@john - I got it for Christmas 1976. Pestered "Santa" to death. 
@Rich - My four kids are in their mid-to-late twenties, so I don't see a late interest in electronics forthcoming. Maybe one of my three granddaughters? The next Devi? 

[deadastronaut]

@tony:  i wish i had one of those as a kid..i would've loved messing with that...

i bought my grandson a small UK version for xmas a couple of years back, but apart from a buzzer noise and segment display he showed little interest....i played with it more than him.

i'm curious as to the 'projects pdf' too...


now he has a guitar and amp... we'll see how that goes..

rob.

[Jdansti]

^ Maybe for smaller kids just having some wire, batteries, and light bulbs or LEDs might be a good start. They'll naturally learn about complete circuits-what works and what doesn't work.  They'll also see the effect of a dying battery.  I remember making little lamps with D cells and bulbs and using them to read at night when I was supposed to be asleep.

The main thing is to make sure they don't stick the wire into the electrical outlets on the wall!!!  Somehow with three boys and all of the wire and components around the house, we never did this. I think Dad must have somehow gotten the message locked into our brains early on that this was a very bad thing to do.

[deadastronaut]

^ yeah i should have kept it simple...battery and bulbs, always cool...whatever age.

[Jdansti]

A little off topic, but related to the battery and bulb thing: When I was about five, my younger brother and I shared a double bed from which we had a clear view down the hallway. One night after we had been put to bed and all was dark, we saw a small red light floating in the air at the other end of the hallway and moving toward our bedroom. We were so scared that when we tried to scream for Mom and Dad, we could barely get any sound out. Finally the light reached our doorway. When it did, the bedroom light suddenly came on and my Dad was standing there with a battery and a grain of wheat bulb in his hand! 

Back on topic:  Rich, you might want to also take a look at this thread for breadboard ideas: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=69404.0