Give a Breadboard, Get a Breadboard!

liquids · March 17, 2009, 08:03:37 PM

This is just an idea--and I'm linking to the For Sale/Trade thread here since I've gotten a fair response of people willing to unload their breadboards: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=75059.0

Plenty of people seems to have breadboards they didn't take to. I've noticed a lot of generosity around here and it's good to pass it on...sure, breadboard kits are not always super expensive, sure, but as a kind gesture, but if your not using it, maybe we can have people link up and put those breadboards/jumper kits "re-gifted" and 'back into circulation' for those who are brand new to DIY. Maybe even a few for the avid breadboarders who wouldn't mind having a few more boards for a price, a good trade...or whatever people may decide to arrange to get rid of those much loathed and much loved breadboards.

If you've got a good one, or you want a good one, go and post! Happy Holidays!

trixdropd · March 17, 2009, 10:34:22 PM

Great idea. I just bought my 1st breadboard a few days ago.

i love this forum...

liquids · March 18, 2009, 06:00:32 AM

Quote from: trixdropd on March 17, 2009, 10:34:22 PM
i love this forum...

Me too

Quote from: trixdropd on March 17, 2009, 10:34:22 PM
Great idea. I just bought my 1st breadboard a few days ago.

If you're anything like me, than in short time you'll wish you had a dozen!

So many circuits, so few jumpers...

MohiZ · March 18, 2009, 06:09:02 AM

You can never have too many breadboards

I bought mine a month or so ago and already have run into a problem once or twice where I have about three projects going on on the board at the same time, which gets a little confusing

Do you guys by the way use some ready made jumper kits? Are they easy to use? I've just been cutting small lengts of solid core wire to use as jumpleads.

liquids · March 18, 2009, 06:17:18 AM

Quote from: MohiZ on March 18, 2009, 06:09:02 AM
You can never have too many breadboards I bought mine a month or so ago and already have run into a problem once or twice where I have about three projects going on on the board at the same time, which gets a little confusing

Exactly! It's the best confusing I can think of.

Quote from: MohiZ on March 18, 2009, 06:09:02 AM
Do you guys by the way use some ready made jumper kits? Are they easy to use? I've just been cutting small lengts of solid core wire to use as jumpleads.

Yes! All of the above...the jumper kits are handy and easy on the eyes, with the color coding helps the eyes and any debugging, so I think it is important if you are new to breadboarding and want to 'get it.' Solid core insulated wire from PPP in those 2 colors, or anywhere you can get it, is at least as as good. Stranded or even the pre-bond wire is not reccomended.

Anything with insulation helps when the breadboard gets messy looking, but insulation decays from pulling on it and using it a lot, and eventually needs replacement....but in short, whatever you have, yes!

Jered · March 18, 2009, 06:29:39 AM

Quote from: MohiZ on March 18, 2009, 06:09:02 AM
You can never have too many breadboards I bought mine a month or so ago and already have run into a problem once or twice where I have about three projects going on on the board at the same time, which gets a little confusing

Do you guys by the way use some ready made jumper kits? Are they easy to use? I've just been cutting small lengts of solid core wire to use as jumpleads.

Totally agree, I've got 5 or 6 and wish I had more. I buy jumpers but also use old telephone line when I come across it. Four different colors of solid wire, 26 gauge I think. Works well.

liquids · March 18, 2009, 09:18:20 AM

That's a great tip. I hacked up an old telephone wire a few months ago but it was full of multi-colored, stranded, flimsy copper wire. I'll have to hack a few more up as there are always old telephone wires to be found somewhere, and that is the best recycling for them I can think of!

WGTP · March 18, 2009, 10:23:58 AM

Bread boards are so cool. I have one for op amp distortions, one for discrete distortions (Obsidian, Vulcan, Thor, etc.) and one for CMOS distortions. Once I got used to thinking in terms of connecting "nodes", I was off and running.

Anyone building distortions needs at least one. It's really cool to sit and tweak on them while you practice/compose and you can cut thru the mojo crap and get to the mojo Truth. Do you hear it or not?

I have a fixed input/output volume control jacks, 9v battery clip plug in and mostly use uncut leads from the caps and resistors to hook it all up. Sometimes I'll use a leftover lead for bias connections or jumpers. They sit on top of the amp.

It's just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it.

StephenGiles · March 18, 2009, 10:54:35 AM

Quote from: Jered on March 18, 2009, 06:29:39 AM
Quote from: MohiZ on March 18, 2009, 06:09:02 AM
You can never have too many breadboards I bought mine a month or so ago and already have run into a problem once or twice where I have about three projects going on on the board at the same time, which gets a little confusing

Do you guys by the way use some ready made jumper kits? Are they easy to use? I've just been cutting small lengts of solid core wire to use as jumpleads.

Totally agree, I've got 5 or 6 and wish I had more. I buy jumpers but also use old telephone line when I come across it. Four different colors of solid wire, 26 gauge I think. Works well.

Old telephone line is just the job for jumpers, been using it for years - it does help to jump to the right holes - not for tired eyes!

waky · March 18, 2009, 12:28:26 PM

you can also get them from ethernet cable to get more colors

there are eight cables of different colors inside them

frequencycentral · March 18, 2009, 01:22:24 PM

Guys - I'm based in the UK. If any UK members want to offload breadboards my way we could work out a deal.

jefe · March 18, 2009, 02:06:27 PM

Quote from: liquids on March 17, 2009, 08:03:37 PM
This is just an idea--and I'm linking to the For Sale/Trade thread here since I've gotten a fair response of people willing to unload their breadboards: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=75059.0

Plenty of people seems to have breadboards they didn't take to. I've noticed a lot of generosity around here and it's good to pass it on...sure, breadboard kits are not always super expensive, sure, but as a kind gesture, but if your not using it, maybe we can have people link up and put those breadboards/jumper kits "re-gifted" and 'back into circulation' for those who are brand new to DIY. Maybe even a few for the avid breadboarders who wouldn't mind having a few more boards for a price, a good trade...or whatever people may decide to arrange to get rid of those much loathed and much loved breadboards.

If you've got a good one, or you want a good one, go and post! Happy Holidays!

This is a great idea!

Ripthorn · March 18, 2009, 03:06:13 PM

When I first started doing stompboxes, I thought that a breadboard wasn't very necessary, though I still had one from electronics lab. Now that i am working on a tube preamp, I have a second breadboard, just to hold the stuff for one project. If I would have just built the project the one way, I probably wouldn't have been happy with it. Now, after hours of tweaking and doing some stuff that some might consider "bad form" I have a preamp that sounds awesome. Of course, I only have stranded wire, so that has not made the breadboarding experience as good as if I had solid core (oh well, make due with what you got, right).

I think that if someone isn't using theirs, there is always someone just waiting to get their hands on it.

fldrvr · March 18, 2009, 03:43:09 PM

Yes, I could definitely use a breadboard. It'll get me over that feeling of having to research everything before doing anything- I can jump in and research (and experiment) as I go along!!

If anyone wants to throw one my way i'd gladly have at it.

LEON.01 · March 19, 2009, 07:11:59 AM

Well,
I've been avoiding it, but i have to admit! A bread board would defo save me a hell of a lot of vero board and Caps!!!!!(amongst other things!!!)

So yeah, It looks like the bread board is the way to go!

I have stuff i can trade, IC's, Diodes, Vintage caps and resistors, Etc.

So, if anyone has one or two spare!!!

Leon.

StephenGiles · March 19, 2009, 08:40:07 AM

To save aching backs and necks from bad posture when leaning over a breadboard, try placing a raised wah pedal on your table with an eraser or similar to fix it in position. You can then have the breadboard on top with the components slanting towards your eyes.

MohiZ · March 24, 2009, 02:25:05 PM

Does anyone else have problems with ICs on breadboard? The legs are so short they don't make proper contact unless I press the IC down with something, which becomes impossible to do with more than two ICs

I guess I could solder longer leads to a few sockets and always use ICs with them, but it seems like a lot of trouble for such a small thing.

jefe · March 24, 2009, 02:36:38 PM

Quote from: MohiZ on March 24, 2009, 02:25:05 PM
Does anyone else have problems with ICs on breadboard? The legs are so short they don't make proper contact unless I press the IC down with something, which becomes impossible to do with more than two ICs I guess I could solder longer leads to a few sockets and always use ICs with them, but it seems like a lot of trouble for such a small thing.

No, I've never experienced that problem. Are you sure you're really pressing the ICs down in there far enough, until they kinda snap in to place?

liquids · March 24, 2009, 02:43:38 PM

IC legs are not at a 90 degree angle to the chip body. So I do typically hold the IC on it's side and flex very gently to get them closer to 90's, because If not breadboarding, than I socket them anyhow, so it makes it easier on both accounts. Could this be it?

I have found a few IC sockets to pop out of the breadboard, but I realized that I don't need to...given the above they go straight into the breadboard nicely...

MohiZ · March 24, 2009, 03:36:34 PM

Yes. It's not like it's a problem EVERYWHERE on the board, but one edge of my board is kind of a little uneven with the rest of the board, and that's where the ICs won't snap into place. It sort of pops out on itself if not held down. Most of the time they do snap into place. I was just hoping there was a way to cure this.

EDIT: I managed to get the IC snap into place by bending the legs a little _wider_, to create more tension between them and the slots on the board than if they were completely straight.

News:

Give a Breadboard, Get a Breadboard!