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Problems/comments/ideas with this website or the Watt's Electricity initiative...

We do hope you enjoy this site and find it useful and if you wish to comment, either positively or negatively please do so - we are always interested to know what users feel. Please use the E-mail address at the bottom of the page. We will try and reply, but it might take some time. Suggestions for new boards, how we can improve the site or correct errors are always welcome.

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Ideas if you want to learn more about electromagnetism...

There are science experiment kits available online and these are a great place to start. These contain plastic (normally green for some reason) boards containing switches, lights, bells, magnets, battery holders and the wire to create simple circuits. That’s how I started! My first project was creating a burglar alarm with a bell, battery and two metal tins behind my bedroom door to try and catch Santa one Christmas – sadly either it didn’t work! These kits are available on Chinese factory websites and are not expensive.

As batteries will get drained very quick (often by mistake), I would make sure they are rechargeable.

Ideas if you want to learn more about electronics...

We have created a short video showing you the items you need if you interested in starting a hobby in electronics. The list is also included below. By far the cheapest place to buy the equipment and components these days are the websites that deal directly with the Chinese factories where they are made. You will find them on a quick search. Product quality is not a problem. Yes, it something takes a few weeks to arrive, but this is the cheapest way to buy the components you need. Sites will list an expected arrive time before you buy and if you really are in a hurry, look for suppliers that say the stock is held in your own country – that will make the delivery quicker.

Temporary Circuits Items

• Bread board - where you can push in components to connect them up – a must!
• Croc leads - normally sold in packs of 10. Remember you always need more leads than you think!
• Battery holder - Either a 9v PP9 clip or plastic holder to take AA batteries (or both).
• Bag of mixed components - Cheapest way to get a stock of resistors, capacitors and diodes.
• LED bulbs - Getting several different colours is useful.
• Multi-meter - You really can’t do much without one of these but you only need a cheap one. If you are going to use transistors, get a meter than can check these (see PNP and NPN on the panel)
• Signal wire – A few different colours will make circuits easier to look at and follow.
• Switches - If you are not soldering make sure they are screw terminals.

Extras for Permanent Circuits

• Veroboard - the base board on which you solder the components.
• Soldering Iron – it doesn’t need to be a fancy expensive one. One with a light on it is a really great safety feature as you can see when it’s on. But you MUST get a stand for it otherwise you will have an accident.
• Solder - ensure it contains flux. Go something about 1mm thick. There are different types but the one labelled 63/37 (63% tin and 37% lead) has a lower melting point and this means it easier to use. If you are concerned about the lead content, other solders are available.
• Mount/Mini-vice - you need some method of holding the board while soldering it even if this is just a spring clip.

Ideas if you want to learn more about electronics...

Projects NEVER work the first time! Trouble shooting is part of the process. We do not offer a help service – we just haven’t the resources, but there are many websites out there that do. We have not listed these because it will depend on the level you are working. But don’t give up on a circuit because it's not doing what you expect – it's all part of the learning curve!

Here are some common problems:

• Check the batteries – it’s obvious but often gets over looked because you think it’s a more complex problem. Remember if you have had a short, it will have drained your batteries very quickly. If they are warm its very likely this has happened. Either try the batteries in a different circuit or test them with a meter.
• Check your circuit – it’s easy to wire up a circuit incorrectly - more accurately it’s VERY difficult to wire it up correctly! So, before you turn it on, always give it that one last check. Remember components will fail if given a voltage that is too high and very worryingly capacitors will explode if connected round the wrong way. This is why safety glasses are used. Keep in mind that once a component fails you need to replace it and that could delay the project and is very frustrating! When ordering components always get spares!
• Check components first – not all the parts you buy will work, so test them with a multi-meter before you put them into your project. There is nothing more annoying (and difficult) than having to remove a component that’s not working. You will end up with the old solder in the wrong place and remember that reheated solder doesn’t have the flux in it anymore and so is more difficult to use.
• Soldering problems – using a soldering iron is a skill that has to be learnt, it doesn’t come easily or quickly and take lots of practice. One problem is called a ‘dry joint’. This is where it looks like the two wires are connected but they are not. Often flux has coated one wire and is acting as an insulator. Checking the connection with a multi-meter will see if this has happened. Another common problem is plastic parts of a component melting because they have got too hot. This happens a lot on small switches. You have to be very quick and its best to do the soldering at the very end of the tag as far from the plastic as possible. If it's possible to clip something metal between the plastic and the point where you are soldering, this can help – it’s called a heat sink and will put heat away, but makes heating the bit you want to solder more difficult! I sometimes use some small long-nosed pliers with an elastic band round the handle to help them stay in place. I always do this when soldering transistors that can easily overheat and be destroyed. To start with, solder components at the end of their wires. It might not look pretty but it’s easier. When using integrated circuits always use a socket. It’s easily to take it out to test/replace it and there is no risk of heat damage as you are not soldering the actual component.
• Poor circuit design – if you are getting a circuit off the internet, check that it is one that working, an image search will often include diagrams posted on trouble shooting websites and contain errors. Check the text accompanying the diagram first!