Electronics Nuts Advice?

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
That LOOKS like it's in English and yet...

 

[Organics North]

RoHS compliant..

A fancy way to say lead free.. As in no lead in the solder used...

silkiechicken, is suggesting finding a Fluke Multi meter that is not RoHS compliant.

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I worked for a European manufacture of x-ray machines, we went RoHS compliant or (green) back in the mid 90's. At the same time we upgraded to multi layered boards and so forth. That is when we went away from making board repairs in the field with $2 components to changing out entire $2000 circuits.

So old timers like lead...

ON

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, lead free things allow for little metal hairs to grow and short boards out. That is why in the US, if your product is to be used as equipment related to military or medical work, it does not need to be lead free.

Let's be enviro friendly by not using lead!!! Instead, let's throw out electronics every 2-3 years instead of every 15-20 because they fail.

 

[PineappleMama]

Ahhh gotcha. If you want anything to last longer than the plastic toy crap from last Christmas avoid green.

So... who cares to explain what the devil a Fluke multimeter is?

A BS Meter is the first thing that came to my mind (measures the amount of fluke) but I doubt that's right.

 

[silkiechicken]

lol

It is a funny name for what was a company that only made testing equipment, but Fluke was the last name of the guy who founded the company. Unfortunately, Mr. Fluke isn't around anymore and when things were bought over.... the usual happens.

http://us.fluke.com/fluke/usen/home/default.htm


However, for a kid, they may be a bit $$$, and a cheap one might be fine for the utter basics at 13, but they will last a very very long time if your son decides to continue on the electronics path. And, with a nice one, they have safety things on them such as good fuses and quality control which cheaper ones can lack.

 

[PineappleMama]

Just taking a quick glance at that site I immediately thought of the little doodads my uncles cart around in their work... A/C. Would that make any sense?

 

[TyrannosaurusChix]

What about a robotics kit?

 

[PineappleMama]

^Yeppers precisely my thought... but where to start?

But which 'kit"... most the ones I've seen... well they're like legos, enough to build that one project but then after that you're left with an empty box... makes more sense to me to get a 'set' that he can continue to use for many projects... obviously have to add more parts and whatnot as he uses them up, but the tools and whatnot to do the building remain the same...

 

[Organics North]

It does make sense, but interests and skill levels may change over time... So investing in the tools of the trade, and a basic kit may be the best way to start??

(The only way some one is getting my FLUKE is to pry it from my cold dead hands..)

IMO you can start out with a much more basic non calibrated meter. One that measures just ohms and voltage (AC/DC)

ON

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

http://buildinggadgets.com/index_circuitlinks.htm

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/