Make Electronics

Switching Basics and More 41

Shopping List: Experiments 25 Through

Supplies

Hookup wire
Solid-conductor, 22-gauge, minimum 25 feet of each color. See Figure 2-6.
Part 278-1222 from RadioShack, catalog item 9948T17 from McMaster-
Carr, or check eBay for deals.
It’s easy to buy the wrong kind of wire. You need solid-core wire, which has
a single conductor inside the plastic insulation, not stranded, which has
multiple, thinner conductors. See Figures 2-7 and 2-8. You’re going to be
pushing wires into little holes in a “breadboard,” and stranded wire won’t
let you do this. You will also have problems if you buy wire thicker than
22-gauge. Remember: the lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire.
For a little extra money, you can buy an assortment of precut sections of
wire, with ends stripped and ready for use. Try catalog item JW-140 (jump-
er wire assortment) from All Electronics or search eBay for “breadboard
wire.” See Figure 2-9.

Patch cords
Patch cords are not strictly necessary but very convenient. You don’t want
audio or video patch cords, which have a plug on each end; you want
wires with alligator clips on each end, also sometimes referred to as “test
leads.” Try catalog item 461-1176-ND from Digi-Key or catalog item MTL-
10 from All Electronics. See Figure 2-10.

Figure 2-7. Solid-conductor wire of 22 or 24
gauge is suitable for most of the experi-
ments in this chapter.

Figure 2-8. Stranded is more flexible, but

cannot be used easily with breadboards.

Figure 2-9. Precut wires with stripped ends
can save a lot of time and trouble—if you
don’t mind paying a little extra.

Figure 2-10. Patch cords, sometimes known

as test leads, consist of wires preattached

to alligator clips. This is another of those

little luxuries that reduces the hassle factor

in hobby electronics.

Figure 2-6. Using hookup wire with differ-

ent colors of plastic insulation will help you

to distinguish one wire from another in

your circuits.