You can make simple electronic circuits for home use with your own hands, even without deep knowledge of electronics. In fact, at the everyday level, radio is very simple. Knowledge of the elementary laws of electrical engineering (Ohm, Kirchhoff), the general principles of operation of semiconductor devices, skills in reading circuits, and the ability to work with an electric soldering iron is quite enough to assemble a simple circuit.
Radio amateur workshop
No matter how complex the scheme may have to be completed, you must have a minimum set of materials and tools in your home workshop:
- Side cutters;
- Tweezers;
- Solder;
- Flux;
- Circuit boards;
- Tester or multimeter;
- Materials and tools for making the device body.
You should not purchase expensive professional tools and devices to begin with. An expensive soldering station or digital oscilloscope will be of little help to a novice radio amateur. At the beginning of your creative journey, the simplest instruments are sufficient, on which you need to hone your experience and skills.
Where to start
Do-it-yourself radio circuits for the home should not exceed the level of complexity that you have, otherwise it will only mean wasted time and materials. If you lack experience, it is better to limit yourself to the simplest schemes, and as you gain skills, improve them, replacing them with more complex ones.
Usually, most literature in the field of electronics for beginning radio amateurs gives a classic example of making the simplest receivers. This especially applies to classical old literature, which does not contain so many fundamental errors compared to modern literature.
Note! These schemes were designed for the enormous power of transmitting radio stations in the past. Today, transmitting centers use less power to transmit and try to move to shorter wavelengths. Don't waste time trying to make a working radio using a simple circuit.
Radio circuits for beginners should contain a maximum of two or three active elements - transistors. This will make it easier to understand the operation of the circuit and increase the level of knowledge.
What can be done
What can be done so that it is not difficult and can be used in practice at home? There can be many options:
- Apartment call;
- Christmas tree garland switch;
- Backlight for modding the computer system unit.
Important! You should not design devices that operate on household AC power until you have sufficient experience. This is dangerous both for life and for others.
Quite simple circuits have amplifiers for computer speakers, made on specialized integrated circuits. Devices assembled on their basis contain a minimum number of elements and require virtually no adjustment.
You can often find circuits that need basic modifications and improvements that simplify manufacturing and configuration. But this should be done by an experienced master so that the final version is more accessible to a beginner.
What to use for the design
Most literature recommends constructing simple circuits on circuit boards. Nowadays this is quite simple. There are a wide variety of circuit boards available with different hole and trace configurations.
The installation principle is that the parts are installed on the board in free spaces, and then the necessary pins are connected to each other by jumpers, as indicated on the circuit diagram.
With due care, such a board can serve as the basis for many circuits. The power of the soldering iron for soldering should not exceed 25 W, then the risk of overheating radio elements and printed conductors will be minimized.
The solder should be low-melting, like POS-60, and as a flux it is best to use pure pine rosin or its solution in ethyl alcohol.
Highly qualified radio amateurs can themselves develop a printed circuit board design and make it on foil material, on which they can then solder radio elements. The design developed in this way will have optimal dimensions.
Design of the finished structure
Looking at the creations of beginners and experienced craftsmen, one can come to the conclusion that assembling and adjusting the device is not always the most difficult part of the design process. Sometimes a properly functioning device remains a set of parts with soldered wires, not covered by any housing. Nowadays, you no longer have to worry about making a case, because on sale you can find all kinds of sets of cases of any configuration and size.
Before you start manufacturing the design you like, you should fully think through all the stages of the work: from the availability of tools and all radio elements to the design of the housing. It will be completely uninteresting if during the work it turns out that one of the resistors is missing, and there are no replacement options. It is better to carry out the work under the guidance of an experienced radio amateur, and, as a last resort, periodically monitor the manufacturing process at each stage.
Video
Every day there are more and more, many new articles appear, it is quite difficult for new visitors to immediately find their bearings and review at once everything that has already been written and previously posted.
I would really like to draw the attention of all visitors to individual articles that were posted on the site earlier. In order to avoid having to search for the necessary information for a long time, I will make several “entrance pages” with links to the most interesting and useful articles on individual topics.
Let's call the first such page "Useful electronic homemade products." Here we consider simple electronic circuits that can be implemented by people of any skill level. The circuits are built using a modern electronic base.
All information in the articles is presented in a very accessible form and to the extent necessary for practical work. Naturally, to implement such schemes you need to understand at least the basics of electronics.
So, a selection of the most interesting articles on the site on the topic "Useful electronic homemade products". The author of the articles is Boris Aladyshkin.
Modern electronics components greatly simplify circuit design. Even a regular twilight switch can now be assembled from just three parts.
The article describes a simple and reliable electric pump control circuit. Despite the extreme simplicity of the circuit, the device can operate in two modes: water lifting and drainage.
The article provides several diagrams of spot welding machines.
Using the described design, you can determine whether a mechanism located in another room or building is working or not. Information about the operation is the vibration of the mechanism itself.
A story about what a safety transformer is, why it is needed and how you can make it yourself.
Description of a simple device that turns off the load if the mains voltage exceeds acceptable limits.
The article discusses the circuit of a simple thermostat using an adjustable zener diode TL431.
An article about how to make a device for smoothly switching on lamps using the KR1182PM1 microcircuit.
Sometimes, when the voltage in the network is low or when soldering massive parts, it becomes simply impossible to use a soldering iron. This is where a boost power regulator for a soldering iron can come to the rescue.
An article about how you can replace a mechanical thermostat for an oil heating radiator.
Description of a simple and reliable thermostat circuit for a heating system.
The article describes a converter circuit made on a modern element base, containing a minimum number of parts and allowing to obtain significant power in the load.
An article about various ways to connect a load to a control unit on microcircuits using relays and thyristors.
Description of a simple control circuit for LED garlands.
The design of a simple timer that allows you to turn the load on and off at specified intervals. Working time and pause time do not depend on each other.
Description of the circuit and operating principle of a simple emergency lamp based on an energy-saving lamp.
A detailed story about the popular “laser-ironing” technology for manufacturing printed circuit boards, its features and nuances.
Beginner radio amateurs who are interested in independently assembling circuits and repairing various electronic devices are lost in a sea of numerous terms and details. Meanwhile, you can give a number of tips on what knowledge is needed first of all, what instruments to use, how to navigate when choosing circuit elements.
Required knowledge
It is very important for radio amateurs:
- know and understand the basic laws of electrical engineering;
- be able to navigate using diagrams;
- clearly define the role of each element in the diagram and visually represent what it looks like.
Important! Theoretical knowledge must be constantly supported by practice.
Tools and devices
To assemble amateur radio circuits and homemade structures, you must have the following tools:
- A soldering iron, the power of which must be chosen average - no more than 40 W. More advanced craftsmen are thinking about purchasing a soldering station;
- Side cutters. Not too massive a tool for working with radio devices;
- Tin-lead solder exists in the form of wire.
Important! Among all the devices, the main, and often the only, is a digital multimeter or analog tester, with which you can measure all the main parameters of the circuit.
Before you start assembling simple and interesting DIY radio circuits, you can practice dismantling old radio equipment. At the same time, practical skills in soldering work are formed.
- In ancient TVs with lamps, a completely suitable thing is a supply transformer. It can be used in many homemade radios. For example, assemble a charger for a car battery or a power supply for an audio amplifier. The main thing is to know its technical data;
- In obsolete radio electronics devices: television equipment, video recorders, ordinary tape recorders, there are entire microcircuits ready for use. For example, we can name an audio amplifier, the circuit of which is constructed by simply assembling components, without etching on printed circuit boards, etc.;
- The tone control is also used ready-made. At the same time, the assembled audio amplifier will receive new options: the ability to control the low-frequency and high-frequency ranges, change the balance in stereo speakers;
- Basically, all devices manufactured by radio amateurs operate on five-, nine- and twelve-volt power supplies. Such power supplies from old equipment will be the most useful.
You can use any available designs as housings for circuits or buy ready-made ones of different sizes and shapes. Housings from non-working devices are often used for new homemade radios.
A non-working power supply from a computer is very valuable, where does it come from:
- a lot of radio components: transistors, capacitors, diodes, resistances, which are useful for assembled devices;
- cooling radiators are an important accompanying element for high-power transistors;
- good wires;
- the building itself is an excellent place to place new structures.
Circuit assembly methods
- Wall-mounted installation. Simple soldering of components in accordance with the developed circuit. Soldered assemblies can be installed on supporting platforms. The method is suitable for constructing radio circuits from a small number of parts;
- Installation on a printed circuit board - a textolite platform on which foil tracks are made as connecting conductors.
The second method is divided into several options:
- Mechanical. Cutting paths with a sharp object to eliminate contact connections in unnecessary places;
- Chemical. Using varnish or paint, you need to draw the required diagram on the foil. Then immerse in a special composition - a solution of ferric chloride. After processing, a pattern corresponding to the design will be obtained, and all areas without varnish will be removed by dissolution;
- Laser ironing.
What schemes should I start with?
The classic start for radio amateurs is to make a simple detector receiver. The circuit contains a small number of components and can be assembled by anyone. Then you can supplement the device with an audio amplifier using transistors. With the arrival of experience and understanding, work with microcircuits begins.
A large number of interesting and very simple options for homemade radios with descriptions of parts and diagrams are available on the RadioKot website. You can, for example, assemble color music, pulsed clock illumination, a stereo transmitter and much more. There are also useful forums where you can clarify complex issues and communicate with experienced professionals.
As you gain skills, your interest in assembling complex devices will increase. Radio-electronic homemade products are one of the most exciting activities for people of all ages.
Video
Those who do radio electronics at home are usually very inquisitive. Amateur radio circuits and homemade products will help you find a new direction in your creativity. Perhaps someone will find an original solution to this or that problem. Some homemade products use ready-made devices, connecting them in different ways. For others, you need to completely create the circuit yourself and make the necessary adjustments.
One of the simplest homemade products. More suitable for those who are just starting to craft. If you have an old but working cell phone with a button to turn on the player, you can use it, for example, to make a doorbell for your room. The advantages of such a call:
First you need to make sure that the selected phone is capable of producing a sufficiently loud melody, after which it must be completely disassembled. Basically, the parts are secured with screws or staples, which are carefully folded back. When disassembling, you will need to remember what goes with what, so that later you can put everything back together.
The player's power button is unsoldered on the board, and two short wires are soldered in its place. These wires are then glued to the board so the solder doesn't come off. The phone is going. All that remains is to connect the phone to the call button via a two-wire wire.
Homemade products for cars
Modern cars are equipped with everything you need. However, there are times when homemade devices are simply necessary. For example, something broke, they gave it to a friend, and the like. That’s when the ability to create electronics with your own hands at home will be very useful.
The first thing you can tamper with without fear of damaging your car is the battery. If you don’t have a battery charger at hand at the right time, you can quickly assemble it yourself. To do this you will need:
A transformer from a tube TV is ideal. Therefore, those who are interested in homemade electronics never throw away electrical appliances in the hope that they will be needed someday. Unfortunately, two types of transformers were used: with one and with two coils. To charge a battery at 6 volts, any will do, but for 12 volts only two.
The wrapping paper of such a transformer shows the winding terminals, the voltage for each winding and the operating current. To power the filaments of electronic lamps, a voltage of 6.3 V with a high current is used. The transformer can be remade by removing the extra secondary windings, or you can leave everything as is. In this case, the primary and secondary windings are connected in series. Each primary is rated at 127 V, so combining them produces 220 V. The secondary are connected in series to produce an output of 12.6 V.
Diodes must withstand a current of at least 10 A. Each diode requires a radiator with an area of at least 25 square centimeters. They are connected into a diode bridge. Any electrical insulating plate is suitable for fastening. A 0.5 A fuse is included in the primary circuit, and a 10 A fuse in the secondary circuit. The device does not tolerate short circuits, so the polarity should not be confused when connecting the battery.
Simple heaters
During the cold season, it may be necessary to warm up the engine. If the car is parked where there is electrical current, this problem can be solved using a heat gun. To make it you will need:
- asbestos pipe;
- nichrome wire;
- fan;
- switch.
The diameter of the asbestos pipe is selected according to the size of the fan that will be used. The performance of the heater will depend on its power. The length of the pipe is everyone's preference. You can assemble a heating element and a fan in it, or just a heater. When choosing the latter option, you will have to think about how to allow air flow to the heating element. This can be done, for example, by placing all components in a sealed housing.
Nichrome wire is also selected according to the fan. The more powerful the latter, the larger diameter nichrome can be used. The wire is twisted into a spiral and placed inside the pipe. For fastening, bolts are used that are inserted into pre-drilled holes in the pipe. The length of the spiral and their number are selected experimentally. It is advisable that the coil does not become red hot when the fan is running.
The choice of fan will determine what voltage needs to be supplied to the heater. When using a 220 V electric fan, you will not need to use an additional power source.
The entire heater is connected to the network via a cord with a plug, but it itself must have its own switch. It can be either just a toggle switch or an automatic machine. The second option is more preferable; it allows you to protect the general network. To do this, the operation current of the machine must be less than the operation current of the room machine. A switch is also needed to quickly turn off the heater in case of problems, for example, if the fan does not work. This heater has its disadvantages:
- harmful to the body from asbestos pipes;
- noise from a running fan;
- smell from dust falling on the heated coil;
- fire hazard.
Some problems can be solved by using another homemade product. Instead of an asbestos pipe, you can use a coffee can. To prevent the spiral from closing on the jar, it is attached to a textolite frame, which is fixed with glue. A cooler is used as a fan. To power it, you will need to assemble another electronic device - a small rectifier.
Homemade products bring those who do them not only satisfaction, but also benefits. With their help, you can save energy, for example, by turning off electrical appliances that you forgot to turn off. A time relay can be used for this purpose.
The simplest way to create a time-setting element is to use the charging or discharging time of a capacitor through a resistor. Such a chain is included in the base of the transistor. The circuit will require the following parts:
- high-capacity electrolytic capacitor;
- pnp type transistor;
- electromagnetic relay;
- diode;
- variable resistor;
- fixed resistors;
- DC source.
First you need to determine what current will be switched through the relay. If the load is very powerful, you will need a magnetic starter to connect it. The starter coil can be connected via a relay. It is important that the relay contacts can operate freely without sticking. Based on the selected relay, a transistor is selected and it is determined what current and voltage it can operate with. You can focus on KT973A.
The base of the transistor is connected through a limiting resistor to a capacitor, which, in turn, is connected through a bipolar switch. The free contact of the switch is connected through a resistor to the power supply negative. This is necessary to discharge the capacitor. The resistor acts as a current limiter.
The capacitor itself is connected to the positive bus of the power source through a variable resistor with high resistance. By selecting the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance of the resistor, you can change the delay time interval. The relay coil is shunted by a diode, which turns on in the opposite direction. This circuit uses KD 105 B. It closes the circuit when the relay is de-energized, protecting the transistor from breakdown.
The scheme works as follows. In the initial state, the base of the transistor is disconnected from the capacitor, and the transistor is closed. When the switch is turned on, the base is connected to the discharged capacitor, the transistor opens and supplies voltage to the relay. The relay operates, closes its contacts and supplies voltage to the load.
The capacitor begins to charge through a resistor connected to the positive terminal of the power source. As the capacitor charges, the base voltage begins to rise. At a certain voltage value, the transistor closes, de-energizing the relay. The relay switches off the load. In order for the circuit to work again, you need to discharge the capacitor; to do this, switch the switch.
Electronic homemade products, today, are an affordable way to manufacture useful mechanisms that can make life easier and diversify leisure time. Modern craftsmen are able to assemble with their own hands both simple toys and complex, multi-tasking mechanisms. Read below to learn how to quickly and easily make electronic toys, interesting and useful electronic crafts for your home and car!
Simple DIY electronics: making a spinner
Electrical engineering today is widely used for both practical and entertainment purposes. Some inventions (such as the smart home system) will be quite difficult for a beginner to make. They require experience and advanced knowledge of physics. Other designs are simple and accessible to beginner radio amateurs. For example, you can make interesting toys with your own hands - spinners, the sales of which have increased incredibly this year.
To assemble the toy you will need to stock up on:
- Wooden blank measuring 9x4x1.2 cm;
- Bearing size 2.2x0.8x0.7 cm (with rubber seal);
- Two RGB LEDs;
- Two CR2032 batteries and holders;
- Stainless steel bolt 0.8x2 cm;
- M8 cap nuts.
After this you can start working. First of all, you will need to find a design diagram on the Internet and transfer it to a raw block - a workpiece. To correctly mark the technological holes (there will be three of them), you will need a ruler.
Then follows:
- In the middle of the workpiece, drill a through hole with a diameter of 2.2 cm for the bearing;
- Drill two holes on the sides of the workpiece with a diameter of 2.5 cm and a depth of 7.5 mm;
- Using a drill, make two holes with a diameter of 6 mm for LEDs in the middle of two blind holes;
- Countersink the holes;
- Give the toy a rounded shape using a jigsaw, band saw or jigsaw;
- Sand the workpiece with sandpaper and coat it with varnish;
- Solder the LEDs to the battery holders;
- Check the LEDs and install them in the mounting holes, fixing them with super glue;
- Clean the bearing and treat its insides with WD 40;
- Cut off the bolt head and secure the axle in the bearing on both sides with nuts;
- Install the bearing into the mounting hole.
The spinner is ready! The toy will be interesting not only for children. Adults can also use this electronic device: the device, rotating, will help you relax or get distracted.
Simple electronic homemade circuits: making an electric call
You can make an electric call quite simply and quickly with your own hands.
Such a call will last a long time and will please the ear. After all, when pressed, it will be able to create signals of different frequencies and tones.
Thus, an electric call can be single-tone or multi-tone.
The ability of the bell to reproduce sound in one or more tones will be influenced by the presence of a multivibrator with two bipolar transistors in the radio design circuit. Let us consider in detail the circuit of an electronic call with a complex sound signal.
So, a homemade electronic circuit will consist of the following radio components:
- Step-down transformer series TA;
- Call button;
- Five alloy silicon diodes;
- Electrolytic capacitor with a capacity of 1000 microfarads
- Two electrolytic capacitors with a capacity of 10 microfarads;
- Two trimming resistors with a resistance of 470 kilo-ohms;
- Two MLT resistors with a resistance of 10 kiloohms;
- Two MLT resistors with a resistance of 33 kilo-ohms;
- MLT resistor 1 kilo-ohm;
- MLT resistor 470 kilo-ohms;
- Three silicon-plenary transistors type 630D
- Silicon planar transistor type 630G.
The principle of operation of the device is simple. Pressing the button will open the third transistor of type 630D, allowing current to pass to the fourth transistor of type 630G. This will create the primary signal. When the second transistor of type 630D opens, the third and fourth transistors will be locked, creating a signal of a different tone.
DIY crafts for the car
Automotive electronics are in great demand today. At the same time, homemade automation often has simple circuits, easy execution and installation. What kind of electrical homemade products can you make for your car yourself?
So, you can do the following for your car with your own hands:
- Dynamic turn signals using the KIT DIY constructor;
- Universal charger from old electronics;
- Water pump based air conditioning;
- Heated wipers and much more.
The easiest way would be to design a backlight for the seat belt buckles. To do this, you will need to dismantle and disassemble the locks using a flat-head screwdriver. After that, using hot-melt adhesive, you need to secure the LEDs in the locks.
Each LED can be turned on through its own current-limiting resistor: this will extend the life of the semiconductor light-emitting device.
After this, you should assemble the locks, and run the wires powering the LEDs under the seats to the ignition or the parking button through the cigarette lighter. At the owner's request, the car's interior lighting can be supplemented with lamps that indicate that the seat belt is not fastened.
Unusual electronic homemade products: do-it-yourself binary clocks
You can make cool binary clocks for your home with your own hands. To do this you need an Arduino platform. The electrical circuits on this platform are simple and convenient; they are used for the manufacture of most electronic homemade products.
Additionally, to make a binary clock you will need:
- Real time clock module on DS1302 chip;
- Diffuse LEDs with a diameter of 1 cm (20 pieces);
- Resistors with a resistance of 10 Ohms (20 pieces);
- Resistors with a resistance of 10 kilo-ohms (2 pieces);
- Two tact buttons;
- Frame.
The watch case must consist of two halves, which can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. It depends on what style your watch will be. Before making the housing, you will need to assemble the LED matrix.
In this case, each LED must be connected through its own current-limiting resistor.
After this, the leads from the LEDs must be connected to the platform. The controller itself will need to be connected to the real time clock module. After this, the contacts from Arduino and the module must be routed to the clock buttons to set the time through resistors with a nominal value of 10 kilo-ohms. They will serve as load bearings. Finally, you should connect the power cable to the circuit.
Useful DIY crafts: how to make household scales
Today, almost every home has a floor or kitchen scale. In order to make this useful measuring device yourself, you need to understand its structure and operating principle.
Thus, the external components of the scales include:
- Weight processor;
- Frame;
- Display screen;
- Platform;
- Legs.
The principle of operation of the scales is extremely simple. The load, falling on the platform, presses on it due to gravity, activating the strain gauge load cell inside the device. The strain gauge, in turn, influences the strain gauge, changing its resistance. The latter transmits the signal to an analog-to-digital converter. After this, the ADC converts the signal to digital and feeds it to the microcontroller, which draws conclusions about the mass of the load on the platform and displays the values on the screen.
When assembling the circuit, you need to pay attention to the type of strain gauge.
So, for a central location under the platform of floor, commercial and technical scales, it is better to choose a single-point sensor. For bending installation, a block sensor is used. In this case, you need to ensure that the strain gauge has a reliable connection to the ADC. A weight processor will help solve the problem of connecting devices.
DIY radio circuits for the home: making an electronic lock
Electrics can also serve to protect your home. So, today, DIY sites offer simple radio circuits for electronic locks for the front door. It is impossible to open such a lock using a physical key.
The simplest electrical circuit for making a lock is usually based on a four-digit Johnson meter.
This scheme can be implemented in several variations. The simplest one is using the 4017 microcircuit. The principle of operation of the circuit is quite simple: when you enter the correct four-digit code, a logical unit is activated at the input of the microcircuit, which opens the lock.
Let's take a closer look at the operation of the device:
- When the wrong keys are pressed, the circuit restarts without triggering the mechanism through the RESET input.
- The correct signal, when a key is pressed, must be sent to field-effect transistor VT1, which, after opening, supplies voltage to the output corresponding to the key;
- After the correct code has been completely entered, from the output corresponding to the last correct key, the signal is sent to the transistor VT2 connected to the relay;
- The transistor is activated for a time that determines the capacitance of the capacitor;
- The relay opens an actuator (for example, a latch).
In order to open such a lock, you will need to go through about ten thousand different codes. At the same time, the numbers on the code should not be repeated. That is, code 3355 will not be possible; all digital values must be different.
Most of the electronic homemade products that modern craftsmen make are designed to perform ordinary household tasks faster and better than authentic devices. For example, an electric spinning wheel will significantly speed up the process of creating yarn. You can quickly make an electric spinning wheel by placing an electric motor on an authentic device.
At the same time, the motor for an electric spinning wheel must have a power of at least 15 W.
As a motor, you can use a motor from a fan, auto cleaner, or player. The pedal must be used to operate the engine. It will be possible to change the movements of the motor by including a TP-type toggle switch in the circuit, which provides connection of a capacitor and resistance to different windings.
An electric fly swatter will be useful and easy to assemble and operate.
In order to implement such a mechanism, you will need to assemble a standard blocking generator. At the same time, you will need to remember to insulate the handle of the fly swatter.
Where to find amateur radio circuits and homemade products
Modern sites for radio amateurs offer to make not only useful, but also unusual homemade radios. So, for example, on the Mozgochina website you can find interesting electronic circuits for making refrigerator reminders, thermometers that change color depending on the temperature, etc.
Electrical gadgets for everyday life and crafts made from scrap materials for fishing from the site “Visiting Samodelkin” will be interesting and useful.
You can read about how to design, debug and manufacture electronic mechanisms at home in the book “Entertaining Radio Electronics”. New items among homemade radios are often posted on the “Amateur Radio Workshop” website. New issues of the magazine “Radio Amateurs” contain interesting and useful technical materials.
DIY crafts at home (video)
Amateur radio clubs today are popular among both schoolchildren and adults. Master classes and radio circuits presented on various websites allow you to assemble almost any electrical appliance at home. The main thing is to find the necessary diagrams, strictly follow the instructions, and adhere to safety precautions when working with electricity. And you can collect whatever you want!
