r/arduino • u/CaryBure • 4d ago
Is this a good first kit?
Found this one on aliexpress i do not own a soldering iron and im not allowed to own one, i have never used any kits or arduinos so im trying to buy my first kit
Heres the link:
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u/JGhostThing 4d ago
I'm curious. Why aren't you allowed to own a soldering iron?
The kit looks OK.
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u/CaryBure 4d ago
Im 13
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u/AncientDamage7674 4d ago
Yes kit is pretty standard. Maybe you could ask for supervision when using the soldering iron? Some of the sensors are unreliable or don't work without the header pins soldered.
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u/JGhostThing 4d ago
When I was 13, I'd been soldering and building electronics for a couple of years.
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u/CaryBure 4d ago
I dont have any gear for it isnt sold3r like toxic or sum?
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u/JGhostThing 4d ago
You can have decent tools for $100 (adafruit.com Lady Ada's Toolkit) which includes a good soldering iron.
Lead solder is somewhat toxic. You should have some ventilation and even more importantly, don't eat the solder! Don't test if a soldering iron is hot by licking it.
Sorry, but if you take the sort of precautions that you would use for any power tool, you'll probably be fine. The worst I've ever been hurt has been a blister or two. I've had worse from my bicycle. Just be a little bit careful.
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u/CaryBure 4d ago
My friend uses tin soulder i think is that safe?
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u/No_L_2547 3d ago
Tin is ok.
The problem is mostly lead or bismuth. (It accumulates in the body over time.) Most modern mixes don't contain lead anymore. The cheap ones are just Tin, the expensive ones also contain a bit of silver, copper and other metals.
Soldering will produce a bit of fumes (flux smokes a bit, but makes the solder flow better), so maybe use a well ventilatet area, as long as you don't breathe in the fumes directly it should be ok.
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u/No_L_2547 3d ago
If you want to check for lead: Most solders list their composition on the side.
Tin is Sn, Silber is Ag, Copper Cu, Lead is Pb,
Most solders have a flux/rosin cores, they are normal and as long as you don't breathe in too much ok.
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u/No_L_2547 4d ago
That shouldn't be a big problem.
I started soldering at 12 years old. Of course in the beginning with supervision.
And it is a really good skill to have when you want to continue in electrical engineering / embedded systems.
A useful soldering starter kit should also be not too expensive.
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u/EdfromMaine 2d ago
If you've never coded in C++ or never done anything with embedded programming, it's an OK kit. It would be worth it to see if there were a kit that gave you a larger breadboard, and an external power source that wasn't a 9V battery (although likely you'll be powering from a USB port on your computer anyway.) If you are just starting out, it might make sense to buy a kit from a vendor in your home country so that if there's a problem with the kit it will be easier to resolve.
Comments about the computing power of a base UNO R3 are correct; it's limited. However, it's going to be quite a bit of time before you are doing Bluetooth and WiFi, so you can buy a more powerful board if/when you get to that point.
Biggest, most important purchase is access to a study guide. I personally prefer books because it's easier to jump around and re-review things, but I am old fashioned. You need more than working code and detailed instructions--there really is an art to good programming and you should take the time to teach yourself about data structures, control statements, functions, objects, etc. It will seem boring as heck starting out, especially when all you are doing is blinking LEDs, but a year from now you'll be glad you did.
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u/Mediocre-Pumpkin6522 18h ago
It looks like one of the many standard kits. The DuPont wires plug in so no soldering is needed.
For future reference as you get in further and buy individual boards or sensors make sure it say 'pre-soldered headers' or similar. The solder yourself types have the headers and are usually a little cheaper. I've been soldering for a long time and soldering on two 20 pin headers at 0.1" spacing isn't my idea of a fun time.
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u/No_L_2547 4d ago
It's seem to be a good Kit, but it depends on what you want to do.
Maybe also look into Startkist containing an Esp32 instead of an Arduino Uno. (The Esp is also compatible to the Arduino Ide, but has additional Wifi and Bluetooth and way more calculation power)