Anything worth ordering from Digi-Key?

I stock various sizes of electrolytic capacitors and resistors from 22 ohms up through 2200 ohms in both 1/4W and 1/2W sizes.  When I'm doing mods, I find that I'm frequently looking for a resistor in that range and an electrolytic cap.  I also keep the 1uf NP 50V caps around for shunting motors and couplers.

To add to gunrunnerjohn's supplies, how about some adjustable (trim) resistors, diodes, bridge rectifiers, 78xx voltage regulators. Keep looking around, Digi-Key is a great place. Super cheap shipping (USPS) and fast too. They also keep an online record of parts you ordered in case you forget what you ordered and need more. Lots of good stuff there.

No, I don't work there, just a satisfied customer thanks to gunrunnerjohn's recommendation a year or two ago. I have been trying to build up a supply of stuff to play around with ever since. 

My order history with Digikey runs into several pages.   I ordered some parts earlier, and just now I'm fixing a Legacy locomotive and discovered some FETs that I need, so I have two orders pending on the same day!

I do imagine your history list is pretty long, especially with repair projects and creating boards all the time. Mine is still only one page, but I'm working on it. I forgot about the bill of materials lists you can make and name for your projects. Never used that but it sounds like a nice feature. I still have some exploring to do on that site. 

I use the project lists on Mouser and Digikey all the time.  It helps to queue up an order and get organized.  It's also nice to price the whole thing before you pull the trigger.

For larger projects, I check both Mouser and Digikey for pricing and typically split the order to take advantage of any price breaks.  When you're ordering hundreds of a component, a small price difference starts adding up.

You guys are doing a lot of much more in-depth repairs than I will.  John took apart the TAS board in one of my engines and fixed the board (still runs great), something I'll never do.  I guess I should have stated that my few repairs will be more remove-and-replace, like putting PS3 kits into my PS2 engines when the PS2 boards fails, adding ERR kits into 3rd Rail engines, or adding LEDs to my many passenger cars so John will be happy when I no longer put 20 amps to the track. I guess I will wait until I need to do something and buy the part then.

The recent thread on John's LED controller is a classic example of the problem I have; no where does it say what type of 12V LED strips would be best.  You put in 12V LED strip white into Amazon or eBay and you get pages of products. Same thing for chokes ("just add a 22uH choke"), like everyone should know which 22uH choke of the dozens available is the correct one.  (BTW, thanks John for the 34A 22uH recommendation for my PSX; it works great.)  I have a bunch of TVSs that are the wrong size because I thought I knew what I wanted.

Once I know what I need, I can put it together.  I will say that the more I look at Mouser's or Digi-Key's web site catalog to find something, the more I learn.  But this learning is taking time away from my layout building time

I really do appreciate you guys responding to my request.  You folks are very knowledge and a great asset to this forum.

Ron

Don't sell yourself short.   Putting new boards in to replaced failed 5V boards sometimes takes more effort than you might imagine.  The boards don't always fit in the same space easily.  Many 5V DCS board replacements with 3V boards require you to change the cabling around and create custom mounting brackets.

The 12V LED strip question is pretty easy, 99% of all the reels of LED's you see will have the same specifications, 12V DC at 20ma for each 3 LED group as a maximum current.  I don't recall ever seeing a reel that had any other specifications, but if I say 100%, someone will fine one.

The choke question really boils down to two specifications, the impedance specification and the operating current.  When I'm picking them on a site like Digikey, I first zero in on the value, say 22uh.  Then I look at the possible operating currents.  For LED lighting in passenger cars, you only need a small choke, 100ma or more is plenty.  For TMCC/Legacy locomotives when I put a choke in to stop them from stepping on the DCS signal, I look for a 5-6 amp choke.  For track power use, it depends on the maximum current.  Since I limit track power to 180 watts for a power district, I want something over 10 amps.  I just ordered some 11A ones from Digikey for our modular club yard module.  When you asked about chokes for your situation, we went big because you were supplying more current to the track.

Another point on selection.  Frequently, a similar specification part will be 2-3 times the price of another, I see that all the time.  I sort the Digikey columns in price order so I see the lower cost items first.

I'm in about the same boat as you, I am no where near as knowledgeable as many here on the forum. I just like to tinker with electronics stuff about as much as I like to tinker with trains. I could not design anything or offer much sound advice like gunrunnerjohn can, he actually knows what he's doing. I have learned a lot form his posts, remembering it all is another story. He has also helped me with some parts selections. See his post above about the chokes, just learned how to figure out what I might need from that info.  

The folks on this forum have made it possible for me to learn enough about the electronics to be able to fiddle with a few things. That's why I have tried to build up a small supply of commonly used parts. I have also found a lot of circuit schematics on the internet and successfully bread boarded some of them. Some did not work and I was actually able to figure out how to fix them and make them do what I wanted, which was pretty exciting. Others I wasn't so lucky with. The 555 timer chip is a really interesting device that you can do a lot of things with. Lots of info about them out there also. 

In my learning adventures some items get repaired and some need further repair of things that were perfectly functional before beginning the initial repairs. Fortunately I have yet to destroy anything very expensive. It will probably happen someday though. I try to follow all the posts here on anything electronic. I also enjoy Dale H's posts on using relay logic for everything, more conventional operation, even though I lean more toward the electronic solutions.

Anyway that was where my suggestion for the additional parts was coming from, just for tinkering. John's suggestion of capacitors and resistors may be better suited to the things you are doing. Never hurts to have a few extra parts laying around just in case. 

RTR12,

Looks like you are on your way to be able to enjoy creating and working on different electronic circuits! Good Job for taking the extra effort!

Overall you can learn some stuff and not worry about electrocuting yourself since you are working with the low voltages and amperage.

It can be fun, some of the breadboard kits you can get will provide you additional knowledge and confidence to try the next project.

I didn't read back thru all of the thread but if you haven't yet, get yourself a cheap digital meter so that you can take different readings and see how something is working or why it isn't.

If you run into any problems, many here on the forum will be more than glad to jump in and help you with the current project.

Clamp-on meter?

Mating connectors for either TMCC or DCS depending on how you go?

Roll of multi-conductor cable to wire to switches?

Decent set of wire strippers?

DIN Rail and DIN terminal blocks? I only use them at work, not at home.

Terminal blocks, plain?

Ring terminal to fit on the post of a Command Base? (only need one).

Crimper for the above?

Ring terminal/fork terminal kit? (You might end up with a bunch you never use).

I bought a $10 clamp-on from Harbor Freight, it actually works very well and is really close to my much more expensive Fluke meter for current measurement.  It's great to be able to toss it in my bag and not be worried about it getting lost, I know where more of them are.

Thanks for the kind words. That's very nice. I started out trying to learn electronics some 40+ years ago, then got a better job that required some schooling in the evenings and had to learn that instead. Now that I'm retired, it's back to where I was 40 years ago. I have already received a lot of help from many folks here and I sure do hope it continues.

I have some experience with multi-meters (DMM's) and some electronic controls from my working life. Very little experience at the circuit level though, been getting most of that here. I have been having a good time experimenting with the breadboard stuff. It's a lot of fun. Have been fiddling with 555 timers a little lately, nice little chip. Still have to go by others schematics for the circuits though. Got a couple of books from Radio Shack that full of circuits also.

I do have several DMM's. Picked up several of the cheapies over the last couple of years, anywhere from free with coupon to 2-3 dollars. Sometimes I use 2 or 3 at once. I'm going to get a Fluke True RMS meter (like I had in my working life) one of these days, probably a 116 or maybe even a 179. I also have the Harbor Freight clamp on that gunrunnerjohn mentioned above, it's actually a very nice little meter and for $10, I don't think you can beat it.

IC,

Nice list.  Thanks.

Question:  what are mating connectors for either TMCC or DCS?

Ron

MTH

3V type are Tyco/ AMP 2.0mm HPI Connectors.
5V type are Hirose DF3 product line in 2mm spacing.

Lionel

The 2.5mm connectors are JST EH family connectors.

The 2.0mm connectors are JST PH family connectors.

The 1.5mm connectors are JST ZH family connectors.

GGG, any chance of getting a copy of your lists?