We check out the latest product catalogue from Jaycar Electronics and highlight some great maker-related goodies.
It’s this time every year that we get to see the latest catalogue from Jaycar Electronics. For those of you who haven’t seen a Jaycar catalogue, we’re talking a 548 page monster of a product catalogue, not a small brochure you get in your letterbox.
Many electronics retailers have done away with their printed catalogues, but Jaycar (and Altronics) still make their catalogue available as a printed version that you can thumb through, dog-ear your favourite pages, and even scribble notes on. Of course, there is a PDF version that Jaycar provides for free to download online, but having a printed catalogue in reach on your workbench is always handy.
We’ve been given an early sneak peek to see what exciting new products are coming out this year for us makers. If you’re an Australian-based print subscriber or have bought this issue from a retail store, you will likely have the print catalogue included (If not, see the end of this feature for the link to download the PDF).
Let us run through what caught our “maker” eye that you may also be interested in.
BREATHING EASY
This air quality sensor with CO2 and Temperature enables you to measure volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), including equivalent carbon dioxide (eCO2) in the air.
- Cat no. XC3782
- $34.95
- Page 105
RUN IT REMOTELY
This smart WiFi relay kit combines an ESP8266 module with a SPDT relay, making it really easy to make IoT projects without the need for multiple boards and wiring.
- Cat no. XC3804
- $17.95
- Page 96
HIGH TECH WEARABLE TECH
You can make your costume and other wearable tech wireless with this amazing wearable ESP32 development board. It has an ESP32 onboard so you can control your wearable project over WiFi or Bluetooth.
- Cat no. XC3810
- $39.95
- Page 81
NO SCREW LOOSE
These benchtop work mats are amazing. Firstly, they’re made from silicone, so you won’t leave burn marks on your table when you’re soldering, and secondly, they have small compartments to hold all of your screws and components. There’s even magnetic sections to hold metal parts in place.
- Cat no. HM8102
- $19.95
- Page 43
LET THE AIR FLOW
Most enclosures you find are fully enclosed to keep dust, moisture, and tiny fingers out, but for your projects that have temperature and humidity sensors, etc. These grey ABS vented enclosures will let the air in, but still keep your circuitry safe.
KEEPING YOUR COOL
If you’re using a Raspberry Pi or similar, you’ll likely need a heatsink to prevent it from overheating. These handy heatsink pin grid arrays have thermal adhesive to make them easy to apply to your microcontroller.
- Cat no. HH8581
- $3.95 each
- Page 169
ELECTRONICS YOU CAN WEAR
Getting kids into electronics can be a challenge if there’s no tangible outcome to get excited about. This sewable electronics kit called Sparkle Stitch helps kids learn the fundamentals and gives them a light-up mask to parade around the house. We notice there’s a multimeter included as well!
- Cat no. KM1080
- $79
- Page 80
BRILLIANT BADGES
These wearable badges would be a fun way to get into electronics. Cool looking PCB shapes that you can wear to show off your soldering skills.
MIXING IT UP
How’s this?! This Dobot triple filament 3D printer can mix three different filaments together to make multi-coloured masterpieces. Sure, it is a big investment, but imagine the incredible prints you could do?!
- Cat no. TL4412
- $1499
- Page 15
PORTABLE IoT
This SAMD21 wireless Arduino compatible board has a Wi-Fi module and charging circuit onboard to charge a Li-Po battery, which enables you to make portable IoT projects. Very cool!
- Cat no. XC3812
- $69.95
- Page 90
TINY AND MIGHTY
We’ve made some great projects using the ATtiny85, but they have required the use of a breadboard or PCB to make them work, and another project in order to program it. With this ATtiny85 micro USB development board, however, the ATtiny85 is onboard with I/O breakouts and micro USB socket for power and programming.
- Cat no. XC3940
- $13.95
- Page 89
GET MORE FROM YOUR PI
This Raspberry Pi GPIO expansion shield mounts to the top of your Raspberry Pi so you can connect multiple devices at the same time. There’s four A2D and a D2A onboard.
- Cat no. XC9050
- $14.95
- Page 85
GO RETRO
Jaycar has added a few new lines this year for you to play the games from yesteryear. You just need a Raspberry Pi, Retropie and your favourite ROMS with this Raspberry Pi retro arcade game console.
- Cat no. XC9062
- Page 83
- $169
MAKE IT MOVE
It’s great to see Jaycar expanding its range of hardware for makers into robotics. These 6V micro motors with gear head have a mounting bracket to make them easy to install, and there’s micro wheels to suit too.
- Cat no. YM2800
- $16.95
- Page 108
BREAKING OUT
These USB to 4-way screw terminal block adaptors are great for prototyping. USB Micro B, Mini B and Type-A available.
OPENING UP
Manufacturers are always trying to find ways to make their devices tamperproof, but us makers usually like to open things up to fix or modify them. This 72 piece multifunctional screwdriver set with carry case has all the unusual bits like pentalobe, tri-wing, u-shape, torx, etc. 73 pieces in all!
- Cat no. TD2136
- $49.95
- Page 45
AT THE BOARD LEVEL
It’s marvellous to see Jaycar continuing to expand their range of hardcore electronics for makers. Here’s a few components you’ll need to get your soldering iron out for.
These diffused 2mm Tower LEDs are available in five different flavours, ok, we mean colours, Ideal for visual indicators on your project’s front panel, without taking up too much real estate.
Add another eight inputs or outputs to your microcontroller with the MCP23008 8-bit Expander with Serial Interface.
- Cat no. ZK8869
- $4.45
- Page 191
Power or program your next project through this PC mount USB mini-B socket.
- Cat no. PS0921
- $2.95
- Page 238
Jaycar have been providing printed catalogues for the last 30-odd years and never disappoint. Not only will you find hardcore electronics, but if you’re an audio enthusiast, outdoor adventurer, IT tech whizz, or the go-to person to help with someone’s security needs, you’re sure to find something in the catalogue.
We should also point out that the catalogue has technical drawings where applicable, specification tables, comparison tables, tech tips, component pinouts, and more.
BUILD THE COVER!
You would have noticed the amazing LED cube on the catalogue cover. In collaboration with Jaycar, DIYODE will be publishing LED cube projects in future issues, starting from May 2020. These project kits will be available from Jaycar stores and their website around the time we publish the project. Keep an eye out at: www.jaycar.com.au/build-the-cover for more details.
WANT IT NOW?
Download the entire catalogue as a PDF: https://diyode.io/033jc2020
Or grab it at your local Jaycar store:
- BJ5000 $4.95