No doubt you’ve collected your FREE 2018 Jaycar catalogue already (or had it included if you purchased Issue 10 from a newsagency), but if you haven’t got yours yet or perhaps just haven’t had time for a read, then here’s a few of our thoughts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s great to see Jaycar pushing further into IoT and remotely controlled devices. Their overall theme is “connecting”, and we love it. What really stood out is that their “projects” section is roughly double the size of last year. With new introductions in maker-relevant categories, as well as fun robotics kits, there’s plenty we were impressed with.
A MASSIVE MAKER EXPANSION
Of course, we're very happy to see the inclusion of DIYODE and a few of our projects as kits (check out page 63 - woot!), and we noticed a huge addition of Makeblock products. Makeblock has stood out in recent years for their entry-level electronics and coding opportunities, and indeed we’ve reviewed some of their great products. They really do make a great introduction to fundamental coding - in terms of required knowledge - which makes them fantastic for the absolute newcomer. Their clip-together system using Pogo pin connectors makes it safe and easy to use for just about anyone.
Perhaps the most notable addition for DIYODE readers is the introduction of Raspberry Pi 3 Model B boards. While these were introduced a few months ago, the new catalogue clearly shows Jaycar’s dedication to accessories to support it too. They have three different cases, some books, several HDMI screens, expansion kits for breadboarding, and a whole lot more. It took a good few years for Jaycar to stock Raspberry Pi, but their retail footprint now provides a very convenient way to grab RPi and accessories on a weekend, for instance. Some accessories are official Raspberry Pi accessories (case, camera, etc), others are imported, but they’ll all work well for your RPi projects.
Arduino-compatible hardware hasn’t been forgotten, with the notable addition of WiFi-compatible boards. An ESP32 (WiFi and Bluetooth), as well as a WiFi Mini (based on the ESP8266). It’s often frustrating having to purchase WiFi shields just to get some IoT functionality for a simple sensor, for instance. Now you don’t have to and can get WiFi-ing without additional hardware. This is especially useful when building sensor networks and systems where you need a lot of them.
There’s also a stack of new modules and shields, notably arcade switches, display hardware, and plenty more. So it’s worth taking a good look through.
BRAND NEW 3D PRINTING
We were pleasantly surprised to see a huge expansion of the 3D printing range. Not just new filaments, but a completely revised range of printers. Included are well-known proven printers such as the daVinci Nano from XYZ Printing, or the huge Guider II by FlashForge. Whatever your requirements, they’ll get you printing reliably in no time.
One thing we also took notice of was the 3D scanner. It’s handheld, and we’re not sure how it performs, but we’ll try and get our hands on one soon, so we can find out and let you know!
EVERYTHING ELSE
Let’s not forget everything else! There’s loads of power supplies, cable, connectors, and all the usual things you’ll find at Jaycar.
We found a few special function IC s too. These are especially useful when developing PCBs or compact projects, where a large shield or module isn’t the best way to go. A few that stood out are:
ISD1820: A tiny record/playback audio ICin a 14-pin DIP, capable of driving an 8Ω speaker directly.
L293D DUAL FULL BRIDGE MOTOR DRIVER: Perfect for stepper motor projects, works with 3.3V and 5V logic, supporting up to 36V 600mA/channel outputs and 5kHz PWM.
MCP3008 8 CHANNEL ADC: Perfect for adding (or increasing) analogue support to digital inputs, and it features an SPI interface.
Overall, we’re impressed with the new items supporting makers and DIY enthusiasts. We’ll be taking a closer look at some of these awesome new products very soon!
Available as a Digital Download
Or grab it at your local Jaycar store
BJ5000
$4.95