Tinker Tank

Tinker Tank is a community based collective of makers and tinkerers. We are an open-source forum for learning, teaching, and sharing our various skills and talents.

We all come from different backgrounds, professions, and age-groups, but what brings us together is a common love and curiosity for making things and being creative.

Our current interests involve: electronics, robotics, engineering, software development, arts, crafts, costuming, food & drink, plus whatever other cool stuff the future has in store.

Have something you want to learn or share? Join the Tinker Tank.

Current News

• the blog has been updated
• O Cinema hosts The Tinker Tank every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month starting June 9th.event page
• the wiki has been updated

Follow us

• Blog
• facebook pake
• twitter
• mailing list

Official Documents

• Meeting Minutes
• Articles Of Incorporation
• Proposed Bylaws

Member Information

• active members
• New Member Info

Educational Materials

Electronics 101[1]

Resources

Electronics

Big Suppliers with Large, Heavy Catalogs

• Allied Electronics - http://www.alliedelec.com/
• Digikey (Thief River Falls, MN) - http://www.digikey.com
• Element 14 - http://us.element-14.com/
• Mouser - http://www.mouser.com
• Newark Electronics - http://www.newark.com

Smaller Suppliers

• Jameco - http://www.jameco.com
• Futurlec http://www.futurlec.com
• Tayda Electronics http://www.taydaelectronics.com
• dipmicro http://www.dipmicro.com

Small Companies / Boutique Shops

• Adafruit - http://adafruit.com
• All Electronics - http://www.allelectronics.com
• Alltronics - http://www.alltronics.com
• Dan's Small Parts and Kits - http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net
• Electronic Goldmine - http://www.goldmine-elec.com
• Electronix Express - http://elexp.com
• Evil Mad Science - http://evilmadscience.com
• Marlin P. Jones & Assoc. - http://www.mpja.com/
• Cheap soldering stations
• NKC Electronics - http://nkcelectronics.com
• Sparkfun Electronics - http://www.sparkfun.com
• Unicorn Electronics - http://www.unicornelectronics.com/
• Obsolete and hard to find components.
• Seeed Studio depot - http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/
• Cute Digi - http://www.cutedigi.com
• Aliexpress - (wholesale suppliers from all over the world) http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=arduino&CatId=0
• DealExtreme http://www.dealextreme.com/ - Low prices on some things, some interesting and random items, shipping can take a long time.
• KaiDomain http://kaidomain.com/ - Another site like DealExtreme?

Connectors

• 4Ucon http://www.4uconnector.com

Hardware

• Grainger - http://www.grainger.com
• McMaster-Carr - http://mcmaster.com

Surpuls Store

Melbourne Area

• Astro Too Surplus Electronics, 6949 West Nasa Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32904, http://astrotoo.com
• Panik's Electronics-N-Surplus, 5060 Industry Drive, Melbourne, FL 32940, http://panikelectronics.com

Orlando Area

• Skycraft Parts & Surplus Inc‎, 2245 West Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park, FL, http://skycraftsurplus.com
• BPB Surplus, 1967 High Street,Longwood, FL 32750, http://bpbsurplus.com
• Tech Surplus Depot, 215 Pineda Street, Longwood, FL 32750, http://www.technologysurplusdepot.com/

Palm Beach Area

• Marlin P. Jones & Assoc, Inc. - 1133 Old Dixie Highway, Lake Park, FL 33403, http://www.mpja.com/
• Florida Breaker and Electrical Liquidators, 837 SW 17th Ave, Delray Beach, FL, 33444, http://www.flbreaker.com/

PCB

FAB

• BatchPCB
• Custom Circuit Boards
• Gold Phoenix
• PCBCART
• Olimex
• APCircuits
• Barebones PCB
• PCBFabExpress
• DorkbotPDX PCB Order - (Open to everyone not just dorkbotpdx people)
• seeed studio
• Advanced Circuits
• Flash Line Electronics - They have a $10 for 30 sq in. and $20 for 60 sq. in 2-layer special.
• midnight maker

Software

Circuit Simulation

• LTSpice/SwitcherCAD, Great, free circuit simulation tool
• MacSpice - Spice on the Mac http://www.macspice.com/

PCB Layout / Schematic Capture

• Eagle - http://cadsoft.de/
  • Very good cross platform support. Restricted use evaluation version is free.
• geda - http://www.gpleda.org/
• Kicad - http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/
  • Support for Windows and Linux. Free and open source. Includes 3D rendering support via Wings3D(GNU).