Someone yesterday asked about $200 speakers. I'll just copy and paste that here, but I'll change one thing. I recommend the fluance signature series if you're spending that much money. Also, save up and get a Dayton sub 1000. Enjoy:

----------------------------

I'll make a list of stuff you need. For the best "bang for your buck" in the $200ish price range.

-----------------------------------------

Speaker wire. Amazon Basics makes great stuff. If you want, you can get 100 feet of it for an extra $2 I think. You can get those monoprice banana plugs if you want. They just help if you're going to be switching speakers around a lot.

Simple wire stripper. Should work just fine.

Cable to plug it in. That'll just plug the amp into a computer. And that cable is amazing quality. For real. I don't know what it is about it, but the moment I touched that cable I knew it was special. This isn't a joke either. You'll understand when you get one. Trust me.

50 watt per channel amp. This thing will be more than enough. I just like it because it is open box, so cheap. The same one new on amazon is $65. If you want to order from amazon, you can just get the smsl sa-36a. Same amp, just 20 watts per channel. Which, again, is plenty.

[Here's that cheaper smsl amp] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017W13OR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_U2NSBbTRHGFS5). I've got a few of them. They're great. This is what I'd go for if the other one is sold out.

Cheap but good little amp. I don't have one of these because I'm not a fan of the looks, but they get great reviews and a lot of people really like them.

---------------

Speakers:

Miccas. These things are nice for that price. In this price range, you really won't be getting anything better unless you go DIY.

Fluance SX6. These guys are big, but they throw a good amount of sound and some pretty deep bass for a pair of bookshelf speakers. Careful, they're pretty big.

Pioneer. These things are decent, but I think the Fluances would be better for this price. The SX6s throw more bass, which is good if you're not getting a sub. However, these are smaller.

Fluance signature series. I know, you said your budget is only $200, but you said if you need to spend more, then you will. These will sound better than all of the other speakers linked, however, that's not why they're here. I put them here for two reasons. The first is that they're front ported. Most people that are new to speakers might put them up against a wall or close to it, not understanding that the port needs some room to breathe. These have front ports so that's not a problem. The second reason, just look at them. If you really care about looks, these ones are the ones. They're beautiful. (My opinion obviously).

Oof almost forgot. Pleaae don't place the speakers directly on your desk.

--------------------------------

That's a lot. I'll sum it up with my opinion and why.

Amp: smsl sa36a. For close range, you don't need anything with more power. This thing will do whatever you need for bookshelf speakers.

Speakers: micca mb42x. Why? Here's why: for this price range, you won't notice a huge difference in any speakers, unless you get some bad ones. So, get the cheapest ones you can. Later on, if you can afford to upgrade them, you'll probably want to do that. Then you'll have a pair of $80 speakers that you don't need rather than a pair of 130 speakers that you don't need. Another reason I would pick the miccas is because they punch above their price range. Most people say they sound more like a pair of $125 speakers rather than a pair of $80 speakers. So, for real, they're good. Also, they're the smallest of the bunch.

Or, build a pair of C Notes and get something way better than any of these.

Hope this helps!

For (bigger) diagonal cutters/pliers, I think the most BIFL are NWS with their "Titan finish". Knipex is a fairly close second, but I like the finish on NWS better. Both can handle hard and medium hard wire (including nails and screws) without a problem, unlike most Klein, Snap-On, etc. The biggest issue is finding NWS in the US. The NWS Fantastico Plus are the best diagonal cutters I've ever laid my hands on.

For precision cutters/pliers, Xuron. They're semi-flush (Xuron call them flush, but I'd still call them semi-flush) micro sheer cutters are great but thankfully don't seem to nick up easily like (Xcelite, Snap-On, etc.) flush cutters do. I like the ones with that are ESD safe, with extra long handles, and the lead retainer best if you're going to be populating a lot of circuit boards. Otherwise, their cheaper models are just as nice.

Wiha precision screwdrivers. I've given this set as a gift before. Wera for the bigger stuff if you need it. Wiha or Wera bits (only larger sizes, I've never found precision bits I've particularly liked).

Klein to fill in gaps.

Bondhus hex keys.

Find a nice used Fluke multimeter on eBay. 89IV go for under $200 and have pretty much identical features to the 189 (believe the 189 mostly just has a bigger inductance/capacitance range). Most universities will have someone tasked with calibration/maintaining the measurement equipment. Make friends and he'll probably calibrate it for you/teach you how/just let you jump in and try. Mine was falling out of the box after UPS drop kicked it to my door, but the calibration was still super boring as nothing needed adjustment.

Hakko or Weller soldering station. Easy to find tips, especially for Weller. WESD51 dropped to $99 on Amazon a couple times in the last year, great time to scoop one up for little more than the analog version. The Stahl Tools one Amazon sells is also good for dirt cheap, but not really BIFL; good luck on finding tips. Metcal is too rich for my blood, but if you ever happen across one that is cheap.

Kester "44" solder, accept no substitute. 63/37 or 60/40, but since the spool will last you half a lifetime, I'd probably go with the 63/37.

I have a love/hate relationship with wire strippers. Something like this usually gets the job done, but sometimes you'll get wire with a strange jacket size and they'll fail. For the automatic kind, this style works ok (especially if you adjust it to what you're stripping), but I usually like this style better; again, as long as the jacket isn't too small and you wire is in the right range. Sadly, I probably most often grab for cheapies like this. The adjustment screw is great if you have to do a lot of a certain size, but I tend to free hand them. It takes quite a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's the fastest. Thermal wire strippers are just too pricey for the home user, especially if you want to do PVC, teflon, etc. jacketed wire.

I also have a love/hate relationship with crimpers. I have some crimpers I got for Anderson Powerpole connectors from West Mountain Radio (largely because I couldn't believe how cheap they are-- connector-specific crimpers are usually many times the price they charge) and they were great for the Powerpoles. I even bought some of the other die sets, but I've been less happy with those. I often end up using a similar pair to these or the die on a pair of Klein lineman's pliers for the larger crimps.

> Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

• How long have you had your Flashforge, and how much have you printed on it?
  
  I purchased it last August. (781 hours logged) It's almost litterly been printing out of the box since day one. The only issue I had out of the box is that the one screw on the build plate got bent as a result of the 2 free spools bouncing into it. I ordered a box of them from McMaster and had it fixed by the end of the week. I contacted Lisa on their google chat form and from what I understand, they now come with the screw as a result of my support ticket. This was an annoyance yes, but I've had more issues with my reprap and that costed me more than this pritner when I bought it. (I originally had a Makergear Prusa)
  
  
• What do you like the most and the least about this printer?
  
  Most: I love the fact that it prints 100% of the times I try to print something. I rarely, and I mean RARELY have a failed print. I love that I can hit print before I go to bed and wake up to a completed part in the morning.
  
  Least: This is small, and it took a while but I have since out grown the build platform (9x6x6 inches). I recently ordred an 8x12 plate from McMaster and that arrives on monday and we'll see how that works. (PSA this requires removing one of the extruders - if you want more info on this let me know)
  
  
• Have you printed with ABS?
  
  Yes, no issues. Just close up the printer with the included panels.
  
  
• If so, did you experience any problems such as curling?
  
  No, I use a glass build plate and a thin coat of purple glue stick. I then spritz water on the plate before each print. I never have a sticking issue and I never have warpage. I personally prefer PLA though since Hatchbox has come to light and makes GREAT PLA
  
  
• Have you had any problems with the metal bed warping or with leveling the bed?
  
  Like I said just above, I use a glass build plate, so I haven't had any warpage issues with the bp. Leveling the bed is a bit of a challenge but I'm fussy about it and I want it within 0.0005 or less so it takes me a while. The reason I'm fussy is because I've only had to level the bed 2 or 3 times since owning it.
  
  The first was when I got it
  
  The second was when I added the glass build plate
  
  The third was when I removed one extruder and added an aluminum carriage.
  
  That's it. It never lost it's level and it's gone through 3 moves (like I moved apartment to apartment)
  
  
• Finally, how is the customer service or community support for this printer? Thanks again!
  
  The only experience I had was with that screw initially. I contacted Lisa on their Google Chat forum and she handled it mostly. Sadly, it wasn't as 'perfect' as I wanted since their solution was to send the printer back instead of sending me a new screw. Never the less, they did try to help on the matter and told me how I could go about getting money for the screw if I so desired. In the long run, it's a screw and I just ordered them from McMaster. I have zero regrets from it and I think I know my printer a bit beter because of it.
  
  single extruder carriage (PSA: their single extruder block is not FF compatible.
  
  My Thingiverse for example prints
  
  Some things I would buy shortly after getting the printer:
  
  Spare Extruder fan : I tend to slip and put a screw drive in the path of this, shattering the blades. If you're a clutz like me, get it. I've needed 4 so far. ::hangs head in shame::
  
  Glass Build Plate : Best purchase I've made for my FF. Works great, easy to install and use. Also get thermal sheets and purple elmers glue, and print the spacer found on my Thingiverse page under "Flashforge Upgrades". Also get a spatula, and dikes
  
  Simplify3D : A lot people tend to spend $X,XXX on a printer and then try to use free software with it and complain when it doesn't print right. To me that's like buying a car without tires. A Corvette ain't shit without a decent set of tires. It's kind of pricy compared to free, I know, but at real CAM programs (which is what this basically is) cost $8,000 or more. It truely is a great printer program and I wish I had purchased it much MUCH sooner than I had.
  
  Last and most importantly, get the an active cooling fan. I originally printed this, and purchased a 12v power supply and added some fans to it. I have since moved on to the offical one from FF. It's not as good but I haven't really ran into an issue. If I had to print from my right extruder, it would be an issue though. What I liked about it, is that it's a plug and play added on. No "modifications" needed to added.
  
  TL;DR / Closing thoughts: I would buy this printer again in a heartbeat. ESPECIALLY if they came out with one similar to the Replicator 2 with the 11.9" build plate. Instead it looks like they went a different way judging by CES but oh well, there's always next year. Further more, I think this is a great entry level printer for someone looking to have a printer help with projects and not be one of them. That doesn't mean you can't mod it or upgrade or whatever, it just means you don't have to if you don't want to.
  
  
  Hope this helps and answers any questions you might have. Feel free to ask more though!
  

First of all, amazing. Second of all, how are you not platinum?

And I have to agree with your general thoughts on soldering. When I ended up using every io on my teensy and I didn’t have a short or cross, I almost jumped for joy. I know I at least stood up, fists in the air. It was so ugly but damn if it didn’t work.

The trick, in the end, was flux and a heavier duty mask : ) it’s like congealed magic poison but in a good way!

And, ya know, I ended up using the too large straight tip I had on my last project as well. I had just figured I’d have to use this one for something so fine. Sounds like I might like and have as much luck with a finer straight tip. I was finding that it was hard to keep those fine tips clean though. Hoping the lower temps were part of that.

And I’m absolutely going to try the hot air station. Let’s face it. I’m going to pretty much try every one of your suggestions, from leaded solder to 28 gage wire. You seem like someone who is passionate about this stuff and knows what you’re taking about. That’s a winning combo in my book. I’ve just gotta get past my fear of melting lead close to my face.

One last question: have you found any solid core 28 gage wire that is worth a damn? The best I’ve found is this 30 gage wire . It’s okay but it came in such a rats nest.

Finally, I’m going to attempt to give back a little. You’re probably already aware of this device but it has been a godsend. Are you familiar with this Irwin Vice Grip Wire Stripper. I’d used similar devices before and found them to be more trouble than they are worth. These, though, are amazing. Truly. Barely ever have to adjust. They strip most small electronics wire (10-24) in one fluid motion with zero adjustment. Sometimes I have to tighten but it’s rare. Really one of my favorite tools of all time.

And, again, thank you for taking the time to give such helpful suggestions. I’ll be referring back to this often.

>They sound good but I feel like the mids can be slightly muffled and the highs aren't particularly sharp and clear. The lower mids and bass are great though.
>
>I'd be willing to spend up to $400.

I recommend passive speakers and an amp or receiver:

For the best value, first look used for less cost then the following options, or get one part used and the other new.

Receiver/Amp: Refurbished with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

• Stereo: ONKYO TX-8220 $135, or ONKYO TX-8140 $200.
  
• AV If also ever using with a TV even with just 2 speakers, 4K HDMI switching, high pass crossover for your speakers if ever adding a subwoofer. DENON AVR-S640H 5.2 $200, Audyssey Multi EQ room correction EQ speaker setup and HEOS wireless networking and smartphone app. Also has a built in phono stage/preamp phono input you can start out with and then add a better external later.
  
  Speakers: Speaker recommendations from AverageJoeAudiophile and r/HTBuyingGuide.
  
  Internet Manufacturer Direct can be a good bang for the buck with 30 day in home trials so you can try 2 or 3 pairs.
  
  
• 5.25" Emotiva Airmotive B1 $230. Folded ribbon high-frequency transducers.
  
• 5.25" Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, and order on sale at Ascend $80 each + shipping, budget Ascends. Front ported. Neutral sound with a linear frequency response. Great mids which many speakers lack. To me, comparable to KEF Q100s. As with most bookshelf speakers, best with a subwoofer.
  
• 6.5" Ascend CBM-170s $300 + $30 shipping. Neutral sound with a linear frequency response. I have these for their great mids which many speakers in the price range lack.
  
• 6.5" HSU HB-1 MK2 $280 + $60 shipping. Have a good low end if not getting a subwoofer at all or right away.
  
  On sale:
  
  
• 5.25" Infinity Reference 152 $140 refurbished, originally $350 MSRP or Boston A25 $150 bogo.
  
• 6.5" $200 a pair, JBL Studio 230 refurbished or Boston A26 bogo.
  
• 6.5" Klipsch RP-160M $340.
  
  Towers on sale:
  
  
• Pioneer FS52 $150 pair (note the long massdrop ship time).
  
• JBL Studio 270 $260 pair.
  
• Boston A250 $225 pair bogo.
  
  DIY speakers, build your own: Add around $50+ for tools and supplies. Kits includes pre-cut cabinets. Glue, solder, paint, assemble. Comparable to built speakers costing twice as much
  
  
• C-Notes $100 are a great starter DIY speaker.
  
  Speaker wire: Pure Copper Oxygen Free 16 Gauge Speaker Wire 50 ft. and self adjusting wire strippers, optional banana plugs to add. Or already with banana plugs, Micca or DFWCableConnection.
  
  Speaker stands: Dayton Audio SSMB24, Monoprice Glass or Monolith by Monoprice and Audio Advisor where most are also available at Amazon.
  
  Subwoofer:
  
  
• 10" Infinity SUB R10 Reference Series $399 $140 flash sale ends in 1 day.
  
  If going with powered speakers:
  
  
• Fluance Ai40 5" $170 on sale.
  
• Fluance Ai60 6.5" $300 adds a bit more low end, subwoofer out port, optical and USB inputs.
  
  Guides:
  
  Home Audio: Intro to home stereo systems • Zeos Tutorials, Diagrams and Videos • Guide to Home Audio • AverageJoeAudiophile's Guides • r/BudgetAudiophile
  
  Speaker Positioning: Speaker Placement for Stereo Music Listening • How to position your speakers for great sound

What type of list would you be looking for? I have a spreadsheet with all the Knipex tools I own, and my wish list of tools I'm looking to buy when I find them at the right price, but I don't think that spreadsheet would be that useful to most people.


I work with shielded cable all the time at work. The Knipex Snips are great at stripping them. You can get the Knipex snips for about $20 if you look around. Check out the design on them and you'll see the little indention at the base of them which makes them really good at stripping stuff like shielded cable and Cat5/6.


for 18/2 or 22/4 shielded cable the #12 stripper slot on a regular pair of Klein strippers works really well. The Knipex automatic wire strippers are only designed for individual conductors, but they do a really good job of stripping every wire the exact same length which is really handy for terminating panels.


I have a pair of Irwin automatic strippers, and they do OK with stripping the jackets off cables, but overall I wasn't impressed with them and stopped carrying them at work. You might have good luck with them - they have good reviews.

Absolutely. I'd recommend the following if you are going to be sleeving existing PSU cables:

Tool | Price | Description

--------|:--------:|--------:
MFC Molex Extractor | $10.99 | This is the most important tool you'll need, don't cheap out here. This one from MainFrame Customs is the best I've used
Side Cutters | $5 | You'll want these to cut the sleeving. It works way better than scissors


Now those are the basic tools, if that's all you want to get away with then be very careful and take your time while extracting the pins. Otherwise you'll want the following to re-crimp the broken pins.

Tool | Price | Description

--------|:--------:|--------:
Crimping Tool | $23 | Great quality crimping tool, works for all PC pin types (atx goes in the larger slot :) )
Stripper | $41 | Great stripper, makes it very easy to get consistent strips, ideal for crimping, however you could use regular stippers
ATX female pins | $0.30 for 5 | Replacement pins

If you end up needing to get these tools, one benefit is you can cut your cables to the lengths you need which will make it very clean for cable management. Lastly, if you are going to use paracord and are not re-crimping the pins, I would recommend this Paracord threader. It'll keep the pins from tearing the paracord and make sleeving a lot easier. If you are going with PET Teleios Sleeve, you wont need it, as PET expands enough to make it easy to sleeve over the connector.

Sorry for the late response hah.

It looks like you'll need an amplifier, just run left and right speaker outputs on your amplifier into the left and right inputs in the sub, then hook the smaller speakers to the speaker outputs on the sub. [Here's a video on that:] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zFs8uSZsCc)

Your amplifier (or receiver as they're many times called.) won't be as crazy as the back of that guy's, but the speaker hookups will probably somewhat be the same. Unless you get one that has RCA style speaker connections. Those are found a lot in older receivers though. Everything is color coded.

As for wire that's not to difficult at all. [Here's what you're looking for] (http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-14AWG-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B00I8V8YE2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1452545344&sr=8-14&keywords=speaker+wire)

Any thing labeled speaker wire will probably do. Higher quality stuff is thicker, meaning more copper wire inside, and has better rubber insulation on it. Wire thickness is measured in "Gage" The lower the gage number the thicker the wire. So 2 Gage wire is thicker than 14 gage wire. I know it seems backwards haha.

[Here's a video on how to strip speaker wire] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySfOKtW_Aig)

The spool of wire I linked is about 50 feet long. You may not need that much, or maybe you'll need more. You'll want to plan where you'll put your speakers before you buy the wire to make sure that it's enough. You'll be surprised at how fast you go through it!

With that large spool you'll make multiple speaker wires at whatever length you need. A pair of wire clippers cuts through them pretty easy. You'll also want a pair of wire strippers to cut the insulation off of the end, but not the copper wires inside. Need wire strippers? How about a clipper for when you need to cut through the whole wire? [Here's a cheap pair that combines both.] (http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-3775-Electricians-Combination-Tool/dp/B000NPUK2A/ref=sr_1_9?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1452546538&sr=1-9&keywords=wire+strippers)

You can probably fine speaker wire and strippers somewhere locally too if you don't want to wait for shipping. Hopefully those links will let you know what you need.

Those wire strippers I linked have holes in the middle with numbers next to them. If you buy 16 gauge wire, place the wire in the hole labeled 16AWG, if you buy 12 gage wire place it in the hole labeled 12 AWG clamp down, and pull. It'll strip the wire nice n clean. I used to use scissors before I had one. Strippers make things so much easier though. It's really hard to carve off the insulation with a pair of ruddy scissors.

It's a lot to figure out at first, but it'll be worth it! Having this knowledge is a good thing for the future too. Installation companies charge a lot where I live.

No worries, buddy. Happy to help. You don't need to worry about a preamp just yet, as your turntable has one built in. Just make sure you have the selector switch on the back of the unit set to "line" rather than "phono" and you're all set. As for connecting the speakers to the receiver, I managed to find a pic of the rear connections on the U310. It looks like they use spring clips to connect, so you're going to have to use bare wire.

First thing you'll need is a spool of speaker wire. I've had good luck with the Amazon Basics stuff, and it's about as cheap as decent wire gets. You'll need to strip a bit of the jacket off of each wire on each end. I do it by hand, but you might want to try a wire stripper if you're not comfortable free-handing things. Once you've exposed the bare wire, simply give each side a quick twist to secure them into separate threads and insert each thread into the back of the speaker, depressing the spring clip to allow the wire to fit into the hole and releasing it to bite down on the wire. As for the back of the amp, the procedure's the same if it has spring clips. If it has binding posts like the SMSL I linked earlier, you'll want to unscrew them a bit, wrap the bare wire around the exposed post, and tighten the post heads back down to create a nice, tight seal.

One word of warning on the off chance you've never done anything like this before. Remember to connect your positive (red) terminals on your speakers to your positive terminals on your amp, and your negative (black) to negative. The speaker wire makes that pretty easy, as one channel is marked with a little white line so you'll always know what's going where. Additionally, make sure your amp's left output is wired to your left speaker and the right to the right. Simple stuff, but it's easy to miss if this is your first time.

Knipex for Lineman's pliers: (with or without crimper). Their grip and cutting edge are significantly better than any other brand I've tried.

Wera for screwdrivers: I recommend the XXL 3 set. For sale here.

I still like Klein for strippers. I use the Kurve everyday and the Katapult for wire with thick insulation like PV wire.

Fluke for your meter. Most people recommend the T5 for basic stuff, but the 323 has a proper clamp and removable leads for the same price.

Knipex Cobras for your channel lock style pliers. These are absurdly good and have saved my ass a couple times.

I also recommend buying a Knipex Pliers Wrench. I own a 7-inch and a 10-inch pair and they're way better than a traditional adjustable wrench.

Stanley newest Leverlock tape measures are just as good as Milwaukee's tape and less bulky for half the price.

Milwaukee's Fastback series are the best utility knives by a pretty wide margin. I use the compact one, but that's a matter a preference.

I would recommend Platinum tools for all networking gear. They really think this stuff through. The only other company that spends as much engineering hours re-inventing existing products to make the installers job easier is Siemon, but they charge you a lot for it.

These connectors + Strain Reliefs

With this crimper

With this separate stripper

That set will put your RJ-45 termination time to under 2 minutes with just a bit of practice, and under 1 minute after some experience. Even pros that have decades of experience wont be able to touch you with standard connectors.

Why separate stripper? If you terminate a lot, try the thing. All-in-one tools are garbage, you can't make 5 completely different tools work well in one tool, you have to sacrifice. When the separate tools cost a couple bucks, why make any sacrifices? I wish they made one of these for Cat6a, as I have yet to find a decent stripper for it.

Driver set

I would recommend this set, but maybe get it for yourself later as a gift. These cover the most used drivers, and they will outlast you. Stick to cheapos for rare ones unless you want to treat yourself. Wiha is the snap-on of electronics screwdrivers. Except without the payment plan.

Get yourself a cheapo kit for testing cable. All the cheap ones work just fine, as long as it tests the pairs you're generally set. You can even get one to test multiple runs at the same time, just takes a few short patch cables and oddly wired keystones, you can make those from spare parts. If you want something more substantial without spending money, get yourself a pockethernet.

I would stay away from Klein, they just invest quality of materials into age old designs. Yeah they'll last, but they really didn't think about it.

Here's a list and example found on amazon for all the major parts. I'll also include a wiring diagram at the end.

Solar Panel $169.99 - 100W Flexible & Thin

Solar Cable $18.99 - 20ft with male and female heads (cut in half for + & -)

[Charge Controller]
(https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B019QSX0CG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) $34.99 - 30A gives you room to add more panels

Battery $160 - 100Ah AGM will provide enough power depending on fridge but requires no maintenance

Fuse Panel $35 - 6 circuits with negative and cover

12V Sockets $6 - Get some of these for plugging in appliances and phones. You can buy 12V adapters for almost any electronic besides most kitchen appliances.

Pick up some 10 gauge stranded wire from your local hardware store (home depot) to wire the battery and fuse panel to the charge controller. You shouldn't need much since you want the battery as close as possible to the controller. You can buy smaller wire (16 or 18 guage) for wiring outlets/appliances to the fuse panel. 50ft of that should be fine unless you want multiple outlets on the other side of the van.

You'll also need some ATC blade fuses for your fuse panel. You can buy these at a local auto parts store pretty cheap. 15 amps should be enough than anything you'll be pulling.

To connect the wire ends to the battery and fuse panel you will need these wire terminals for the corresponding wire guages you are using. Along with these female terminals to connect to the 12V sockets. All of these can be found at your local auto parts store for cheap sometimes all together in a kit.

You'll also want a pair of wire strippers/crimper for wiring.

This is the best wiring diagram I can find. Most are so overcomplicated. This diagram does not show the fuse panel but you can see the empty slots on the far right of the charge controller where you insert the wiring for that, it's called the "load." This diagram also shows an inverter which is something I didn't go into because you will only need that if you HAVE to run a 110V appliance. I know you mentioned a kettle but maybe you could just install a gas stove in your van and use that to heat water? That's what we use :) Installing the inverter should be pretty straight forward though if you need it but remember you will waste energy going from 12v to 110v so 12v is more efficient.

Hope this can help you (and maybe others) in some way. I plan on making a more in depth version of this guide in the near future along with a video but finding the time has been difficult! Let me know any more questions you have :D

I know tools so here we go. Focusing on the extras, luxuries, and conveniences. If I don't specifically note a manufacturer/model I probably just grabbed the first Amazon link to make it clear what I'm talking about.

• 12v impact gun/electric ratchet. These are an awesome luxury for working on cars, much time spent turning ratchets will be saved. Also useful around the house for driving sheetrock screws. I like the Bosch PS41 for bang for the buck and Milwaukee M12 for the full 12v set (they have a ratchet, Bosch doesn't).
  
• Fucking magnet trays, how do they work?!
  
• Amazeballs stocking stuffers: finger bit adapters.
  
• Timing light
  
• Torque wrench
  
• Dremel. I have the cordless one because every Dremel I've ever broke has failed at the brushes and it has a BLDC but that's actually been a really useful feature for working on cars. Grab and go.
  
• 4.5" grinder. Pick your favorite color but you usually can't go wrong with yellow or red.
  
• Wobble extensions
  
• Hex and/or Torx bit set
  
• TS8000 MAP gas torch and bottle. I should've put this higher cause this is crazy useful and everyone needs one.
  
• Decent wire strippers
  
• Multimeter/DMM. There are various guides out there but I think there's an Extech that's a commonly recommended entry level DMM.
  
• If they're into old shit aka carburetors grab an ultrasonic cleaner.
  
• Flex head ratchet in your favorite size.
  
• Snap ring pliers

That kit looks pretty good, though I haven't used it. From my own experience, I would recommend a couple of optional upgrades to be thrown in. First, a brass wire type soldering iron cleaner. The sponge on stations like these is fine, but it's much easier to clean with the brass type mid-project. There are cheaper versions available, but my experience is all with the Hakko. Second, I've never had luck with those wire cutters. I've had much more luck with strippers that give separate holes for each gauge. Here's a cheap one and here's the Hakko pair I have.

Like I said, these are optional as the kit comes with basic solutions for both of these tools, but maybe something to think about for the future.

I own 3 of these. They are good robust basic multimeters. For learning this is plenty. The thermocouple function is one of those things that you didn't know you needed until you had it. As you progress you will probably find that you wish you had more multimeters before you wish you had better multimeters.

With the money you save, I highly recommend some test clips, some wire cutters / strippers, and perhaps some side cutters (links to the ones I recommend).

Alright, you and /u/PioneerStandard have convinced me.

Would you mind helping me figure out which would work best?

Would a ratcheting one like this be best despite the cost? https://www.amazon.ca/Titan-11477-Ratcheting-Terminal-Crimper/dp/B0069TRKJ0

Or would a nice/decent wire stripper/cutter/crimper like this work alright? https://www.amazon.ca/Gardner-Bender-GS-366-Multi-Purpose-Crimp/dp/B00164C0KW

Also, would a more "plier-type" tool work as well? https://www.amazon.ca/Irwin-Industrial-2078309-Stripper-ProTouch/dp/B000JNNWQ2

Thanks by the way.

I appreciate the effort. This seems promising and may be the better idea, the other route I was going to take was the Bardwell kit with some other stuff.

https://store.rotorriot.com/bardwells-budget-build-kit/

https://www.racedayquads.com/products/rdq-series-1300mah-4s-100c-fpv-lipo-battery

https://www.amazon.com/usmile-receiver-Support-FS-iT4S-Evolution/dp/B07FMFG6Q3/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1542217789&sr=1-1&keywords=fli14

https://www.amazon.com/Flysky-FS-i6X-Transmitter-FS-iA6B-Receiver/dp/B0744DPPL8

https://www.getfpv.com/new-arrivals/ev-peak-e3-falcore-edition-35w-3a-lipo-battery-balance-charger.html

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4571Q6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=fpvknowitall-web-20&linkId=6769f39dd3014cb5619db31a54b18438

https://www.racedayquads.com/products/rdq-quad-solder-38-62-0-8mm-100g

https://www.amazon.com/DOWELL-Stripper-Multi-Function-Tool%EF%BC%8CProfessional-Craftsmanship/dp/B06X9875Z7/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1542221619&sr=1-4&keywords=wire+stripper+and+cutter

https://www.amazon.com/NEEWER-Titanium-Nitride-Driver-Wrench/dp/B00CP2GGBI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1488911480&sr=8-3&keywords=hex+driver&linkCode=sl1&tag=dre-youtube-20&linkId=d53d845db871ab90fe110b2918f60a7e

$381 no shipping/tax and the build kit comes with accessory kit including motor screws for CL1 5mm thick arms, double-sided tape, FC stack mounting screws, XT60 power lead, zip ties, and heat shrink.

​

Your idea seems like it may be "too little" for the project but I am honestly ok with that because I rather get something done then bite off something too big to chew and end up having to figure something out last second and it being a piece of crap.

​

So does that flight controller stick right into those frames and then you screw them in or something? You say I only need to solder the the power wires to the camera, where do the motors go? I probably sound like an idiot but I'm not really an electrician or carpenter, I don't build things, other then computers :P. I need to head off now so I can't do so much research right now and I spent all day researching today.. won't have much time tomorrow, we are going to tour a college. Can you recommend a good video that would go along with this build? Tomorrow, I am going to ask the teacher if the TV in the room I am presenting in has analog input, if not we go from there. We have access to a 3D printer but a lot of people are going to be using it most likely and I think its slow but I can definitely get the camera mount printed. Once again, appreciate the effort.

Not sure if you already have these clippers yet but I find them pretty convenient when trimming leads.

With decks like that I generally like to use the positive that's furthest away from the negative per coil, I find it easier to keep the coil centered and accessible for trimming. Usually I'd make my adjustments after everything is trimmed.

I'm not telling you to buy anything different but a velocity style deck is really easy to build on for someone new and keep things as even as possible.

Oboy, I'm probably the wrong person to ask. However, /u/BriThePiGuy recommends Joe Knows Electronics boxes, and /u/NeoMarxismIsEvil recommends the following:

> I would order some cheap assortment kits from people on aliexpress. These are the sort that come with like 10 of most common values of resistor, capacitor, etc.

> Other stuff:

> - WeMos d1 mini or mini pro
> - small i2c OLED displays
> - small LCD display
> - tacswitches (buttons)
> - SPDT switches
> - 74HC595 and 74HC165 shift registers
> - either bidirectional logic level shifter modules or mosfets and resistors needed to make them
> - 7 segment led displays (individual)
> - 8x8 led matrices
> - various environmental and physics sensors (often come as a kit of 20+ different modules)
> - extra breadboards
> - jumper wires
> - male and female header strips (for modules that lack pins)
> - cheap breadboard power supplies
> - voltage regulators (both LDO ICs and buck converter)
> - possibly some 4xAA or 4xAAA battery holders
> - trim pot assortment

> Those are just ideas. Some things like 7 seg led digits are pretty cheap and worth having a few of but not terribly important if you have a real display of some sort.

I personally like the assortment of bits I got in my Sparkfun Inventor's Kit, but found that I wanted more of the following:

• Jumpers, though it's since been recommended to me that I just use solid-core 22 AWG wire so I bought this wire kit and these automatic strippers
  
• Breadboards, both self-adhesive and solderable, and maybe some mini ones of each type.
  
• LEDs (RGB and single-color)
  
• A good selection of potentiometers and trimpots, both slide and radial, plus knobs for them if applicable
  
• More buttons of varying types, both clicky and quiet momentary ones (here's a quiet button that's nice)
  
• A good multimeter and maybe some extra probes
  
• Some power supplies, both 12v and 5v. Here's one that's supposed to do both simultaneously, but you'll need a molex plug (which Sparkfun inexplicably doesn't carry) unless you want to strip the end. You might also want some barrel jacks, and this cheap extension cable provides the male end.
  
• A variable power supply would probably also be very useful, but I haven't yet invested in one of those so I can't make a recommendation at this time.
  
• A good selection of resistors
  
• Alligator test clips, plus some with pigtails for prototyping on a breadboard with components that won't fit in those little holes
  
• Some heat shrink tubing and a heat gun that you should only use on the lowest setting for this purpose. When selecting heat shrink tubing, pay attention to it's shrink ratio and what size it'll end up being when you're done.
  
• A soldering kit and some solder. Note that all solders aren't created equal but the one I linked is supposed to be decent.
  
• If you get into larger gauge soldering (for home or automotive wiring), a propane torch will be handy, but you can get something like that for $20 with a propane tank at your local hardware store
  
• Some project boxes

Nice - you'll be glad to have that variety of tips, depending on what you are working on! If you have any spare Christmas money, I'd recommend picking up one of these self-adjusting wire strippers - it sort of matches your color scheme too! And if you do a lot of de-soldering (anything with lots of headers or through-hole IC sockets), a desoldering iron can save a ton of time compared to your solder wick and desoldering pump.

A few other things that I've found useful (mostly repairing electronic keyboards / synthesizers, although I'm hoping to get more into Arduino / Pi soon):

Hakko wire cutter

Helping hand

Hemostat / Forceps

Digital multimeter with audible continuity tester

• Ok you got some Bose 161 speakers for Christmas, these are passive you're gonna need an amp.
  
  
• Looking at the TV you only have an optical audio output to work with. Considering you're using this with a TV I would say refurb AVR is in the works.
  
  Get this Refurb Denon E200 for $130. This will allow you to use your speakers, has a remote, and will allow you to grow your system if you want to. I suggest a subwoofer in the future as those 161's have very little on the low end.
  
  Now order an optical cable to hook the TV up to the AVR.
  
  You could also just move the sources you have to the AVR inputs and use an HDMI cable on the monitor output of the AVR to the TV. This would require another HDMI cable but that's no big. You should just get this HDMI/optical combo pack for $10 and cover all your bases.
  
  Now you're gonna need some speaker wire $10 to connect the AVR to the speakers. You can use a lot of things to strip the wire but a electrical tool comes in handy.
  
  So awesome gift but...now you need to spend about $150 more to make it work. Feel free to ask questions.

This will probably work for you:

http://www.rfcontrolsystem.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=470&products_id=579

In the manual it doesn't fully tell you where to put the power leads. Hook it up like in the youtube video linked by the other guy. If the directions are backwards, reverse the motor. Red is + and black is -.

You will need a 12 V DC power supply. Often called wall warts or wall plugs. You can get one on Amazon, Fry's, Best Buy, etc. Here's the first one I found, I have no idea about whether it's a good brand or good price or anything. Read the reviews. It's a 2 Amp which exceeds the minimum I calculated earlier, but you could go for a 3 amp as well:

http://www.amazon.com/BINZET-Adapter-Regulated-Supply-Copper/dp/B00PJZQDDO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457316150&sr=1-1&keywords=12+V+wall+plug


You will need the little plug that take DC power as input and outputs a red and black wire. Here's an example:

http://www.amazon.com/5-5mm-2-1mm-Female-Connector-Camera/dp/B005CMP434/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk

You will also need wire to go from the plug to the board, and since there are multiple points on the board to connect to +12V and 0V, you will need jumper wires to spread to multiple terminals like she does in the video. So you need something like this.

Finally to cut and strip the insulation from the wires you will need something like this.

Without pricing the entire thing out I can make some observations:

1. Self-gauging wire cutters are far superior to the hand-held kind in that kit. They're faster, ergonomic, and they avoid that jerky motion of having to yank on a wire which may-or-may-not be attached so something that ought not be inadvertently yanked. You'll want some, whether you get the kit or not.
   
   
2. Flush-cuts (which they have in that kit) are perfect for circuit boards. Standard wire cutters will do the job, but flush cuts are much tidier. So if you pass on the kit, pick up a pair of those for sure.
   
   
3. A good, brand-name multimeter usually costs $70-150 on it's own. That said, a cheap multimeter is better than no meter at. That one in the kit offers the most important features. A fancy one would be self-ranging (which is super convenient if you're using it all day long), and also offer duty cycle % and frequency measurement, which you might not need right off the bat(?).
   
   
4. It includes a 5v power supply, get a 3.3v regulator for it. Also get a 12v supply and a 9v regulator. This will cover the most common voltage requirements of circuits you're going to be working with.

I've used it with Romex a bit and braided cable once. If you're going for Romex, the Irwin one (like the one in the video) should work fine. As they show in the video, you basically do it twice. First one for the outer sheath and then again for the individual wires. The nice thing about the one in the video is it's auto-sizing. Just put the wire in and go. The one made by Klein isn't auto-sizing, but it has blades with notches for different sizes. For cord, or thicker cable, I really like the one Klein makes.

Again, I'm not a professional electrician at all. Most of what I've done is using THHN. For that kind of thing, I absolutely love it. I don't know how people just use a knife. That seems slow, but I'm sure there's a technique to it.

Adding the center gives a 3.1 setup, but that sounds like a great start.

I have never used Zone 2, but you would want a nice set of bookshelf speakers that would be 2.0 setup in another room.

I've only used 16 gauge.

100 ft 16 gauge wire - $25

Wire Stripper $7

Optional: Banana Plugs $18

Subwoofer Cable $10

I highly recommend the Hakko 936 soldering iron Hakko 888 soldering iron, which is still actually available. It's hard to fathom how a $100 soldering iron could be that much better than a $20 one, but once you start doing anything more serious than just sticking some wires together, it's worth it.

As for other tools,

• Standard needle nose, dikes, and pliers set
  
• Tweezers - Additionally plastic ones if you're going to do PCB etching.
  
• Dental Picks - for positioning surface mount parts and pushing wires into molten solder.
  
• Wire strippers - You'll often see people using the combo wire stripper / crimpers. They're not as nice as a real pair of strippers.
  
• +/-12V power supply for basic analog electronics, 5V for digital work
  
• Breadboard
  
• Solder sucker - Copper braid is useful for the same thing, but given the choice of the two, I prefer the sucker to undo soldered joints.
  
• 30x Jewelers Loupe - Mostly useful for surface mount work, but pretty much all soldering is easier when you're able to look at it.
  
  As for components, I've been buying them piece-meal for years, so other's will probably be able to yield you a better recommendation for kits than anything I can find just from a quick search. I do mostly digital work, so as far as passives, my main stock is:
  
  
• 0.1uF and 100uF capacitors, 25V
  
• 100, 330, 1k, 4.7k, 10k, 100k, 1M resistors
  
  If I need any other resistor for a specific project, I'll tend to just buy an extra 10 and keep them in labeled coin envelopes.
  
  Random other pieces:
  
  
• Precut Breadboard jumper wires
  
• 7805 - 1A 5V linear regulators
  
• 1N4007 diodes
  
• 1N4148 small signal diodes
  
• 3V linear regulators if you do low power work (MSP430, etc)
  
• An Arduino - If not for real projects, I use this a lot to hack together crude digital signal generators to test other chips.
  
• LEDs - I found a good deal on bright red ones, but any will do
  
• push buttons, power switches, DIP switches (4 in a tiny package that fits in breadboards)
  
• Copper clad perf board - To make through-hole projects permanent. Be careful because this also comes without the copper pads, which is just more of a pain in the ass to use.
  
• Copper Solder braid
  
  Edit: Fixed the soldering iron model.
  
  Disclaimer: I'm using my Amazon Associate links for all of these, which always feel a little amoral and a conflict of interest, but really, if my apartment were to go up in flames and I could afford it, I'd buy every link on this list right now. Does anyone have strong opinions one way or the other on using them?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IYTCG6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They went up a few bucks but these things are awesome. Saves me so much time from stripping by hand, and you can get really accurate lengths so you don't have to cut off extra wire. These are totally worth investing in!

• Wire snips - These Claus scissors are my favorite
  
• 110 Punchdown tool - If you want to spend a little more, you can get one with a blade that will stay sharper longer. I've used both TrendNet and Fluke. The fluke blade lasts longer.
  
• Stripping tool - Makes stripping cables much faster and accurate (once you adjust the blade to the cable you're using). You can just as well strip by hand, but always be sure to examine the wires to ensure you didn't nick them.
  
• RJ45 Crimper - You won't need these unless you plan on terminating any cables with RJ45 plugs. If you're strictly terminating into a patch panel you can skip these.
  
  Other useful things:
  
  
• Cable tester
  
• Velcro
  
• Label maker

I'll answer what I can:

2. I like to use an automatic wire stripper like the one here. It's a lot faster and more accurate. For connections, I'd use banana plugs if your receiver and/or speakers can use them. I've heard that compression type (rather than crimp) will hold on better. Something like this

3. Static at loud volume when nothing is playing is normal.

6. Most people agree that speaker wire quality makes little to no difference. Just get the right guage for the length of wire you need to run. To be safe you can use 12 guage which should be enough for most home installations, EG. this one from Monoprice is commonly recommended.

I would recommend buying the Adafruit 200mAh battery, just to avoid Chinese knockoffs.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Packs-Lithium-3-7v-2000mAh/dp/B0137ITW46/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485110664&sr=8-1&keywords=2000mah+battery

There's a video you can Google pretty easily for replacing the battery. I'd recommend having a small screwdriver set and also angle cutters of some sort, something like https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-CHP-170-Stand-off-Construction-21-Degree/dp/B017ODDPNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485110742&sr=8-1&keywords=angle+cutter though it isn't really necessary, just makes it easier than using needle nose pliers and it is cleaner.

I don't think you are my wife, so I'll make a couple suggestions.

Do you know what kind of a camera he has? Here are a couple possible answers: Xiaomi Yi, Mobius. If he has one of these, he may be happy to upgrade to a GoPro.

What kind of quadcopter does he have? Does he fly fast and low to the ground, or high and slow to take pretty videos? This could help us make recommendations.

Here's a cheap tool that would make a good stocking stuffer: Irwin Industrial Tools 2078300 8-Inch Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper with ProTouch Grips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_hKlCwb2TJVW66

Have you ever seen him use a lighter or fire to heat up heat shrink? If he doesn't have a heat gun, that would be a good gift. Here is an example of one:
Wagner 0503008 HT1000 1,200-watt Heat Gun https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004TUCV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_GLlCwbAQPAKS4

Ask the current owner if they will leave the TV mount for you, you can even offer to pay/buy them another one if they decline. With that already in place you could probably lift it yourself, if you get an LED LCD, or find someone to help lift it, no skills required.

Speakers are incredibly easy to hookup, you just cut wire to length, pull the two ends apart a bit, strip the ends, stick it in the holes, and tighten. A youtube video and a few practice strips will make it a breeze in no time even if you've never used tools. You'll need these wire cutters, and optionally these auto-strippers, and some wire.

As far as your setup goes you could get the following, or anything similar:

TV $785 - 50" Samsung LED

Receiver $310 - Denon AVR1913

Subwoofer $280 - Newegg has the Klipsch RW-12D for $280 until 5/22.

L/R speakers ~$300- Polk or Pioneer towers from Newegg

Center ~$150- A matching Polk or Pioneer center from Newegg

Surrounds - none yet; the wiring would require some drilling to conceal, if you have a crawl space going under the floor would probably be your best bet.

Adjust as needed to fit your budget or to get any features you want; pushing closer to $2000 and installing it yourself would be best.

EDIT: I forgot to add that tower speakers just stand on the floor, no mounting required. The center channel will just sit on the top shelf of whatever entertainment center you have under the TV, put it flush with the front edge of that. You will also need a single RCA cable to connect the subwoofer to the receiver, you may have one already, any RCA cable will work, or you can buy a 10ft+ one for ~$8.

They come in many flavors but I have this. It's a self adjusting or automatic wire stripper. They make life easy stripping normal wire ends but they also allow you to strip mid wire quite easily. The same thing can be accomplished with a normal wire stripper it just takes a little more effort.

Sadly I don't know the type of connector this is, but would be interested to for other projects I have. I'm in need of some small in-line connectors like this.

[edit1] If I'm not mistaken though, it look like some kind of MOLEX brand connector.

[edit2] You could also just splice the wire and add an in-line extension with something like this. You can get them at any hardware store. These are the cripless kind and are a bit more expensive. The others you can get for a few $ if you've got a crimper.

If you don't have the the proper tools, installing this can be a pain, you need screwdrivers, a metric socket set if you have a modern vehicle, wire stripper and crimper something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/VISE-GRIP-Multi-Tool-Stripper-Crimper-2078309/dp/B000JNNWQ2

you should have a multimeter but a simple circuit tester would also work for this, BTW I was sent a free circuit tester with my Android mirror that looks something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/ATD-5513-Heavy-Duty-Circuit-Tester/dp/B000M5ZWBA

if you don't know how to use the multimeter or circuit tester have a look on Youtube for instructional videos, you also need some sort of automotive trim
clip removal kit, like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009QLBDSW

I was using my hands to remove most of the plastic trim but I kept breaking the plastic clips, what I do now is firmly but gently pry the plastic trim away with my hands and when I feel more or stronger resistance I stop, then use the clip removal kit to pry that tough clip lose, the clip removal kit also helps when running wires under the plastic trim without removing the plastic trim, and when working around the edge of the headliner, BTW if you break some trim clips most of them can be found on Amazon or eBay.

Some vehicles also need a Torx screwdriver/bit/socket set, mine did, I needed a Torx screwdriver set and a Torx socket set, you may not need them for other vehicles but GM/Chevy seems to use them a lot.

When I installed the wires for the Android mirror, I started at the fuse box thats in the dash, and worked up to the Android mirror, on my Chevy I ran the GPS,main wire, backup camera wire, up the passenger side door frame trim, and ran the backup camera wire along the headliner trim to the back, but I think on most cars the backup camera wire should go along the floor under the carpet trim.

You need to have to two power wires connected, (Battery +) that always has power, and (Ignition) that only has power when your key is in ACC or when the motor is running, thats were the multimeter and circuit tester come in handy, the multimeter is also helpful in finding a good ground for the ground wire that needs to be connected.

I had to be careful working around the door trim area because of the Airbags, you might want to disconnect your battery and let it set for few minutes before working around any Airbag stuff, the service manual for my Chevy says with the ignition off, disconnect the negative battery cable and wait 1 minute.

The Chinese voice can be disabled or changed when you have root, but sadly even when you change the voice it still talks in a broken English.

I say definitely go for it and try them out. I never put a model together before getting these. If you get a pair of side cutters (this is a cheap one that will get you started), they come out great.

Boba Fett is the only one that really requires paint to look good. The Sandtrooper and Scout Trooper are pretty plain without weathering also. But other than that there's stickers along with waterslide decals for any little details. I use stickers for mine.

Here are a couple of photo shoots I did:

Darth Vader

Stormtrooper

Scout trooper

22 AWG stranded wire is pretty standard for wiring anything.

i usually buy these, as they're a good price, 2 day shipping w/ prime, and its a nice multi color kit, which helps when wiring...in case you have to trace the wire back to the board when debugging. plus everyone likes colors:

http://www.amazon.com/Electronix-Express-Hook-Wire-Stranded/dp/B00B4ZQ3L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418566941&sr=8-1&keywords=wire+kit

http://www.amazon.com/Electronix-Express-Hook-Wire-Solid/dp/B00B4ZRPEY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418566941&sr=8-2&keywords=wire+kit

use shielded wire (with the 'shield grounded') for any audio signal inputs/outputs if you get noise. not 100% necessary, but might be worth it in the end for the sound quality and reducing any noise.

i also recommend you get a real wire stripper. this one is the bees knees:

http://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Self-Adjusting-Stripper-2078300/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=sr_1_2?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1418567132&sr=1-2&keywords=wire+stripper

Just about every hand-tool manufacturer has their brand attached to these. This one seems like it has the most trust on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-VISE-GRIP-2078300-Self-Adjusting-Stripper/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1526925570&sr=1-4&keywords=wire+strippers+self

if you can find a more reputable brand like knipex that has them and you want to pay for german engineering, I'd recommend it.

Vise-grips is under the stanley black&decker umbrella so YMMV with quality. Everyone else looks like they use the same or similar manufacturer based on the lack of much discernible difference apart from the handles

If you are already able to solder, just use some CAT5 or similar cable wire. Those dupont cables are usually pretty short, and expensive if that's all you're using, all the time.

Get some heat shrink tubing to cover your connections and prevent shorts.

If you really feel like you need a mechanical connection before you solder, a wire wrap tool is a good way to get that. I have the one I linked, and I like it a lot. you can wire wrap the resistor directly to the LED, put a touch of solder on it, and it's a very solid connection.

Everything will need to be grounded or it will not operate. The easiest way to do this is to use a fusebox as you mentioned. The number of items you'll want to power should determine the number of terminals you'll need. Connect your Anderson Powerpole terminals to their corresponding spots on the Blue Sea Systems fuse box (12 terminals with negative because you can always not use some, but you can't add any on the 6 terminal model).

https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Terminal-Connector-Cable/dp/B00URTHQTC/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1496442293&sr=1-1&keywords=yeti+1250+terminal+ring

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B001P6FTHC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496442487&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+sea+fuse+box+12

Use a disconnect switch below and a ring connector cable to make sure you don't draw any power when not intended. It will go between your positive leads.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011EYWMDS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-47453-4-Gauge-Battery-Assembly/dp/B00JGJGCV2/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1496442659&sr=8-9&keywords=4+awg+cable

For the wiring to indidual 12v sources I use copper-clad aluminum because I'm cheap and use 12 gauge (non-awg because it's cheaper and only slightly smaller in gauge diameter) and it hasn't given me any problems because for the price I go a bit bigger than I might need.

https://www.amazon.com/PRIMARY-POWER-GROUND-100FT-ROLLS/dp/B00OU0IIFU/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1496442827&sr=1-6&keywords=12+gauge+wire

For the fridge though you may want to go to 10 gauge.

https://www.amazon.com/GAUGE-GROUND-PRIMARY-STRANDED-COPPER/dp/B01C7O8166/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1496442902&sr=1-6&keywords=10+gauge+wire.

Look at the 12v chart below and make sure you're within the range for the length of wire you want to run which I can't imagine you wont be since everything you're describing is super low amp.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/22/80/57228076ef240ed796b328a7d6387eac.jpg

Then to connect the equipment to power you can either solder the wires together or use these below to crimp them (crimping video below that). You're wire stripping pliers should have a crimping portion on them already. if not buy the ones in the 4th link.

https://www.amazon.com/Hilitchi-Insulated-Terminals-Electrical-Connectors/dp/B01D8HIQ2K/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1496443951&sr=1-4&keywords=12-10+gauge+wire+connectors

https://www.amazon.com/Glarks-Electrical-Insulated-Terminals-Connectors/dp/B01E7SY49I/ref=sr_1_11?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1496444024&sr=1-11&keywords=12-10+gauge+wire+connectors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svja8zEcKNQ&t=9s

https://www.amazon.com/VISE-GRIP-Multi-Tool-Stripper-Crimper-2078309/dp/B000JNNWQ2/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1496443370&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=wire+stripping+pliers+irwin

You'll then use the terminal rings from the link above (pretty sure that's the correct size ring) to connect the end of those wires to the fuse box on the negative and positive sides. Fuse based on the amps you'll be drawing. Since I think someone somewhere will complain that this is expensive and there are cheaper ways to do it, I set you up on the "new everything" route since I don't think you'll have any of these things and if you're getting a goal zero I don't think price is a limiting factor. Unless you already have a lot of experience with wiring this is the basic version with everything you'll need pre-made as much as possible.

Thank you! To be honest, power cables are extremely easy to work with. Just need a decent pair of wire strippers.

That said, all thanks on the PSU sleeving goes to /u/pslate from [pslatecustoms](https://www.pslatecustoms.com/
).

No worries, you've got a good mindset to learn and no time like the present.

I'll add that most swear by solder and heatshrink + electrical tape. This is nice once you're really acclimated but you'll likely end up reconnecting things several times as you tinker and expand. I'll list below my couple of absolute favorite things I've picked up over the years and why I bought it:

Ratcheting Wire Crimper-- Can't tell you how many crimps have failed just because I didn't apply enough force. The ratchet ensures you get that final click down.

And a pricier ratchet I invested in over time-- Nice because it's more modular but not needed.


Posi Twists and also Posi Taps-- These make for quick connections + testing. Various sizes available but I tend to get some that cover 14+, and another set for smaller gauges ~22+

Solder Seal Wire Connectors-- I started buying these in bulk recently because they're just stupidly easy to use and make a rather quick and solid connection. Soldering is another experience onto itself if you've never done it before. While I tend to do more circuit-board soldering than wire to wire, it's all relatively similar and you'll find certain products that you fancy more over time. The biggest thing I'd say here is to buy solder WITH lead. Can't tell you how much frustration I've had over shit solder, haha.

My most recent wire stripper-- I chose because it has the largest range of gauges and there's no internal spring that forces the stripper open. Having one tool to do 10awg all the way to 26 is pretty sweet.

It will be something like this. Note that there are different parts based on the stud size (diameter of the opening in the ring) and the wire size.

I'm assuming that it's a ring terminal. It looks like one from what little I can see in the picture.

You will also need a crimping tool for a non-insulated barrel crimp, like the one shown. Do not try crimping that type of terminal with needle nose pliers or similar.

Alternatively, it may be easier to get a kit with insulated terminals and a crimper all in one box, something like this. In that case, you won't need the shrink tube either.

HEY THANKS! When I was new to the game I didn't know how to tell what props go on which motor, and when i threw them into my bag I wanted to be able to know what i'm pulling out. SO I wrote the motor numbers under the props (see this pic for motor numbers. I no longer do this, I started flying with some guys who showed me a "trick", if you will. With the kwad facing forward from you, putting on props the pitch will always face UP when parallel front and back... errr wow that's hard to explain in words. If you don't know what i'm talking about let me know I can post a pic, lol.

As far as what's in my "tool stand", lol. I have Hex Drivers, X-Acto knife, multibit screw driver, flashlight, sharpie, wire snips, and small pair of plyers. tagging /u/medium2slow.

For stripping the inner usb cables, I recommend this tool.

Also highly recommend a helping hand tool; you can use that to hold the usb terminals or GX16-4 which makes soldering way easier.

This kind of wire stripper will make stripping them super easy, I've used it at least 200 times for speaker wiring. Don't bother with this kind, I've always found them super awkward to use.