[Liverpool] Links from my Arduino talk

[Adrian McEwen]

Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:07:01 +0100, Adrian McEwen wrote:
>
>   
>> I hope the talk wasn't too boring last night.
>>     
>
> It was interesting enough for me to go to the tinker.it site when I got
> home.
>   
Excellent :-)
>   
>> The session in the pub 
>> was definitely lively enough to make up for it ;-)
>>     
>
> Once we found an open pub :(
>   
Indeed.  I think you left too early to benefit from the free 
sandwiches.  Seemed a reasonable second choice after the Old Ropewalks.
>  
>   
>> However, it's easier to buy a board that's ready made, and they're only 
>> 20 quid.  I'd usually recommend getting one of the Tinker.it beginner 
>> kits - <http://tinkerit.myshopify.com/products/beginners-kit> - but 
>> they're currently having problems sourcing the breadboards and jumper 
>> wires for them, so an alternative solution would be to just buy an 
>> Arduino Duemilanove board from Tinker.it 
>>     
>
> Those are also out of stock :(
>   
Damn.  I've used all three of the UK suppliers listed at 
<http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Buy>, and they've all been good.  At Maker 
Faire I met the guy who runs SK Pang and he also mentioned that he can 
get any of the Sparkfun items and supply them at UK postage rates.  I 
see that he's currently got a few Duemilanoves in stock if you just want 
a board.

>   
>> <http://tinkerit.myshopify.com/products/arduino> and then nip to Maplin 
>> to buy some electronics bits or get something like this starter kit - 
>> <http://bitsbox.co.uk/select.html#starter_kit>
>>     
>
> I found this, which is more expensive but has a lot more bits, including
> motors and sensors. It uses the seeduino board,are they any good?
>
> http://www.skpang.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=140_143&products_id=411
>
>   
I haven't tried anything other than the official Arduino boards myself 
(although I've had an ArduinoBT, Diecimila and Duemilanove now), but the 
Seeeduino looks like a good board.  I see from this thread on the 
Arduino forum - 
<http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1237938766/9#9> that at 
least one user likes the Seeeduino.  The catalyst pack has got some 
interesting looking stuff in it.  I'd be interested to hear what you 
think of it if you get one.

The only other board I've heard anything about is the Freeduino, which 
<http://www.nuelectronics.com/> sell.  It's alright, but not quite the 
same quality level as the Arduino boards.  (And one thing to watch out 
for if you go to the NUElectronics site - the ethernet shield they sell 
doesn't have the IP stack on the shield, so it uses more space on your 
Arduino)

Adrian.