Electrical repair equipment
To do a halfway decent electrical job for hobby electronics repair, you might need to spend about $100 to $150 on equipment, not including hand tools or repair parts. The type of equipment listed below is basic hobbyist tools, which might be good for light home projects, too. I do a lot of projects, and spent over $250 for equipment, including some parts for stock. I used to buy some parts at Radio Shack, but they are pretty much gone now. Ebay seems to be a good source for parts assortments now.
Soldering iron: It’s impossible to pick the right type to fit all situations, but my best guess would be about 30 to 35 watts for a fixed wattage type. Mine is an 800 degree temperature controlled type, but you need both high temperature and enough watts to solder heavy wires. Beware of ones that are too cheap. My best recommendation for the hobbyist would be a Weller WP30, which costs about $50. Look for extra tips, too. Too high a temperature or watts is better than too low. With a high temperature iron, you can get the job done in a short time, but don’t leave it on too long, or you can cause damage. With an iron not hot enough, you will leave it on too long trying to get the job done, and end up destroying parts or melting insulation. I’ve destroyed parts years ago with a soldering iron that wasn’t hot enough, but never destroyed anything with a too hot iron. For soldering small parts or wires, I bought a 8 watt USB powered soldering iron.
Digital Multimeter: basically, you need to be able to measure resistance (in ohms), DC voltage, and AC voltage. The digital versions typically have automatic shutoff, and hooking up the leads backwards is not a problem. These start at about $20, but don’t expect much in regard to quality or features at that price. An Extech EX330 or MN36 meter in the might be a good choice, at $40 to $60.
Extra multimeter leads are recommended, with small alligator clip on the ends. You might be able to make your own, once you have soldering equipment. You will want to make some jumpers of assorted lengths with alligator clips, too. (In Africa do they use crocodile clips?)
Desoldering braid, to suck up excess solder from joints.
Rosin core solder. 60/40 tin/lead, about.050” dia. The lead free solder does not work as well. Buy some extra flux, too.
Heat shrink assortment. Heat shrink is tubing that shrinks about 50% when heated, for covering bare wire connections, or missing insulation on wire. A soldering iron works well enough to shrink it, but may stink. Standard heatshrink has a 2:1 shrink ratio, but now there is heatshrink with a 3:1 shrink ratio.
Assorted connectors: Crimp on and solder on types, from home supply stores (Home Depot, etc) or ebay.
Repair hint: Where I needed to attach a battery wire to a steel battery contact, which can not be soldered to, I drilled a hole and screwed in a brass wood screw, which can be soldered to.
Electronic Formulas