Recommended gear

Tools and parts that work well for the projects on this site. We pick cheap things that are easy to find in big stores.

Power and batteries

Buy from known brands: cheap no-name cells often hold a third of the stated capacity.

Holds a cell safely without soldering to it.

A flat battery for handheld projects. Check the connector polarity before plugging in.

Charges one Li-ion cell from USB, the version with protection guards the cell.

Makes 5 V from a battery for strips and sensors.

Turns 12 to 24 V into 5 V for boards in cars and printers.

Tiny and efficient, gives a fixed 5 V without setting a trimmer.

For long LED strips and matrices that USB cannot feed.

Enough power for almost any board on this site.

Some store links are partner links: the site gets a small share of the purchase, the price stays the same for you.