I'm going to need some transistors for projects. That's a very vague statment but that's the most precise I can be. I'm sure I'm gonna need a 2N3904 (or close). I also know I'll need one to drive a water pump.
The average guy will never use more than one type (of N and P) of plastic package transistor. Just stick with a 2N3904/2N3906 combination and then consider a few power transistors or mosfets like CrossRoads suggested.
Hum...does someone have a good (and extensive) tutorial about transistors and their cousins (optocouplers, solid state relays, etc.)?
How do you choose one or the other before reading the datasheet? What are the core caracteristics that mean one will be better suited for one application?
Bianco, I think you ask too much
Some people prefer their own favorite transistors. For example, the 2N2222 is typical a favorite transistor of someone living in the usa, and the BC547 and BC337 is more for someone in Europe
The components that you need depends on the project.
If you want to know what is a common cheap component, search on Ebay for the cheapest one.
A simple thing as a diode is already not simple. The 1N4007 is a common 1A diode. But sometimes a diode with lower voltage drop is needed, so you need a schottky diode like the 1N5822. For another project a fast diode is needed like the UF4007 or the small 1N4148.
I think it is impossible to have a set of components that is good for many projects. I might have a few hundred different components, but I still have to buy things for every project. I'm sure that others on this forum have over 1000 different components and they must buy new components for almost every project.
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