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(This page is not complete, but the information here should benefit the DIYer for now) Portland, OR is my favorite US city, and it’s very DIY place to live. The music scene here is thriving and churning out some great artists. There are classes for nearly any interest and hobby you can think of, and you’ll see all kinds of things going down all around the city. Here’s a list of places to buy components, meet up with like-minded people, and have fun: Norvac - A great local place to get your electronics components. They do charge a lbit much for their components, but the cost would be similar to ordering from Mouser or Jameco with shipping included. You can call them or send an email before you make the trek out to Beaverton. Most of their components are made by a company called NTE, which makes knock-offs that are very similar to the originals. It’s worth at least a trip to see what a real brick-and-mortar electronics store looks like IEEE Store at Portland State University - You might be able to find some parts here. I wouldn’t buy a lot from here, as they are kinda pricey and you do want to save some for the engineering students. I did find some NE5532 Low Noise Dual Op Amps here. You could save yourself a couple thousand dollars in student loans by just getting yourself a kit bag for the lab to go along with those lectures you find online… Dorkbot - Get your PCBs out of your CAD and into your hands! Meet other interesting people just like yourself! They have a group components ordering program going on right now! Check out their website for more info! BrainSilo - The only hackerspace I know of in the Portland area. Located close to the Albina/Mississippi MAX station, the people here are varied in interest and skill level. I had a great experience visiting during their open house (every Thursday at 7PM). They have a lot of resources for the DIYer, and a lot of really cool projects in the works.

It’s all well and good to learn theory and read schematics, but the real enjoyment comes from building your very own circuits. Here’s a list of vendors to purchase components for your next DIY audio project: Mouser - One of the largest worldwide suppliers of electronics components, they have nearly anything that you’d ever need (close to three million (!) items). To actually find the part you are looking for is a task in itself; in no time at all, you’ll be knee-deep in filtering menus, datasheets, and a dizzying array of component variation. They send a very large catalog when you place a large order that is very useful for quick hands-on searches as well as holding doors open. Mouser’s sales people are very friendly and you can be connected to a technician should you find yourself confused. Most of the price breaks come from ordering in bulk. ...

We’re a small team of like-minded individuals striving to bring our visitors the highest-quality information so that they too can bring their ideas to life. The sense of fulfillment received from completing a project with one’s own hands and brain is a feeling like no other. DIY (Do-It-Yourself) is an attitude that puts the power and responsibility back into the user’s hand. Our consumerist society has increased the distance between product and end user; DIY bridges that gap. Don’t worry if you are an absolute beginner in the world of audio, the only requirement is a motivation to learn and explore. Learning by doing is the most instructive and important method of education. We were all once beginners, and we’ve all benefited from the rich resource that is the Internet.

Feel free to send us questions, complaints, suggestions, and we’ll be sure to read them. We’re always looking to improve the site for a better visitor experience. We’re also human and we make mistakes; please point out any errors you find and we’ll fix them so that it benefits the community. [clean-contact]