🛒 Starter Kit — What to Order Now
All prices are rough US estimates (October 2026), not checked against live listings; vendors and prices change. Product names are examples of the right class of item — any equivalent with the listed spec works.
SOL 101 kit (Labs 101-A, 101-B, 101-C) — order this first
| # | Item | Spec to look for | Example / vendor | Qty | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digital multimeter #1 | 10 A DC current range, auto-ranging, CAT III | Klein Tools MM400-class (Amazon/Home Depot) | 1 | $30–40 |
| 2 | Digital multimeter #2 | any with DC V and mA/A ranges | budget auto-ranging meter (Amazon) | 1 | $15–25 |
| 3 | Adjustable DC bench supply | 0–30 V, 0–5 A, V/A display, constant-current mode | Korad KA3005D or Eventek KPS305D class (Amazon) | 1 | $50–90 |
| 4 | Small mono-Si solar cells | bare 0.5 V cells, 100–500 mA, assorted sizes | Amazon/eBay/AliExpress "mono solar cell 0.5V" packs | 1 pack (5–10) | $10–20 |
| 5 | Mini solar panel | encapsulated 5–6 V, 1–2 W | Adafruit or SparkFun small 6 V panels | 1–2 | $10–25 |
| 6 | Diffraction grating | linear 500 or 1000 lines/mm, film or slide | Rainbow Symphony / Edmund Optics grating film | 1 | $5–15 |
| 7 | Incandescent test bulbs + sockets | automotive #194 (14 V 0.27 A) and #1156 (12.8 V ~2 A) with pigtail sockets | auto-parts store / Amazon | 3–4 bulbs | $8–15 |
| 8 | Alligator test leads | 10-pack | Amazon | 1 | $8 |
| 9 | Thermometer | IR thermometer or K-type probe meter | Amazon | 1 | $15–25 |
| 10 | Window screen | fibreglass offcut ~0.5 m² | hardware store | 1 | $5–10 |
| 11 | Large protractor | 15–30 cm | office store | 1 | $5 |
| 12 | Clamp lamp + bulbs | E26 clamp lamp; incandescent/halogen, warm-white LED, CFL | hardware store | 1 + bulbs | $20–30 |
| 13 | Safety glasses | ANSI Z87.1 | hardware store | 1–2 | $5–10 |
| 14 | Optional lux meter | basic digital | Amazon | 1 | $20–30 |
| 15 | Optional calibrated hobby spectrometer | USB, visible–NIR | various (verify availability) | 1 | $50–300 |
SOL 101 total: about $200–$300 without optional items; $250–$600 with them (estimate). Items 1–3 are reused throughout the curriculum (they are the core of the "Tier 1" kit in the curriculum map).
SOL 102 kit (Labs 102-A to 102-D)
| # | Item | Spec | Example / vendor | Qty | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potassium alum | food-grade, 500 g–1 kg | grocery spice aisle / Amazon | 1 | $8–15 |
| 2 | Optional copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate | ≥ 98 % | garden store "root killer" (check label) / Amazon | 250–500 g | $10–15 |
| 3 | Glass jars with lids | 500 mL straight-sided | hardware store | 4 | $10 |
| 4 | Silicon wafers | 100 mm, (100), test/reclaim grade; +1 (111) optional | University Wafer / eBay | 3–5 | $10–60 |
| 5 | Broken/B-grade solar cells | mono | eBay / AliExpress | few | $5–15 |
| 6 | Molecular model kit | ≥ 18 tetrahedral atoms | Molymod-type kit (Amazon) | 1 | $20–35 |
| 7 | Precision scale | 0.01 g | Amazon | 1 | $15–25 |
| 8 | Digital caliper + micrometer | 0.01 mm / 0.001 mm | Amazon / Harbor Freight | 1 each | $40–65 |
| 9 | Diamond scribe | carbide/diamond tip | Amazon | 1 | $8–12 |
| 10 | Cut-resistant gloves (ANSI A4+) | — | hardware store | 1 pair | $10–15 |
| 11 | Sharps container | rigid | pharmacy | 1 | $8 |
| 12 | Agar powder (+ gelatin) | culinary | grocery / Amazon | 50 g | $6–10 |
| 13 | Food dye set | liquid | grocery | 1 | $4 |
| 14 | Test tubes or vials | 10–15 cm, clear | Amazon | 10–15 | $8–12 |
| 15 | TDS/EC meter | 0–9990 ppm or µS/cm | HM Digital TDS-3 / COM-100 class | 1 | $15–40 |
| 16 | Nitrile gloves, coffee filters, foam cups/cooler | — | grocery | — | $15 |
| 17 | Optional USB microscope | 50–200× | Amazon | 1 | $25–50 |
SOL 102 total: about $190–$350 (estimate).
Decisions for you
- Multimeter quality. A Klein-class meter (~$35) is fine for this curriculum; a Fluke 115-class (~$150+) is nicer and lasts decades. Either way, confirm the 10 A range.
- Spectrometer. Skip at first (phone + grating works for Lab 101-A); buy a calibrated one later if you enjoy spectral work — it is reused in SOL 203 and 401.
- Copper sulfate (optional, toxic to aquatic life). Alum alone teaches the key lessons.
- Bench supply. Buy a decent one now (constant-current mode) — it's used again in SOL 201–202 (diode and cell I–V) and SOL 401.
Safety supplies to have on the bench from day one
Safety glasses, nitrile gloves, cut-resistant gloves, a small ABC fire extinguisher, a rigid sharps container, a first-aid kit, and a non-flammable work surface (ceramic tile or metal tray).