LM555 Timer IC - 8 Pin DIP Precision Timer Chip for Electronics Projects, DIY Circuits, and Industrial Applications

These are well made. Granted, you can go to the dollar store, and if you buy enough calculators and timers, you'll identify a brand that you can reverse engineer out many of these parts for pennies. But for convenience and quality, this is outstanding. No defects after using hundreds.555's, op-amps and regulators are the heart of most electronics today. If your electronics or circuit analysis texts cover op-amps before transistors, get a new book!Regardless of how experienced you are with 555's and op-amps, we can all use a little help and fun, so here are two very tiny, inexpensive "manuals" that will do your heart good while playing with these two amazing components:1. 555 Timer Applications Sourcebook Experiments (Howard Berlin) and2. Timer, Op Amp, and Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects (Forrest Mims III)These are only 120 pages or so and $10 bucks or so, but they will greatly enhance your enjoyment of these components. I probably don't need to mention Forrest Mims, as he's a legend!Happy engineering!