Here are some components I've used that will help the DIY builder. You'll find all these on eBay. As with most things on eBay, if you can wait for the long delivery time from China, everything is cheaper.
A genuine Arduino "Genuino" Uno will be about £15. Chinese Arduino Uno clones can be had for £4-£5 delivered with a USB cable. I haven't tried one yet but I probably will. Watch out if you specifically want a genuine one, because the wording is sometimes a bit ambiguous on eBay listings. £4.30 delivered from China example:
I soldered up an input/output board out of stripboard and PCB screwdown terminals. I find it's way more flexible using screwdown terminals than soldering wires straight in the board. Turns out you don't need to make one - you can buy them for £2-£6 depending on the type. They're called Screw Shields.
This one +£2 if bought with the Chinese Arduino above:
This type is two separate boards for either side, £2.39 delivered from China, with nice wobbly looking soldering:
This one £5.99 from a local (UK) seller and comes with connection pins which you can't see:
A bumper case makes it easier to mount the Arduino in something and the open top lets you stack up the shield boards if you want. These ones £2.49 from a local seller:
I've also changed my fan for a 5V 0.15A USB-powered one. About £5 delivered for this one from a local seller, but cheaper if you can wait for one from China:
I paid way over the odds for my SSR modules. Here's an example of a 4-relay version of mine with the same relays for £10.79, which is less than I paid for one of my modules. Fewer wires to wire in, too, as they all share the same +5V power line. They come in 1, 2, 4 and 8-relay versions:
A genuine Arduino "Genuino" Uno will be about £15. Chinese Arduino Uno clones can be had for £4-£5 delivered with a USB cable. I haven't tried one yet but I probably will. Watch out if you specifically want a genuine one, because the wording is sometimes a bit ambiguous on eBay listings. £4.30 delivered from China example:
I soldered up an input/output board out of stripboard and PCB screwdown terminals. I find it's way more flexible using screwdown terminals than soldering wires straight in the board. Turns out you don't need to make one - you can buy them for £2-£6 depending on the type. They're called Screw Shields.
This one +£2 if bought with the Chinese Arduino above:
This type is two separate boards for either side, £2.39 delivered from China, with nice wobbly looking soldering:
This one £5.99 from a local (UK) seller and comes with connection pins which you can't see:
A bumper case makes it easier to mount the Arduino in something and the open top lets you stack up the shield boards if you want. These ones £2.49 from a local seller:
I've also changed my fan for a 5V 0.15A USB-powered one. About £5 delivered for this one from a local seller, but cheaper if you can wait for one from China:
I paid way over the odds for my SSR modules. Here's an example of a 4-relay version of mine with the same relays for £10.79, which is less than I paid for one of my modules. Fewer wires to wire in, too, as they all share the same +5V power line. They come in 1, 2, 4 and 8-relay versions: