Hello all,

Changing my interests....

I am completely new, but not inexperienced...I have some basic knowledge in digital electronics, etc.

I am very interested in electronics and can't wait to get started. I am very technically oriented, as I have been a software developer up until now, going on 12 some years now. But now i feel a need to go into electronics (on a hobbyist level).

I want to get started in Electronics. I am very interested in Programmable interfaces....for electronics.

Need some experienced advice, thats alll....

Just want to know what would make a good start in the way of equipment. have Oscilloscope and voltage meters, but I want to know about bread boards , where to get them, how big, all the basic stuff, ...


What exactly would be a good start point for me? a complete electro noob!

Be nice now )

 

I'd suggest looking at a couple of basic electronics textbooks just to get a sense of what you might already understand. A book that I like is Paul Scherz "Practical Electronics for Inventors" Take a look at the very basic beginner's electronics books that are offered - usually some explanation and some simple projects. Radio Shack used to sell some. While they may seem awfully basic - if you can't construct the stuff in there and get it working reliably then that might be a place to begin.

It helps to have a specific area of interest and it looks like you've begun to define or describe that. It seems that power supplies (AC source, DC output) are common to many areas of interest in electronics. While you can buy them less expensively there's a ton to be learned from designing and building one. Use appropriate caution on the high voltage side of things.

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stevez

 

Thanx for that tidbit of knowledge...I will definitely look for that book.

I actually have some basic info on how to build an AC/DC powersupply. That might be a good place to start, like you said...


What about prototyping on a breadboard? Should I even get one at my level, or let it rest for a while?

How many of you use Electronic Workbench or other such electronic Simulators?

Got any interesting URL's for me to check out regarding projects?


Thanx again!

 

Definately get a breadboard. It will allow you to quickly build a circuit, change things around to get it working, and tear it all apart when you get bored. All without messing up parts by soldering and desoldering them.

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--- The days of the digital watch are numbered. ---

 

As for projects, try looking here

http://electronicsworld.tripod.com/
http://www.discovercircuits.com/
http://users.otenet.gr/~athsam/

or if you want really basic, with some tutorials on soldering, transistors, ohms law etc, then look here http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/index.htm

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'Intellectuals solve problems. . . Geniuses prevent them.' . . . Albert Einstein

 

Find an electronics junkyard somehow, yank out old stuff from your attic or basement that you never use anymore and take them apart. Get neighboors and family members to donate any old electronics stuff they have floating around. Read online a lot to be sure, study all the books you can find, but take apart as many different types and styles of devices as you can get your hands on, and snoop around. Try to identify some of the IC's in the more complicated ones, get a rough idea of where the traces are going to and from, get an idea of how components are connected. You can get more useful components from junk than you can from almost any electronics shop. And definitly practice (and wreck a lot of stuff) soldering and desoldering stuff. If you're serious (even about it as a hobby) get yourself some storage bins. Say portable toolbox size to start with. That's about where I am right now.
Always try to be safe, but people learn more from a badly designed atempt at a circuit that goes up in smoke than from all the math. The math and theory are basically a starting and refineing point. All the fun stuff happens when you plug things in and get results, or smoke. And make no mistake about it, if you even get into electronics as a third tier hobby, there will be smoke. Luckily fire is uncommon =)

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Ok , I want to thank all of you who answered this newbie's post. It gives me alot of food for thought about my new hobby.

Thanks a ton, and god bless!

 

Also a wealth of information and ideas i get is from the 300 series of books from Elektor or Elektuur electronics magazines.
This series has been around for over 20 years now and started as 300 then 301 and now 308 is the current issue.
In these books are practical schemas explained which are built by the readers, checked by the editor and were published at one stage in the Elektuur magazine.
These cover all sorts off topics.
Power supplies, TTL, CMOS, Audio, LED's, Amplifiers, Alarms, clocks etc.

Have a look at your local electronics shop if they got one of those books or look on Ebay where you may score one for a reasonable price.

Other very good books are
TTL and CMOS Cookbook by Don Lancaster which go in depth in these topics with schema's and lots of examples.

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There are more ways to get to Rome.

Electricity, Electric clocks, Meters and Trains are great.