Beginner book?

[davescanlan]

Hi, I'm just starting to get into electronics as a hobby and would like to know whats a good book for the beginner. There are plenty available online but maybe someone here could make a recommendation.

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[Dean Huster]

I always recommend searching out for an older copy of the ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook. Get too old and all you'll find are vacuum tubes, however, so don't get any older than about 1967. They are published annually and new ones are really pricey. Newer ones also downplay construction which is why I like the older ones -- they're more practical and less turn-key. The 1970s and early 1980s aren't too bad.

Dean

 

[BrownOut]

Radio Shack used to carry really a good line of "engineer's notebook" sort of booklets. I had a number of them when I was a kid. Does anyone know of a source for these books? Has the age of UC's killed off electronic experimentation?

 

[BeeBop]

Radio Shack used to carry really a good line of "engineer's notebook" sort of booklets. I had a number of them when I was a kid. Does anyone know of a source for these books? Has the age of UC's killed off electronic experimentation?

I agree; they were very easy to understand and I had every one of them. I think you can still find them on the internet...


Forest Mimms, the writer is a member of these forums, perhaps if you search for his posts there will be a link to where to get these.

 

[davescanlan]

Thanks for your help guys. Unfortuntely we dont have Radio shack in Ireland but i'm sure i can find them on e bay.

 

[zoodlewurdle]

R. M. Marston's books on Passive and Discrete Circuits, and Linear IC's, a pair of Newne's 'Pocket Books'. Very good value, and hardback so they last a while. You'll use them heavily if you get them so that's important. He also wrote a book on op-amps but much of that material is in his Linear IC book so just the two will do.

The Art Of Eelctronics is good if you like expensive heavy books with a lot fo detail, but that one I find often unsatisfying, it digresses a lot too much, I think, but Marston's books are so quick to cut to the chase that they're usually faster than Google.

 

[davescanlan]

I found the Masterson Linear IC's on my local bookshops website so i might pick that up tomorrow. Thanks for your help.

 

[zoodlewurdle]

Marston. If they listed it as Masterson, they messed up. Very good value book though. Get both if you can..

 

[stevez]

Radio Shack stuff is good, as already suggested. The do still list "Getting Started in Electronics" though it's listed for $19.95. I'd look for a used copy.

The ARRL Magazine, QST, has run a monthly article for a number of years, focusing on one aspect of electronics - an example might be timer ICs. They did a good job explaining theory and included experiments you could conduct to help support the theory presented. This is a place to begin for some people but maybe not everyone. Your age and background can put you in a different spot on the learning curve. By the way, you can purchase a book - and I think a kit of the parts for the ARRL series.
Along with the ARRL Handbooks I like Paul Scherz "Practical Electronics for Inventors"

Recently I picked up a book on PICs and found that while the focus was on PICs and simple applications there was an abundance of "how-to" that would allow someone less skilled in electronics to succeed and learn. Even more recently I picked up a similar book on PICAXE - same thing - focus was on PICAXE but the author realised that tutorials on basic electronics were necessary for the audience to succeed in the learning process.

Pretty common advice is to combine your interest in electronics with something else you enjoy. An example - radio amateurs learn electronics so they can build receivers. Robotics enthusiasts focus on robots - folks with an interest in music/audio build amplifiers. That part helps along with having local people - or not so local via internet - to collaborate with.

Have fun.

 

[zanes]

"Practical Electronics for Inventors". Everything a beginner could want to know.

 

[birdman0_o]

Amazon.com: Electronic Circuits for the Evil Genius: 57 Lessons with Projects (9780071448819): Dave Cutcher: Books
Electronic Circuits for the Evil Genius - Dave Cutcher

It's how I learned, everything is very easy to understand

 

[KMoffett]

When you get further in integrate circuit components, there was a group of "cookbook" publications that I found valuable...at the time.

TTL Cookbook, Lancaster
CMOS Cookbook, Lancaster
IC Opamp Cookbook, Jung
Active Filter Cookbook, Lancaster
IC Timer Cookbook, Jung

And anything by Forest Mims.

Though, the internet will provide more information than you ever wanted to know?

ken

 

[zoodlewurdle]

"Though, the internet will provide more information than you ever wanted to know"

Can be very good, I agree. The playhookey.com site is good, and another specially good for audio is the ESP (Elliott Sound Products, I think) site. Loads more around but I find those worth stopping at several times.