Beginner Enthusiast

[Jubbsta]

Hey! I’m brand new here and looking to get into electronics at a hobbyist level. Don’t ask me specifically what I’d like to learn more about because truth is, I don’t even know enough to answer that. A bit of back ground, I work as a full service repair technician fixing automobiles at a dealership, all of my knowledge is oriented around 5/12V circuits as well as a BASIC understanding of how sensors work in automobiles (negative temp coefficient, potentiometer, etc) work. I’d like to set up a lab at home - with that being said what do you guys recommend i start with? I currently own pretty much all hand and power tools, as well as a Fluke 117 with various leads, I do own helping hands and soldering irons though they’re the low wattage type. I figured i’ll need a good soldering station set up, as well as a power supply and oscilloscope (oscilloscope i’d love to learn to use for my job as well!). Is there anything else you recommend i purchase? And will my fluke 117 be sufficient? What electronic component kits do you recommend i purchase to start?
Thanks!!

 

[Jubbsta]

If you want to learn more about basic electronics, read some tutorials, such as found here.

Thank you i’ll be sure to check those out!
Edit: Wow. I was just poking around that link, seems like an incredibly vast wealth of information - I didn’t realize such extensive resources even existed for free; maybe I should spend more time on the internet

Good luck with your medical issues - my operations were just over a year ago, and it took about 9 months before I started feeling really well - and that was following a phone call from the cardiac doctor, who then prescribed water tablets for me. The effects were really rapid, within two to three days there was a huge improvement - and my breathing improved miraculously, presumably I had fluid in my lungs? - my legs got much thinner as well, and are slowly continuing to do so. I'd also like to think that perhaps my mitral valve repair is 'getting better'?, following a scan in January I was told it was still leaking, but only 'mild to moderate' - which considering I was never told the degree of leakage before, didn't really help me - I 'should' be receiving an appointment this January for another scan, to see how it's going.

As for ECG's, it's not rocket science, it's basically a slow speed oscilloscope fed from an instrumentation amplifier (op-amps) - I would suggest building the Arduino based one I linked to above, using the Sparkfun board and sensors. Looks a fun project to play with. Assuming you later on get a digital oscilloscope, you could use the Sparkfun board with that as well, and display your ecg on the scope. But the strap sensor I use (which I had years ago for walking/gym use) seems perfectly fine at showing afib, or it's absence.

And talking sensors - I was covered with them - the ambulance fitted a set, to confirm a heart attack and to monitor while going to hospital (and while waiting in the corridor). Then A&E fitted another set for their monitoring - and when I eventually was sent to a ward, they fitted yet a third set of sensors. At no time did anyone consider removing any of them, nor simply using the ones that were already there.

Thank you! I’ve been fortunate to not have any severe symptoms, my mother is in stage 3 heart failure and they did find some genes linked to cardiomyopathy during genetic testing - so hopefully being that they caught it young in me there will be plenty of time to reverse or at least maintain the function i have. Those stickers are not fun, the ones they use for the fast ECG’s aren’t horrible but the ones they use while monitoring for longer periods are awful - especially if it’s a 7 day+ monitor.