Hello everyone, Im new here and need advice.

[Bryan76]

First off let me say hello to all of you
Im am new to electronics, and am currently going to a tech school working towards a degree in electronics. I would appreciate some guidance from some of the vets on this board. I love my school, but as of now its just theories and formulas. I would like to use the electronic parts I have acquired. I have yet to even use my soldiering iron. Please give me some links to begginer circuits and or projects I can work on. Thanks fellas

 

[ljcox]

Try discovercircuits.com

 

[ZIGGY_DAN]

You could try the Electronic Projects part of this forum, another good source is to buy a book thats relevant to a particular field in electronics that you have an active interest in. e.g. Radio, Audio Amplifiers etc.

Hope This Helps

 

[Bryan76]

Thanks alot. I will check out both suggestions.

 

[mramos1]

You do not state were you live in your profile. But Radio Shack in the US used to have little paper back books for $1.00. On electronic projects. Forest Mimms I think was one of the authors. Maybe search google for his mane. And google will have a google of circuits, you can search there.

You also did not state what parts you have.

What are you tring to build? That would help..

 

[Bryan76]

I live in Texas. The parts I have came in 2 kits provided to me from my school. I have just the basics, resistors, capacitors, a few IC's, transformer,rectifer and photo diode, jfet, n-channle jfet, transistors and photo transistors, si npn low power and gi pnp general purpose, varactor, and some inductors.

 

[Bryan76]

I also have most of the basic tools. A handheld multimeter, 2 bread boards, and lots of wire.

 

[mramos1]

I live in Texas. The parts I have came in 2 kits provided to me from my school. I have just the basics, resistors, capacitors, a few IC's, transformer,rectifer and photo diode, jfet, n-channle jfet, transistors and photo transistors, si npn low power and gi pnp general purpose, varactor, and some inductors.

Looks like you have a good kit.. What ICs?

 

[Bryan76]

As I said I am new to electronics. How would I describe or tell you what kind of IC's I have? Im not sure how to tell one chip from another. I have yet to make it to that class and or lesson. There is a lot of writting on the chip, what it means I dont know
Just to futher my description of myself, I so far have taken the following classes: 3 month AC course, 3 month DC course, and a 3 month electronics theory course. Here is the course list I am taking, and the school I am at.
Goto Austin, TX then programs, then CEET (Computer And Electronics Engineering Technology)
**broken link removed**

 

[philba]

the first thing you need to do is learn how to flash an LED. get a 555 timer chip if you don't have one in your kit and look here: **broken link removed**

there is nothing better than flashing an LED to let you know you made something work. man over silicon.

do give us an inventory of your ICs and I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions.

 

[Bryan76]

I believe I do have a 555 let me check, and I will report back.

 

[Bryan76]

Diodes: 4=1N4001, 1=MRD500 photodiode, 1=1N4733 5V zenerdiode

Transistors: 3=2N3904(small-signal npn), 1=2N3906(small-signal npn), 2=2N5458 n-channel JFET, 1=2N3055 npn power transistor


ICs: 1=555 timer, 3=741C op-amp, 1=7493/293 ripple counter, 1=74LS00N, 1=74LS04B1, 1=74LS8N, 1=74LS32N, 1=74LS02N, 3=7400, 1=7490

misc: 2=MV2109 (2115) varactor, 1=Cds photocell VT-83B, 1=small impedance matching transformer 500ohm-8ohm, 1=smal 8 spkr, 1=SPST switch, 1=SPDT switch, 1=Neon bulb Ne2, 1 red led (20ma), 1 green led (20ma), 1=12v DPDT relay RZ-12, 1=3v DPDT relay RZ-5/3, 3= small signal diode (1N914, 1N4148)


I have several resistors ranging from 1ohm-1meg ohm.


Inductors: 1=1mh,10,mh,15mh,33mh,43mh,100mh,4to7H (fixed) also have a few other inductors on the side.

Capacitors:
1=(.001)(.0033)(.0047)(.022)(.033)(.22) (2.2)(47)(1000)uf
2=(.0022)(100)
3=(.1)uf
4=(.01)(1)(10)uf

Wheww took forever to type this.
I also have the basic tools, MM, wire, wire cutters, iron. Ok guys hope this helps. Any Ideas on something I could put together?

 

[Bryan76]

Oh and I have some variable resistors and such.

 

[hjames]

Audio amplifier, oscillators, power supply, various "toy" circuits - light sensitive noise makers, noise sensitive light makers, temperature sensitive circuits, take your pick.

Dunno how to use the varactors (?!) though - might be able to make a AM receiver?

Now, if you're interested in programming and the like, and can spare a couple bucks, you can get started with some low-end microcontroller, or attach bits to a computer and build much more complex projects. Alternatively if you have any interests in robotics, $10 in motors and some mechanical bits will let you experiment more in that direction.

Also as a "backup" project, making simple test/support equipment isn't a bad way to start out. You have enough parts there to build a waveform generator (555 as the timer, opamps for waveform generation, use the counter chips to adjust frequencies), or a simple current limited power supply(zener for voltage reference, opamps and power transistor for regulation and current limiting), or pulse detectors/counters (to help detect signals that you wouldn't be able to see with your meter).

 

[Bryan76]

Thanks hjames! I will research the topics you covered in your post.

 

[Bryan76]

The robotics intrests me very much, but I think thats alittle out of my league at the moment
I am intrested in trying out a light sensitive noise makers, noise sensitive light makers, and temperature sensitive circuits. Could you point me in the right direction?

 

[bryan1]

Hiya Bryan76,
If your interested in robotics then the first project I'll suggest is get hold of a stepper motor from an old printer and try to find a 4 wire one. This is a bipolar steppermotor. then make up a H-bridge using some of the transistors you have and get the stepper working. Also as many would suggest have a look at the pic microcontrollers, there is plenty of tutorials around to get started and after some serious reading and proto-typing you'll be making your first robot before you know it. Just remember reading and research is the best way to learn and google is your best friend for infomation.

Hope this helps

Cheers Bryan

 

[hjames]

For example, a search for "555 cookbooks" comes across these links which seem pretty reasonable.


or
(a bit more complex)
http://www.williamson-labs.com/555-circuits.htm

Also, it looks like RadioShack canned most of the Forrest Mim's books (a pity), I think Amazon carries some of his stuff, but I don't know how well suited it is.
(or you can snitch the files from this place, if you don't ask too many questions: **broken link removed** *cough, ahem*)

In any case, Google is your friend, ask it about circuit cookbooks, schematics, and you'll end up with links like:
**broken link removed**
or
better yet, just dig into the projects forum a couple clicks away.

 

[Bryan76]

Awesome help guys. I will try not to bug ya till the weekend. Thanks again.

 

[Bryan76]

Just finished my first creation lol
I made a circuit that detects light.
I used the 555 IC, photoresistor, 704 capacitor, 8ohm spkr, and some resistors.
This stuff is cool as hell. Thanks for the links and info.