How did you get into electronics?

[ClickKlick]

What are your guys backgrounds? How did you get into electronics? Were you self taught or do you have a degree?

 

[Papabravo]

Started in ham radio at age 12. Built 2-tube 15W 40M transmitter.
Later got MSEE from Univerity of Michigan.

 

[ClickKlick]

What does MSEE? Masters in electronics engineering?

 

[Marks256]

My dad works at a junk yard, and he brings me stuff home. About 5 years ago he started bringing me home electronic stuff to tear apart. I've loved it ever since. That is how i became interested in engineering. Next year i'm off to college for Computer Engineering, and i'm really excited.

 

[glutnix_neo]

Hi I'm new here.

My passion for electronics started since I was a child, I'm like sylar who always destroy toys to know how it works(up to now I'm still doing it,hehehe),

When I was in 4th grade I was taught a little about series and parallel circuits on my science class and wire my first circuit using a battery and light bulbs.

4th year high school when I learned Kirchoff and ohms law until I took up BSECE(Electronics and Communications Engineering). I got lucky to qualify for a scholarship with graduate diploma course major in power electronics,

Right now I'm finishing my thesis for my MSEE right here at the Philippines.

I became a hobbyist(building electronic kits) when I was on my 1st year in college.

 

[HiTech]

For me, it all started around age 10, with me discovering how to connect a D cell to a light bulb and two wires. I played with that contraption for days... wondering, postulating and desiring to know more. Then I learned that there was an electronics parts store in my town where I then received a Lafayette 150-in-1 Electronics Fun Lab and the rest is obvious from there! I still have that wood-cased lab today.

 

[kchriste]

Got a RadioShack 60 in 1 Electronics Lab kit for my 9th birthday which started me off.
Got my Advanced Ham license at 14 but I was more interested in the electronics end of things rather than talking on the radio.
At 20 talked my way into a job at a marine electronics repair shop with just my high school diploma. Worked for a few years there before going to BCIT and getting my ticket. Since then I've worked with commercial communications systems, emergency dispatch centers, repeaters, instrument repair, etc and still enjoy it.

 

[Roff]

My dad works at a junk yard, and he brings me stuff home. About 5 years ago he started bringing me home electronic stuff to tear apart. I've loved it ever since. That is how i became interested in engineering. Next year i'm off to college for Computer Engineering, and i'm really excited.

You've been pretty scarce lately. Where have you been?

 

[Mikebits]

I would say that my resume is less impressive than most on here.

At age 17, I dropped out of HS and joined the U.S. Navy. I was quickly sent to the fleet as a boatswain mate, or deck ape as we were called. Basically they chip paint, and apply new paint, or handle lines and such, not the most glamorous job. I soon realized that this was not for me.

I started striking for an electronics tech rating while at sea as the ET guys always worked above deck in nice AC spaces. When I passed the ET seaman test, I was offered a shot at Navy electronics tech school if I signed up for 3 more years. Heck I would still only be 23 yrs old after that time so I signed up for 3 more years + time served, and off to Navy ET school I went. I went to basic electronics and radar school. Followed that up with a 1 yr school in meteorlogical equipment.

Did my 6 years and got out of the Navy. First job I landed was an assembler job at Allied Bendix. Two weeks after I started there, I got a job offer as a factory tech at Cubic Comm Inc. I jumped on the offer and I worked there for 6 more years. While there I was moved from the factory to engineering where I soaked the brains of all the engineers (Not like night of living dead).

After 6 years there I landed an Eng tech job at a place called Qualcomm. I worked there for 10 years, while there I was promoted to engineer even though I did not hold a degree.

I loved working there but after awhile I noticed my shortcomings compared to engineers with degrees, as they always seemed much smarter to me.

After reaching the age of 45 I decided to go out and get a degree although in pre-med, as I felt I seen enough of circuits. 2 and 1/2 years later I am still working on it.

If I bomb the Med school entrance exam I will probably use my electronics background and go into bio engineering.

I have only met a few college students my age so going to school now is kinda strange for me...

 

[bananasiong]

I've got into electronics since I was 18 by entering the Electronics and Telecommunication course in diploma. I've just completed my BEng in E&E in June 2008.

Happy new year

 

[Marks256]

You've been pretty scarce lately. Where have you been?

School and work have really been bogging me down lately. Mostly work... I'm also currently doing quite a few plays (sound, lights, etc), so time has been rather precious.

I am still working on electronics when i have spare time, though. Actually i've been meaning to post some pictures of my shop sometime soon. I recently purchased 4 oscilloscopes, a logic analyzer, frequency generator, frequency counter, benchtop DMM, SMD Rework Station, 0-30v 5A bench-top power supply, and 2 17" LCDs. So it is looking really nerdy.

 

[dknguyen]

Wanted to build a robot dog when I was in Grade 6-7. Been at it ever since. But only until I got a job in high school was I able to afford stuff. I have about two finished robots (ground obviously), and two much MUCH more expensive ones (all-terrain ground robots) that will likely never get done, and my first two aerial robots in progress (plane and heli).

 

[Papabravo]

What does MSEE? Masters in electronics engineering?

Master of Science, Electical Engineering

 

[picbits]

In 1976 (when I was 4 !) I was at pre-school and the teacher connected up a battery to a bulb and it lit up. I was fascinated in electronics since then.

We had a little radio type shop close to where I lived - it was a 10 minute cycle ride run by a chap called Eric Treeby and it fascinated me. I used to pick up free/cheap "junk" from there. We also had a couple of Tandy stores and one of my dads colleagues used to work there at the weekend. I used to go in and bug them at the grand old age of 6 lol.

Ironically when I was older I ended up working at Tandy. Even more ironically it was with the same bloke who used to work with my dad 15 years earlier.

 

[GonzoEngineer]

My Dad was in the Air Force and electronics. In 1958 he taught me how to build a crystal radio using a chunk of Galena, some wire and an oatmeal box.

I also grew up watching "Mr. Wizard" on a black and white TV. (I turned that TV into my first Oscilloscope a few years later!)

I grew up building kits, mostly tube stuff, and was a Novice Ham by the time I went into the Army in 1966. (I lied and purposely failed the morse code test, because I wanted to be Airborne Infantry, not the Signal Corps!

After getting wounded in Vietnam, the Army offered me Electronics School. I got out in 1973 and got my BSEE on the GI Bill, but the Army school taught me more than college did.

Most of my career has been defense related R&D, particularly Pulsed Power.

Electronics has always been my work and my hobby.

 

[3v0]

I have been interested in building and inventing as long as I can recall.

My brother in law flew B52's in Vietnam. When he returned he gave me neat stuff including a go-to-hell hat, a few pounds of solder, and a real live headset with mike.

That got me interested but I have to credit the "then execlent" Popular Electronics for most everything I learned prior to collage. I spend endless hours with a solderless BB and 74LS chips, op amps etc.

3v0

 

[GonzoEngineer]

Yeah.....Popular Electronics was a great magazine. I learned a lot from that and the ARRL Handbook.

 

[GonzoEngineer]

I have been interested in building and inventing as long as I can recall.

My brother in law flew B52's in Vietnam. When he returned he gave me neat stuff including a go-to-hell hat, a few pounds of solder, and a real live headset with mike.

That got me interested but I have to credit the "then execlent" Popular Electronics for most everything I learned prior to collage. I spend endless hours with a solderless BB and 74LS chips, op amps etc.

3v0

Thank your Brother in Law for me......I got my butt saved a few times by those "Beefy-2's".

Did you keep the headset? They are high impedance and hard to find......something you need for a crystal radio!

I got a Galena crystal if you want it.

 

[ClickKlick]

Yeah.....Popular Electronics was a great magazine. I learned a lot from that and the ARRL Handbook.

What's the ARRL handbook?

 

[GonzoEngineer]

What's the ARRL handbook?

American Radio Relay League Handbook. The bible for Ham Radio!