Advice for getting into electronics

N

Nybbles

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jun 17, 2002
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When I was in elementry school, I used to disassemble toys and make fun stuff with batteries, wires, and motors. I do know some electronics basics (like the functions of resistors, diodes, capacitors, etc). But I'm wondering if someone can point me to some good introductory material on circuits.

So far, I have Radio Shacks "Getting Started in Electronics" by Mims from like 1983, as well as his "mini-notebooks" that were given to me. I'm reading through them now. Was wondering if anyone could recommend anything else to supplement this. Maybe even some good reference books. I prefer having a hard copy, so buying a book, or downloading a PDF is prefered, though anything is apprecited.

I also have CircuitMaker 6 Student version on my computer. It's prving to be fairly easy to use, and kinda fun. It should prove valuable as I learn more. Are there better software programs out there for me? I'm looking for free or cheap as I'm just a novice and this is only a hobby.

Also, just curious how some of you got started in electronics and how you learned this stuff.

(Also saw a couple radio scanner threads.... I've been scanning Sacramento and Elk Grove since mid 2001 with my Uniden BC245XLT. Thinking of putting up a shoutcast server with the feed some day.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit: And yes, I already have a small Radio Shack "pen" iron, and a couple different (albiet cheap) multimeters, both analog and digital. Next thing I want is a breadboard and a supply of various components of various ratings.
 
This thread has some good information. For books, I have "The Art of Electronics", Horowitz and Hill, which is pretty good, and also inexpensive as far as textbooks go (only $70 ;) ). Eagle is a popular electronics CAD software with a free version, and ExpressPCB and ExpressSCH aren't bad, and are pretty simple and intuitive to use.

And how did I get started? It was probably back when I was about 10, and my parents bought a 300 in 1 kit from radioshack. Before that I'd enjoyed taking apart old radios and stuff to look at the pretty circuits inside :D. I had trouble getting a lot of the circuits in the kit to work, because for some reason the first 10 projects are fairly advanced, then it goes to the beginner projects, so it sat on a shelf for the better part of 5 or 6 years until I picked it up a year or two ago and got back into it.
 
Matt,

Thanks for the info. I did find that thread after posting . In case anyone's interest, the Art of Electronics looks like it's going for under $40 on ebay. I might pick one up.

As for software, CircuitMaker is more of a circuit simulation software. Isn't Eagle more of a PCB layout tool? Right now I'm more interested in understanding how to design circuits and properly use the components to do cool stuff. It is good to keep in mind though, as some day I will want to actually construct some actual finished product.

And I remember those 300 in 1 kits. My now-deceased grandfather had done a lot of electronics work. He worked on missle systems for the army for many years, and even after retiring, he worked for them as a civilian. I remember constructing circuits with them as a young kid on one of those kits, making sirens, and flashing lights and all kinds of stuff. Back then, I didnt know what I was doing,... only that if I connected things up like the book said it'd do something. hehe, i took that kit after he died, still have it too. but anyway.....

i'd be interested to hear if anyone else has any suggestions or tips.
 
in middle school i took a basic electronics class, look into something like that if you are still in school.

and yes, eagle is for pcb layout.

i use Orcad PSpice for cicruit creation and simulation... another program i see alot of people use for this is 'Electronic Workbench'
 
i've already taken 3 college level electronics courses and i'm still no closer to making any circuit i want. First class was DC, next was AC which are almost all theory based with some lab work with resistors, then last semester i took digitial circuit systems, which lets you work on a board and make different circuits like full adders, multipliers, counters, etc.. but those were all just chips.. And I learned a lot of pspice simulation.. I think what it comes down to is to have an idea of a circuit you want to build, you start from there and you'll learn as you go.
 
Originally posted by Techx
... I think what it comes down to is to have an idea of a circuit you want to build, you start from there and you'll learn as you go.
Click to expand...

Precisely! A couple years back I decided I wanted to have keyless entry for my car. I also decided I wanted to build it myself - and add all sorts of other functions (rolling down windows, flashing lights, honking horns, etc.) and without any previous electronics experience - I started asking around for suggestions, messing around with my car, etc. Taught me a hell of a lot.
 
Originally posted by NleahciM
Precisely! A couple years back I decided I wanted to have keyless entry for my car. I also decided I wanted to build it myself - and add all sorts of other functions (rolling down windows, flashing lights, honking horns, etc.) and without any previous electronics experience - I started asking around for suggestions, messing around with my car, etc. Taught me a hell of a lot.
Click to expand...

Yes. Precisely. Real world electronics is where you learn something usefull.

Class is all theory and mathamatics... extremely usefull in real world electronics, but ultimately, doesn't teach you how to do jack shit.
 
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