Re: electronic circuitry (Score 1)

You dont need money to start messing around with electronic stuff. I started at a young age eventually getting a degree, only because I had a goal to set. I've seen people with degrees, that only know and remember book smart. So just because they say they have a degree doesn't mean they are experts, including myself. It just means they were able to pass the test. I started when i was young, about 9 years of age. Putting small 2 cycle gas engines together, and messing with things i shouldn't have. Recently i started a blog to see if there would be any response and also to see what it was like to make one. Before we get there, a quick look back at myself. I made things from scratch because i had to; I didn't have any money to buy parts. I found parts from old radios and things. By the time i reached high school I had an opportunity to take a class in electronics. I tried to convey to the teacher, I wanted to know how to take these parts and build anything i want to. The teacher didn't understand what i was asking, nor did i know how to ask it properly. I built a tube transmitter back then, and several more after that. You know, the pirate kind, so I could play music 10 miles away.What i can tell you is, there are so many catagories to choose from, not one person can do them all. I liked radio transmitters and metal detectors. I made other things but that's what I wanted to figure out how to make. When you start out, Just go to radio shack and pick up a soldering iron for $8.00. Listen I can solder with a gun by controller the trigger movement if i have to,i've done it, and on small pcbs too. Sure does make you gain knowhow of heat control. My preference is the 25 watt soldering iron. You could buy a bigger wattage one and hook it to a light dimmer switch to control the heat, and turn it down to wahtever you want. I never have. Now that you have an iron, you are ready to play. Research and look for a picture on how to solder. The secret is, as soon as you get your soldering iron you need to tin the end. That is to say you need to melt solder on the tip so that it is silver looking, wipe off the excess with a wet paper towel or sponge. Always keep your tip clean. If it starts to build up, fix it again, just before you solder a part. Sometimes you will have to scrape the burnt crud off and shine it up with fine emery cloth or whatever works. Also the tip must be snug tight. At times you will need loosen it, and re-tighten it. Otherwise it will not get a good heat transfer to the tip. Now if you get done soldering, you should remove the tip or at least make sure you loosen it, otherwise when you go to replace the tip, you cant, because the heat damaged the threads, and the tip will not turn and snap off. You need to you rosin core solder only. I prefer the size bigger than the smallest stuff(unless you get good and need to solder an IC chip). My reasoning is the flux inside will help you solder good. When you solder, do not hold the tip directly on a part for any length of time or it could damage the part. Use what is called a heatsink if you can. A heat sink is like an alligator clip you attach to the part to absorb the heat, so the part wont. Best looking solder jobs are when you come in contact with the part first holding the iron at the proper angle then apply just alittle solder to the tip and part at the same time. The iron is removed quickly just after the solder flows. I mean flows. Do not put solder on the tip and try and stick it to the part you are trying to solder. You will be wasting your time, 'cause it is not a good connection, no matter what you say. Do not keep the heat on the part and keep trying to solder. Let the part cool down again before you do it again. If you mess up, you can simply touch it up with a dab of melted solder or you can buy a solder wick from Radio Shack, or de-soldering bulb, (not for me) the wick works for me. All it is ,is a braided copper that you take and lay on the solder, heat it up, the solder melts and is soaked up by the wick. What you need now is practice. You can learn as you go. I see no reason why you cant start building things, without much of a cost. I dont think a $250 dollar soldering iron is going to solder for you, so why spend the money on one? Use that money to buy parts and things to build. You know Ramsey Electronics has kits of all kinds that you could build. Decide what you want to do with electronics. Is it audio, or transmitters, receivers, computer related projects, or just what is it that interest you? That doesn't mean that you shouldn't build other things, but it does mean you need to focus in that area. Start collecting some parts or pc boards with parts. Find a small project to build,look on the board for parts. Play a game with yourself to build a projects without going to radio shack for parts. Look at the transistor number and cross reference it, or check out the specs to see if it is a positive type or negative type. If it looks about the same size physically,and it is of the right type, you can probably use it, even if it isn't a perfect match. But you will need to know the pin configuration or you will fry it. There are many tricks and no real certain way to arrive at the same ending. part values can usually be changed slightly, some you cannot. You will know this by experience as you find you dont have the exact parts you need, and have to know how to add up resistance and capacitane and all that. When I was working on my first transmitters, i had a heck of time getting them to go any distance,( i know how now), and other little things that happen when you build stuff. Things just would not work right. This is when you start learning, because now you need to understand why the circuit works the way it does, or you cant fix it. I suggest you start learning OHMs law. It is the basis of the beginning of electronics. When you start electronincs, it starts you off with what parts look like, and how to read the values they represent, and what they do, and how big of a part do you need. Batteries, the atom, (dont get scared it's not heavy duty stuff), the basic crcuit, which way electrons flow etc. Also will learn about conductors,switches(different kinds),resistance, capacitance,magnetic fields,transformers,power supplies etc. Oh I forgot digital circuits. It becomes fun and challenging, as well as making you feel good when you can make a project and complete it. You can also feel good about showing it off to you neighbors too. Not a good idea though, because they will haunt you forever to fix their stuff and you will never get to your projects done. I also suggest you get the study guide to get your amateur radio license (Ham Radio). Join a radio ham radio club for $20 a year, and you can be sure there is a club near you somewhere. Just look at peoples cars. If you see what appears to be an antenna farm on top of their car, and the licese plate has something like "W6NGK" or "N6VLH" on it, they are ham radio operators. Stop and ask them if they are, and how can you get involved. If that's your thing or not, but some know electronics,and are very eager to share their knowledge, for free. Oh the blog i started is here http://ernie.yourownfree.net/ also had a hair brained idea to start another one here http://electronics.yourownfree.com/ That was stupid I know, because of the amount of time i have to do these things are little. Maybe I wont do anymore I dont know yet. I stumbled on this place, slashdot, today and said to myself this place is happening. Next thing I'm caught up in it. I'm afraid the subject matter you are trying to find out is not going to happen with one story. Best of luck to you, if you have questions I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge. You will find that each person knows something a little different about their experience with electronics. I have found some people not fully understanding certain things, because they really just got started in electronics not too long ago or other reasons can throw you off course when you get into the hobby. Make sure what they say is true. It helps to back up what they say with a little research and ask others what they think. This will also increase your knowledge and verify to yourself you are on the right track. Once you start learning the stuff you will know when someone BS's you or not. I learned the hard way when i was younger. I am 49 years old now.