Denial

Soldering, Circuitry, Capacitors, Modding, Hacking, etc. I often compare those with knowledge of electronics to those who know how to fix cars. You either have it or envy those with such knowledge.

How did you mostly learn about electronics?

Apprenticeship - Did your father teach you? Did someone walk you through it?

School - Did you learn from formal training by the way of a classroom?

Experimentation - Did you just blow stuff up, trail-and-error until you figured it out?

Books - Did you actually hit the library and read up on it?

Innate - You arrogant bastard. . . you were just born with it!

I'm not going to make this a poll because I want to understand the stories.

Although I only understand the very basics about electronics and can solder simple things from a layout, I took a class in years 7-9 (c:a 14-15 years old) which was supposed to teach technology, electronics and computing. In reality though most of the other students were the lazy, rowdy ones who hang around there because it was the least demanding subject, compared to taking a class in German, French, economy and so on. I might have been an oddball, generally study motivated with good grades taking a such course.

We got to use the school computers some. While I programmed in COMAL (an improved, Danish Basic dialect) the other students played the few games available. In the electronics section I tried to build an adapter to use a regular tape recorder with my VIC/64, but of course it didn't work. Perhaps I didn't really learn anything from this class, but I kind of liked the idea. The teacher unfortunately had his hands full of keeping students apart and not using soldering irons to fight with.

Dick Smith Fun Way into Electronics kit -> School -> University -> Working at a hardware company for a year

Electronics isn't much different to me than programming (which is my actual job, Senior Java Developer)

Of course I'm talkng mostly digital with a bit of analogue, like don't get me to design you a stereo or anything.

My Uncle taught me some stuff
and school taught me transistors
then I went to work doing software support and have forgotten most things even down to how to read a resistors value...

<shrug> ho hum

I've only become interested in electronics since I bought my first VIC a few months ago. I'm gradually picking it up.

I actually have my first repair job (non-VIC related). I recently acquired a Sega Game Gear that needs a new sound transistor chip. I found all the information on the internet and now I'm just working up the nerve to give it a go.

I didn't think I'd actually buy another Game Gear (I loved my old one too much). It was a pretty good deal; one fully-working GG, another in need of repair, seven games, carry case, mains adaptor, battery pack (an absolute essential for the Game Gear) for £23. (It would have been £10 but for some D-bag upping the anti in the last 20 seconds).

I learned programming from the pack-in User's Guide, then trail-and-error, then the Programmer's Reference Guide, and then a whole lot of trial-and-error. Actually, a lot of what I learned came from here, Denial.

I've never been able to learn hardware. I feel like I need someone to teach me techniques for proper soldering -- reading about it doesn't seem to help.

I'm still learning!

However, it was mostly experimentation and trial and error. When I get time to get back into it I will make a more consciencious effort and get some books and learn the theory more intimately.

Jeff-20 wrote:I learned programming from the pack-in User's Guide, then trail-and-error, then the Programmer's Reference Guide, and then a whole lot of trial-and-error. Actually, a lot of what I learned came from here, Denial.

I've never been able to learn hardware. I feel like I need someone to teach me techniques for proper soldering -- reading about it doesn't seem to help.

I found an online video for surface mount soldering.

http://www.curiousinventor.com/guides/S ... dering/101

My Dad. He was a field engineer for a big computer company, and he taught me a lot about electronics and soldering, so by the time I was 12, I knew how to use a multimeter and a soldering iron. Later, I studied electronics in high school and breezed through it. I don't do it as much as I'd like to, because my interests keep changing; ebbing and flowing like the tides, and changing like the seasons. Thing is, the machines my father used to work on were also mechanical, and by age 7 I was taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again. To this day, I still tear down my bikes to the ball bearings and build them back up again, and there's not much I can't fix with my car. My only problem lately has been motivation.

All of the above.

I started in 7th grade back in the early 80s. Mom said I could have a TV if I bought it so I picked up a 19" B&W TV at a garage sale for $2. It worked for a couple of days then died.

My uncle David, the handyman, came over and we pulled the tubes out. We took them to the local drug store, used the tube tester, and bought a replacement for a bad one. After reassembling it, it worked like a champ and I could play my Atari 2600 in peace without having to share the big TV in the living room.

I was hooked. I bought the book "Getting Started in Electronics" from Radio Shack and read it cover to cover. My uncle Dave (Brother in Law to Uncle David) owned a TV repair shop and he helped me learn more advanced schematic reading and troubleshooting.

I bought a TRS-80 Color Computer in 8th grade. When the 90 day warranty was up I upgraded it myself to 64K DRAM. Move 3 jumpers, solder 1 jumper, and cut 8 caps then put in the 4164 in place of the 4116 DRAM. A couple months later I fried it by unplugging a home brew cart. I bought the service manual and decided it was the CPU. I ordered one and my Uncle Dave installed it. It was working again.

By 9th grade I was fixing TVs for friends.

I've read all kinds of books on electronics but mainly digital. There's something about digital circuits that make sense - like when reading RAMs or ROMs and you have to decode things to get the CE* and OE* lines to activate.

In college I repaired a few video games for a local arcade. I also picked up a complete Apple II+ system for $20. It was dead, but 74 cents in 74LS logic later it was fixed. After leaving college (after only 1 year) I sold the computer to a computer broker and we got to talking about how I repaired it. I helped him get started in repairing computers.

School was fun. Well if you could call this school: I took a week long class from Pace on using their soldering equipment, including surface mount. A job in the mid 90s paid for that - I was doing component level repairs on Apple II and Macs. I was at that point working for the computer broker I helped. The salary and hours were VERY nice back then.

Today I work for a large corporation but for the last (almost) 4 years I've had my web based business too - selling components and fixing boards for people.

I'm still learning. Every arcade game, game console, and computer board I repair is a learning experience. I have a knack for working on this stuff and can only thank the good Lord for this ability.

Raymond

I bought my first soldering iron this year.

When I was little my day would show me stuff like how to solder. He was a radio technician. We also had books for beginners.

I was more interested in other things like programming and I didn't see how useful electronics could be back then.

Now I buy kits and solder them and am looking at studying EE at University.

It started in the Service - U.S. Army Security Agency, Military Intelligence (electronic countermeasures). I was in the operations
end of things. Went across the hall to the maintenance shop and discovered some tech manuals. Most interesting!!! Asked a lot of
questions from everybody. A computer op/tech said that I was picking up on how the computer worked in one day that took him
3 weeks to learn. (I figured some people are slow learners!) After 4 years and an Honorable Discharge, went back to school to
finish my Police Science Degree. Even with a G.P.A. of 3.1, I reluctantly concluded that being a cop - er - Police Officer - may
not be the best way to go. So, back to school I went; this time to a Trade/Tech center to pick up my electronic maintenance
skills (dumb me had to pay for this out of my own pocket! I could of had the Army do that as a bargaining chip when they offered
me $20,000 U.S. in 1969 to stay in. So much for brains!!) The track I was on was for the F.C.C. 1st class Radio/Telephone
License. After a couple of months - and hearing how tough the F.C.C. test was - I took the test just to check it out. It scared me to
find out I almost passed that sucker!! Scared - because I didn't know any thing!!!! The test was very straight forward - no tricks.
They would give you a schematic of a working transmitter. They would then tell you what individual part failed and how it failed
and then point you to a specific point somewhere else on the schematic and you have to tell them what anomaly shows up at that
specific point given that bad part!! That means you have to be able to read a schematic and figure out how the unit works in
the first place. AARRRRGGG. Interesting - I never once thought about going back and being a cop. I was going to learn this
even if it killed me!! The book we were using was the Q & A (questions and answers) for the F.C.C. 1st Class Lic. Most informative!
For you fellows just learning electronics, the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) puts out a number of very good basic electronics
books. Check into them at any good bookstore such as 'Barnes and Noble', Borders, ect. Since this was the early '70's, we studied
everything from tubes (valves for you guys across the pond) to transistors and integrated circuits, analog and digital, and everything
in between. Graduated with honors, passed the F.C.C. test with flying colors, and went to work for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph
(that's what got me out into the desert) back when Ma Bell was still Ma Bell. After a while, went to work for Bendix Field Engineering
Corp. at the Goldstone Tracking Complex as an Electronic Tech. The Complex is about 50 miles due north of Barstow, Calif.,
a two hour drive out of Los Angeles on I-10/I-15 towards Las Vegas, Nev. They sent me to numerous tech schools for their equipment
- mostly tape recorders (voice, video, scientific's, high data rate - you name it, if it pulled tape, I was taught how to operate and
maintain it!). After a few years, they started cross-training me on Pulse Code Modulation Frame Synchronizers, Shuttle Video
Systems, Down Stream Telemetry Systems, and a touch of 85ft dish antenna control systems. In other words, lots of mechanics,
lots of electronics to control those mechanics, and lots of I.C.'s for signal processing. They even taught me how to solder the NASA
way! I loved it!! It was the company I had difficulty with. Enough said about that. After 14 years, I got out. Electronics was also
becoming a major hobby of mine, so, I continued my studies on my own. Even though I'm retired now, I don't think I'll ever stop
learning!!! I've built a general purpose variable 12vdc 5A p/s (it needs to be up graded to 24vdc 30A for my outdoor garden railroad),
a tape interface for the VIC/C-64 (no motor control; I can only record whole programs - no data files which is O.K. for the time
being), and a 50 ohm interface for the industrial equipment out at Goldstone (while I was there - I wanted to see what was going
on inside the VIC; most interesting! Put the VIC data on a high speed tape, played the tape back at reduced speed (16 to 1) to a
chart recorder for a permanent record). Made a break-out box for the VIC's p/s and one for the Video/Audio port. Hmmm - I think
I better stop here; some of this stuff looks like it belongs in another forum.
Checked out "channelmaniac"s web site - excellent "repair log". I hope this peaks somebodies noodle - or - what ever it is
between our ears.

Bye for now -

Phil Potter.

What little theoretical knowledge I have I learned partly in high school back in the 80s, partly by reading articles in old computer mags online during the last few years.

My more practical skills with a soldering iron was picked up in the last six to eight years building an EPROM programmer and two Sinclair ZX81s, and repairing and modding my Commodore computers.

from about the age of ten, i messed around with light bulbs, batteries and motors from old toys. from there it was the Dick Smith Fun Way series of books and projects. Later on in high school, i learned a bit more in electricial class (ironic name for that class). Although I am still no expert, it is nice to be able to look at a circuit diagram and have some idea of what is going on.

Commander#1 wrote:It started in the Service - U.S. Army Security Agency, Military Intelligence (electronic countermeasures). I was in the operations
end of things. Went across the hall to the maintenance shop and discovered some tech manuals. Most interesting!!! Asked a lot of
questions from everybody. A computer op/tech said that I was picking up on how the computer worked in one day that took him
3 weeks to learn. (I figured some people are slow learners!) After 4 years and an Honorable Discharge, went back to school to
finish my Police Science Degree. Even with a G.P.A. of 3.1, I reluctantly concluded that being a cop - er - Police Officer - may
not be the best way to go. So, back to school I went; this time to a Trade/Tech center to pick up my electronic maintenance
skills (dumb me had to pay for this out of my own pocket! I could of had the Army do that as a bargaining chip when they offered
me $20,000 U.S. in 1969 to stay in. So much for brains!!)

ASA? You old-timer!

You should have let them train you! My MOS series was 33 (electronic warfare maintenance, now 35T), and the component-level training was killer. We did 22 weeks of theory (7 hours a day, 4.5 days a week) and 25 weeks of systems theory of operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance. Basically it was like an associate's degree without the humanities, but we got to break and fix everything from HF receivers to minicomputers and magnetic storage systems. I got through the school before it transitioned from component level maintenance to board level.

Anyway, I'm biased, but I think that anybody pursuing a career in computing should have at least a cursory knowledge of electronics, even if it's part of a physics class.

Then again, maybe my point of view is flawed: what happens when optical machines and quantum computers are the norm?


Bill