Isnt learning electronics fun - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2013, 04:35:07 pm
content: I didn't realise that learning electronics could be such fun, sitting in my Radio amateur shack a year ago, I would never have thought, that today a year on I have built my own test equipment, signal tracer & signal injector signal generators pulse generators , even a ramp generator designed by a fellow Radio amateur miles ahead of me. now I'm sitting here feeling very pleased with my self currently building a RF generator, which I'm not following anyone designs just winging it, I have the idea how it works, and I know what I want it to do apart from working when I switch it on,if it doesn't I have gained some knowledge how to trace the problems plenty of reading involved.So this is for anyone one starting out, this is a fun and yes at times a challenging hobby, how ever there are people on here , which have forgotten more than I will probably ever know, that said they are a really friendly bunch, and if your not a cocky know it all, they will help you every time, so from me thank you each and everyone who has and still is helping me, this 59 Year old Radio Ham enjoy his hobby even more.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2013, 07:11:09 pm
content: Quote from: M0BSW on December 07, 2013, 04:35:07 pmYeah, fun and interesting... Absolutely agree. Actually, I can't think of any one who read this forum regularly who would disagree. This is a self-selected group and only those who would agree visits regularly.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2013, 07:49:44 pm
content: I actually hate electronics. I'm only here for the free beer.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2013, 07:53:26 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on December 07, 2013, 07:49:44 pmGiven your helpfulness toward me, I owe you one for sure. Perhaps when you are next in north-central New Jersey, let me know...Rick

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2013, 07:47:33 pm
content: Quote from: M0BSW on December 07, 2013, 04:35:07 pmI can highly relate to your experience and I completely agree with your sentiments; this is a great hobby/endeavor (and I'm sure profession for the pros), and it's a great site with excellent members. Congrats on the strong learning and inspiring progress - Enjoy!

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2013, 08:39:30 pm
content: Quote from: M0BSW on December 07, 2013, 04:35:07 pmIt is great to see folks share their enthusiasm with others on a hobby they enjoy. Specially electronics that deal with RF. Electronics is fun, I can agree with that. Sitting in the shop myself looking over rebuilding an Icon IC-745 that I have had for years. But with the back load of equipment in for repair I should really be looking at those.Funny but I feel like us “RF guys” are a dying breed. With everyone walking around with their new-fangled phones and stuff, no one wants to work on ancient technology. I tried for years to get my kids involved in electronics but never could.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2013, 10:20:48 pm
content: Quote from: Radio Tech on December 08, 2013, 08:39:30 pmI’m with you all the way.Funny thing is, RF is not ancient technology (I realize your were being facetious). RF technology is the foundation of many extremely significant modern technologies (albeit often miniaturized and cost-reduced) including some very key "enabling" technologies. The next wave of Information Technology might sometimes be categorized under the umbrella of Cloud Computing but it is really Cloud Computing AND Cloud Networking (both wired and wireless), and as Cloud Computing makes huge amounts of virtualized computing resources (including hardware, software, and data) available and as it leverages the Internet, the largest proliferation of devices will be on the ever expanding "edge" of IT. These edge devices will generally be RF devices that will enable the largest percentage of the "Internet of Things". From mobile phones and wide area networked Machine to Machine devices to local area networked wifi, zigbee, UWB, bluetooth, and active RFID and passive RFID (including UHF, HF, and LF) devices, it's all going to require RF skills (at least to design, if not to use). In some respects technology will get both simpler (with standards and platforms) and more complex - all at the same time. In any event, for sure, RF is going to keep advancing and proliferating. Software, firmware, and hardware are all cool but RF is a special and valuable realm that is on the critical path to the future of society (so we should use it wisely). If new RF engineers don't learn some of the history and lessons from the current/previous generation of RF engineers the new generation would be missing golden opportunities to become better faster. And the next generation of engineers will have access to more powerful and cost-effective test equipment - which is a good thing.We should be building curriculums (and I'm sure almost every modern country is) from math and science to electrical engineering that span hardware, firmware, and software; we should be turning out the best and brightest RF engineers possible; and we should throw in a dose of history and business.In the meantime, anyone who enjoys EE in general and RF in particular (whether as a profession or a hobby) has access to more information and more cost-effective tools than ever before.Maybe you have to be an older person (or a younger person with a sense of history) to fully appreciate how cool these opportunities are....