Simple Electronics Guide

[AlexDring]

Is there a website that explains or shows how to build what I would consider simple electronic assemblies. I would like to put together some leds for stop lights and such and some simple circuits. Is there any reference out there for a nonelectrical type of guy? In a way, electronics for dummies. The most complex I would try is LCDs showing like temputure from a sensor or an alarm going off if a temp is acheived or a conditions is set. I know this is way below what you guys in here are used to, sorry to bore you with simple things.

 

[leanne]

Have you looked at howstuffworks.com?

 

[AlexDring]

I have on other things, love the site. But I never looked at it for electronics. I will check the site for it. Thanks.

 

[OperaHouse]

There are a number of kits on

http://www.electronics123.com

but they still require some basic knowledge. We learn from failure. Give yourself a subscription to Popular Electronics. I was employed part time repairing electronics while I was still in high school so it is possible to learn electronics just by reading.

 

[busbar]

Another is

http://www.epanorama.net

 

[peebee]

To really get an understanding of basic practical electronics theory, I'd recommend checking out some university bookstores for 1st-year electronics course textbooks.

 

[AlexDring]

Peebee- I have actually, some friends of mine are EE like you guys and they gave or let me borrowed there books. I am a visual learner though, I usually learn by doing it once. I then went out and got the proto boards and things, power supply, but that is as far as I got.

So reading about that stuff is hard for me more then other subjects, I cant seem to digust it as easy compared to others. Some in terms of explaining how a system worked, like LED's. Something that said how they worked, what they needed to work, most common configurations, and so on. I am probaly way off, asking too much. I think I might check the college and see what classes I might take.

 

[peebee]

It's worth the time, AlexDring, to read the books or take a class.

Even relatively simple circuits, such as those in Radio Shack 10-in-one or 100-in-one kits, can be rather mind-boggling to reverse-engineer without having been trained to recognize some relatively common circuit topologies.

By the way, those 10-in-one and 100-in-one kits are a great source of basic circuit schematics and a cheap way to experiment on them. Unfortunately, the kits do not provide much in the way of explanation of how the circuits actually work or how to design similar circuits.

 

[AlexDring]

Well shoot, I guess if I have too, I will. I have too many little thoughts in my head that need minor electronics to make them useful thoughts. I was hoping and reaching to see if there was a "hey stupid" book. In order to understand is about the only time you can really do anything with something. Your right Peebee, thanks for the input.

 

[advidana]

Try radio shack they have kits on electronic

 

[kkoorndyk]

Radio Shack has small, inexpensive basic electronics books I used in high school. At the time, I felt they expressed the ideas and information for the non-engineer fairly well.

Otherwise, there is plenty of information on the web.

 

[leanne]

Oooh, I checked out

http://www.epanorama.net

(suggested by busbar) & it is a pretty cool site....

 

[Baldor]

Here's a page with dozens of links:

http://www.drbob.net/otherlinks/index.html

 

[AlexDring]

Nice site Baldor