Good Beginner Electronics Book

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!

 

[Freelance Embedded System]

danikar@gmail.com wrote:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!

Forest Mims III wrote a number of booklets "Engineer's Mini-Notebook" that Radio Shack has stocked for years. These booklets are pretty basic, but focused and on target and a decent starting point. I doubt Radio Shack still carries these but you can find them elsewhere.

http://www.forrestmims.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mims
http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/whatyouneed.html

 

[Rich Webb]

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:31:19 -0700 (PDT), danikar@gmail.com wrote:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

The NEETS modules start from the basics and work up. They're probably
not all relevant (you may not need info on radars right away) and
somewhat dated but good info.

http://www.hnsa.org/index.htm has copies of these and other manuals;
drill down from the "Documents" link.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

 

[Michael Black]

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008, Kris Krieger wrote:

danikar@gmail.com wrote in news:217a24f3-3235-4c06-a004-
bc7b6d847b1b@q27g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!


I'm just beginning also, although I did take 2 semesters of physics,
albeit about 30 yrs ago

I also bought the "Electronics for Dummies" book, but the "introductory
explanations" left out a lot of important info, which I had to scribble
in from another reference.

I started by reading all the books in the children's library even remotely

connected (ie at the time there were a lot of books that were more
electrical than electronic) and then started reading the hobby magazines.

None of it made sense at first, but I kept buying the magazines, and
partly osmosis and who knows what else and it started to make sense.

IN some ways the early reading was thrown away, yet it was crucial
to what I built on it later. It's the same with the projects I tried
to build, the first few never worked yet if I'd not done them "until I
knew things" I might still be waiting.

In effect, I submerged myself in it, and then used books to explain
things as I needed them. Reference books that you can look things up,
rather than sit at page one and read through it, may be as important
as trying to learn by reading a book and then doing things.

The problem with that is the hobby magazines have mostly disappeared,
and at the very least no longer cost the fifty cents per issue that I paid
almost forty years ago, so the raw material isn't there to learn from.

Try multiple books rather than a single "One Big Suurce". Buy used or
go to the library so the cost isn't a big factor if you get a dud. Read
a book through, not stopping if you stall just rush through the parts you
don't grasp at first, and then work on another book. The other book may
fill in the gaps the first one had. Or once you get to the end, things
may be more obvious than earlier in the book, so you can go back and
fill in.

And learning suffers when things are abstract. If you're not ready
for a bit of information, it will be harder than if you have a practical
use for it. For that matter, for the hobbyist, there may be more need
for practical informatin, how to solder and where to buy parts, than
things like how a capacitor works. It may depend on whether you "want
to learn electronics" or "want to build things". The experience of
building will help to put the theory in context.

I once bought a dictionary of electronic terms, and while I've never used
it that much (when I bought it I was already loaded with books), it is
still useful every so often to look up a term. I don't know if that
sort of thing is still available.


Michael

 

[Jamie]

danikar@gmail.com wrote:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!
Go to radio shaft, and get one of those 101 Kits. it has all the

components with in, that are reusable.. it's a great tool for
getting started..

http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

 

[Sjouke Burry]

danikar@gmail.com wrote:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!
Why not download a very solid Navy electronics course??

Very good and very cheap, zero cents.
http://www.tech-systems-labs.com/navy.htm

 

[David L. Jones]

On Jun 3, 4:31 am, dani...@gmail.com wrote:

I am looking to learn more about electronics and what not. I have
looked at a few books and purchased one. However, I didn't like it
that much.

I got Electronic Projects for Dummies. The book started off like I was
going to understand it, then I got to chapter 5 and it asked me to buy
a bunch of components to put together this project. Some of the items
on the list I couldn't find even in the online stores that they
suggested in the book. The project was a little above me anyway.

What I am looking for is a book that will explain a concept to me,
like capacitors. Then give a few circuits that demonstrate what they
just explained to me. Is there anything like that? Or, do you
generally have to read through a book that is all explanation then get
another book that has circuits you can play with?

Thanks in advanced!

You'll almost certainly find that no one book will be right for you,
and recommendations won't mean much. You have to read a whole bunch of
them, and some of them will "click" for you and others won't.
The Talking Electronics books are quite eclectic but do a pretty good
job for the beginner:
http://www.talkingelectronics.com/AllKitsWithPics/Books.html

Dave.