Newbie: tips on how to start?

[terryS]

On Jul 14, 12:12 pm, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com> wrote:

John Fields wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:47:45 +0100, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com
wrote:

I'm looking into picking up electronics as a hobby.  What advice can you
spare?

---
stay away from sci.electronics.design.

Why is that?

Rui Maciel

I built my first electrical circuit at the age of 11 or 12 (1946-47)
while living in house that had no electrcity, only gas, for heating
lighting and cooking. It was nothing more than a couple of switches, a
battery and a lamp mounted on a piece of plywood. Couple of years
later built my first radio and it worked; sort of! Went on from there
experimenting learning how to solder correctly, was given a couple of
books. Acquired old bits of radios and things electrical, jars of
screws nuts, bolts tape, tubing, brackets etc. etc. Broke quite few
things and/or didn't fix em, while learning but it was cheap learning
at that.
Later learned electrical theory which explained why and how things
worked.
That led to a 40 year career in telecommunications and other
opportunities ................... now approaching 80 I still dabble
and first inclination is to fix something that is broken than replace
it. And truthfully most of the stuff around here is kinda old but it
works fine.
Whether you make or fix something yourself, contract it or out or buy
anything outright one finds oneself much more knowledgeable and
willing to get advice. The effect on the bank account is also healthy
and one ends up debt free and able to sleep at night!
Must go and put the battery back in one of the three smoke detectors;
had to take it out recently when very humid weather kept setting it
off. the other two on the main floor not as sensitive!
Fiddle and have fun and wonder and learn as you go along; it can be
anything from making a watch battery fit with a piece of tin foil to
wiring up a speaker for the patio. Just work safe.
Oops just remembered that I was vacuuming the spare bedroom yesterday
and one of the outlets is cracked, must replace that right
away .......... safety item.

 

[Jamie]

terryS wrote:

On Jul 14, 12:12 pm, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com> wrote:

John Fields wrote:

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:47:45 +0100, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com
wrote:

I'm looking into picking up electronics as a hobby. What advice can you
spare?

---
stay away from sci.electronics.design.

Why is that?

Rui Maciel


I built my first electrical circuit at the age of 11 or 12 (1946-47)
while living in house that had no electrcity, only gas, for heating
lighting and cooking. It was nothing more than a couple of switches, a
battery and a lamp mounted on a piece of plywood. Couple of years
later built my first radio and it worked; sort of! Went on from there
experimenting learning how to solder correctly, was given a couple of
books. Acquired old bits of radios and things electrical, jars of
screws nuts, bolts tape, tubing, brackets etc. etc. Broke quite few
things and/or didn't fix em, while learning but it was cheap learning
at that.
Later learned electrical theory which explained why and how things
worked.
That led to a 40 year career in telecommunications and other
opportunities ................... now approaching 80 I still dabble
and first inclination is to fix something that is broken than replace
it. And truthfully most of the stuff around here is kinda old but it
works fine.
Whether you make or fix something yourself, contract it or out or buy
anything outright one finds oneself much more knowledgeable and
willing to get advice. The effect on the bank account is also healthy
and one ends up debt free and able to sleep at night!
Must go and put the battery back in one of the three smoke detectors;
had to take it out recently when very humid weather kept setting it
off. the other two on the main floor not as sensitive!
Fiddle and have fun and wonder and learn as you go along; it can be
anything from making a watch battery fit with a piece of tin foil to
wiring up a speaker for the patio. Just work safe.
Oops just remembered that I was vacuuming the spare bedroom yesterday
and one of the outlets is cracked, must replace that right
away .......... safety item.

8 Years old, I was given a gift at xmas where it had knife switches,
duals,singles etc, lights, buzzers and battery holders. I made my first
3 and 4 way switches to operating bells and lights.. then I got the
idea to apply that to the house. That's where I was stopped! At age 10,
I helped my father wire the barn. That's when I learned how the
electricians did those fancy light circuits. I told my father I thought
the electrical parts were a little too basic and should be improved. He
told me to learn electronics and get out of his hair because it was
beyond him!


I was dangerous then!

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On 16 Jul 2010 08:45:11 GMT, Jasen Betts <jasen@xnet.co.nz> wrote:

On 2010-07-15, baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:
Jasen Betts Inscribed thus:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often
than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up
hitting or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock
itself." DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle
contracts and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.


Nasty ! I'm glad he's OK. I use a GFI on power tool cables.

Didn't have them back in 1975, plastic power tools tools were a
rarity too.

If by "plastic" you mean double-insulated, no, by 75 they were *very* common.
They started coming out in the mid '60s, IIRC, and were ubiquitous by '75.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

"Ron M." wrote:

Yep. RF burns are kinda painful too. But I bet it doesn't compare with
that infamous second anode. That one will make you change your shorts
for sure. That is if your still able to. Hit one of those when I was
in high school. Haven't touched a TV inside once since.

Wimp. I've worked with techs who would reach out and touch the
second anode lead with their bare hand to test for high voltage.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up hitting
or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock itself."
DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle contracts
and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.

It would be simpler to make sure you can't cut the cord with the saw.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Jamie wrote:

terryS wrote:

On Jul 14, 12:12 pm, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com> wrote:

John Fields wrote:

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:47:45 +0100, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com
wrote:

I'm looking into picking up electronics as a hobby. What advice can you
spare?

---
stay away from sci.electronics.design.

Why is that?

Rui Maciel


I built my first electrical circuit at the age of 11 or 12 (1946-47)
while living in house that had no electrcity, only gas, for heating
lighting and cooking. It was nothing more than a couple of switches, a
battery and a lamp mounted on a piece of plywood. Couple of years
later built my first radio and it worked; sort of! Went on from there
experimenting learning how to solder correctly, was given a couple of
books. Acquired old bits of radios and things electrical, jars of
screws nuts, bolts tape, tubing, brackets etc. etc. Broke quite few
things and/or didn't fix em, while learning but it was cheap learning
at that.
Later learned electrical theory which explained why and how things
worked.
That led to a 40 year career in telecommunications and other
opportunities ................... now approaching 80 I still dabble
and first inclination is to fix something that is broken than replace
it. And truthfully most of the stuff around here is kinda old but it
works fine.
Whether you make or fix something yourself, contract it or out or buy
anything outright one finds oneself much more knowledgeable and
willing to get advice. The effect on the bank account is also healthy
and one ends up debt free and able to sleep at night!
Must go and put the battery back in one of the three smoke detectors;
had to take it out recently when very humid weather kept setting it
off. the other two on the main floor not as sensitive!
Fiddle and have fun and wonder and learn as you go along; it can be
anything from making a watch battery fit with a piece of tin foil to
wiring up a speaker for the patio. Just work safe.
Oops just remembered that I was vacuuming the spare bedroom yesterday
and one of the outlets is cracked, must replace that right
away .......... safety item.

8 Years old, I was given a gift at xmas where it had knife switches,
duals,singles etc, lights, buzzers and battery holders. I made my first
3 and 4 way switches to operating bells and lights.. then I got the
idea to apply that to the house. That's where I was stopped! At age 10,
I helped my father wire the barn. That's when I learned how the
electricians did those fancy light circuits. I told my father I thought
the electrical parts were a little too basic and should be improved. He
told me to learn electronics and get out of his hair because it was
beyond him!

I built a radio at age eight.

I was dangerous then!

You still are.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Michael Black wrote:

On Thu, 15 Jul 2010, Phil wrote:

On Jul 13, 1:47 am, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm looking into picking up electronics as a hobby. What advice can you spare?

Thanks in advance,
Rui Maciel

Become a part of a forum and mingle with other hobbyists..

He's already done that, he posted here.

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:28:04 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up hitting
or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock itself."
DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle contracts
and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.


It would be simpler to make sure you can't cut the cord with the saw.

Batteries? ;-)

 

[Rui Maciel]

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?


Rui Maciel

 

[BobG]

On Jul 17, 8:45 am, Rui Maciel <rui.mac...@gmail.com> wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.
In your opinion what's the difference?
Rui Maciel
=============================You can edit your typos in your own messages in a forum?

 

[Tim Wescott]

On 07/17/2010 05:45 AM, Rui Maciel wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?

USENET has newsgroups, the web has forums.

This is a USENET newsgroup. It's echoed on a few web pages, but it's
still USENET.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:50:17 -0700, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:

On 07/17/2010 05:45 AM, Rui Maciel wrote:
Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?

USENET has newsgroups, the web has forums.

Bzzzt! A "forum" is a place for public discussion.

This is a USENET newsgroup. It's echoed on a few web pages, but it's
still USENET.

....and is a public forum.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forum

Main Entry: foˇrum
Pronunciation: \?fo?r-?m\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural forums also foˇra \-?\
Etymology: Latin; akin to Latin foris outside, fores door — more at door
Date: 15th century

1 b : a public meeting place for open discussion c : a medium (as
a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas

 

[Rui Maciel]

Tim Wescott wrote:

USENET has newsgroups, the web has forums.

This is a USENET newsgroup. It's echoed on a few web pages, but it's
still USENET.

You seem to be a bit confused. As it was already pointed out, a forum is nothing more than a public
meeting place for open discussion. Sites which are ran on software packages such as phpBB are still
forums, just like any usenet newsgroup you happen to come across. Just to drive the point home,
google offers a web interface to usenet newsgroups through it's google groups service. Do you
believe that accessing sci.electronics.basics through google groups would make it a forum but
accessing it through a usenet client would take that definition away from it?


Rui Maciel

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Michael A. Terrell <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

"Ron M." wrote:

Yep. RF burns are kinda painful too. But I bet it doesn't compare with
that infamous second anode. That one will make you change your shorts
for sure. That is if your still able to. Hit one of those when I was
in high school. Haven't touched a TV inside once since.


Wimp. I've worked with techs who would reach out and touch the
second anode lead with their bare hand to test for high voltage.

What's this second anode?

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

"krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz" wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:28:04 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:


Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up hitting
or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock itself."
DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle contracts
and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.


It would be simpler to make sure you can't cut the cord with the saw.

Batteries? ;-)

I've never seen a battery operated saw I would buy.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Rui Maciel wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?

Usenet is hosted on multiple servers around the world. A 'Forum' is
hosted on a single machine, or a single, small server farm.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2010-07-18, Michael A. Terrell <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

Rui Maciel wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?

A 'Forum' is
hosted on a single machine, or a single, small server farm.

That requirement seems very arbitrary.


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2010-07-17, Michael A. Terrell <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up hitting
or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock itself."
DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle contracts
and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.

It would be simpler to make sure you can't cut the cord with the saw.

This is a handheld critular saw. a cord short enough to be
intrinsically safe isn't long enough to be useful.

But, yeah, definately more care would have helped.


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:48:41 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

"krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz" wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:28:04 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:


Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2010-07-14, Baron <baron.nospam@linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote:

How often do people drop dead from actual electrocutions in places
that use 240, just doing plain tasks like you might at home or
outside?

People do die from electrocution on 240 volt AC mains. More often than
not the reflex action causes you to pull away. I agree with your
comment that "the danger is almost always from what you end up hitting
or falling off (like a ladder) /into than from the shock itself."
DC is far more likely to kill you, simply because the muscle contracts
and makes it impossible to let go.

AC can do that too, My dad had trouble putting a skilsaw down after
cutting the lead. luckily he was able to out-distance the extension
lead. Next time he used it with an isolating transformer.


It would be simpler to make sure you can't cut the cord with the saw.

Batteries? ;-)


I've never seen a battery operated saw I would buy.

I have a 9.6V 3-3/8" Makita circular saw that worked great on cedar siding. I
could even use it while on the ladder. I resided my house in VT with it. It
paid for itself in that one job but I haven't found much other use for it.

http://www.makitapowertoolsonline.com/Cordless-Circular-Saws/Makita-5090D-Cordless-Circular-Saw.html

A couple of years ago I bought an 18V 6-1/2" Dewalt circular saw. It's *very*
useful. I've used it to cut down several sheets of 3/4" ply.

http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-saws-circular-saws-dc390k.aspx

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:51:10 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

Rui Maciel wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

This isn't a forum, it's a newsgroup.

In your opinion what's the difference?


Usenet is hosted on multiple servers around the world. A 'Forum' is
hosted on a single machine, or a single, small server farm.

Care to give a citation for that definition? A forum is simply a (place for)
public discussion.