Colleen in NS Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi all, I am researching self-teaching books in electronics for my son, who loves to learn these types of things (computer programming) on his own. I came across the MAKE Electronics book, and found this thread that speaks favourably about it: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=407732&highlight=electronics. I also found this book: http://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Electronics-Self-Teaching-Guide-Projects/dp/1118217322/ref=dp_ob_title_bk. Can anyone compare these? Has anyone used the second book? Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I don't know anything about the second, but I love the MAKE Electronics book. My husband and other electrical engineering friends look at the book, like an old friend making comments about loving all the projects in the book. (The way my electrical friends drool over the MAKE Electronics book is very similar to how I am with the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments which is more in my own field.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) MAKE Electronics book and an Arduino kit for programming if he is interested. ETA: dismantling old radios, video tape recorders and other old electronic gadgets are great for self study of electronics too. Edited November 7, 2012 by Arcadia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee in MI Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 My son ninth grade has been working independently (with an occasional assist from my husband) through the Make:Electronics book and has learned a lot. If you use it, buy the kits. I tried to assemble parts piece by piece for the first kit. It was difficult and expensive. I bought the second kit, and it is nicely put together. You can order the kits from Radio Shack or from MakerShed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi! (Imagine me waving vigorously in the wind lol) I've tried learning electronics out of a book. It doesn't stick, somehow. I found that we needed three things to make it work: a book (we liked the Make one), fun (non-boring) kits, and somebody to answer questions, preferably immediately, like grampa at the other end of the phone or a thriving online community with enough people that there isn't a 24 hour wait for answers (we've found these very supportive). The process isn't exactly cheap but it works better than a class or a book. Do you have an amateur radio (ham) club near you? I bet you do. They typically are full of grampas who would love to help a youngster. Getting the license is a fun goal, too. Also, it helps to have a Radio Shack next to the grocery store, so when your son breaks one component, a replacement can be bought speedily. (Don't worry - these are relatively cheap. So are soldering irons.) I also agree with the advice to collect up any broken electical appliances to be taken apart or scrounged for parts. Taking them apart with someone to explain how it works (like on the phone) is a good idea. Youtube is good for finding out how things work, too. Have fun! Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Thanks everyone for your feedback! Looks like the MAKE book is pretty popular. Ds does take things apart to figure out how they work (including his laptop that someone gave him, that he does some of his schoolwork on!!). Dh studied electronics a long time ago, and sometimes is able to do stuff with him. Right now ds has an electronics kit he likes to work on, but he wants more. That MAKE book looks like more. Nan, we have something like a Radio Shack nearby, and they do stock parts. Waving furiously back at you! I will try to e-mail you sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 There is this course as well, which my son is anxious to take in the next year or two: http://www.quickstudylabs.com/ Has access to an instructor, uses kits, etc. and he even offers a soldering course! Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 My oldest, who had to take electronics in college, insisted that we get the multi-meter kit his class did for youngest. Just another kit idea... Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Island Academy Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 MAKE Electronics book and an Arduino kit for programming if he is interested. ETA: dismantling old radios, video tape recorders and other old electronic gadgets are great for self study of electronics too. :iagree: My oldest has an Arduino Uno (micro-controller) and a Raspberry Pi (micro-computer). The folks at the Raspberry Pi Foundation just chose him as a guest blogger a couple days ago, and he wrote about the robot he built using his Raspberry Pi. Here's a link if your're interested in seeing it: Repurposing a Roomba He is also lucky to have a dad that brings home lots of electronic parts/pieces/wires, and discarded devices to take apart, and a relaxed school schedule so he can "play around" with it all. He loves reading MAKE Magazine and Instructables.com can be fun, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 There is this course as well, which my son is anxious to take in the next year or two: http://www.quickstudylabs.com/ Has access to an instructor, uses kits, etc. and he even offers a soldering course! Cindy Thank you! My oldest, who had to take electronics in college, insisted that we get the multi-meter kit his class did for youngest. Just another kit idea...Nan Dh has one of these that he uses sometimes with ds. I'm thinking I'm going to get the MAKE book and then branch out into kits and/or supplies once ds has an overview in hand. He loves reading MAKE Magazine Hmmm....Christmas present maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 (edited) Dh is doing this with our children so I asked him for his experience. Dear Colleen, I'm a homeschooling Dad who started feeding my children's interest in electronics. Our journey started when my son Joshua got a Snap Circuits kit at age 6-7. I'm an RF engineer, and over the years I've found the brightest technicians and engineers are amateur radio operators (after all these are the guys that design and build their own transmitters, receivers, and antennas for fun). I start my children off with ham radio, our two boys got their Technician license (the entry level ham radio license in the US) at age 8. Once my children get all of their amateur licenses I get them involved in studying for commercial radio licenses (in the US many of the licenses require electronics knowledge, and study guides are available). Currently my 14 year old daughter (which has every commercial and amateur license available in the U.S, is studying for her Certified Electronics Technician certification with the ETA-I. The backbone of her learning electronics (after amateur radio) is by reading “Electronics for Computer Technology” by David Terrell (2003). You can find a copy on amazon fairly cheaply. After she reads a chapter in the book, we watch the free videos that go along with it on the allaboutcircuits.com website (link below). When you get your book, try to find one that still has the CD in it. The CD has a version of Electronics Workbench along with sample circuits that go along with the book. With electronics workbench you get to see how circuits would work, using a computer program. You can even design your own circuits and test them out on Electronics Workbench (saves money in burnt components). If your child wants to go on to an electronics certification the ETA-I has a study guide available. I would recommend going through the Terrell book first. Also, you can get the US. Navy electronics curriculum downloaded for free off the internet, the NEETS series. We start with the Terrell book and use the NEETS modules for specific areas we need help in (like motors and alternators, radar, etc). You will also find some good electronics videos at learnersTV.com. Their basic electronics videos are good, the instructor teaches physics in India. I bring home electronics things for the kids to take apart as well, but I don't let the children take apart CRT monitors. Also, make sure your kids wash their hands when they are done (lead). http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/videos/index.html Hope this helps! Edited November 10, 2012 by Melinda S in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 Dh is doing this with our children so I asked him for his experience. Dear Colleen, I'm a homeschooling Dad who started feeding my children's interest in electronics. Our journey started when my son Joshua got a Snap Circuits kit at age 6-7. I'm an RF engineer, and over the years I've found the brightest technicians and engineers are amateur radio operators (after all these are the guys that design and build their own transmitters, receivers, and antennas for fun). I start my children off with ham radio, our two boys got their Technician license (the entry level ham radio license in the US) at age 8. Once my children get all of their amateur licenses I get them involved in studying for commercial radio licenses (in the US many of the licenses require electronics knowledge, and study guides are available). Currently my 14 year old daughter (which has every commercial and amateur license available in the U.S, is studying for her Certified Electronics Technician certification with the ETA-I. The backbone of her learning electronics (after amateur radio) is by reading “Electronics for Computer Technology†by David Terrell (2003). You can find a copy on amazon fairly cheaply. After she reads a chapter in the book, we watch the free videos that go along with it on the allaboutcircuits.com website (link below). When you get your book, try to find one that still has the CD in it. The CD has a version of Electronics Workbench along with sample circuits that go along with the book. With electronics workbench you get to see how circuits would work, using a computer program. You can even design your own circuits and test them out on Electronics Workbench (saves money in burnt components). If your child wants to go on to an electronics certification the ETA-I has a study guide available. I would recommend going through the Terrell book first. Also, you can get the US. Navy electronics curriculum downloaded for free off the internet, the NEETS series. We start with the Terrell book and use the NEETS modules for specific areas we need help in (like motors and alternators, radar, etc). You will also find some good electronics videos at learnersTV.com. Their basic electronics videos are good, the instructor teaches physics in India. I bring home electronics things for the kids to take apart as well, but I don't let the children take apart CRT monitors. Also, make sure your kids wash their hands when they are done (lead). http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/videos/index.html Hope this helps! Melinda and dh, thank you so much! When I get a chance, I will come back and read this more closely - it was very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 There is this course as well, which my son is anxious to take in the next year or two: http://www.quickstudylabs.com/ Has access to an instructor, uses kits, etc. and he even offers a soldering course! Cindy Thank you so much for posting this! It looks awesome for my ds for next year! I may even have him do the first course this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 That's a really good point about not taking apart old monitors or tvs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Thanks for starting this thread! I have been thinking about getting something like this for dd, who wants to be a mechanical or aeronautical engineer. I will get this book (Make) for her for Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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