Author Topic: basic electronics books  (Read 5896 times)

bitsnpieces1

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basic electronics books
« on: September 01, 2006, 03:17:58 PM »
  Hi, I found some links to the electronics mini-books that Radio Shack used to sell.  A majority of them seem to have been written by Forrest M. Mims. 
Amazon search under Mims, Forrest M. as author:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-6559292-5020936?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Mims%2C+Forrest+M.+&Go.x=12&Go.y=10

His website:
http://www.forrestmims.com/

The basic "get started" book:
http://www.w5yi.org/catalog_details.php?pid=34&sort=21&PHPSESSID=68dd002201cedb1ed7253ec90e78358b

A listing of what he's published:
http://www.forrestmims.org/pages/3/index.htm
Lister Petter AC1, Listeroid 12/1, Briggs & Stratton ZZ, various US Mil. surplus engines. Crosley (American) 4cyl marine engine(26hp).

mobile_bob

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2006, 03:30:29 PM »
Bits:

thank you for the link

i have been looking for the "engineers notebook" for ever, cool book of circuits most anyone handy with a soldering iron can put together.

what a group of books, wow

bob g
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Doug

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2006, 06:45:11 PM »
In my honest opion there is very little you need elelctronics for if you understand how things were done in the early electrical machines era ( pre semiconductor ).

Start there with machines that you can see and understand before you start throwing diodes and IGBTs at a problem.

Doug

bitsnpieces1

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2006, 08:26:39 PM »
mobile bob:   
  I was looking for them too.  I remember getting them at Radio Shack.  Apparently they don't sell them anymore although they do have a few kits he designed.  The original booklets were really nice for working on one thing at a time without overloading yourself. 

Doug:
  I haven't looked at these yet but the early ones from Radio Shack used mostly discrete stuff, real simple ICs like the 555 clock/timer.  Made it easier to understand and relate to purely mechanical stuff.  I would rather use stuff like relays & switches that I could repair but, at lot of these circuits could be retro'd to use them. 

  By the way I haven't had this stuff on my shelf, I have been hunting it like bob, just got 'real determined' and had some luck.  I need to look at my account balance to see if I can afford to get 'em all.
Lister Petter AC1, Listeroid 12/1, Briggs & Stratton ZZ, various US Mil. surplus engines. Crosley (American) 4cyl marine engine(26hp).

mobile_bob

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2006, 03:36:30 AM »
that is where i got mine years ago,, mid 70's i think at radio shack,

what i liked about the series was basically being able to use a integrated circuit with the discrete components and getting some hands on useful experience on some pretty cool circuits, not the phd stuff available these days.

freq to voltage converters, and the like for building tachometers and all sorts of stuff.

perhaps no one builds stuff at home anymore, that hasnt got a solid background in electronics?

i suppose it follows the demise of pop mech, pop science etc, gone are the cool projects one could build at home, in are the product manufactured  support of the magazines, and their ready made offerings.

no one fixes anything anymore, nothing?

in my business, we used to overhaul and repair every component of a truck, from alternators and starters, to injectors and pumps, you name it, we rebuilt it,,,, now sadly no one rebuilds much  of anything,, we have turned in our industry to parts changers.... that is why i hate the term "technician" 

to me in truck repair a technician = parts changer...... mechanic = component rebuilder

i know i have told this story before, but it bears retelling

back home in central kansas the county i grew up in has one very large "junk" yard,,, my dad is the only one that buys stuff from him.... because as the owner states "no one builds anything themselves anymore"  Dad figures fine! more to pick from for me, no competition!  :)

i bet we would be hard pressed to find 1% of the american public that builds much of anything mechanical, electrical or electronic today.... my bet is probably less than 10% even build a dog house or a deck, much less anything else

probably less than 1/10 or 1% , work with lister/oids or petter/oids or changfa's,,, pretty sad state of affairs in my opinion.

if the world as we know it does have a major hickup, it is going to be a very interesting time to live in.

i say, get your books, buy them whereever, study up, and try to get a younger kid interested in your projects,,, they will be the experimenters of tomorrow, and the schools are bailing out on it... so there is nowhere for kids to learn it.

i digress...

another book i would like to find again was an engineers quick and dirty book on setting up transistor circuits, none of the high end math etc... just some basic biasing equations to get a transistor to function in a circuit of simple design, close enough to work and do prototyping, then one could fine tune the values and finish the project..... can't find that one either.

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

Jim Mc

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2006, 04:31:57 AM »
...another book i would like to find again was an engineers quick and dirty book on setting up transistor circuits

Bob,

Please go out and get yourself an ARRL Handbook.  ARRL is the amateur radio group.  They have put together a decent 'bible' of basic electronics for MANY years.  Lots of stuff you won't need in there, but the older books (mid 70's) have a very good overview of transistors.  Check eBay, just saw a couple for about $5.

Jim


mobile_bob

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Re: basic electronics books
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2006, 05:54:37 AM »
thanks Jim

i have one from 1957 and a later one from early 60's,,, i should increase my collection into the 70's

put that on my to do list :)

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info