ELECTRONICS ROADMAP

That's an _excellent_ resource. I once purchased (cost a fortune in shipping fees) a whole boxload of secondhand "Ham Radio" magazines (it was a US publication, which lasted until late 1990's I think, but wasn't easily available here).. That is a fantastic journal, I still browse through them. 

For both of these resources, it is not just ham radio content, it's also very general-purpose, applicable to all sorts of practical electronics.

colporteur said:

AARL Handbook for Radio Communications

I've heard good things about this. Isn't it a 6 book volume set?

Interesting.. I think it wasn't in the past, but looks like it's been split up now. It grows in each edition, due to many authors. An older edition would still be useful though. There's also other good ARRL books, but some of them are more specialist, whereas the Handbook was more generally applicable.

I recall spending a few nights laying on the floor of my girlfriends home trying to come to grips with Reactance Theory, Vector Algebra and Impedance. The mathematics  associated with it seemed daunting. I don't think I could calculate the impedance of a circuit now without a lot of google help.

Three years after leaving college I was isolated at a station north of 64 degrees trying to program this bad boy to calculate 2 cycle error using fourier analysis. According to the manual, the TI66 could be programmed to take input from an array of antennas and return a value that would enable the user to determine if the power required to alter the radio beam in the sky needed to be increased up or down. The main transmitter put out 100W and the subcarrier (two singnal out of phase ) were 1W. Diode in the sky theory indicated they would mix to produce a beam for each radial on the compass. 

The equipment available at the time to measure signals wasn't capable of fine tuning the 1W to say .867W. The solution make an adjustment. Do fourier analysis and determine if the 2 cycle error went up or down. Up meant you went the wrong way with the power adjustment.

The goal of my long drawn out story is to provide some encouragement to hang in there. I know my education prepared me to problem solve. What do you do when you have no idea what to do? Three years puts your education path over the hump. Just think another two years a someone will pay you for the use of the knowledge from the degree you hold. Hang in there.

I confess it is a great bathroom read:) Recalling the theory of RC circuits or antenna theory is always enjoyable. Well to me it is. My family thinks it just takes up space in the bathroom.

Thankfully I only paid £46 for mine. When I saw the price I just had to get it,

Argh. Oh well it should give me plenty opportunity and I have the time to stretch myself... that's why the price was too good to be true

Hi Colin, If you're OK with the second edition, I'd be happy to give my copy if you don't mind covering the shipping fee. I have both the 2nd and 3rd edition and don't need both. The 2nd edition is as relevant/useful as the 3rd. The 2nd edition actually has better quality darker print. It is in good condition, near-perfect.

At the back of the class the lone geek raises his hand and says "I call dibs if Colin passes." What does it cost to ship to Canada he says as he looks through his wallet.

Hi Sean, I just weighed it, it is 1.9 kg, there's a chance shipping might end up more than a local secondhand book. Annoying how pricey shipments have got.

I know Colin is nearer but I've not checked shipping costs. But definitely, if Colin doesn't want it, and if the shipping costs are fine for you then I'll send it to you.