Starting in electronics after becoming disabled

Chaim 25 days ago

Hi all, I've been trying to start learning electronics after becoming disabled in 2006. I can't afford to pay a monthly fee or buy books. Could Element 14 give me some advice about how to start and move on up the ladder of Electronics?

Thanks

Ron Kiner (Chaim)

Top Replies

DAB 24 days ago +5

Hi Ron, I became disabled in 2001, which soon forced me to retire. Since then I have continued to dabble in electronics, though I can no longer write software. If you do some searches there is a…
cstanton 22 days ago +3

Hey Chaim, udemy often have free or discounted courses. At present there's an EMC Engineering Basics course available for free: https://www.udemy.com/course/emc-engineering-basics/ Hope this hel…
beacon_dave 22 days ago +2

Have you had a look at Tinkercad Circuits ? Free online virtual breadboard that might help you get onto that first rung of the ladder on zero budget as long as you have access to a web browser.

anniel747 25 days ago

Chaim Lots of free ressources here: community.element14.com/learn
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
robogary 25 days ago

Ron - electronics is a ocean, depends where you want to swim. The tides can be swift, the ocean deep and cold. Start in the baby pool , warm water, with basic electricity... lots of free courses. Once feeling comfortable with Volts, Amps, ohms, AC & DC, milli henries, micro farads, picos, micros, kilos, megas, After that can start into solid state devices , transistors - bipolars, MOSFETS, etc.. Can move into Arduinos, Raspberry Pis and programmable devices. Dive into Internet connectivity and digital communications. Reading is good, but real learning happens with building and experimenting - without doing bodily damage to yourself.
Cancel
Vote Up +1 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
DAB 24 days ago

Hi Ron,

I became disabled in 2001, which soon forced me to retire.

Since then I have continued to dabble in electronics, though I can no longer write software.

If you do some searches there is a wealth of information freely accessible on the internet to learn electronics.

If you get an Arduino and a small sensors kit, you can learn a lot for a small investment.
Cancel
Vote Up +5 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
HKPhysicist 22 days ago
Sorry to hear about your health problem.

My advise is to start with Microchip PIC 8 bit MCU if you are interested in MCU embedded electronics.

PIC 8 bit is everywhere in our daily life electronics.

They are simpler and easier to learn.

They are very cheap.

They are industrial grade.

Microchip provides a complete and free of charge C compiler and IDE.

Microchip also provides free of charge documents and video courses for learning their hardware.

Try this cheap official board, US$43.

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/development-tool/DM164136
Cancel
Vote Up +1 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
cstanton 22 days ago

Hey Chaim,

udemy often have free or discounted courses.

At present there's an EMC Engineering Basics course available for free: https://www.udemy.com/course/emc-engineering-basics/

Hope this helps
Cancel
Vote Up +3 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
beacon_dave 22 days ago

Have you had a look at Tinkercad Circuits ?

Free online virtual breadboard that might help you get onto that first rung of the ladder on zero budget as long as you have access to a web browser.
Cancel
Vote Up +2 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Mikeatencio 21 days ago in reply to beacon_dave

I'm going to start TC's electronics PCB course. I know nothing about it, but TC seems pretty good for other projects I'm doing so.
Cancel
Vote Up +1 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
beacon_dave 20 days ago in reply to Mikeatencio

There are a couple of good introductions to PCB design using KiCad here on e14 by members shabaz and mayermakes
Cancel
Vote Up +2 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
colporteur 19 days ago

I suggest two avenue for learning electronics Arduino's and/or Raspberry Pi's.

The hardware is inexpensive but the knowledge that can be gained is immense. Using the hardware tackle simple projects. Turning a LED on an off for example. building the circuit and then having a intelligence device (microcontroller or microcomputer) operate the circuit only adds to the learning.

Arduino & Raspberry Pi projects as a tool for learning electronics, I have used for after school programs to teach school students.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel