Ive always been interested in electronics and learning to soldier. How did everyone here learn or did everyone who knows how to take a course or go to school.

The Marine Corps. In addition to learning how to kill, I learned how to solder to NASA specs.

Oh man, you just made me laughed so hard I nearly shot tortilla chips out my nose...

lol

This is of course, the perfect answer. The OP said "soldier", but probably meant "solder". You nailed it either way!

I read books. There was a swedish series of books called something like "Electronics for everybody" or "All about electronic" (one of them is a series of books, the other a magazine, I always mix them up:-), in 4 or 5 parts.

First part started with "nail boards" (put the schematic on a board, pin brass nails into all joints, solder components and wires to the nails) and I think the first thing you built was battery-switch-bulb.

In the fifth part you built your own micro computer. I think part 4 ended with building an alarm clock or something like that.

So, in the parts in between you learned using diodes, transistors, OP-amps, logic circuits and other components, as well as drawing and making your own printed wire boards.

But I also read other books in parallell and in between, and then I also learned a lot of additional electronics in college.

So, I think a visit to the library is a good start (there should be similar books in other languages).

when it comes to computers, you can forget about soldering. in a mainboard the paths are 'layered', there can be 4-5 layers of connections on top of eachother. It's next to inpossible to solder anything, apart from some connectors.

even in electronics it isn't as easy as it used to be, everything is SMD soldered. SMD soldering is pretty difficult (I've never done it) +components are getting so small..

programming chips is still pretty interesting. I know some PIC programming, but it's been a very long time I did anything with it.


that's the NEETS series right?

If you want to learn about that it will take a lot of time and effort, best way to learn is, as stated, find yourself a nice little project to work on. like speakers, amplifiers etc. you can even find magazines with little projects in it. here we have elektuur (dutch elektor)

personaly I quit all that and I'm going for computer science.

What is NEETS?

http://www.google.com/search?q=NEETS

I guess.

Hi,
In your day they were probably called PI, Programmed Instructions..


That line almost made me swallow my gum

Mike

i learned by trial and error....building my lirc receiver from their schematics was the first think i did....it was alot easier then I expected. And since the parts were about $10...very low risk.

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Hi andyem,

All kidding aside for a moment, a potentially good source for help to learn basic electricity, electronics, another language and have some fun along the way is to catch up with a local "ham", maybe even join their group. Ham as in Amateur Radio, caution as we are everwhere! It cost very little (maybe for a book or two) and has a lot in common the linux world. The two mix very nicely.

That would probably be a good way to start. Then as was mentioned previously, build a little ir blaster and some blinky lights, and who knows what / where it will take you.

Best wishes on your travels, you have already taken the first step by asking where to start
Mike

As I am off on the injusry list and bored out of my skull I was surfing and came accross this site.

http://www.grynx.com/

Has lots of simple projects I made the led flashlight, bought enough part for my 10 year old son to make one.

Good practice

Craig

yeah, that one..

wasn't sure you were really in the navy cause of the 'soldier' joke

anywayz, thats the courses they teach there

I didn't state I was in the Navy. I for one never did like being referred to as a "soldier". Yes, I know it is a generic term, but I was (am) a Marine. I certainly don't recall the course being called "NEETS". I actually attended a "basic electronics course" and later as a Sergeant, I attended the technican's theory course. TTC was the equivalent of 2 years of electronics in 4 months. I recalling dreaming about numbers and formulas...

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cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!