Product Description

DO–IT–YOURSELF

Here′s the fun and easy way to start building circuits for your projects

Have you ever wanted to build your own electronic device? Put together a thermostat or an in–line fuse, or repair a microphone cable? This is the book for you! Inside you′ll find the tools and techniques you need to build circuits, with illustrated, step–by–step directions to help accomplish tasks and complete projects.

As you accomplish the tasks throughout the book, you′ll construct many projects while learning the key circuitbuilding principles and techniques. Find out about measuring and testing, maintenance and troubleshooting, cables, connectors, how to test your stuff, and more.

Stuff You Need to Know
∗

The tools you need and how to use them
∗

How to make sense of schematics and printed circuit boards
∗

Basic techniques for creating any circuit
∗

How to make and repair cables and connectors
∗

Testing and maintenance procedures

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107659 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 422 pages

From the Back Cover
DO–IT–YOURSELF

Here′s the fun and easy way to start building circuits for your projects

Have you ever wanted to build your own electronic device? Put together a thermostat or an in–line fuse, or repair a microphone cable? This is the book for you! Inside you′ll find the tools and techniques you need to build circuits, with illustrated, step–by–step directions to help accomplish tasks and complete projects.

As you accomplish the tasks throughout the book, you′ll construct many projects while learning the key circuitbuilding principles and techniques. Find out about measuring and testing, maintenance and troubleshooting, cables, connectors, how to test your stuff, and more.

Stuff You Need to Know

• The tools you need and how to use them

• How to make sense of schematics and printed circuit boards

• Basic techniques for creating any circuit

• How to make and repair cables and connectors

• Testing and maintenance procedures

About the Author
H. Ward Silver has the experience of a 20–year career as an electrical engineer developing instrumentation and medical electronics. He also spent 8 years in broadcasting, both programming and engineering. In 2000 he turned to teaching and writing as a second career. He is a contributing editor to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and author of the popular “Hands–On Radio” column in QST magazine every month. He is the author of the ARRL’s Amateur Radio license study guides and numerous other articles. He developed the ARRL’s online courses, “Antenna Design and Construction,” “Analog Electronics,” and “Digital Electronics.” Along with his comedic alter–ego, Dr Beldar, Ward is a sought–after speaker and lecturer among “hams.” When not in front of a computer screen, you will find Ward working on his mandolin technique and compositions.

Customer Reviews

Not a Beginners Book...
I bought this because I had a specific project in mind and having no experience of electronics since I was at school I wanted a beginners manual. Unfortunately this book doesn't really do that job. The first chapters have some very basic information about the tools you'll need. The next chapters suddenly assume the reader has existing knowledge of electronics.

Key information is missing. You would expect that being able to read a circuit schematic would be one of the basics. An understanding of the symbols that make up a circuit diagram is pretty essential. Instead of having a key to these, the book refers you to an online source. It also doesn't attempt to explain what circuit components are or what they do. if you don't know what a resistor is, you won't find out in here.

The details of projects are also strangely organised. For example Chapter Five: Building a Prototype, has sections on 'Building an Audio Level Controller', 'Building a 12V to 5V regulator' and 'Building an Audio Alarm', followed by three sections on constructing those three items. Why not group all the information on each project together? All the project examples are organised like this and it makes it hard to find the information you need on each one. Very counter intuitive.

Surely a 'For Dummies' manual ought to be tested by giving it to a dummy to make sure it is usable before it gets into print? There is useful information in here but it isn't the basic manual that it purports to be. It lacks logical progression, misses out key information and assumes pre-existing knowledge where it ought to be providing it.

There is a lot of information in here which may be useful but if you are a novice the book is probably best approached once you've found a basic primer or looked at some online tutorials.