Please suggest a Hobby Kit to learn Electronics from Scratch

lancslass2008

With regard to the books you can buy he says he's OK reading 'Electronics for lots of complicated calculations one after another. There are some brilliant Youtube tutorials but he thinks he needs to touch the stuff to understand (Ie.. colour coding on resistors close up)

paddyrg

+1 for if at all possible to do a class. You can get a multimeter for cheap, but when you want to try an oscilloscope, signal generator, etc be a lot easier being shown how it all works for the first time. Even if he can find a mentor of some sort (eg a college lecturer who fancies a few quid/couple of beers on the side) if he can't make the class, being shown around a 'scope makes a big difference as they're intimidating to the uninitiated.

Strider590

paddyrg wrote: »

+1 for if at all possible to do a class. You can get a multimeter for cheap, but when you want to try an oscilloscope, signal generator, etc be a lot easier being shown how it all works for the first time. Even if he can find a mentor of some sort (eg a college lecturer who fancies a few quid/couple of beers on the side) if he can't make the class, being shown around a 'scope makes a big difference as they're intimidating to the uninitiated.

I was going to mention scopes, there's no getting around the fact they are very expensive and very complicated to learn, even I don't have one of my own.

I don't think it's actually possible to learn how to use one without actual tuition.


OP there is something he could try, there's an electronics simulation app called "EveryCircuit" by MuseMaze.

It's a great little app, not perfect, quite limited and not always accurate in the more complex circuits, but I've used it for spur of the moment circuit designs. He could learn quite a lot from that.

System

Hi

This may not be quite what you had in mind...


https://projects.drogon.net/raspberry-pi/gpio-examples/tux-crossing/gpio-examples-1-a-single-led/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Blinking-LED-with-Raspberry-Pi-1/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/
http://www.themagpi.com/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/resources/make/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/quick-reaction-game/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/

thescouselander

I used to mess about with this sort of thing as a child - loads of fun and it eventually led to a career in engineering. I'd suggest something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/200-1-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B000LRCD6Q

These sort of kits are very versatile and you can make anything from a simple flashing light circuit to a radio transmitter. Much better than the kits were you can only do a single project and the spring loaded connectors make it easy to connect everything up.

lancslass2008

Brilliant advice again. Thanks everyone. Lots to ge going at here.
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