I need a good book on basic electronics 2

[bigDummy79]

Who can recommend a electronics bible or "essentials of" book?
How to read schematics and symbols and basic function of components would be great.

 

[BobM3]

Do you have a college bookstore nearby that you can walk thru? You can look at the first-course electrical books and pick out one that is understandable and useful.

 

[machmech]

Hello Big

You could search Amazon and find many bargains, But don't use media mail for shipping it takes a decade to receive things. It sounds like you are starting from scratch so you may want to look for very basic circuits or Radio schack type of projects. You will gain understanding of resistors, diodes etc. while learning basic schematic reading and current behavior. Once
you know the basics you can step up with a ease.

Recently I found a half price book store and bought a book titled LINERAR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FOR TECHNICIANS the author is Frank R. Dungan I just started reading it. This book is very well written and explains things in detail, I got for $10.00 and feel like I should have gave them a tip!

But by far the best education can be had reading material on these forums I checked in once and have been hooked ever since.

Sincerely, Chuck

 

[VEBill]

The 'ARRL Handbook' is pretty good. ARRL is the old acronym for the US ham radio organization.

RSGB is the UK version of the ARRL. They also have some very good books that start right at the beginning.

The books from either of the above will tend to have an emphasis on radio, but the fundamentals of electronics are all covered in the first few chapters.

 

[itsmoked]

I'm with VE1BLL!

ARRL handbooks are [green]very[/green] good and not expensive.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[TurboXS]

The Art of Electronics: Books: Paul Horowitz,Winfield Hill

http://www.artofelectronics.com/

I find useful and easy to read.

 

[ScottyUK]

TurboXS has beaten me to it! AoE is an excellent text, especially for learning analogue design, but maybe a little advanced for a beginner. Well worth getting once your knowledge increases a little.

I learned a lot of my electronics playing with circuits at home - mainly amplifiers in my case - and the formal education followed. There are some good kit products around which will help you learn and produce something useful while you are working. Are Heathkit still trading, does anyone know? Over in Europe Velleman make some nice, if pricey, kits.

A couple of other suggestions: build some basic equipment for your own use: start with a simple variable power supply and a fixed +5V [±15V supply. Then think about a simple signal generator. The old Intersil ICL8038 chip has (had?) a simple design in the data sheet, and there are others out there. The IC is getting hard to find, but there are others with similar functions.


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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...

 

[Noway2]

I was going to recommend AOE too, though it is probably a bit advanced for a beginner. There is a lab book that goes along with it, which I would recommend. I will admit that even though I am an EE, the book and the lab excersizes, which I performed on my test bench, taught me a lot of the practical details that schooling left out.

The book is very "down to earth" in a practical sense, explaining the theory where it is required but not over doing it.

 

[bigDummy79]

Thank you for all the good suggestions I have already ordered a couple off Half.com. AOE is a little expensive but based on your reviews it sounds like a must. Thanks again.

 

[coconutalley]

I would recommend an older book "The Forrest Mims Engineer's Notebook." I found it very helpful because it is loaded with real components and circuits that he tried himself. When I was going for my BSEE, this book helped me fill in the gaps in the lab between actual hands-on electronics and book learning. I have used his circuits in some designs because they work.
The book is geared more for hobbyist with little or no formal background.

 

[ELEcontrol3e]

Horowitz and Hill's book is also very good, especially if you get the labbook .