Idea for an "Electronics Primer" reading list

It seems like this is long overdue. There are people of various skill levels coming to this forum seeking help or information about "building something," when most of the time they might benefit much more from a better understanding of basic to advanced electronics, yet they're not sure where to turn to learn this stuff (give a man a fish and feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime...).

So, I propose a recommended reading list.

I'll start (although I probably do need to read these books about 4 more times :roll: )

Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics by Stan Gibilisco (A good general overview of topics. Covers A LOT, but not in very much detail)

Tab Electronics Guide to Understanding Electricity and Electronics by Randy Slone (very well written in an easy to understand style, with fun projects).

The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz, Winfield Hill (I'm still trying to get through this one This one seems to try to take your focus off getting things "perfect" and direct it more towards 'getting the right idea')

I've just ordered the now discontinued "Beginner's guide to tube audio" and "Audio Reality" both by Bruce Rozenbilt, so I'll tell give an update as to how those are in the coming weeks.

Great idea...and timely too since I jsut ordered the following from Amazon:

1. IC op-amp cookbook by Walt Jung

2. Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz (I've borrowed this one many times from a friend...time for my own copy now)

3. Troubleshooting Analog Circuits by Bob Pease

These books should promise to be great.

Cheers,

Kris

A third vote for Art of Electronics.... I was reading my first one when I was in Grade 6! This is what got me started on electronics.

Great topic. I'm a beginner in all respects, and appreciate you more experienced folks helping us noobies out. I'll abmit, what brought me here was the lure of obtaining gear that would otherwise be out of my budget -- but whats kept me coming back is the desire to actually learn something... I've read alot of posts that go over my head, in hopes that some of the broader concepts will sink in. But some beginner-level electronics reading is really what I need to be doing!


Thanx!

A nice online resource;

http://sound.westhost.com/articles.htm

[quote author="DrFrankencopter"]3. Troubleshooting Analog Circuits by Bob Pease[/quote]

Yes!!

That book is actually sitting right next to me now as I type- totally amazing, and a proper electronics "reading" book- great choice! (It's worth having a close look at the circuit Bob is troubleshooting on the cover picture too :shock: )

I'll have a think about what other books I've found the most useful.....

Mark

The 1964 GE transistor book great stuff on transistors.

Radiotronic 4th

any old tube book you can find at a used book store.

any Jung or Lancaster book

Older TAA

Older Audio mag had good articles

The Morris book on grounding and shielding I will look tonight for the ISBN number this is a must have

The Art of Electronics has alot of good stuff

The PDFs at neumanns infopool section

Kraus's book electromagnetics ( the very interstion person that made the big ear and found the WOW signal for seti, the helex antenna etc....)

The strength of materals (or why you don't fall thur the floor) princeton press I think thats the title angain I will look tonight.

Linis Paulings chemisty book Dover books

good for deep understanding of some stuff in microphones

Spandingburgs(sp) book on tubes

NS TI etc databooks and app books.

Another great book on electronics is the ARRL Handbook, which is aimed at ham radio operators. However, the first third of this giant tome is nothing but electronics theory aimed at beginners and intermediates. They come out with a new one every year. These handbooks are how I learned a lot about the basics of electronics.

ARRL == Amateur Radio Relay League, for the curious.

http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1964

Yup, you can't have too many books! Basic Electronics by US Navy vol. 1 & 2 are good. The old one from 1955 is loaded with tube info. Electronic Projects for Musicians by Craig Anderton. Electronic Projects for Guitar by R.A. Penfold. Guide to Building Power Supplies by Radio Shack. Radioman's Handbook by Robert G. Middleton. Valve Amplifiers by Morgan Jones. A really basic one Radio Shack used to have, was Getting Started in Electronics. Lot's of pictures. :green: All of the Electronics Circuit Cookbooks by Graf. All the old Electronics Now, Popular Electronics magazines at the library.

I second the us navy books by valkenburgh,good tube info, nice and simple.

Hi Admin,
This is a GREAT idea! :thumb:

Do you think it is possible for us to have an extra forum named Library? so we can have a categoried online archive of links for those who would like to pick up the basics or for people who would like to refresh what they have learnt else where........

Category includes

#AMPLIFIERS
Transistor/FET basics(biasing, configurations eg.common collector, emitter, base)
Tubes basics(biasing, configurations)
IC op amp basics(calculating gain)
Comparator
Impedance(input, output)
Reactance/phase angle(complex numbers, polar & rectangular form)
Power(real power, reactive power,)

#POWER SUPPLY
Halfwave/Fullwave rectifiers
Precision rectifiers
voltage doublers/multipliers
Regulators

#FILTERS
Lowpass
Bandpass
Hi pass

#TRANSFORMERS

I would like to volunteer as a part time librarian to start off the collection of links, I am sure it won't take long for us to establish THE vault of knowledge.

Objective of all this?

To search for the SHORTEST and EASIEST definition/explaination of each topic, also to be used as the CHECK THE FACTS quick reference whenever/whereever audio vooodoo start creepin in the forum.

Last but not least, we should have a voting option for each link under every topic in order to rank for the shortest/easiest/simplest definition/explaination. That way we can CHECK THE FACTS instantly whenever required and leave the PHD thesis for those who wants to read to kill some time...

I think it would be wonderful to have another forum of links to schematics, eg. designs from US and European patents for inspiration and educational purposes. :thumb:

Thoughts?

C'mon guys, can't tryin to hack when you donno what you are tryin to hack right? :green:

Learner,

If you search for "meta newbie" in the search box you'll find a a META thread I've started- it's in its early days, but I've got a whole notepad of links to put in it from the forum and external, so it'll be a bit like a technical library- but I do want to keep it at a non-daunting technical level to make it easier for newbies to find the info they need. Perhaps you could mention this to Jakob and see if you could do a "Library META"??

Just a thought :thumb:

Mark

Yep, "Library META" would be a good idea.

Also containing links to often-used datasheets, maybe?

It's all your's, Learner..

:razz:

Jakob E.

Superb learning resource here, very useful IMHO:

www.allaboutcircuits.com

J