Chapter 16
Ten Great Electronics Resources
In This Chapter
Getting publications for the electronics enthusiast
Scoping out sources for circuits
Browsing electronics Web sites and discussion groups
Reading books on electronics
If you have the electronics bug, you’ll probably never get enough. That’s why we include this chapter, which outlines some great general electronics resources.
Here we list ten — okay, a few more than ten — useful sources where you can find general information on how electronics work and also where you can get some ideas for circuits and projects. You can even chat with others who share your interests in online discussion forums.
Note that many of the projects described on these sites use much higher voltage and current levels than the projects in this book. Make sure that you have sufficient training and knowledge before tackling such projects.
Electronics Magazines
The world might live on the Internet today, but sometimes there’s nothing like having a colorful magazine in hand that you can flip through while riding on the bus or eating a pastrami sandwich at the local deli. Here are some good ones to explore:
Nuts & Volts magazine
This monthly magazine, which you can subscribe to for about $25 a year, uses the tagline Everything for Electronics. Although that might be an exaggeration, it is a good electronics hobbyist magazine with articles on a variety of types of projects, many of them microcontroller- or microprocessor-based. You’re likely to find some interesting suppliers among the advertisers here as well as info on the latest technology advances and electronics products.
Everyday Practical Electronics magazine
(online version) www.epemag.com
This monthly electronics hobbyist magazine, published in the U.K., is a good choice to browse for projects using reasonably simple electronics circuits. Each issue includes lots of projects as well as reader-contributed ideas, a help desk feature, and new technology update.
You can subscribe to either a paper publication or online version. Online, you can buy back issues, subscribe to the full year for $15.99 as of this writing, or just buy a single online issue. You can also subscribe to the print magazine; prices vary depending on whether you are in the U.K. or another country.
Silicon Chip magazine
Here’s an electronics hobbyist magazine published monthly Down Under. You can get the online version for about $59 U.S. for a year’s subscription. You can get a printed version, but you’ll have to fork over extra money for the international postage if you live Up Under. This Australian publication offers articles that can range from salvaging parts from your VCR to advice on wireless devices or building a vintage style radio. The Ask Silicon Chip feature advises readers on how to solve their particular problem or project challenge.
Jumpstart Your Project Creativity with Circuits
A circuit is where most electronic projects start, so being able to find cool circuits is essential. Here are several online sources for circuits that offer stimulating project ideas.
Electronics Lab
www.electronics-lab.com/projects/index.html
This site is an electronic hobbyist’s dream, offering schematics and explanations for several hundred electronics projects. Projects are neatly divided into categories such as Audio, Radio Frequency, Science Related, and Telephone Related.
Circuits for the Hobbyist
www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/circuits.htm
Run by hobbyist Tony van Roon, this site is kept up to date with over 100 schematics and very active discussion forums on topics ranging from radio projects to remote control and microcontroller-related projects.
Post your own message to get a dialog going with other people who share your interests. One nice feature of this site is an absence of advertising: It’s hosted from pure enthusiasm, not greed. However, Tony can’t handle non-English messages, so those are deleted.
Discover Circuits
www.discovercircuits.com/list.htm
This site is run by electronic engineer Dave Johnson, who states, “Electronics is my vocation, hobby and passion.”
This site boasts over 11,000 electronic circuits cross-referenced into 500+ categories. Check out the featured circuit of the week for inspiration and also explore the Hot Links! to go to other sites of interest.
Links to some of Dave’s other Web sites, such as Imagineering On-Line Magazine and Discover Solar Energy.com, can lead you into some other interesting materials.
Bowden’s Hobby Circuits
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Bill_Bowden/homepage.htm
This small collection of electronic circuits for the hobbyist provides over 100 circuit diagrams, links to related sites, and commercial kits and projects. In addition, you can follow links to related newsgroups and educational areas.
FC’s Electronic Circuits
This rather simply designed Web site offers interesting collection of circuits (including schematics and descriptions). What you’ll find here are some rather unusual circuits that put the emphasis on practicality rather than merely electronic toys.
Most circuits are designed with discrete components that you can easily find. This site also includes an extensive list of links to other electronics sites.
Web Sites That Teach You the Ropes
Whether you need a tutorial on soldering techniques or a primer to help you understand just how electricity works, you can likely find that info on the Internet somewhere. Here are some good ties to get you started with both tutorials and discussions.
Electronics Teacher Web site
This Web site provides you with a wide range of tutorials on electronics and robotics. One nice feature is that the tutorials are ranked as beginner, intermediate, and advanced, so you can easily find the ones that meet your needs. This site also offers electronic calculators and converters as well as the ability to send an e-mail to Ask an Expert; your response will be posted in its forum.
The Electronics Club Web site
If you feel like you’re a beginner in electronics, check out this site. It offers basic explanations of a range of electronics topics, from components to projects. You can also find a good table of electronics symbols, construction advice, and a good, basic soldering guide. Follow the Studying Electronics links to give yourself a good basic online electronics education.
Electronics Tutorials Web site
Go to this site for over 120 online explanations of a variety of electronics topics. The directory of topics here makes finding what you need easy. And the Links page offers a lot of links from parts suppliers to electronics in education sites, with good explanations of what you can find there.
All About Circuits discussion forum
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com
This is a very active discussion forum with over 5,000 members. Here you can post questions on general electronics questions, electronics textbook problems that you’re stuck on, or programming for microcontrollers. If you need a break from electronics, check out the Off Topic Lounge to help you get away from it all with electronically minded colleagues.
Writing the Book on Electronics
Because we get royalties, we’re big believers in books. Here are two that we think you should have in your library, in addition to Electronics Projects For Dummies.
The Art of Electronics (Cambridge University Press, 2001) is a classic electronics reference book by Paul Horiwitz and Winfield Hill. What makes it a classic is the thorough coverage of analog and digital circuit design topics. In addition, it is well written and gives a foundation for designing your own circuits.
Electronics For Dummies (Wiley, 2005) was written by Gordon McComb and Earl Boysen. (Yes, you saw that name on the cover of this book.) We happen to think that For Dummies books, with their easy-to-understand style, are great. We recommend this one for a good introduction to electronics theory as well as some good general information about topics such as setting up your electronics workshop and how PCB boards are made.