Looking for online "basics" resources...

My wife is taking a property-insurance course as part of her underwriting
certification, and is struggling a bit right now with the alarm portion...
specifically, her study guide dives right into full-on "high-low balanced"
ULC-spec designs with NO information on the basics of alarm operation...
needless to say, not having any background in electronics at all, she's having
trouble grasping a lot of this.

Wondering if anyone can point out some online tutorials on basic electronics and
alarm operation that might help her out?

TIA.

 

Yeah, that's a little extreme... she's not looking to become an alarm tech, she
needs a better understanding of the basics to get her through her insurance course.

 

I think she'd be better off, going to the library and getting a book on
basic alarm systems. I'd guess, now with the internet the ultimate
source of everything you ever wanted to know about everything, that
some of the books would be outdated. But, as you said, she doesn't need
to know as much as a tech. There used to be some pretty basic books out
there on alarm systems she could probably breeze through in a few
nights of reading.

Here's another little suggestion. When my kids were in high school and
had to write on a subject they knew little about, we'd go into the
childrens section and check out as many books as we could on the
subject. After reading this simplistic and basic information, we'd
later go back and were then better able to pick books at their level
they could make use of. They always got good marks using this method. I
should say "we" always got good marks

 

Well, I know I've seen some online electronics tutorials that had nifty
animated-current-flow and animated-switch-and-relay-action graphics and what
not, and figured that would help her more understand what's going on.

Just can't remember any of those sites, or find them again in a number of
searches (damn Google's advertising-favored sorting, most of the top hits are
book ads).

 

Here is a site to start at: www.cln.org/themes/electronics.html

 

Ah, now THAT is handy... thanks!

 

She shouldn't worry about it overly much. My insurance agent can quote ULC
spec'd designs all day long and doesn't understand any of the concepts
behind them. If you gave him a panel and a long distance card with "two
hours" of prepaid time to Sara's Soda, he'd only wind up more confused than
ever. In the end, all they look for is an official looking certificate.

 

Yes, but she needs to understand it well enough to answer the questions on the
insurance certification exam. The study material, as I said, *starts off* with
a high-low balanced circuit with C-form relay wiring, but with no electronics
background, none of that makes any sense to her.

Whether she retains any of it after the exam is another matter.

 

I have, a bit... however, knowing something and being able to impart that
knowledge to another in an intelligible manner are two entirely separate things.

This is why I'm trying to find something online that's better-written... as I've
noted before, I have seen electronics tutorials online that have animated
circuit diagrams where the user can toggle onscreen switches and see the results
in current flow, etc., but have been unable to find them again... this is the
sort of thing I'm looking for.

 

Here are a couple:
http://www.andythelwell.com/blobz/

http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/3/physics/circuits/circh1pg1.html

js

 

Matt,

Here's a website that your wife may find helpful.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/burglar-alarm.htm

Best of luck.

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Home Electronics
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com
941-866-1100

 

You don't have a wife for asking such question

even if I teach computer stuff at night as a second job,I am not able to
teach one bit about computer to my wife...

and why is it like that? simple,as soon that you repeat anything she will
say: I am not dumb you told me that before...so you go on and now she
complaint that your too fast,cause you don't repeat anymore,I've been able
to teach a 62 years old electrician on how to to install its whole OS on his
pc.in a 60 hour class,and at the first class he was not even able to find
the power switch on the IBM machine in front of him..

But a man CANT teach anything technical to his wife....that's like trying to
make a Jewish mother say that she was wrong on anything in front of her
kids....

 

Oh brother ain't that the truth!

My wife wanted me to teach her Photoshop in one night. Why? Because you have
it on your machine, so I want to use it to print family pics...uh ok..but
that's a bit of an over-kill, why don't you use Picture It...it's on your
machine already. Why? You think I'm dumb? No, but it took me 6 months to
learn PS. Well, that means I can learn it in 3. Ok, so what do you need me
for? To teach me. Well, no one taught me...so you're on your own and we'll
have a contest in 3 months



| You don't have a wife for asking such question
|
| even if I teach computer stuff at night as a second job,I am not able to
| teach one bit about computer to my wife...
|
| and why is it like that? simple,as soon that you repeat anything she will
| say: I am not dumb you told me that before...so you go on and now she
| complaint that your too fast,cause you don't repeat anymore,I've been able
| to teach a 62 years old electrician on how to to install its whole OS on
his
| pc.in a 60 hour class,and at the first class he was not even able to find
| the power switch on the IBM machine in front of him..
|
| But a man CANT teach anything technical to his wife....that's like trying
to
| make a Jewish mother say that she was wrong on anything in front of her
| kids....
|
|
| "G. Morgan" <> a écrit dans le message de | ...
| > On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:58:16 GMT, Matt Ion <>
| > wrote:
| >
| >>
| >>Yes, but she needs to understand it well enough to answer the questions
on
| >>the
| >>insurance certification exam. The study material, as I said, *starts
off*
| >>with
| >>a high-low balanced circuit with C-form relay wiring, but with no
| >>electronics
| >>background, none of that makes any sense to her.
| >>
| >>Whether she retains any of it after the exam is another matter.
| >
| >
| > Why don't YOU tutor her?
| >
| > --
| >
| > -Graham
| >
| > (delete the double e's to email)
|
|

 

Thanks... for all the crap everyone else lays on Bass here, this has been the
single most useful response I've had yet (and I can't believe I didn't think to
check howstuffworks.com before).

Alarman's second link is good too.

 

LOL

that's the spirit!!

 

Well, her study material has pretty good detail on all the different TYPES of
protection - PIRs, photoelectric, pressure mats, magnetic, mechanical and
mercury switches, in-wall wire mesh, etc. Mostly just concerned with
familiarizing her with the /basics/ of alarm systems, like NO vs. NC loops, EOL
resistors, and such.

She went through the howstuffworks section last night and I think that's got her
sorted out. Thanks, all!

 

The website provides what the OP's wife needs, a basic understanding of
alarm systems presented in layman's terms.

Regards,
Robert L Bass

======================>
Bass Home Electronics
The Online DIY Store
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com
941-866-1100
======================>

 

I think that's got her sorted out. Thanks, all!

You're most welcome.

Regards,
Robert L Bass

========================>
Bass Home Electronics
The Online DIY Store
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com
941-866-1100
========================>

 

You seem to have a thing with jewish people, first you want to kill them now
you make fun of them