My Introduction Thread

[Andrew81196]

Hello Everybody,

My name is Andrew and I am trying to find a new hobby. I have always been interested in electronics but have never really gotten into it. I want to try and make some cool things that I can use for my phone or in my room, just cool things to have.

I don't know much about electronics so I hope that being here will help me get into it and expand my horizons. Some things that I would like to try and learn how to make are:
- Phone charging cords, so I don't have to keep buying them when mine break
- Phone chargers, so I can charge my phone on the go without an outlet
- Speakers and stuff like that.

I just had a question about this kind of stuff before I know if it is the right thing for me.

Is electronics a very expensive hobby? I am 18 years old and I am a college student so I do not have a ton of cash laying around for an expensive hobby.

I know that making electronics is probably extremely rewarding, and it must feel amazing to when you successfully complete a project and I am really excited to be able to experience that.

 

[Arouse1973]

Hi Andrew, welcome to EP. I made this really cool thing once called a fridge Only joking. Basic electronics components are very cheap, you can pickup bags of components on the internet for not much money. You will however from time to time need something more specialised which can be more expensive. When I first started out it was cheaper to make things than buy them. But now it seems to have gone the other way. I do it for enjoyment now even if I know it's cheaper to buy it rather than build it. The other good thing about building your own stuff is you can have it how you want. Ever bought something and thought I wish it had this......
Adam

 

[davenn]

Greetings Andrew, welcome to Electronics Point

 

[hevans1944]

Welcome aboard, Andrew. There is no admission fee to learning electronics. When you start building "projects" you will want some basic test equipment and hand tools, but there is no end to it. The more you learn and the more you play the more you spend. It is a hobby for many people here and for some it is a profession. Like any hobby, the amount you spend depends on the depth of your commitment. I happen to be a licensed radio amateur (call sign AC8NS) and that hobby can be very expensive. To date my "rig" cost more than a thousand dollars, it doesn't cover microwave frequencies, and I don't even have a decent antenna yet!

I don't even want to think about what my electronics hobby (which is also my profession) has cost me over the years. Most of my test equipment was purchased used, some of it was a gifted to me by friends, and some of it I forked over hard-earned dollars to purchase new. As for electronics parts... I have accumulated a bunch of "stuff" over the years. One man's trash is another man's treasure, so I visit ham-fest flea markets and local electronics surplus stores looking for "stuff" around which I might build a "project," or I purchase something just because it looks interesting. The important thing (to me) is to have fun. If that leads you to a career in electronics, that can be good. But if electronics isn't fun for you, learning it will just qualify you for a job. Years later you will wonder where the road less taken would have led you. But if you have had fun along the way, it doesn't matter.

73 de AC8NS
Hop

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

Looking forward to seeing you on the forum Andrew.

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

Nice post hop.

73 to you too.

 

[chopnhack]

Welcome Andrew! This is a great site for advice, knowledge and ideas. Have you started to read any books on electronics? We have a thread on the site with regards to favorite reads. The one that I first read when I had an interest was Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims