EEVblog #54 - Electronics - When I was a boy...

Dave goes Back to the Future and talks about how he got started in electronics.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• electronics
• hobby
• hobbyist
• hacker
• maker
• multimeter
• magazine
• project
• tandy
• radio
• shack
• kit

[rollo131]

Dave resembles Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard from the surf-rock band Man or Astro-Man

[EEVblog]

@rollo131 I'll take that as a complement! 

[ChrisMP1]

Holy shit, what nostalgia. I had this exact kit in the 90s (about the same age as you were), then I moved to a version with a breadboard. The book was printed differently, but I sure do remember the project names. Thank you for reminding me of my very nerdy, but very fun childhood.

[Ts6451]

@XTYNoLuck : I suspect that the kids these days are not any more ignorant or stupid than before, I think it is just that technology have become more accessible to the general kid, it is no longer just for those with special interests, and so the tech savyness on average has fallen, but only due to massive influx of general users, not a reduction in those with special electronics or computer interests.

[todd3293]

brings back so many memories. my story has so many parallels to yours, down to the exact same 200 in 1 kit! but for me, when i was 12 yrs old, we got a tandy color computer 3 and thats when I strayed from electronics and became a computer geek, which is what i ended up studying in college. but your blogs has gotten me back into it again! love all your vids and thanks for the trip down memory lane

[THEtechknight]

I was born in 85. I pretty much started off the same way in electronics as you. I was also a trashpicker when i was a kid. But what sets me different, is i have grown more into the technician/repair background, and less in the engineering background. Your way more advanced than I in engineering, but I am getting there. hehe. But repair/troubleshooting, i can tell you whats bad before i pull out test equipment I am so strong at it.

[XTYNoLuck]

at least these days..

[XTYNoLuck]

"gadgets" makes "kids" more ignorant and stupid...

[thenaimis]

Thanks, Dave, for the nice trip down memory lane. My background isn't so different, though I got a TI-99/4A and the 200-in-1 kit within a year of each other. I write software for a living, but do circuit design for fun.

[Pagweb]

What parts would you recommend me to buy to get started in electronics? I was thinking on buying resistors, LEDs, capacitors, diodes, and a few microcontrollers. But there are so many I don't know which to buy. What kind of resistor values would I need, for instance?

[SampsonGizmo]

For just getting into electronics after my first college class, this video is truly inspiring. I'm definitely taking your advice and gonna start learning the hobby way, tinkering and hacking my way through projects! who knows, all this might just have me changing my major next year! Thanks for the videos Dave, Ill be watching!

[EEVblog]

@1710WL I had to sell my huge Electronics Australia collection to free up some room. Regretted it ever since!