Learning to repair questions
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pete_mac
Super Member
Depend's on what type of repair's you're planning on. For the cost of used electronic's, I don't bother repairing tuner's, unless it's a basic switch or power supply problem. Power amp's aren't to bad, since it's usually bad transistor's or capacitor's. It's quite easy to to just pull some part's and check them. I'd say number one, is getting hold of a schematic diagram for the piece of equipment you're working on.
ChrisMarantz
Super Member
+1 :tresbon:
start
I managed to get a long way with a DMM, a decent soldering station and solder sucker, a lot of help from my friends here and a good book about electronics. I had an old copy of Malvino's book. The new version is shown here.
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Principles-Albert-Malvino/dp/0028028333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297093021&sr=8-1
I checked the used book stores and thrift shops and managed to find a bunch of books on transitors and electronics and found them cheap.
For me, getting the basics about transistors was the key. Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes and all pretty straightforward (how they all work together is another issue).
It is not a simple thing. I'm told its like marinating, you have to let your brain soak in the knowlege. I also read that its a sea that you cannot drink all at once. I've been fooling with it for a year as a hobby and I'm still a rank amature.
IF you are serious about it though. Check the local college for courses. I wish I lived close enough, I'd take classes.
I managed to get a long way with a DMM, a decent soldering station and solder sucker, a lot of help from my friends here and a good book about electronics. I had an old copy of Malvino's book. The new version is shown here.
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Principles-Albert-Malvino/dp/0028028333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297093021&sr=8-1
I checked the used book stores and thrift shops and managed to find a bunch of books on transitors and electronics and found them cheap.
For me, getting the basics about transistors was the key. Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes and all pretty straightforward (how they all work together is another issue).
It is not a simple thing. I'm told its like marinating, you have to let your brain soak in the knowlege. I also read that its a sea that you cannot drink all at once. I've been fooling with it for a year as a hobby and I'm still a rank amature.
IF you are serious about it though. Check the local college for courses. I wish I lived close enough, I'd take classes.
I'm doing the same. I'm told one of the best ways to learn is that if you have a peice of gear with problems is to post it here with pics and let one of the experts help you diagnose it. Then again with thier guidance and your willingness to go one step at a time and follow instructions exactly you will be taught how to repair the particular problem(s). Take notes on everything you do and keep them.
First and foremost practice soldering and desoldering until you feel really good with it.
As for college classes, been there done that and I can tell you that they aren't worth a c**p. I've taken a total of 3 and two where at the same time and still was never shown how to desolder, never got to practice soldering, never taught how to use a DMM or scope. Built one breadboard circuit and never did figure out what it was for only later to find out it was nothing. All they do in college electronics is lecture and quiz, almost no hands on. That is not the way to learn it! I've even forgotten how to read resistors! Why? Because we spent 3 weeks on Ohm's law and one day on reading resistors. That's one example. (I had better electronics courses in middle school, but that was so long ago)
That said, a basic college course in electronics can do a lot of good, just don't travel beyond that if you want to learn this stuff. Take the basic course and hope they teach you how to read a schematic (something I wish my college courses taught), then stop and find a way to actually get down and do it hands on, one thing at a time. I was told by someone here that is the best way to learn it. It's a slower process, but you will soon have experience which is the most important part.
First and foremost practice soldering and desoldering until you feel really good with it.
As for college classes, been there done that and I can tell you that they aren't worth a c**p. I've taken a total of 3 and two where at the same time and still was never shown how to desolder, never got to practice soldering, never taught how to use a DMM or scope. Built one breadboard circuit and never did figure out what it was for only later to find out it was nothing. All they do in college electronics is lecture and quiz, almost no hands on. That is not the way to learn it! I've even forgotten how to read resistors! Why? Because we spent 3 weeks on Ohm's law and one day on reading resistors. That's one example. (I had better electronics courses in middle school, but that was so long ago)
That said, a basic college course in electronics can do a lot of good, just don't travel beyond that if you want to learn this stuff. Take the basic course and hope they teach you how to read a schematic (something I wish my college courses taught), then stop and find a way to actually get down and do it hands on, one thing at a time. I was told by someone here that is the best way to learn it. It's a slower process, but you will soon have experience which is the most important part.
I would like to give an opposing view. I think the best thing you can do to learn electronics is to take college courses, yes plural. Because you had a bad experience does not mean all college courses are bad. I had a very good experience. We had one bad EE teacher in all my 4 years in school and the students united to have that guy removed.
Understanding ohms law is far more important than learning to read resistor codes. A chart for the color codes can be googled in seconds any way. No need for a two week course on such a simple thing.
Well, the california ones are bad, which is no surprise. I've been to a lot of college campuses in california and you couldn't pay me to take a course at any of them anymore. They are not learning institutions anymore, just expensive factories. It might be a bit different in the rest of the country. Of course a good or bad instructor makes a lot of difference as well.
Of course understanding ohm's law and other theories are vital, but they are also simple and should not take more than a day or two to get familiar with. One can get that on the internet as well. My point is that you can sit there and study and be lectured on soldering or reading a meter all day for the next 100 years, but you won't know anything until and unless you actually do it. They should teach soldering and other practial applications in these classes, but they do not, at least in the california colleges. As a matter of fact, the middle school and high school courses are better because they actually do teach practical application in the electronics courses while the colleges do not. I remember two projects way back in middle school where we built a simple buzzer and a 9v shock box! I never even got close to that in my college EE courses! Doesn't make sense to me how that can be. I guess the more you pay, the less you get. No I can't remember anything about electronics. (well, if I saw the formula for ohm's law and the rest it would probably come flooding back to me). Problem is, not being taught how to read a schematic and practical application. So all the formulas in the world won't do me any good. I'm re-learning to solder now (or trying to as I get time). I also want to learn how to desolder. (They don't even mention that in classes)
If you want to learn anything you have to teach yourself.
vtomike
Super Member
What about this link? Is this a crock to get your money? http://www.testingelectroniccomponents.com/
Testing components is one facet of electronic repair but it's not the main one. Understanding how circuits work is the most important thing to learn. You cannot repair something just by testing components. That might take forever. I can't imagine removing each component from a PCB one at a time and checking them. That's a stupid way to troubleshoot. So don't fall for this.
My school taught me everything and it was in California. We learned how to solder and desolder. We also learned how to design and make printed circuit boards (PCBs). I learned everything about circuits and circuit analysis from the higher level math to the more practical side.
Naptown Rob
Ponographer
I'm taking a college course right now. Christ! First time on a campus in over 25 years. Only a few weeks into it, but certainly a much better experience than related by some others above. Every class includes a lecture and a hands-on lab.
I also learn a lot from AK'ers. I'll continue to gather as much knowledge as I can from any sources available...
I also learn a lot from AK'ers. I'll continue to gather as much knowledge as I can from any sources available...
deniss
Active Member
I personally never trust websites with this style.
Now you've peaked my curiosity Dave. What school was it?
I went to Golden West for a semster in Electronics and it was chaos. (broken down lab, too many things not working so had to do lecture mostly, learned nothing).
Next was DeVry which made GW look good. The electronics classes in the engineering ciriculum were really just math classes in a so-called lab mostly. I don't mind math and I am very comfortable with numbers, but don't teach something I will never see in my life or on this planet. The math in the "electronics" was really easy (to me at least, most of the rest with a couple of exceptions, had a hard time with it). Got to use the meters in there once just to measure a capacitor and 3 resistors by themselves. The additional problem was that the meters were old analog types and DMM had been out for 30 years prior! That was about it. The closest we got to soldering was a drawing on a blackboard of what a good solder joint looks like. (In spite of the fact that each student had their own pencil solder iron and solder along with wires and components in a little kit, none of which was ever used). Nothing much else was taught except math and basic theory. Problem was never saw theory in practice.
By the by, I would recommend anyone thinking about going to DeVry to commit sucide instead. I left after a year when I caught them laundring money on my back and other students backs. I had a 2 inch file of documentation that I went to the DA with and had a case until the DA was bought off by the school 6 months later. (I also got beat up by one of the instructors in the hall one day for my efforts).
I would not mind taking a true electronics course geared for the layperson someday provided it's close by and free. I refuse to waste anymore money in our so-called education system.
GuyK
Addicted Member
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=163636
This is a sticky in the DIY forum. The US Navy electrical engineering training course online.
This is a sticky in the DIY forum. The US Navy electrical engineering training course online.