I want to learn about electronics!

[GSX]

I've taken electrical engineering technician, and I find many things very interesting (ex. resisitors, capacitors, inductors, bjts, jfets, diode, logics, sr/jk flip flops and etc.), although some teachers are very bad at teaching all of this, it is very hard to understand these things, but I know these things are used everywhere and it has a alot potential!!! People do fascinating things with these components. And I wanted to go out of my way to learn it on my own, and this is why I came to electronics point (its my first time using it) to ask the community on what is the best way that I can learn about electronics, is there a website, a textbook, maybe in way I want to eventually know how to use Arduino, computer coding, and etc.

 

[chopnhack]

It's a long road to learn solo, but there are many here who can help you with specific questions as you read and learn and stumble on something. For books I can recommend Getting Started in Electronics, Make, et.
If you search around this website you will see some resources have already been pooled together regarding a book list.

 

[GSX]

It's a long road to learn solo, but there are many here who can help you with specific questions as you read and learn and stumble on something. For books I can recommend Getting Started in Electronics, Make, et.
If you search around this website you will see some resources have already been pooled together regarding a book list.

Thank you so much for the reply, in general I am very fascinated with stuff, and I want to increase learning in this, honestly the teachers don't help much anymore, they are very unmotivating. If doing stuff solo is hard, what is the way that you recommend? I hope while learning about electronics, I hope that I can also learn about computer science, physics and etc.!!!

 

[GSX]

It's a long road to learn solo, but there are many here who can help you with specific questions as you read and learn and stumble on something. For books I can recommend Getting Started in Electronics, Make, et.
If you search around this website you will see some resources have already been pooled together regarding a book list.

And I'll also start by reading the book, I hope that it's great guide!!! Thank you so much again!

 

[chopnhack]

And I'll also start by reading the book, I hope that it's great guide!!! Thank you so much again!

I have the old version with some outdated projects. I am very interested to see what you think of the new version. For the price it is really a great starting point - it's what got me interested in electronics when I was younger. A good mix of theory and application in the right amounts. Let me know when you get to the projects section if they replaced the BJT in the electric organ project with something more available or if they just completely scrapped that project! Happy reading

 

[chopnhack]

teachers don't help much anymore, they are very unmotivating. If doing stuff solo is hard, what is the way that you recommend? I hope while learning about electronics, I hope that I can also learn about computer science, physics and etc.!!!

I find that to be the case sometimes as well and what I really have distilled from the experience (time and time again) is expectations. We are expecting to learn about something specific, perhaps how to build a project and the teacher is taking us from the beginning to get to that stage, but we are too impatient to learn about electrons, valance levels and electron propagation - wanting to just jump directly to the breadboard!

So, firstly, adjust your expectations and understand that this endeavor may take you years on your own... I came here first looking for help to build what I thought would be a simple relay project and learned about programming PIC microcontrollers. That project is not completely finished and I have been here for nearly two years LOL. Keep in mind the project was not simple by any means and I have yet to write the code for it.

Secondly, read, understand and experiment - my personality prefers perfection to completion and I have to remind myself constantly that the first go does not need to be the last... many times it is, but experimentation is just as valuable as preparation! Fail and fail often, but learn from each failure the why. If funds are limited, learn how to use LTSpice which is a free modeling program. You can design circuits and test them on your computer without any parts! There are limitations to it, but it is a rather useful tool.

 

[Lawrenciumbc]

I've not long started learning myself but a book which has really helped me understand many concepts is 'Practical Electronics for Inventors' by Simon Monk and Paul Scherz it covers electronics right from the beginning and provides a good intro into a huge number of topic areas with great diagrams and analogies.

I also bought the Arduino Uno starter kit which comes with lots of components, breadboard and a good project book. Its quite easy to work through but I found it gave a good purpose to exploring components and learning how simple microcontrollers work.