Those are Words Of Wisdom.
I didn't bother to go with surface mount device soldering, because of the prohibitive amount of cash involved for a hobbyist and a kid. I needed a microscope and a surface mount soldering station for which I would need to pay $2,000 to 4,000 USD in the 90's
When I started out I actually had a production level Phillips single Channel integrated amp as a kit. I got the same amp in a Philips turntable!
I still remember Radio Shack. They had a store at the Gravenstraat in my country where I could see thousands and thousands of electronic components. Since I've been soldering ever since I was a child, it was very sad to see them go indeed. For some reason which is very odd to me people just stopped soldering at the hobby scale
I'm designing a small circuit board which will have an STM32 microcontroller.
One document from STMicro says that the part must have two capacitors to filter the power supply, a 'ceramic' cap at 100nF, and a 'chemical' cap at 4.7uF.
Another document says they should both be ceramic caps, and the Nucleo64 evaluation board (sold by STMicro) uses ceramic caps for both.
Should I bother using a different cap for the larger value? If so, what qualifies as a 'chemical' capacitor, just electrolytics?
This period was a nightmare for technical persons building computers. At that point in time I was building computers with a frequency of about 6 to 12 per day. The operating systems were put in afterwards.
Imagine the following nightmare scenario; at the certain point in time within the period of guarantee client calls with the message that the computer just stops working. The client has done everything that's needed to protect it; UPS, grounded outlets, ground resistance between .5 ohms and 1.2 ohms
Good UPS APC were good ones at that point in time.
Computers come in and after a while it's easy to see what happened because all the Elco's were dead, all of them!
🔋 Aluminum Electrolyte Capacitors Market projected to reach $7.92B by 2030! #Electronics #Capacitors #TechGrowth
Get Sample:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/26101/
The massive capacitor failure of 2K2
The capacitor plague of the early 2000s.
The Asianometry YouTube channel picks apart the story about this painful time. I had equipment fail because of this .
Scientists accidentally discover powerful energy storage material: 'Exceptional performance and durability'. A plastic supercapacitor
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/scientists-accidentally-discover-powerful-energy-110049397.html
#supercapacitors #capacitors #energy
Have to #reverse #engineering this little #Minox #analog #film #camera to find the short in its #electronics. It has some battery corrosion but my money is on one of the #tantalum #capacitors on the circuit board. I managed find #repair #manual but it's useless as the board diagram is nothing as it is on the actual camera. I guess I'll have to do it the old way, desoldering the board and mapping the traces.
Basic Electronics for the Amateur Radio Operator: What You Need to Know for Your Technician License
1,003 words, 5 minutes read time.
If you’re preparing for the Amateur Radio Technician License Exam, understanding basic electronics is a must. While you don’t need to be an electrical engineer, the exam includes fundamental concepts like Ohm’s Law, circuits, components, and RF safety. This guide will walk you through the essential topics, ensuring you’re ready for the test and your first steps as a ham radio operator.
Understanding Electricity: The Basics for Amateur Radio
Electricity is the movement of electrons through a conductor, like a wire. Three key electrical properties define how electricity behaves:
These three are tied together by Ohm’s Law, a fundamental equation in electronics:
V=I×R
This means if you know any two values, you can calculate the third. Understanding this equation is critical for both the exam and real-world troubleshooting.
Direct Current (DC) vs. Alternating Current (AC)
Electricity comes in two forms:
For amateur radio, most equipment runs on DC power, but you’ll also need to understand AC because radio signals are alternating currents that oscillate at high frequencies.
Essential Electronic Components and Their Functions
Several key electronic components appear on the Technician Exam. Here’s what they do:
Understanding these basics helps you answer questions about circuit behavior and troubleshooting.
Series and Parallel Circuits
Circuits are made up of components arranged in either series or parallel:
For the exam, you should know how voltage, current, and resistance behave in each type of circuit. For example, total resistance in a series circuit is the sum of all resistances, while in parallel circuits, total resistance is lower than the smallest individual resistor.
Basic AC Concepts and Frequency
Radio waves are AC signals that oscillate at different frequencies. Frequency (f) is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells us how many times per second the wave changes direction. One kilohertz (kHz) is 1,000 Hz, and one megahertz (MHz) is 1,000,000 Hz.
Ham radios operate in different frequency bands, such as:
Higher frequencies allow for shorter antennas and are good for local communication, while lower frequencies travel further.
Modulation: How We Send Information Over Radio Waves
Modulation is how a radio wave (carrier wave) carries information. The Technician Exam covers three main types:
Knowing these helps when selecting modes for different types of contacts.
Power, Batteries, and Safety
Most ham radios run on 12V DC power sources, such as batteries or regulated power supplies. It’s important to understand:
Another key topic on the test is RF exposure safety. High-power transmissions can generate strong radio frequency (RF) radiation, which may cause health risks. To minimize exposure:
Ohm’s Law in Real-World Ham Radio Applications
A common exam question might involve calculating current or voltage using Ohm’s Law. For example:
Question: If a radio operates at 12V and draws 2A of current, what is the resistance?
Using Ohm’s Law:
Understanding these calculations can help with troubleshooting and designing circuits.
Final Thoughts: Studying for the Exam and Beyond
The Technician License Exam covers these topics, but learning electronics doesn’t stop there. Once licensed, you’ll continue exploring concepts like antenna design, signal propagation, and digital communication.
Great resources for studying include:
By mastering these basic electronics concepts, you’ll be well on your way to passing the exam and starting your journey in amateur radio. Keep practicing, get hands-on experience, and soon, you’ll be making contacts on the air!
D. Bryan King
Sources
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.
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I read this headline, and the first thing I thought was "oh hey, I wonder what old radios they recapped and fixed! I would watch that! They have awards for that, though? 🤔 "
Finished #soldering. What I learned so far: l should clean between soldering #SMD components and #throughhole ones. I should leave enough space between the SMD components. I also dislike 0806 #resistors, better get some in 1206 size. The #capacitors were okay.
I tried it out with a square and a triangle wave as two inputs, connected through #potentiometers on a mini #breadboard and looked at the #oscilloscope
#diyelectronics #electronics #diysynth
2/ This is why I have never been a fan of Linux, people should be writing their own OSs 😜
As an aside, I found this #USENET thread with some familiar names from 1987 about porting Minix to the Atari - I assume that would have been the ST then.
https://www.linux.co.cr/unix-source-code/review/1987/0108.html
#DEC #Digital #PDP11 #LSI11 #Minix #Linux #OperatingSystems #Decent #Capacitors #USENET #Atari #AtariST #RetroComputing
1/ Just because, here's my LSI-11 desktop - It works, they used much better capacitors in those days.
Way back when, the LSI-11 was often used to teach people Operating Systems and Compiler Design, and in my CS degree in 1986 we'd fiddle with MINIX on these things, and deal with re-writing different low-level UNIX things. Life was much easier with only 50 instructions to work with.
#DEC #Digital #PDP11 #LSI11 #Minix #Linux #OperatingSystems #Capacitors #USENET #Atari #AtariST #RetroComputing
⚡Proper decoupling practices, and why you should leave 100nF behind
Safety advisory: Always discharge your capacitors. Especially for some breadboard testing.
Ask me how I know.
Ouch.
#electronics #diy #breadboard #hobby #circuits #capacitors #dc
It's seems #hakunamatata that #capacitors usually marked on the negative terminal 🤷!
You notice most #Tantalum capacitors have the Positive lead marked🤔?
#HapaUjanjaTu, it could be just a coin toss to use the negative or positive side, or 🤷!
www.5021.tips/ujanja/ecucomponents
☝️👆
This some rubbish on #ElectronicComponents on a #circuitboard of a #controlunit having #5021tips #repairtips for #ecurepairs #electronicsrepair #CircuitBoardRepair #motherboardrepair #ecu #electronicsrepair #wiring
Of tens or maybe even around hundred Raspberry Pis that I repaired and saved from #ewaste - today I met the first one with a shorted capacitor.
My first ever shorted cap.
WOW.
#electronics #electronicsrepair #raspberrypi #ifixit #repair #capacitors
