First electronics project that wowed you

[Chipmunked]

I can still vividly recall the first circuit I put together that actually worked, it felt like pure magic! What about you?

What was the first electronics project that truly amazed you, and what little tricks or lessons did you take away from that experience?

 

[Ohmwardbound]

Back in middle school, I built an LED flasher using a 555 timer. It amazed me that such small parts could manage timing and control without any coding. I quickly learned the importance of reading datasheets thoroughly. I spent hours troubleshooting before realizing I had the capacitor value wrong, definitely a classic rookie mistake.

 

[Tovaren]

My first AM radio kit from Radio Shack was a game changer. Hearing real stations come through something I soldered myself was just incredible. I soon found out that clean solder joints are essential, those cold joints caused all sorts of reception issues that drove me crazy for days.

 

[barfle]

My first design from scratch was a circuit that controlled the speed of a cassette FF/REW function without letting it stall. Fairly complex speed servo, summing the two reel speeds, and looking back I’d do it differently, but it worked and went into production.

I also learned that some engineers thought they knew a lot more than they actually did. Truly bad advice.

 

[Alan]

My first design from scratch was a circuit that controlled the speed of a cassette FF/REW function without letting it stall. Fairly complex speed servo, summing the two reel speeds, and looking back I’d do it differently, but it worked and went into production.

I also learned that some engineers thought they knew a lot more than they actually did. Truly bad advice.

That's quite impressive for a first design. And you're spot on about those overconfident people. Let's always trust the data over confident opinions.

 

[barfle]

That's quite impressive for a first design. And you're spot on about those overconfident people. Let's always trust the data over confident opinions.

I don’t know about other people, but when my first design goes into production, it was a bit scary. I sure didn’t want my part of the product to be what breaks in the firld (and the field in our case was South Africa).

 

[Alan]

Completely get that feeling. That first production run must have been a whirlwind of excitement mixed with a touch of panic.

I’m guessing it all turned out well in the end.

 

[oldgeek]

In middle school the metals shop teacher offered a class in electronics. We built a three tube amplifier, but not until we could explain how it worked, what each component did, and how the value of the component was determined. I learned everything I know about tubes from that one class. This was back in the day when a 2N2222 equivalent was $10 each and they were all allocated to the space program anyway. Nobody at a tech level understood them. I don't have that amp anymore, it became part of something else, but I wish I had kept it.

If you have time to read on, here's a little memory from that time:
Mr. Phelps was the coolest teacher I ever had. He taught metalworking, printing and bookbinding, and occasionally an electronics class. When I was busy building my 3 tube amp, I was struggling with the wire stripper, trying to strip the cloth braid off a transformer lead. Giving up on the worthless wire stripper, I pulled my pocket knife out of my pocket, removed the braid, and put the knife back. A moment later, Mr. Phelps was by my side saying, "Don't ever let anyone besides me see that," and then he walked away. I realized then what I had done, and no one ever saw my little pocket knife again, but I always carried it to school and still carry one to this day. I abandoned the pocket screwdriver after my wife wouldn't let up on the teasing. Born a geek, still a geek. It's in the genes.

 

[Alan]

In middle school the metals shop teacher offered a class in electronics. We built a three tube amplifier, but not until we could explain how it worked, what each component did, and how the value of the component was determined. I learned everything I know about tubes from that one class. This was back in the day when a 2N2222 equivalent was $10 each and they were all allocated to the space program anyway. Nobody at a tech level understood them. I don't have that amp anymore, it became part of something else, but I wish I had kept it.

If you have time to read on, here's a little memory from that time:
Mr. Phelps was the coolest teacher I ever had. He taught metalworking, printing and bookbinding, and occasionally an electronics class. When I was busy building my 3 tube amp, I was struggling with the wire stripper, trying to strip the cloth braid off a transformer lead. Giving up on the worthless wire stripper, I pulled my pocket knife out of my pocket, removed the braid, and put the knife back. A moment later, Mr. Phelps was by my side saying, "Don't ever let anyone besides me see that," and then he walked away. I realized then what I had done, and no one ever saw my little pocket knife again, but I always carried it to school and still carry one to this day. I abandoned the pocket screwdriver after my wife wouldn't let up on the teasing. Born a geek, still a geek. It's in the genes.

What a fantastic story. Building a three-tube amp and having to break down each component? That’s some serious learning right there. Mr. Phelps sounds like quite the legend. And you know what they say… once a geek, always a geek.