Electronics

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:35 am Post subject: newbie repair equipment advice!

Hi everyone.

Sorry If I am asking dumb questions, I am trying to get a leg up on
(new to me) technology in the repair field. My background is computer
programming but Tesla has been my hero since I was young if that helps
any! Currently I am reading through some books to learn this technology
area but I do not have enough knowledge yet to know what type of test
equipment I will need. So I am asking you for advice.

Questions:
=-=-=-=-=
I am hoping to learn and start repairing things like computer monitors
and work up to repairing motherboards, flat-screen monitors (LDC /
plasma and related technology), overhead projectors and maybe even
digital camcorders. -Am I being overly ambitious?

With my target being learning to repair the above types of devices,
what kind of test equipment would I need to invest in?

Please offer your advice on equipment I may be missing in my list and
also which signal generator and oscilloscope would be the best fit. Old
technology would be fine. Reliable devices I could learn to repair
myself would be ideal. I suppose parts being available for these
devices would be important as well.

Digital multimeeter and a few VOMs (do I need special probes?)
Perhaps a signal generator
Oscilloscope (which probes?) (what kind of bandwidth and sampling
would be needed?)
Soldering station

I am thinking of watching ebay and building my test bench as
inexpensively as I can preferably with reliable older equipment I can
repair or calibrate myself and learn at the same time. - Again, I am so
new to the trade as to not know if what I am saying is achievable or if
I am saying something that would make the seasoned technician laugh!

Skype_man · Guest

While I love the repair industry, it's getting hard to make a
living when units are so cheap, & poor quality! No question
is dumb...how can you learn otherwise? Check these sites below,
& keep looking here, as there are a number of very knowledgeable
guys here, who can help you along the way. Google info like how
to fix T.V., etc, etc. Google is your friend. I must lie down...it's 3 am
here. Enjoy. Sky.

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/tshoot.htm

http://www.howstuffworks.com/index.htm

http://antiqueradio.org/howfix.htm

http://www.electronic-circuits-diagrams.com/

http://home.planet.nl/~heuve345/

For a beginner........

Digital multimeter and a few VOMs (do I need special probes?).....No!
Perhaps a signal generator...a sound source like a radio/cd unit with line
out.
Oscilloscope probes....basic ones that come with it are fine. No need to buy
expensive ones.
(what kind of bandwidth and sampling would be needed?) As much as you can
afford 20 mhz Minimum.
Soldering station...have a pencil, & chisel tip.
A lot of older test equip (like almost everything made), is good quality, &
really lasts.

Hope this helps you start off. Very important...be carefull around
electricity...study first, watch, &
learn from someone...if you can...then touch. Work on something, that if you
break it...it's ok.
Take care, & be safe, Sky.

James Sweet · Guest

wonknose@gmail.com wrote:

Charles Schuler · Guest

Matt J. McCullar · Guest

I'd recommend getting to know some local ham radio operators and visit
hamfests and computer sidewalk sales. Plenty of old junk for sale, along
with lots of advice for free. Great for parts. Also plenty of electronics
hobby books, manuals, and textbooks for low prices.

When it comes to multimeters, I'd recommend getting one brand-new if at all
possible. Digital multimeters can be damaged any number of ways without
being immediately obvious, and if you're just getting started, it's best to
use equipment that you can believe what it's telling you. Someone selling
an old one at a sidewalk sale (or on eBay, for that matter) may or may not
have forgotten that one of the settings got blown out long ago.

A very handy piece of equipment is a solderless breadboard. There are
different kinds, but I recommend one that looks like a small console. It
comes with dual-polarity power supply, and even a function generator. (A
solderless breadboard is a device that lets you plug in components like a
jigsaw puzzle and push in wires to connect them together, without having to
solder anything. Great for experimenting.)

Also check your local library. Look in the 621 section for
electronics-related books.

Everybody's got broken electronic gizmos just lying around. They probably
can't bear to just throw them away, but if you ask around, they may be
willing to let you look at it, or just flat-out have it.

I don't see this mentioned often, but it's a good idea: keep a notebook.
Write down things that you've worked on, circuits you've put together and
tried out, and ideas you want to try. You'll be amazed how handy that
notebook will be in the future.

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