How Can Beginners Dive into Electrical Engineering Projects?

[bezgin]

Hi,

It's my first year in electronic engineering. I wonder what I can do to begin working on electrical things even if I don't know anything about it? I don't know much about my job actually and want to create a hobby related to it so that I can like it in the future. How can I make a circuit for example? I want to make a robot, is it easy?

Can you advise me some web sites?
Thanks

 

[Cliff_J]

Easiest would be one of those electronic project kits.

Next easiest would be to get a breadboard and some components from a place like Mouser (no minimum, decent shipping) or Digikey or whoever.

After that you could build masks and etch your own circuit boards and all that kind of fun stuff. Not really practical anymore since you can get boards prototyped for so cheap nowadays but it doesn't hurt to know the old ways too. Radio Shack had this stuff, maybe one near you might still have it in stock. They used to support the hobbyist pretty well, now their focus is cellphones and batteries (darned companies trying to optimize profits).

As far as what circuits, lots of websites out there. Here's one with a few ideas and decent explanations:
http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/schematics.htm

As far as robots go, wow, huge field there. A good internet search will bring up all types of stuff from bots built from salvage parts to special neo-magnet motors designed for max power/weight for battlebots and the like. You could buy assembled and tested controllers or build your own with a PIC and have it drive an H-bridge. Countless options.

At school you might find a society like SWE or something where you could meet other people and get ideas of what they're doing and maybe find something you want to do. Your school might even have a unmanned vehicle they build for competition use. Maybe your EE advisor would be able to steer you in that direction.

Skys the limit!

Cliff