tl:dr intro


My questions is this: If a person, has interest in toying, building, and applying electronic circuitry as a hobby or curiosity, how does one start? What are the essential references that he/she needs, or some club whatsoever, or places to shop and inquire about electronics, that he/she can refer to independently in nurturing this hobby.

If the mods think that this isn't the right place for it, then move it by all means. I'm not talking about how much of a failure our current education system is on nurturing curiosity but HOW do you help nurture a future engineer's curiosity. By all means do advise.

This post has been edited by cheecken0: Oct 19 2011, 08:50 PM

i guess first off is influence from friends and cousins, with play-companion comes competition, and competition makes ppl to find out more and is the process LEARNING! but i think in malaysia, i think most children only knows ask daddy and mommy buy, as as they proceed to our "1st class" education system...well no need to mention much la, we all know how it turned out

I wish there was a fab lab in Malaysia.

Would love to have my own fab lab, and an idea how to start using a fab lab.

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Added on October 19, 2011, 9:46 pmMost kids these days get electronics from a box from the nearest apple store. Now that is why people just don't get (it) electronics.

This post has been edited by cheecken0: Oct 19 2011, 09:46 PM

i remembered when i was 11.
I took a radio wire, which has 2 holes, 1 live and 1 neutral.
I took 2 short wires i put it both inside the holes and connect it.
Then, it exploded. A superb 'short-circuit' experiment..

Try googling arduino and adafruit, although you might find that this approach to electronics is more focused on programming

Playing around with arduino now. Feels gooooooooooood

Though electrical components are hard to come by =/

Try playing some LEGO robot toys or just learn to create your own PC. Simple and basic skills like these can be learnt and is considered a good start.

For engineers, Maths is important and if you are curious about Maths and how it works, well that is also a start.

LEGO is too rigid, and too expensive. Building your own PC will not teach you how a transistor works.


I'm sticking with arduino at the moment.

yeah.. IMO, Arduino is a good incentive to nurture the mechanical/electronic curiosity in youth.. it is a decent tool

lolx... i made my own heart rate measuring device as my mini project.. =P


i would say it takes abit of all factors to produce a kid that is interested in such stuffs...


arduino.... im using PICs now.. planning to step to ARM.. =P

Electronic is a good hobby for technical enthusiast.

Personally I was a curious boy last time. I always sit by my father side and watch how he install fluorescent light, TV antenna, and do some basic repairing of torch light and various electrical appliances. But anyway, my father is not an electrician though.

So, I start with tinkering with sections of wire, and connectors, and connect wires to my LEGO robot pretending I was building a robot. As I start grow up older, I start to learn taking apart spoiled electronic appliances to see how the inside looks like And when I start schooling and start to learn about basic electricity in primary school, I start to build my own simple torchlight by using 1.5V dry cell battery, a strand of wire, and a torchlight light bulb, but anyway, my parents never appreciate my interest, to them, I was wasting the batteries for my stupid projects. I used to have a lot of bad experience with electronics and electricity, used to try make my own mosquito repellent light myself after some simple research from a magazine, and ended up tripping the main switch of my house, so ended up been spanked by my parents and some lecturing .

When I grown up further, I commit myself to learn more about electronics especially from secondary school KH, and science, and also in physics and chemistry (electrochemistry) when I was in form 4 and 5, and keep on doing my own project kits while learning basic wiring and repair myself

I keep on building project kits when I was studying for degree ( not electronic engineering degree, but still a technical degree with some courses and laboratory related to electronics) in university up till now That was the time when I first bought my own analog and digital multimeter.

Up till now, I think, my level of electronic skill is still in the basic level, and looking for any chance to learn more especially on how to troubleshoot circuit and building projects and gadgets. My aim is to actually build some gadgets preferably a working radiation counting device with Geiger tube or even better with scintillator tube, also interested to start with amateur radio, and RC helicopter project

Anyway, interest in electronics really depends on how much you are exposed to the electronics, and how well your electronic skills are still depends on how well are you be guided by someone experience to perform testing, wiring, troubleshooting, building projects and repairing.

I admit that my parents are really discouraging me from pursuing my interest in tinkering with electricity, and gadgets. And, even my dad never teach me on how to do some simple wiring or repair when I was a kid, but then, if you have the interest, you can take any chance you have to actually learn by your own.

O yeah TS, to actually answer your question, actually a very good place to buy electronic components and tools is Jalan Pasar there are lots of shops there for you to shop any electronic components, working tools and meters.

To actually start with this hobby, at least you need to have basic idea of electronics theory and some basic electronic skill

I would recommend "Practical Electronic for Inventors" and "Electronic Circuit for Evil Genius" for those who would like to start with this wonderful hobby

thanks for the heads up regarding those books. will look into them

Good for you.. Never give up on something you love..

bro btw are u an engineer now cos i admire people like that is so enthusiastic in electronics

I'm a graduate in B.Sc. in Nuclear Science and currently working as a NDT technician

what is NDT Technician? Is it Non-destructive testing (NDT) technicians?

Yup..Nondestructive Testing..I'm doing X-ray

Good lah see you guys also got dream , nowadays kids like don't have dream = = , spoil by i-product