This will be an ongoing growing list of links for beginners in electronics.  Most links will be to video tutorials and reviews but I will include some blogs and books as well.  There will always be a link to this posting in my side bar under “Tutorials” titled ”Links for Beginners in electronics”.      

<<Videos, blogs, books and more for beginners in electronics>>   

Websites that will help you learn just about everything in electronics for FREE: 

1. http://electronics.wisc-online.com   (super great! site)
2. Nice launch site with clear categories back to wisc-online.com
3. http://www.allaboutcircuits.com   (has good points and bad but I like it)

Start your EE Lab!     

1. Starter kit-Basic: Jameco.com Electronics Toolkit ~$99  (jameco.com)
2. Starter kit-Better: Ladyada’s Electronics Toolkit ~$100  (adafruit.com)
3. Starter kit-Best: Very nice for the money ~$220  (CuriousInventor.com)  
4. Power Supply-Basic : 2 Amp Multi Fixed Outputs ~$20 (circuitspecialists.com) 
5. Power Supply-Better: 0-2A; 0-18VDC ~$58 (circuitspecialists.com)
6. Power Supply-Best: 0-3A; 0-30V  Large LCD ~$198 (circuitspecialists.com)
7. Multimeter-Basic: Extech EX330 $54  (jameco.com)
8. Multimeter-Better: Fluke 17B $89 out of China and not a true RMS meter. (dealextreme.com)
9. Multimeter-Best: Fluke 87-V  $380 (jameco.com) but (I got mine on eBay ~$190 new)
10. Logic analyzer-Basic: USB type – Open Logic Sniffer $45 (dangerousprototypes.com)
11. Logic analyzer-Better: USB type – TOL-08938 $150 (sparkfun.com)
12. Logic analyzer-Best: USB type – Janatek ANNIE $299 (tequipment.net)
13. Function Generator: Instek SFG-1003 DDS 3MHz $153 (tequipment.net)
14. Oscilloscope : Rigol DS1052E 50MHz which can be hacked to 100Mhz: ~$399 (tequipment.net)

 

You can get the Rigol DS1052E 50MHz from USA distributer with free shipping, no tax for $369. 
 You need to request for a reduced quote from “LIVE HELP” on the tequipment.net page.
 Tell them you could order it cheaper out of China for $379 with free shipping, no tax.
 You have to refer to this cheaper Dealextreme.com link which is shipped out of China.
 They should email you a quote number for a price match at $369. They did for me!

 

1. How to equip your lab yourself   (Ladyada.net)
2. Build your own starter kit (Basic, Better, Best)   (Ladyada.net)

 Books you should get ASAP:    

1. Getting Started in Electronics   by Forrest M. Mims III
2. Timer, Op Amp, and Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects Vol. I   by Forrest M. Mims III
3. Science and Communication Circuits & Projects Vol. II   by Forrest M. Mims III
4. Electronic Sensor Circuits & Projects Vol. III   by Forrest M. Mims III
5. Electronic Formulas, Symbols & Circuits Vol. IV   by Forrest M. Mims III
6. The Art of Electronics 2nd edition   by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill

 General knowledge when getting started:      

1. Learn about Multimeters   (Ladyada.net)
2. Multimeter reviews under $55 and PDF chart (EEVBlog.com)
3. Multimeter Counts, Accuracy, Resolution & Calibration   (EEVBlog.com)
4. Pick the right Multimeter for you. (EEVBlog.com)
5. Learn to Solder better   (Ladyada.net)
6. Unregulated Power Supply Tutorial   (Sparkfun.com)
7.  All about batteries   (Ladyada.net) 

Working with micro-controllers:    

1. Dave’s opinion on Arduino plus he compares it to PICAXE   (EEVBlog.com)
2. Arduino vs. Basic Stamp    (TodBot.com)
3. AVR vs. PIC   (Ladyada.net)
4. Arduino Official Home Page   (arduino.cc)
5. Arduino Tutorial    (Ladyada.net)
6. Arduino Tutorial   (Sparkfun.com)
7. Using Sensors with Arduino   (Ladyada.net)
8. Interfacing 3.3V sensor to a 5V micro   (Sparkfun.com)
9. Arduino Hacks Tips, tricks, techniques   (Ladyada.net)
10. Step by step Getting Started with AVRs   (Ladyada.net)
11. Beginning Embedded Electronics   (Sparkfun.com)
12. Micro Annoyances   (Ladyada.net)
13. Breadboard your own Arduino using Atmega8: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3   (Protostack.com)
14. Breadboard Standalone Arduino ATMega328   (instructables.com)
15. Using Character LCDs with Arduino (Ladyada.net)

Robots and motor controls:    

1. Roomba dissection video and using its H-bridge motor control circuit.
2. DC Motor Control Using an H-Bridg (itp.nyu.edu) and (letsmakerobots.com)
3. H-Bridges: Theory and Practice

Make your own PCB – Printed Circuit Boards:      

1. Video on using Photo Resist Pre-Sensitized PCBs (Makezine.com)
2. Photo-etching PCB using ink-jet printer. (YouTube.com)
3. Printed Circuit Board links including DIY and order-out   (Ladyada.net)
4. Make your own PCB – Printed Circuit Boards (Getlofi.com)
5. Order supplies to DIY PCBs (CircuitSpecialists.com) 

 

When you get farther down the road in electronics:       

1. How to get free samples from Manufacturers   (Ladyada.net)
2. When looking for parts you can search all vendors at once at   (FindChips.com)
3. Find any datasheet for your parts at   (AllDatasheet.com)

Great Electronics Parts, Kits and hardware Suppliers:  (* = I have used)      

1. Sparkfun.com   (Just about everything, best shopping site!) *
2. Adafruit.com   (Nice kits & instructions) *
3. CuriousInventor.com   (Great kits, tools and parts)
4. ModernDevice.com
5. ArduinoFun.com
6. StMicroelectronics.com   (free sample order page) *
7. Jameco.com
8. DigiKey.com *
9. Mouser.com *
10. Arrow.com *
11. RadioShack.com   (Get the above books here too) *
12. CircuitSpecialists.com   (I use this supplier a lot) *
13. Electronix Express   (Ugly site but better prices sometimes)
14. FunGizmos.com *
15. HobbyPartz.com *
16. A list of the large electronics distributors   (Ladyada.net)
17. Purchase chips direct, avoiding the middle-man distributor   (Ladyada.net)

Useful software downloads:      

1. This is a nice logic circuit simulator and is good for learning and prototyping virtually. Watch the flash tutorial when you get time and download the free version to play with.

Nice circuit examples and other tutorial videos:    

1. NerdKits.com makes some very good tutorials.
2. Driving a 7 segment display with a 4511 BCD to 7 Segment Driver
3. 74HC595 shift register – Controlling 16 LEDs

  <<EEVBlog: Videos by David L. Jones>>     

First off I’m going to link to the main EEV Blog page because all videos by David Jones are great, but some videos are NOT for beginners so be warned.  Here are a few that are nice for beginners:      

General knowledge:      

1. Oscilloscope: Bench based Digital Storage Oscilloscope Tutorial
2. Oscilloscope: PC based Digital Storage Oscilloscope Comparison
3. Capacitor Tutorial part 1 (Electrolytic, Tantalum, and Plastic Film)
4. Capacitor Tutorial part 2 (Ceramics and impedance)
5. Capacitor Tutorial part 3 (Exploding Capacitors)
6. Logic Analyzer Tutorial part 1
7. Logic Analyzer Tutorial part 2
8. Decibels (dB’s) for Engineers – A Tutorial
9. Linear and Switch Mode Power Supplies - A Tutorial

Product reviews (good to watch if you’re looking to buy some equipment):    

1. Oscilloscope: Rigol DS1052E   <$500 US
2. Function Generator: Instek 3mhz GFG-8219A    ~$300 US (starts at 2:45 minutes)
3. Power Supply: Jaycar powertech mp3086   ~$150 US
4. Power Supply: BK Precision 1697   (Programmable) ~$350
5. MCU programmer: Microchip PICkit2   (starts at 6:50 minutes)
6. MCU programmer: Microchip PICkit3
7. Multimeter: Pocket variety   ~$30 US (starts at 7:20 minutes)
8. Multimeter: Reviews under $55 and PDF chart
9. Multimeter: Cheap Chinese multimeters and why they suck   ~$20 to ~$90 US
10. Multimeter: Meterman 37XR   ~$140 US
11. Multimeter: Fluke 117   ~$170 US
12. Multimeter: Fluke 233   ~$300 US
13. Multimeter: Fluke 87-V part 1   ~$380 US (starts at 7:50 minutes)
14. Multimeter: Fluke 87-V part 2
15. Multimeter: Fluke 28 Series II part 1   ~$430 US
16. Multimeter: Fluke 28 Series II part 2 
17. Multimeter: Fluke 189/289 part 1   ~$450 US
18. Multimeter: Fluke 189/289 part 2
19. Multimeter: Agilent U1253A OLED   ~450 US
20. Multimeter: Gossen Metrawatt Xtra   ~$500 US  You can buy the Metrawatt Xtra in the USA {here}.

    

  <<Fast Forward, Acme School and Half Handy >>    

Here are some great old school Canadian TV videos hosted by David Stringer:      

Electronics and electricity topics:    

1. Electricity and how to create and use it (very good)
2. What is a watt and how to calculate electrical usage and costs (Watts = volts * amps)
3. Alternating current and how and why its used in your home
4. Magnetism and its use and durability for recorded media.
5. All about Batteries (fuzzy, hard to watch, but very good information)
6. Binary counting in digital electronics
7. Vacuum tubes to transistors to micro processors
8. Older video on vacuum tubes to transistors. 

Miscellaneous topics:      

1. Explain house wires (ground, black and white)
2. Canada power company load balancing and delivery