Um - are we talking about the same book?
I agree it's too advanced for a 9 year old (I thought the OP was looking for a book for dad, to bone-up and teach his offspring).
But I really don't remember much calculus in it at all. If memory serves, only in the chapter on analogue filters, and even then a very brief no-derivations presentation.
I think this site has some very nice intros to the theory:
I remember building the one-octave 'organ' and still remember Jingle Bells...
I built a stereo amplifier and tuner. But before that, when I was a poor schoolboy, I borrowed the Heathkit instruction manual for a mono amplifier (the MA-5), made a chassis and built a replica. EL84 output as I recall.
I lost mine but bought another a few years ago when my interest in electronics was rekindled.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D\
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0|
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0|
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D/
Except me - I reckon I'm too old (1964 graduate)
Actually, I was wrong...I got Horowitz and Hill a bit later. It was another alliterative double-act: Alley and Atwood. (I graduated in 1973)
Tad before my time!
I think I bought mine after I graduated... in fact - yup second edition was published in '89 - so a year after at least.
I remember when Maplin started stocking Heathkit - frighteningly expensive kits IIRC. Especially "Hero 1" or whatever it was called.
If you allow her access to a computer would you consider using a software simulation programme like Crocodile Clips?
Clever! We probably have a box or two of old Heathkit manuals gathering dust in the attic - Himself and I both built quite a few kits, and my Dad did consulting work for the company.
Velleman still do lots of kits, available from many places.
Personally, I never liked the kits of reusable components with springs (or whatever). It's not as though basic components actually cost anything much now, unlike when I was buying them with pocket money.
I don't know what beginner electronics mags are around nowadays. I used to buy Everyday Electronics at that age with my pocket money
To add a note on kids learning, theory is totally not what they need at first. Interest comes first, theory they'll go find out themselves when they need some in order to build something. So the key question is what would they like to and could they build. In todays world flooded with cheap mass produced electronics, chances are the 'interesting' things will be oddities you cant buy anywhere,
NT
In message , PJ writes
the moment in fiddling with actual physical bits and bobs, but it looks like a useful adjunct.
moved on since the last tiem I saw it. I see that it also has now has a lot of stuff to do with science simulations etc. which look interesting and useful as well.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Graeme saying something like:
Yes, the Philips kit with breadboardy springs.
I have my orange plastic "Constructors Rule" "presented free with Everyday Electronics (c) IP Magazines 1980 in front of me as I type! (I think I bought that issue specially to get it) ;-)
In message , Andy Dingley writes
Yeah, this is something I wondered about. At the moment she is very much taken by the idea of making a real something/soldering etc. but I can see that once she sees the limitations of what is easily achieved she might lose interest in that bit :-)
Thanks Andy, I'd not come across Arduino before I don't think. It looks interesting/fun. I'll probably order a couple of books and some Arduino bits and we can have a play.
In message , " snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com" writes
I think it's somewhat beyond what we need at the moment, but will bookmark it for the future if the interests develop that far.
One advantage is that a circuit can be designed and tested without damaging chips or other components and then built later using veroboard or a similar product.
We have something that looks to be pretty much the same thing as Snap Circuits sold by Cambridge Brainbox
The ones we have (the Primary Plus and the Secondary kits) don't have so much in the way of electronic components - though they do have various 'black boxes' which 'do stuff' - annoyingly the instruction booklet never explains what goes on inside these. There is a further 'Explore' kit which has more. Though it is possible to add in components.
however both our girls have enjoyed them - both for following the circuit diagrams - which they could both do before they could read as they are very easy to follow and also for just playing with making circuits.
We've also got a couple of old kits with boards and springs as well we picked up somewhere. So far they haven't seemed as appealing - probably becuase it's all rather more fiddly, and it's less clear what you are doing. Though would be better in some ways maybe for exploring electronics. There have also been various little join-all-the-bits together type kits to make a radio or a rain sensor or whatever.
But at the moment, what has caught her interest seems to be the idea of actually making things, getting the hang of new skills and to have a tangible physical product at the end of it. some more exploring and learning about what is going on will probably get hung onto that. Then again, with kids, who knows :-)
I think we will probably look at a simple kit or two to start with, maybe get some prototyping boards and components if she wants to explore that bit further, have a look at the Arduino stuff that Andy mentioned and then see how we go from there.
We home educate, so always have a good excuse for buying stuff that is 'educational' :-)
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