[sci.electronics] Beginner Book Suggestion Sought

hawley@adobe.COM (Steve Hawley) (05/17/91)

I've been a tinker in electronics for several and have several (mis)conceptions
about the way the various components work together.  For the most part, I see
electronic components as tinker toys.  Ie, you give me a schematic, and I'm
very comfortable putting it together and finding correct substitutions for
parts (ie, for resistors, caps, op-amps).

This means that I can build, but I don't really understand what I'm building.

I've decided that I would like to have the (or at least some) understanding as
well.  What I would like is a book that takes a practical compenent-oriented
approach to this.  For example, it would present a schematic for (say) a
circuit that can be used to make a simple momentary SPST or DPDT switch act
like a push-on/push-off SPSDT or DPDT and explain how/why it works.

There are a skillion things I'd like to design/build but I simply don't have
the knowledge and can't find an appropriate design.  For example, I picked up
a solar panel from Edmund several years back, and I'd like to turn it into
a regulated power supply for either a portable CD player or a Lynx LCD video
game.  The trouble is I pull out the data sheets for voltage regulators and
just go "duh..."

Please e-mail book suggestions.

Steve Hawley
hawley@adobe.com
-- 
"Did you know that a cow was *MURDERED* to make that jacket?"
"Yes.    I didn't think there were any witnesses, so I guess I'll have to kill
 you too." -Jake Johansen