Hi all,

Getting a bit frustrated at how much time I spend staring at a screen – all day for work, and then end up watching Netflix most of the evening too (this isn’t just a lockdown thing either I don’t think..!)

A few years ago I used to spend a couple evenings a week at a local Hackspace doing wood work + basic metal work, and really loved it. It was a nice change from the day job, wasn’t focused on a computer, but was still fairly technical and required a level of skill – and I learnt loads.

I’m now no-where near a hackspace or similar anymore, plus lockdown etc etc – so I’m now looking to replicate that experience as best as possible from a 1 bed flat in London.

Very open to suggestions, but the best I can think of so far is some kind of practical electronics type project/course.

I did mechanical engineering at uni, so fairly technical, but actively avoided electronics unfortunately, so pretty poor on that side of things.

I happen to work for a company in the electric vehicle space (not as an engineer), and plan to stay in the renewables/clean tech sector, so if I could also pick up some related house electrics or power electrics knowledge that would be great – however I don’t want this to be the focus if it ends up making it less enjoyable.

I’m thinking that some kind of electronics project based course might tick most of the boxes, where I do a bit of soldering, bit of theoretical learning, and have something physical to work on. I got a raspberry pie a while back but never got into it, so not sure how to improve on that.

Another concern is that if it is a internet based course, it will just be more time at a screen which I’m trying to avoid. Are there any other alternatives, happy to buy books etc?

Anyway, lots of rambling, would appreciate any input/thoughts!

Thanks.

Arduino is good for this sort of thing. It’s more practical than a pi and easier to interface with real things imo. There are loads of plug in bits to easily add things like sensors and motors or you can solder up your own add ons. There will be some computer stuff for the programming but it’s a good mix of hardware and software and the Arduino gives you loads of options compared to a pure electronics project. Have a look on YouTube for loads of sample projects to see if it appeals.

Just the learning to solder bit is a useful skill.

I’ve been doing a bunch of Arduino-related project work recently.

Research: on the computer.

Layout design: on the computer.

Coding: on the computer.

Testing/prototyping and board assembly are more manual, but in honesty if you want to get away from a computer electronics may not be it!

Having said this, it is really good fun, and certainly more engaging than Netflix binging.

If you want to learn more electronics I’d suggest Arduino is a better jumping off point than RPi. Try thinking of something you want to make and go from there.

What I really love is trying to fix broken electronics. If you have a basic knowledge of electronics (how the components work, how current flows etc) its fun to try and fix stuff – my next project I would like to try and fix a broken hifi amplifier as they are fairly simple bits of kit.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but you only need a decent soldering iron and a multimeter.

IF you want to avoid the computer think about how you would do things without a micro controller such as an Arduino. Discrete logic and opamps and similar. Having a mechanical eng background should help you as understanding from a mathematical pov what a integrator circuit is.

Much more elegant than programming but requires more thinking. ITs also very useful. If you develop something sometimes it can be better to use electronics rather than software. It can be more reliable, quicker. A good back up for safety system in the event of software failure.

Control system built with these is where its at!
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/category/opamp

Mix of woodworking and electronics, and your own artistic slant on it should you want.

Built one of these little laser cutters from a kit years ago (when we were living in a little flat), my wife got it from a kickstarter. Uses an Arduino as the controller and the software that drives it is all open source so you can see what’s going on. Fun little build and it cuts small, thin stuff pretty well.

https://www.instructables.com/MicroSlice-A-tiny-Arduino-laser-cutter/

Based on the thread topics on this site, repairing Gaggia classics (or other lesser espresso machines), buy cheap and broken, restore and flog on after, you could also build/mod with PID controllers too.

Build yourself a set of audiospeakers or a valve amp. Restore some vintage HiFi kit. Actually these are all idea I quite like myself, on second thoughts forget all of these 😉

Not so much practical but…. 😉

Tamiya and other R/C vehicles (not just for Christmas)

Unrelated, but I’ve been learning the guitar this year. Totally different brain engagement from looking at screens, rewarding, and a guitar is cheapish.

The trouble is, most electronics has either got too small, or it’s gone digital (plug a chip in and spend days programming it).

I’d second a valve amplifier as an antidote to this, but you sort of need to have a use for one. Great if you have any interest in electric guitar (can be done quite cheaply) or HiFI (sky’s the limit). Bit of a white elephant otherwise.

How about a NIXIE clock?

The trouble is, most electronics has either got too small, or it’s gone digital (plug a chip in and spend days programming it).

I don’t think that is totally true. Hobby electronics has gone modular. Plug a sensor module into an Arduino, hook it up to a motor with a motor driver module. Mix and match analogue with digital with the right module. Same for the software, grab a bit of code from here another bit from there, stick it together. The “fun” is working out what bit goes with what. If you are making an object then can still be a heap of making and soldering, eg check out LED cubes.

Hobby electronics has gone modular. Plug a sensor module into an Arduino, hook it up to a motor with a motor driver module. Mix and match analogue with digital with the right module.

I think we’re saying the same thing. In the ‘good old days’ you would design / construct a circuit to do something – choose transistors based on Hfe & current rating; work out the biasing voltages & resistors – similar with op-amps, then cobble it all together on some veroboard, etc. Nowadays, it seems to be plugging modules together, or at most soldering lengths of wire to pcbs.

Apologies if I come over as negative. It’s a hobby that I was heavily into from the late 1970s onwards (Horowitz & Hill and the RSGB VHF/UHF handbook were my bedtime reading). I just find it frustrating that many contemporary parts are only easily available as SMD, and it’s cheaper and easier just to buy a ‘module’ and plug it into a microcontroller rather than actually design something.

I find traditionally constructed valve amps an antidote to this, but obviously one needs a use for them! 🙂

Arduino/Pi/<insert other development platform of choice> are fine to learn if you have a use for them. Everything electronic/software related I’ve learnt has always been because I have an intended use for it, not just because I felt like learning it.

It’s probably worth having a look through the Seeedstudio blog, to see if there’s anything that might interest you – https://www.seeedstudio.com/blog/

As has already been mentioned, most electronics stuff now, you can do via modules. I generally prototype stuff using breadboards/modules, then if needed, design and make a dedicated PCB.