How old are you?

[Rerouter]

19, instrumentation apprentice,

just old enough to feel i know everything while keeping an open mind

[AntiProtonBoy]

Mid thirties here, got a Digital Systems degree (cross between electronics and computer science).

I know nothing, as far as practical/pro engineering is concerned. Just hacking shit together for kicks and enjoying it.

[Architect_1077]

Good to know I'm not the only one starting "late" in electronics.

[wkb]

In September i am going to collage.
Embedded Systems Engineering @ HAN Arnhem .

I'm 18 btw

Say hi to Jos Roeland & co... 

[wkb]

Lemme guess, 10 or 12 or so I think.

Not old at all (I'll not disclose the math though, that's up to you).   

Just wise enough not to do something incredibly stupid, and still able to do what you like and enjoy it (assuming past mistakes haven't left you physically unable).   

Nope, the motorbike is still in the garage and has done me no unrepairable harm    Neither did I cause it any unrepairable harm (it is vintage 1984.. another clue)

[wkb]

Oh.. while I am at it, I am sure people here can relate to this nice catch phrase I picked up from an email .sig:

"You are young only once, but you can stay immature all your life".

Coupled with:

"If you refrain from doing anything that could be harmful to you, you might not live longer, but it sure as h*ll will feel a lot longer"

* wkb ducks in a corner and continues work on the N-connectors on a VHF HAM radio aerial coax cable.

[CJMiller]

Hi guys, new to the forums.  I'm 28 years old...  Or, 0x1C in programmer years.  I have a background in game development and software, but I started getting into electronics about a year ago.  One of my hobbies is arcade repair and restoration, which of course led me to electronics repair.

I think one of the things that really got me interested is CRT displays.  I just find the whole phenomenon fascinating, and I love the way old low res CRT games look.  Especially the 15kHz variety.

[AntiProtonBoy]

I think one of the things that really got me interested is CRT displays. 

I also have a fascination with tubes. So much so, I'd consider taking up a glass blowing course and learn how to make them.

[Teneyes]

63 , But curious as an eight year old.  I'm  most thankful for the nurturing events in life.
My older Brother who bought me an electronics kits for Xmas.
That letter writing exercise in grade 6 for electronics information, but unlike the rest of the class, got me NO response to show the teacher.    But later my Mother had to tell the Devry Institute recruiter, who flew 2000 miles to see me, that maybe come back in a few years.  And he did in grade 10 and 1st year. Grateful for the TV repair shop in high school; ..the Satellite company and the many opportunities in this expanding field....always enjoyable.
Now just parttime,  helping grow InSb semiconductor. (big clue)

[rf-loop]

I have started hobby around 1960 with building my first diode detector radio just before go to school.
After hobby years electronic have been  also main work.
Young I think that I can  really know something if I study and exercise in work and in hobby very intensive and always eyes open and interesting to find new things - I was thinking that I know more and more... Today I'm not at all sure. Only what can realize is that more study, only what happend is that it can somehow understand that really do not know anythink. Even simplest resistor is so complex that it is extremely difficult to understand.

And measuremensts. As long as there is only just one clock you know exact time. If there is more than one,  there is not accurate time. same for voltage, same for what ever.

What is age?  I know one 40 year "old man" and 80 year young man.

I can still play with toys.

I can laugh for EE who just come from high level school and he think he is now ready and know all things. This is most fun what I know.
But also when I make mistake I can go to mirror and laugh - I have lot of these allready done and I know there are lot of next mistakes waiting, so I can laugh still many times in forward.


This my first radio chrystal looks just like this:

[Randall W. Lott]

23 and a Junior in my BSEE.

[CJMiller]

I also have a fascination with tubes. So much so, I'd consider taking up a glass blowing course and learn how to make them.

CRT Tubes are a vacuum inside, so I'm not sure what kind of equipment is required to make them... but I don't think it's glass blowing.  Unless you mean some kind of mechanical blowing?  I would love to see the production process for the whole thing.

[A-sic Enginerd]

44 and very new to what is more "mainstream" EE world.
Had an interest as a youth, but didn't really develop / put anything into practice. Was focused on school. College was the 10 yr. plan due to how to pay for it. So at like 28ish, started my first job in related field - chip design. But don't be fooled. It literally is all ones and zeros at this level. Learned just enough about the analog end of things to be annoying to the real EE's in the building. (Digital design simply has a completely different set of expertise / problems / solutions. No harder or easier, just different).

Only recently started playing with more analog world just for kicks, so if you're feeling like a "late bloomer" I think I've got you beat.
The only advantage I would have on you is when it comes to things like dealing with microcontrollers, writing some software, or banging out a digital widget for an FPGA....I don't have to think terribly hard for those parts. It's all the other 'stuff' I burn grey matter on.

[Architect_1077]

Hehehe. It's good to know there's someone who's starting later than I am 

[Neilm]

I'm 21 and some months (approaching 180 )

Got interesting in electronics when about 10 - just after I found I could give by brother an electric shock with two AA cells and a small transformer.

Neil

[rsjsouza]

Architect_1077, I was fortunately enough to grow up with a dad that liked electronics (and all technology-related topics for that matter) and therefore I started at a really young age watching him solder things and create toys for me and my brother. As time went by, I started helping him solder things (holding the solder wire or the pliers) and, at the age of 9 or 10, had my "trial by fire" assembling a circuit on my own - which didn't work at first time, of course.

Then one of my dad's friends gave me the same Philips EE20 kit mentioned by Tube_Dude (still have it!) and it really helped me get more experience with electronics (with pre-tested circuits). From that kit I moved somewhat backwards to circuits using Tubes (AM transmitters, audio amplifier, etc.) and eventually landed in the digital circuits. However, back then (late 80's) Brazil restricted ALL imports (and the economy was going down the drains pretty fast) and therefore it was very difficult and expensive to get anything modern in terms of electronic devices - couldn't get any of the modern transistors or integrated circuits shown in magazines like Elektor or Nuova Elettronica, let alone get anything programmable like the "new" microcontrollers/microprocessors!

In the 90's my hobbyist electronics activity diminished slightly during college (EE) and after graduation I eventually landed on a more computer-focused carreer; electronics became a "dormant giant" for 10, 12 years.

Although still working on software-related position in a large semiconductor manufacturer, this year I restarted strong at the age of 37.

Therefore it is never late to start, restart, learn new things.

[T4P]

I should probably mention that when i was young i watched my dad solder and do electronics but as he was a IT Engineer, he doesn't know much and i know i had to surpass him and become a EE, seems to be i am firmly on my way there.
Well when it comes to electronics, he's a technician but i do not need to simplify what i say because he took electronics as a sub-module in college.
Interesting.

[resistcircuitresist]

25
IT

[Architect_1077]

Having a close family member who likes the same things you do does have its advantages. As I was never really that fortunate I feel more like the defiant explorer... 

[DJKA]

Well, I've been interested in electronics since 6 years old, but have never worked in this field as an EE guy, now I am 35 and start looking to electronics (still as a hobby) more seriously.

[Architect_1077]

Cool! 

[marcosgildavid]

Olá! (Hi!)

I'm from Portugal too and I also liked to take stuff apart when I was a kid. I remember this time when I took an old TV apart and got fascinated with all the stuff inside.
But besides the initial interest, Lego's always seemed to be more fun

Now I'm 30 and I'm starting to learn some electronic concepts. I already have a good software background and I decided that I also need to know the hardware stuff.

So I guess I started early (about 6) but it really didn't kick in until now.

[Architect_1077]

That's good to know. I have a fellow countryman on these boards. 

To me it seems tough for the average person to pursue this hobby here in Portugal where you earn very little compared to everyone else who live in wealthier countries, and decent equipment costs a lot.

[Barryg41]

54
Hobby

[jaspel]

25 and an electronic tech.