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What was your first circuit? Do you still remember it?

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amspire:
My first circuit was a very common beginner's project in the '60s. A crystal AM band radio.

The interesting thing is that back then, it was easy getting all the parts such as the coil wire and former, the tuning capacitor, the germanium diode and the crystal earpiece. It was a pretty magical thing to get a decent quality radio sound from wire, metal plates that do not even touch and the little tube with two wires.

Back then, many of our older relatives lived through a period from when there was no electronics, almost no electricity, no recorded sound, no TV, no cars, no relativity and quantum mechanics and little instant communication through to the modern post war world of the 60's.

I think that particularly after the experiences of many in the war, being able to build a radio from scrap was a pretty amazing skill to have. People often had to find alternatives to the diode like galena crystals (lead ore) or razor blades.

Who would even know nowadays how to make a diode from a razor blade?

Neilm:
I, like many people had a 50 in one kit.

I do remember one of my first circuits - it involved 2 AA cells, a small audio transformer and my little brother. Set me on electronics for life.

brucehoult:

--- Quote from: Neilm on July 29, 2017, 04:57:01 pm ---I, like many people had a 50 in one kit.

I do remember one of my first circuits - it involved 2 AA cells, a small audio transformer and my little brother. Set me on electronics for life.

--- End quote ---

Some form of oscillator or buzzer might enhance that circuit.

bjcuizon:

--- Quote from: Hero999 on July 29, 2017, 03:19:58 pm ---
--- Quote from: bjcuizon on July 25, 2017, 07:01:33 am ---Hi, I found out that there were already threads about something like your first multimeter, etc. Now, I think sharing (and maybe talking) about our first circuit would be fun as all of us had our beginning days.  :) ...And hopefully, it could inspire and motivate some beginners and newbies too.

So here we go, let's start with mine.
Back in the day, when I was 8, I was really interested in analog audio stuff. I was not really interested in electronics back then, I just loved connecting wires (and lots of them) on audio systems ::). But while surfing on the web, I was directed to this circuit which says that the LEDs will light up depending on the intensity of the sound.

I then went to my local electronics shop to buy some parts and connected some bare wires to the transistor. And to my excitement, it worked perfectly!
This was a thing of beauty for me and so that's how I got into electronics.

Anyway, that was my beginning. What's yours?

--- End quote ---
Notice there's no current limiting resistors for the LEDs or transistor's base? You're lucky it worked and didn't blow up! I suppose it needed careful adjustment of the volume control.

--- End quote ---
Haha! Good eagle eye there! For the leds I just used a board with leds that has the resistors for it from an old disassembled flashlight. For the transistor, it was medium power anyway, so I just connected it directly to the output of the pc soundcard.

tooki:

--- Quote from: RoGeorge on July 25, 2017, 08:03:21 am ---Of course I remember!

It was a 'square' 4.5V battery and a light bulb.
As a kid, it was totally mind blowing to discover that you don't actually need a flashlight to light the bulb.

--- End quote ---
It was probably a 6V lantern battery (4.5V ones are not common in USA), but otherwise same for me, I'm sure! For a lot of us, probably!

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