Just had a birthday 'present , a book, "Arduino projects for Amateur Radio ", ! Why ? I'm not quite sure , because being a bit 'long in the tooth' I think it's going to be a struggle to 'get to grips with . I accept that, for starters, I will have to get , say, the Uno board plus possibly the 'breadboard/ pegboard ? . , then the actual programming,, .Why not ask an appropriate forum for help in this direction !? I am really asking for starting advice. . Am I right in saying the Uno is my starter, or should I concentrate on the book only ?
By the way, jumping ahead a bit, I would be interested in trying my hand -- eventually !, at variable capacitor measurement !! Ambitious ?? or hopeful . Any sound advice , would be greatly welcome. Thank you
I suppose it depends where the book starts, ie what Arduino knowhow does it assume?
If it assumes you know Arduino, then you would probably want to put the book aside for a while and work through (at least some of) the Arduino examples here
I think quite a few folk get one or other of the Arduino starter kits, that being an easy way to get an Uno and breadboard and leds, pots, resistors and small motors and stuff. I found it just as easy to buy a few odds and ends loose; you've probably got some of that as a ham, unless you're old-school vacuum tube, hi.
73.... have fun.
The Uno is a good choice for a starter board. There are literally thousands of tutorials on the web covering just about anything that you can do with an Uno. A place to start is the Foundations page.
Vs6gy:
Just had a birthday 'present , a book, "Arduino projects for Amateur Radio ", ! Why ? I'm not quite sure , because being a bit 'long in the tooth' I think it's going to be a struggle to 'get to grips with . I accept that, for starters, I will have to get , say, the Uno board plus possibly the 'breadboard/ pegboard ? . , then the actual programming,, .Why not ask an appropriate forum for help in this direction !? I am really asking for starting advice. . Am I right in saying the Uno is my starter, or should I concentrate on the book only ?
By the way, jumping ahead a bit, I would be interested in trying my hand -- eventually !, at variable capacitor measurement !! Ambitious ?? or hopeful . Any sound advice , would be greatly welcome. Thank you
I personally think the official Arduino Starter Kit with book is the best place to start.
$100 on Amazon.
If you don't want to pay that much, the Elegoo Super Starter kit for $35 that includes parts and tutorial on a CD would be an excellent value.
I started with the Arduino Workshop book but it doesn't come with any parts for the projects in the book.
Hi,
A friend of mine wrote that book...
DISCLAIMER: Mentioned stuff from my own shop...!!
I would give you a Ham discount on THIS KIT if you wish...
Email me if you wish:
UPDATE: OH: VS6 Hong Kong.. Can you get over to Shenzhen?? My friend Jun Peng and I stock a lot of parts and kits over there...
Regards es 73, Terry King
...In The Woods in Vermont, USA
terry@yourduino.com
Hello again, sorry for the delay in replying,I hope it is OK to address you all under the one heading ? juma-yetu, thank you for pointing out the Arduini ' examples' quite informative. Yes indeed, I do have quite a 'few' components around, including my old ..collection of 'valves/tubes'hence my reference to being 'long in the tooth'..
groundFungus, .again , thanks for your suggestion of starting with the 'Foundations page' logical information..
ieee488.. the starter kit you suggest,sounds OK, and the idea is practical of course, but at the moment, I am beginning to wonder, if I am 'biting off more than I can chew'..??
Lastly, terryking228: you say a friend of yours wrote the book I referred to, actually I see a combined authorship
Dr Jack Purdon and Dennis Kidder !No matter, the book goes through the basic requirements, followed by various Amateur Radio projects, pity they do not include a couple of my 'hoped -for ' subjects.. Thanks for the discount offer, again, as I mentioned to ieee488, I am beginning to wonder , if it is worth pursuing.. Watched a couple of 'demo's on You tube , "an LED string, lighting" seems it could be done with a simple multivibrator /astable/bistable , circuit, ?? Terry , in passing, vs6gy was my old Hong Kong 'Ham' call, back in 1979, now of course,the prefix for Hong Kong is VR not VS.. and I live in UK
Many many thanks to you all, for your replies, and advice, It is entirely up to me now , whether I go ahead with my' wild idea' or just pass on the book to to a much younger keen person.. My Sincere wishes to all, + 73's
Vs6gy:
Watched a couple of 'demo's on You tube , "an LED string, lighting" seems it could be done with a simple multivibrator /astable/bistable , circuit, ??
Of course, but you know what they say about everything being a nail when all you have is a hammer.
The point of MCUs is that you can change (say) the timing by a quick change to a value in code without having to remove and replace resistors and caps and bugger around with their relative values until you get it right. And of course once you have one LED flashing properly you can just use the same few lines of code to do 10 more on other pins in no time flat.
but at the moment, I am beginning to wonder, if I am 'biting off more than I can chew'..??
Nope, never. Go for it....
73
I will offer my advise. While all the above posts are valid, the bit that is often overlooked is to get the kit that has the parts that YOU have interest in.
we had a cop who wanted to blink his Christmas Tree with the wig-wag lights line on a patrol car.
we have guys who want to water the garden....
or record atmospheric temperatures in hot air balloons as they rise....
or make robots.....
What YOU find useful is the best place to start.
as for the Kit, do look over the available kits and make sure that you get one that has the bits you think would be fun.
Go though the link that terryking228 posted in post #4
it has a lot of things that would be good to know about and will become useful as you play with things.
As a note, I have used his site for information on multiple occasions, well written for a person just trying to learn.
as for teaching an old dog.. you would be surprised how many of us are over 60 !
Hi Dave-in-nj Thanks for your interest,and your observations..I agree wholeheartedly with your views regarding concentrating on the. Primary subjects ,one is really interested in.
I also agree , that terryking288 posted a very enlightening ‘bunch’ of most useful suggestions,
I have’nt quite given up on the Artuino idea, just yet, still debating in my mind ,? As for the age, group, . Am well past my ‘sell - by’ date , and have depleted ‘ marbles’ left ! At 97 !!
Hence, my doubts !! Thanks, again,, best wishes..
Vs6gy:
At 97 !!
You really put the "O" in "OM" then, OM.
juma_yetu..
yes,! suppose you are right, getting a bit nearer to 'the ton, !' Probably leaning to my 'second childhood' , being too ambitious Hi.. Should have, in good manners, replied to your last posting , no excuse, but please accept my apologies.. Must say , I have scratched around for a decent circuit to build a variable capacitance meter, but not seen anything , just analogue capacity, fixed types..
Which brings me right back to my original idea of employing the popular Arduino board to perhaps, get a 'working ' display ! Thanks for the 'go for it ' nudge, sounds persuasive , and Thanks again for your post 73's
Vs6gy:
..., but at the moment, I am beginning to wonder, if I am 'biting off more than I can chew'..??
You only need to bite off what you enjoy. The uno is a good starting point, I would tend to go for the hardware as the main thrust plus the online tutorials and your book.
Playing with the hardware will either whet your appetite or not. How far you then decide to go with it is up to you.
Vs6gy:
Am well past my ‘sell - by’ date , and have depleted ‘ marbles’ left ! At 97 !!
If you are really 97.... then we know the saying.... we all got to start somewhere. You probably know some programming languages, right?
There is nothing you can do with and arduino that you cannot do with dedicated elecrtonic components!
Its just that your citcuit to do something will fill a house and the Arduino a cigarette packet.
As an example i was working on the plans for a solar panel rotator and ended up running out of room drawing the schematics on an A3 page only to find that an arduino and a motor driver could do it all and add data logging for current, amps and daylight hours.
Ahh another project that is still on the drawing board.
For nostalgia you could try a project including nixie tubes just to show the kids that YOUR tech is not outdated yet.
I know if my grandfather was still around i would have made him an antenna rotator position system displaying the degrees in nixie tubes.
Daz
I've seen that book in the bookstore, and wondered about the amateur radio uses of Arduino. VS6gy, please tell us what you think about the book after you have gone through it (hopefully with an Arduino and a few choice parts - put your shopping list together after skimming the book.) I find casual Arduinoing to be a very relaxing and mind expanding pursuit.
Hi,
I have'nt quite given up on the Artuino idea, just yet, still debating in my mind ,? As for the age, group, . Am well past my 'sell - by' date , and have depleted ' marbles' left ! At 97 !!
My Dad, N1UF, lived to 101. I am 78. Perhaps exposure to RF is actually beneficial. (We keep seeing things that are 'bad for us' and later 'good for us'.) I am involved in a continuing personal LONGitudinal study of Red Wine.
Nice thing about Arduino is that you can do a LOT on your table top, with almost no tools. And you can set up RF communications to your smartphone to a bluetooth module on 2.4 Ghz..
Jack Purdum is a great Ham and teacher; I worked with him on "Beginning C for Arduino" LINK as the Technical Editor for that book...
I'd be happy to send you a kit if you'll so some short review and photo of "Arduino For Older Folks". Email me and Peng will send you one from HongKong...
Hello ardly,
thanks for your post, and for your personal advice, yes of course I will only do what I am really interested in
as I imagine most people would; The Arduino board does interest me, so it's really up to myself how far I go with this ,
,
Southpark , well, your opening remark ' if you are really 97'.. I am not sure what you''re implying, ! ? does
not really matter to me, Agreed, we all have to start somewhere Your further remark, 'you probably know some programming languages.- right ?'.. Wrong ! why should I ? had no interest in programming !!
Daz1712,
thank you, also, for your post, Yes you make the point ,and as a 'newbie' I have yet to realise this , if as I have repeatedly said, 'assuming I get 'to grips' with things'..
ChrisTenone: again , thanks for your input, Well,! the book in question, was rather a surprise from my grandaughter. especially 'so late in the day' as it were.. First of all a chapter on programming;The LCD shield project ??panel meters, station timers etc etc! 17 projects in all, a wattmeter and swr meter, included . only a very few that really interested me,, All in all most of the content quite useful to 'dyed in wool ' Arduino enthusiasts, more than to me ! However; I do not see the point of prolonging the issue It has already been said , It is now entirely up to myself.... Many thanks to all who have taken the time to reply , good health and best wishes .. This thread is now closed 73's
Vs6gy:
Southpark , well, your opening remark ' if you are really 97'.. I am not sure what you''re implying, ! ? does
not really matter to me, Agreed, we all have to start somewhere Your further remark, 'you probably know some programming languages.- right ?'.. Wrong ! why should I ? had no interest in programming !!
Vs6......The remark was about ..... if you are really 97.... then one word..... awesome. As we know....the internet is the internet.... so info that somebody says about themselves is often based on taking one's word on it. And.... about the programming question.... it was about seeing whether you programmed much before in any language...as some programming experience can speed up certain things. Your opening post mentioned 'for amateur radio'..... so not surprising to 'guess' that you might have been involved with amateur radio... which follows that you might have had a lot of programming experience....which would be a significant advantage for programming arduino. But ... doesn't matter. The question was related to seeing where the starting point is ... roughly.
Southpark
just had to see if there were any final postings , on closure of the thread, and there your were !
I see now , what you are really saying, and the 'fibbing 'variety of people. I like to be clear on facts not fiction..
You use the word awesome, I presume you mean on my reaching old age , ! an old army saying, was ' just keep on waking up each morning ' !! As for the programming, bit; it was something that was alien to most people of my era, that's why it did'nt interest me ?? or I should say , it did not apply... In passing, I got my Radio 'Ham license after WW2 1946, when I eventually got out of the army, and most of my time was spent learning the only code that mattered ,Morse !! and knocking together gear that was relevant to the hobbie... Programming was for the up and coming younger generation I suppose.....
However, that's about it ,-- finally, now signing off, again, my best wishes to all concerned , including yourself, and many thanks..
Hey V, threads never close here. Sometimes, a student looking for an easy answer will post here once, and never reply, yet the thread garners three or more pages of replies. Viva la Académique Freedom!