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Cybertek Magazine - Electronic Improvisation: Usin
ELECTRONIC EXPERTISE
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(partially reprinted from Jan., 1982 REBEL)
A very good stock of electronic and electrical components and equipment is
much desired for survival groups of any size that have on board an
electronics expert. I rate electronic expertise just below medical and
commando expertise and just above mechanical expertise for group survival.
Electronic sensors and sentries can be built that are more sensitive than
humans are continuously alert. They do not entirely replace human guards
but, when properly designed and used, are a tremendous saver of manpower
and aggravation. They can be battery or solar powered. Complex MOS type
circuits now exist that draw only nano- or microamps of current and will
last six months to a year on a single 9 volt radio battery. Electronics
expertise is required to operate, maintain, and repair communications
equipment. Electronic methods can be devised to confuse, rout, and destroy
an enemy, and to trigger booby traps and bombs. If power is available,
computer expertise can be used to quickly analyze complex survival
situations for intelligent decision making.
I feel that if your survival group does not have an electronics expert on
board, you are probably not adequately prepared for survival! Those expert
in electronics, from my experience, aside from this expertise, are also
very valuable because they are creative, intelligent, resourceful, skilled
with tools, and hard-working. Be careful when selecting an electronic
expert.
Many people profess electronics expertise when they only have a passing
knowledge of electronics, have a good theoretical background but little or
no hands-on experience, or are experts in some very limited area of
electronics.
While the amount of electronics components is certainly in the 100,000s and
no one could possibly master 1% of all of the available electronics
technology, your expert should be highly skilled and experienced
(particularly circut realizations) in both linear and digital circuitry
with at least passing familiarity with thousands of components. Some
microprocessor and software experience is desired. And, of course adequate
parts, equipment, and books.
For those of you wishing to learn about electronics, first go to your local
Radio Shack, and pick up a copy of Getting Started in Electronics, any
books from their Understanding.... series that you might find interesting,
and all of the Engineer's Mini-Notebook series. All of this will set you
back anywhere from $10 to $50, depending on far you want to go with it, but
those books will give you an excellent start. You should also pick up a
copy or even a subscription to Radio-Electronics magazine, which carries
monthly electronics project articles, information, and advertisements to
parts suppliers. Then, with the information in those book, buy some parts,
and start building some simple projects. You might also want to take a
course in electronics at your local college, or adult continuing education
classes, and if you're still in high-school, your school might have an
electronics class, or a "tech center" where you can attend; however a lot
of those classes can contain a lot of theory, which while important is too
overly stressed. All the theory in the world won't help you when you need
to fix something in the field with minimal parts support, or need a quick
and dirty solution to an electronics problem. That sort of expertise comes
from hands-on experience with a good technician. Make sure your class
covers a lot of the practical aspects. If you're still in high school or
college try to get a part-time job in a TV repair shop. Not only will you
get paid, you'll also get an invaluable education in practical electronics.
Don't worry if you're bad in Math. Mathematical proficiency for electronics
is, for the most part, a myth, and many math geniuses I knew sucked at
electronics, and many good technicians I knew of were only average at math.
For the street-tech, hands-on style electronics; you'll get by with only an
average proficiency in math.
Start with the basics, and try to learn a little about everything. Once you
mastered that, then you can begin to specialize, although too much
specialization is a bad thing. Try to keep your knowledge as broad as
possible. If you decide to specialize a little, try to do it in a field
that has a large potential for street-technology, as it will greatly
enhance your chances for survival having a marketable needed skill to fall
back on in hard times. The wizards of old were held in awe and respected
because of their supposed special knowledge; with many people coming to
them for assistance in matters they were unable to handle. Being proficient
in practical electronics can make you a wizard of the 21st. century, and if
anything else, will at least enable you to make a comfortable living. The
best fields for specialization are telecommunications, RF technology, and
digital electronics/computers. These fields have since their inception have
totally integrated with society in a very short period of time, and will
continue to be a major element in it.
Good Magazines:
Radio Electronics
Computer Craft
Circuit Cellar Ink
Popular Electronics
Nuts and Volts
QST
73 Magazine
CQ Magazine
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