Be warned – there's a full on geek alert for this week's Ladybird Tuesday. I have a degree in Electronic Engineering and my choice for this week is Simple Electronics from the Learnabout series (634).
Having first been published in 1979 things in the world of electronic have moved on somewhat since then, but as the introduction to the book says, "some quite simple electronic circuits" are actually at the basis of many of the more complicated electronic devices that surround us.
The only problem I have with this particular Ladybird book is the use of the word "simple" in the title. Ok, so it may be a fair few years since I did my degree, but I still think that it's rather advanced for a children's book.
All the projects in the book can be completed by children with some basic tools, but to be honest I doubt that they are really found in "any home toolbox" these days. The book launches straight into explaining what a transistor is and then into using one in a circuit as a switch. It assumes a certain degree of prior knowledge about some basic physics about circuits.
Circuit symbols and circuit diagrams are very quickly introduced and then the book goes on to provide details or further circuits to make – a flip-flop, a flashing robot, a morse code oscillator and an electronic organ for example. There's definitely nothing simple about it all that's for sure!
If you have a collection of old Ladybird books then please feel free to join in with Ladybird Tuesday. There are no formal rules to follow, just leave a link to any post you write in the comments below and if you're feeling kind link back to my Ladybird Tuesday category here on Being Mrs C. Thank you!
Wow, you’re right, that doesn’t look very simple to me! My Dad had a collection of bits and pieces like that (still does in fact) so he would probably have been able to help me make some of the things in the book, but to be honest it’s all a complete mystery to me, I don’t understand any of it!
I’m joining in this week with People at Work – Nurse http://www.jenniferslittleworld.com/2013/10/ladybird-tuesday-people-at-work-nurse.html
Thanks for joining in again Jennifer.
I wasted years trying to understand electronics. Though I was fine with mathematics and formulas, I was never able to construct or repair anything worthwhile. Would love to find a book or set of instructions that allowed someone who had zero dexterity and practicality to build simple circuits or devices in a step-by-step way. Most books seem to jump from Mickey Mouse to Einstein after a few pages! The simpler the better for the likes of me.
Madam
I am from india . I want to download the ladybird books for my children education. Can you help me R.Ashok Raj, Tamil nadu, India
I loved this book. I actually made the astable multivibrator (flip flop) in a craft afternoon in primary school. I was about 10 years old at the time and it made a bit of a change from Airfix kits. I certainly understood the circuitry at the time, it was well explained, though I was interested in electrics already.
I still have the circuit here in the house, almost 40 years later and it still works I believe (last time I tried it!).
I bought the components from the electronics shop in Cardiff Market (still there last time I went). Had to go looking for the screws and screw cups though, I don’t remember where I got those from.
I had this book when I was probably about 10 years old, and my dad put a kit together for me with all the components and a wooden circuit board he made as per the book. I loved the book and looking at the circuit diagrams, and completed all (I think) of the projects in the book apart from the multi-note electronic organ at the end (which needed more components).
You said that it seemed rather technical for children, but I had quite a good understanding of all the projects and used to like adapting them, especially replacing fixed resistors with potentiometers and seeing what happened when I twiddled! Perhaps it was just my upbringing, but I’m sure I already understood what a circuit was by the age of about 6…