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| Photo credit: Stephen McGrath |
So was there ever a ‘lightbulb moment’ that kicked-off my
interest in engineering? Well, sort of. My lightbulb moment also involved a battery and some
connecting wires. Then when I was about 11 I made a regenerative radio receiver
project with my uncle. Although we never got it working, this did not put me
off building more electronic circuits, and sparked an interest in radio that I
still have today. The next step was getting an amateur radio (transmitting)
licence. However, having written to the (UK) Home Office, I was gutted to find
out that I needed to be at least 14 years of age to hold a licence. To make
things worse, I would also have to pass two technical exams! In case you were
wondering, yes, I did eventually get my “ticket” in my late teens.
You will be relieved to hear that future posts will not be
me harking back to ‘the good old days’. I think we are currently in a golden
age for electronic engineering. Fairly recent advances in microcontrollers,
programmable logic and manufacturing technology have led to the development of
exciting products of ever increasing sophistication, smaller size and lower
cost. Much of this technology has become available to the amateur experimenter,
along with open source CAD software and cheap 3D printers. Hobby electronics
seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance, albeit rebranded as “hacking” or the
“maker culture”.
Look out for future posts on electronics, radio and STEM
education.
Disclaimer: This is my personal blog. Views expressed in my
posts are my own and not of my employer. The information provided comes with no
warranty. I cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites. Any
practical work you undertake is done at your own risk. Please make health and
safety your number one priority.