Читать книгу Electronics All-in-One For Dummies - Lowe Doug, Doug Lowe - Страница 35

IN THIS CHAPTER

Finding a place where you can build your mad-scientist laboratory

Investing in good tools

Picking out a good assortment of components to get you started

I loved to watch Frankenstein movies as a kid. My favorite scenes were always the ones where Dr. Frankenstein went into his laboratory. Those laboratories were filled with the most amazing and exotic electrical gadgets ever seen. The mad doctor’s assistant, Igor, would throw a giant knife switch at just the right moment, and sparks flew, and the music rose to a crescendo, and the creature jerked to life, and the crazy doctor yelled, “It’s ALIVE!”

The best Frankenstein movie ever made is still the original 1931 Frankenstein, directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff. The second-best Frankenstein movie ever made is the 1974 Young Frankenstein, directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder. Both have great laboratory scenes.

In fact, did you know that the laboratory in Young Frankenstein uses the very same props that were used in the original 1931 classic? The genius who created those props was Kenneth Strickfaden, one of the pioneers of Hollywood special effects. Strickfaden kept the original Frankenstein props in his garage for decades. When Mel Brooks asked if he could borrow the props for Young Frankenstein, Strickfaden was happy to oblige.

You don’t need an elaborate mad-scientist laboratory like the ones in the Frankenstein movies to build basic electronic circuits. However, you will need to build yourself a more modest workplace, and you’ll need to equip it with a basic set of tools as well as some basic electronic components to work with.

However, no matter how modest your work area is, you can still call it your mad-scientist lab. After all, most of your friends will think you’re a bit crazy and a bit of a genius when you start building your own electronic gadgets.

In this chapter, I introduce you to the stuff you need to acquire before you can start building electronic circuits. You don’t have to buy everything all at once, of course. You can get started with just a simple collection of tools and a small space to work in. As you get more advanced in your electronic skills, you can acquire additional tools and equipment as your needs change.