Why hobby electronics is a great thing to take up

Nothing is more satisfying than using a piece of electronic equipment built at home. It can be a pair of loudspeakers, an amplifier or a HAM radio set, the thrill is unique. Welcome to the world of hobby electronics.

Hobby electronics has been around ever since electronics has been there. Way back, people used to build stuff with vacuum tubes (or valves), then came the transistor and it is now stuff like Raspberry Pi computer boards and such digital projects. However, it would perhaps be incorrect to say that no one or very few people build valve-based audio amplifiers. There is interest for both analog and digital hobby electronics. Even something like assembling your own desktop personal computer gives immense joy.

Using a piece of equipment that you have built with your own hands is thrilling and I certainly was thrilled. An additional advantage is that you can save money through the do-it-yourself route. If you take a pair of loudspeakers, a DIY job will save you at least two-thirds of the cost for something that is similar sounding as compared to buying readymade stuff.

Whether it is for the thrill of building equipment, repairing gadgets or saving a bit of money, hobby electronics is very rewarding. Yes, it requires a bit of learning in the beginning but once the electronics bug bites you, it becomes an addiction.

The best part of a DIY individual is that it keeps the mind thinking all the time. Let’s say one has decided to build a transistor amplifier. The first job is to look around for circuits that suit the builder’s output power requirement. In India, the Electronics For You magazine was a hit among hobbyists. These days, there is a ton of information and circuits on the internet.

Once the circuit to build was finalised, the builder would go to the local electronics shops to buy transistors, resistors, capacitors, the circuit board, wires, transformers, connectors, switches, knobs, fuses, a case to put it all in and many other related components. The likelihood of a project getting stuck because one or two transistors were out of stock in the local store were very common. In Bengaluru, SP Road and SJP Road (near the Town Hall) are the favourite electronics markets. Of course, these days, there are a lot more computer parts shops on the two mentioned streets than discrete parts stores, but they are still there. A lot of cities in India have such electronics markets. Electronics parts are also increasingly available online.

Quite often, a whole day would be spent there shopping for parts. If one or two parts were not available, it would mean a return on another day. Quite often, a hobbyist would develop a good relationship with shops that sold quality components. The shop owners would promise to source the parts and keep them aside for the DIYer to pick up later. In fact, many of these shops have been around for decades.

The circuit board is then prepared and ready to be ‘populated’. Each component must be checked before being soldered onto the board. If this is not done, the circuit will just not work due to just one small faulty part. And it might take days, and sleepless nights, to find the culprit.

Even when all parts are good and you are confident that the circuit will work trouble-free, there is every chance that it will not. This means checking and re-checking everything till it is rectified. Sometimes, the DIYer will just not be able to figure out the fault. This is when fellow hobbyists come into the picture. Whether it is talking to people on the phone or discussing on online forums, fellow hobbyists are always there to help. This is another great part of hobby electronics because one can make a lot of friends all over the world. I certainly have.

When everything is fixed and you have a working gadget, another big advantage is bragging rights. Just imagine the pride when a visitor says that the amplifier or loudspeaker you built sounds great.

Building electronics is a great hobby. It keeps the mind busy, one has a great way to spend free time and the fruits of labour are very sweet indeed.