It begins...

So, I'm finally beginning hobby number 132b; amateur electronics. Spurred on by watching too much Mythbusters I now have a new-found passion for making stuff that does stuff. This new passion also includes a similarly new interest in mechanical engineering, animatronics and explosions but you've got to start somewhere.

Hopefully this blog will track my hobby as it blossoms from knowing nothing, to knowing at least something. It may ultimately only be of interest to me but it's here in case anyone happens across it or in case someone wonders, one day, how I managed to electrocute myself or blow myself up.

Of course my head is full of wondrous ambitions; remote control robots, robot arms, flashy lights and readouts and soldering stuff to other stuff but it's early days.

My first port of call was http://101science.com/Radio.htm, a page that looks like it was made in 1992 with videos from 1978 but you've got to start somewhere and I feel the basics probably don't change much. I need to learn the basics of electricity if I'm going to start using it safely. From watching the videos on that first page I gleamed the following.

AC (Alternate Current) - Changes in both magnitude and direction (polarity)
DC (Direct Current) - the unidirectional flow of electric charge

P = Power (watts) - amount of work done
V = Voltage (volts) - pressure that pushes electrons
I = Current (amperes) - flow of electrical charge. Electrons in motion.
R = Resistance (ohms) - interference to flow of electrons. Opposition to the flow of charge.

Some simple equations to work out current or voltage if the other values are known

P=VI Power = Voltage x Current

V=IR Voltage = Current x Resistance 

P=I2R Power = (Current x Current) x Resistance

Not a bad start and I'm not confused yet which is always a positive thing.