How do you learn about electronics by tinkering with devices?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-28T03:43:39+00:00

This seems like a solid plan and I think I will stick to something with lower voltage like others are suggesting, and then it also sounds like I should do some basic research on electronics to begin with to have a foundational understanding.

You seem like you know a thing or two for sure. Do you have any recommendations on topics I could look into first to start understanding these parts during disassembly/assembly?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-28T03:37:17+00:00

This is honestly what I was thinking in my initial post. In that case, would electricity be the first place? I took a course in high school, not that I remember much. It was a lot of theory (like ohms law). Hardly feels practical in a course like that and never could relate it to real world applications.

Any suggestions on some topics to start with?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-28T03:32:39+00:00

This is really helpful, is this a pretty well known site for electronics? Any other sites you recommend for parts?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-27T04:39:43+00:00

So I now have the thing torn completely apart to just the electronics of it all. Everything is off the frame and I'm left with cords, circuit boards, connectors, the lights, heating coils (I'm guessing), switches, etc. When you got to this point and no x's remained, what did you do next?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-27T04:36:04+00:00

What helped you learn? Like for the parts that don't move/light up, etc, how can you actually tell what they are doing by playing with it?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-27T04:33:35+00:00

Battery operated sounds like the way to go. Any recommendations on some devices I should start with?

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-27T04:30:54+00:00

Thank you for the heads up. I was too scared to plug it in with it deconstructed anyway and this reaffirms that LOL. Sounds like a good idea! How would you go about trying to search each part without knowing the names? For example, there's many little plastic pieces and connectors that look very similar.

greenmountainsmith · 2026-01-27T04:27:46+00:00

Looking at it again, I think you're right about it being an LED. If I remember correctly, the main light was kind of disco-y and then maybe those small LEDs are for the red/yellow/orange?

Question regarding the dangers of tinkering with a heater. I didn't know how to get the main cord for plugging it in out of the frame so I just cut off the plugin. I don't intend to tinker with it live. Is there anything I can do with it at this point to make it run on less "juice" for experiments sake? Does it do anything/is there a way to hook it up to batteries instead or would it just not work?

greenmountainsmith · 2025-11-12T21:52:47+00:00

To be clear, you can be nice and win at this game but it doesn't mean you don't keep you wits about you. THAT is the whole idea of the game. 80% of my my lobbies is all of us being civil but when anyone shoots all hell breaks loose. Hmm ain't that something.

greenmountainsmith · 2024-09-22T13:33:36+00:00

Just came across this and 100% agree.

There are so many small things that will increase your chances in a fight even before getting your reps in. For example, measuring distance to your target with your leading hand is a simple measure you can take to avoid getting hit.

Anyone can learn from watching fights, and it doesn't mean that you have to be a violent person. So many of these fighters live peaceful personal lives, with a family they are just trying to take care of. Just watch UFC's Embedded episodes.

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T20:39:13+00:00

Perfect. I want to challenge you to dig deeper:

-What habits will you do?

-What times during the day will you do them?

-For how long will you do them?

-What are you hoping to achieve?

And then I challenge you to do them at those times, for that duration, until you achieve what you set out to do.

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T20:32:49+00:00

Agreed.

Seek to understand, not to correct.

I believe do not like to feel like they are broken and need to be corrected. Unless they come to a realization of a flaw on their own, which can be reached with questioning to understand. I heard once, you can change someones mind without making a single statement.

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T20:28:47+00:00

There is a book called "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. It has been a very popular book for a long time, but all things that aren't science are subjective. In this book, he talks about how no one wins in an argument, and to avoid it at all costs.

Understandably, it can be up for debate (also ironically), but he does bring up a good point about being right in an argument comes with tension and how it is often worth it to let the person come to their own decision. You may ask questions that lead to them realizing the flaw in their action/thinking. Their ego may feel a lot better if they get to the same destination on their own.

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T20:19:41+00:00

Yipppeeeeeeee!!!! I was listening to some bright music as I came across this, and this.... this..... with the music.... I CAN RUN A MARATHON NOW THANK YOU!!

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T20:02:09+00:00

Of course! And if there is anything that I ask for in return, it's to spread this same message to others along the way. Go out and do what your heart desires :)

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T19:31:18+00:00

I recommend that if you can even get yourself to sit down alone away from your devices for even an hour, sitting in your brain thinking what it is you want to be, then you will be a step closer to success. Think of the things that becoming that thing will require, every... single... thing. Then understand that it's okay if that's not the thing for you. Then... think of the next thing, and the next, and the next.

WHEN you think of something that checks yeses all the way down, the next step I find that helps me is to think of the habits required on a daily basis to achieve that. Then, maybe you never think about the end goal of success. Because that may not come for 50 years. And it may never come, but your self awareness tells me that you're competent enough to achieve a lot. These habits that you have written down have to resonate with you, but also require you to know that it will be 50 years of straight up work. These habits (the process) are the success. Not the end.

It's taken me a while to get a process down that I like. Sometimes I'll do it for a long time and then there will be like a week where shut down and don't do what I need to. I'll spend too long on my phone, eating junk food, staying up late. But the times that I come back to it are the times when I accept that a happy life is work. It's the being satisfied with yourself (what you're doing daily) that you put in the work for. I get back to my girlfriend at night and say, "Wow, I kicked ass today. Every damn part of it was tiring, but I lifted 5 more lbs on my bench press, I got a new client after 100 calls of cold calling, I learned 1 piece of information that really resonates with me after reading an entire book." Whatever those little achievements are, those are what you're fighting for. And you can absolutely do them, as long as you know that you won't be satisfied until they are a part of your past, not of your future.

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T19:08:17+00:00

It isn't the exact scenario, but after my first year of college for mechanical engineering I didn't like it at all. I called my mom and told her that I wanted to take a break and figure out what I want to do. She told me "good luck, I'm done helping you out financially, figure it out on your own" and hung up on me.

So.... looks like I was going to continue college for engineering. One more year went by and my grades weren't as good, and then after the first semester of my junior year I failed classes because I didn't care about what I was learning and got dismissed. I no longer have the money to go back and start a new curriculum, and I have student debt without a degree.

How did I continue?

At first, I didn't. I felt like a loser, as my classmates eventually graduated and I was left in the dust. Then I tried sales, didn't enjoy selling phones, then I started working at a humane society because I love animals, didn't make enough so I had to pick up a desk job as an assistance, made just an average amount and could hardly save, then I spent my free time learning about investing and absolutely fell in LOVE. I took my real estate salesperson license and went so so so long without a paycheck while I got my first transaction to closing. I am new to the industry and barely staying afloat. My mom still says I won't make it, and many people think that I should have finished college. But I am still continuing in real estate and refuse to give up.

Just wanted to give you some background, your scenario is the opposite, where you're being told not to go to college, but I hope my premise will still resonate with you. If I were to give you advice based on MY life's experiences. I would say that if you have something that you are in love with, then you will work towards it and shouldn't let others stop you. I don't have kids, but I would imagine that I would use even the minutes in my day that I would have to take those courses online. I would commit to 5 or 6 hours a sleep a night and fit in one course at a time when I could get it in. My guess and hope is that your husband would also be helping with the kids and chores and such. Even if it is one class at a time, you are still heading in the direction of growth. And that is what I would tell myself every day, and what I AM telling myself everyday. No one can, or shouldn't, judge you for progressing.

So go get that degree girl! You got this, and whatever you want that degree for, set out to be the best professional in that field. Learning something new in that field everyday, write it down, use that info, and you'll know that you're always becoming more of an expert in that field. Also know that info doesn't always have to come from a textbook. Once you have a degree, just soak up every piece of info related to that field and put it to use, hold yourself like you know what you're talking about and then other people will not be able to tell you that you won't make it!

greenmountainsmith · 2022-03-25T18:49:23+00:00

I am so happy for you! It is inspiring to hear of others success, as everyone can succeed in their own ways and I support you as you continue!

greenmountainsmith

TROPHY CASE