The "what is your technical back ground" thread.

[chipdouglas]

I see so many smart people here. And i am very curious where/how people achieved their knowledge in:

Lasers
physics
math
optics
mechanics
etc...

the only knowledge i have about anything directly related to lasers is here. i wish i knew more about optics though.:cryyy:

my other "skill" is mechanics. i rebuild circuit breakers for a living. I taught my self auto cad as well and when an obsolete circuit breaker has broken parts i can design a new one and one of my machinist neighbors can build it for me.
i'm excited to see your back grounds, don't be shy...

michael.

 

[Trevor]

I'm a programmer. At last count, eleven languages across three platforms.

But I can't solder for love nor money.

-Trevor

 

[ElektroFreak]

I'm a senior IT at a local hospital. I've got a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering that I really only use for hobby purposes lol.. if it weren't for my activities relating to lasers and RF electronics I would probably begin to forget everything I know about EE.

99% of what I've learned about lasers and optics I've picked up through independent reading and research conducted both online and offline (offline being the new name for your local library).

 

[HIMNL9]

Related only to lasers, too much years of addiction ..... er, i mean, hobby and researches .....

But if you mean also the rest .....

Electronic and lasers (from school and hobby, they are both part of my study, old work, and hobby matters )

PC assembling/installation/repairs (mostly self-learned, hobby and actual work) .... except programming ..... it was easy to self-learn basic, in the "DOS3 and Windows2 Prehistoric Age" crackup, but with modern languages i'm really scarce .....

Electromechanics and micromechanics (like, repairing old mechanical photocams and clocks ..... another part of my hobbies )

Chemistry, and some (scarce) biology and nuclear knowledges (from school first, then some NBC courses under army)

Explosives and demolitions, weaponry (both "usual" and "unusual" devices ..... don't ask ), targeting (very out-of-training, now ) ..... all mainly from army (for that what it worthed )

Also, i'm a "book-eater" animal ..... i like to read, read, read ..... mainly science fiction, but also technical publications and almost anything about a lot of things, so, also if i don't want, some knowledges, first or after, remains sticked here and there ..... for sure, not enough for make a "skill", anyway, just a background for support the rest when needed .....

 

[ped]

@EF

RF electronics allways gave me a headache!

Myself?

City & Guilds 224 levels 1,2 & 3 in electronics & electronic engineering
RTEEB ( Radio & Television Electronics Examining Board) C & G in TV & Video repair (component level)

City & Guilds in sound recording

For the last ten years, worked as a mobile phone & computer repair man.

 

[WLHostage]

Computers for me.

I have a degree in application development, and currently work QA for a development company.

I have a relatively basic understanding of electronics, and can do some basic soldering, but that's about the extent of my abilities with lasers. And I have little to no knowledge of optics at this point.

 

[ElektroFreak]

@EF

RF electronics allways gave me a headache!

Understandable what with the metal plate in your head and all..

For me it was always those poorly tuned and shoddily built audio circuits that gave me headaches. Distortion, too much treble, not enough bass.. you know how it is.

(j/k )

 

[Meatball]

I grew up tearing apart electronics, which turned into a small hobby, which is now part of my subject of study in college.

Anything I know about laser has come from LPF-PL-or The big ol' faq.

I'm beginning to pick up more from class though..

 

[chipdouglas]

I've actually used info i've learned hear in the real world and at work. Like my sisters hair straightener broker i took it apart and saw on the driver that the capacitor was blown luckily the info was still in tact. and at work ive made various power supplies to test different shut devices.

michael.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Jack of all trades here. I do a little of everything when its comes to hands on work. I'm good technically too, to a certain degree.

Majored in Liberal Arts, Graphic Design, and Illustration. College drop-out. (I took all the art courses, and bailed),

Experienced in,

Frame, and finish carpentry.
Large, and small scale iron work.
Auto/motorcycle mechanics.
Plumbers assistant.
Electricians assistant.
Computer tech.
Interior, exterior painting.
Demolition.
Masonry.
Transportation in many forms.
Strong arm security.
Dept collector. Legal, and not.
Shipping and receiving management. Legal, and not.
Food service management.

...and the list goes on.

 

[fbxRdnk]

Hmm, guess I can add to this thread as well, my background also varies:

BS in Civil Engineering, emphasis on Structural
Electricians apprentice - 6 years while in Jr High / High School
Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator - built several different circuits for this hobby alone
General tinkerer & shade tree mechanic (Tools are my friend)
Computer guru for the company I work with, they usually call me before the IT contractor
Construction trades (experienced in most)
Jack of all trades, master of none according to some (including the g/f)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it; if it is, take it apart to fix if possible, or make it so that it can't be fixed without a bigger hammer.

One of my favorite quotes from working in the power plant (single natural gas fired 20MW): "We guarantee fast service, no matter how long it takes"

 

[charliebruce]

I've dabbled in:

Photography/videography (DSLRs, aperture, lenses and the associated editing side)
Repairing consumer electronics (from phones to games consoles and more)
Building and using computers/networking/watercooling
Product design (ish)
Electronics (lasers/LEDs/light-based stuff mainly, some basic microchip stuff)
Programming/Web Design (Java, PHP/SQL, VB6/.NET, VERY basic C(++)/ASM, C# and ActionScript at various times)

All of the above are mostly self-driven/self-taught. At school, I've often covered the content in my own time (electronics in Physics/D.T. lessons is a joke compared with laser stuff for example). We're only just starting to learn mechanics properly this year, but it's already one of my favourite parts of Maths (and Physics, but the overlap means that Physics lessons are incredibly slow-paced by comparison).

 

[cd520]

Electronics/RF Tech for the past 20 years
Amateur radio operator for 25 years
Long range network/internet Wifi specialist
Of course computer building/repairing
Car/Home audio
Flashlights
Pretty much if its an electronic gadget of some sorts I'm interested in it