Mims Circuit Scrapbook V.II [Paperback]

Forrest Mims (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1878707493 | ISBN-13: 978-1878707499 | Publication Date: September 15, 2000 | Edition: 1

Here it is--a collection of Forrest Mims's classic work from the Modern Electronics magazine! Using commonly available components and remarkable ingenuity, Forrest shows you how to build and experiment with circuits like these:

analog comparators
audio synthesizers
data loggers
fiber optic sensors
laser diode devices
MOSFET oscillators
piezoelectronics
power electronics
programmable function generators
pulse generators
radio control systems
and much, much, more!




-analog comparators
-audio synthesizers
-data loggers

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here's a real hands-on book for the tinkerer, filled with all sorts of interesting and useful circuits."
--Popular Communications

"If you do any kind of real-world interface or embedded systems work, don't miss this one."
--PC Techniques

About the Author

Forrest Mims has been an electronics hobbyist since building a one tube radio kit at the age of 11. Following graduation from Texas A&M University in 1966 and service as a photo intelligence office in Vietnam, he worked for three years with high-powered lasers, solid-state instrumentation, and trained monkeys with the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in New Mexico. Since becoming a full-time writer in 1970, he's written several hundred magazine articles and scholarly papers. His articles and columns have appeared in virtually every significant electronics magazine, including Popular Electronics, Radio-Electronics, and Modern Electronics. His articles on other scientific topics have appeared in a wide range of other publications, including National Geographic World, Science Digest, Highlights for Children, and Scientific American. His editorial exploits have included an assignment from the National Enquirer to evaluate the feasibility of eavesdropping on Howard Hughes by laser (it was possible, but Forrest declined to take part) and getting dropped by Scientific American as their "The Amateur Scientist" columnist because he admitted to the magazine's editors that he was a born-again Christian. His book sales total in the millions, and he is likely the most widely-read electronics writer in the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Newnes; 1 edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878707493
• ISBN-13: 978-1878707499
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #914,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book, October 19, 2001

By 

paul (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forrest Mims Circuit Scrapbook, Vol 1 (Paperback)

Forrest Mims is surely the master for explaning things to the average electronics hobbyist. His hand-sketched drawings and list of interesting applications are a delight to view. I highly recommend this book. However, there are a number of things within it that are simply outdated. For example, I couldn't find one circuit that used a single microcontroller. There are also some obselete projects, such as stop watches that use numerous old logic IC's. In such cases, microcontrollers would be a better approach. Aside from this fact, there is a lot that can be learned from this book.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Errors, Omissions and Typos, January 19, 2005

By 

PeterB. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Forrest Mims Circuit Scrapbook, Vol 1 (Paperback)

I purchased this book based on others previously written by Mr. Mimms. My old collection consisted of his 1980 edition of the Engineer's Notebook series and the Integrated Circuit Projects mini books previously available from Radio Shack. There always seems to be some overlap with his books. I was attempting to update my library since I had not been involved in circuit building for a while. I DO regret purchasing this book. As the title implies, this book should have remained his scrapbook. It contains typos, incomplete info and contradictions with his other published books while using some of the same IC's and circuits. As a result, some circuits don't work properly or not at all. One such example on page 129, the schematic of the general purpose amplifier. He has pin 1 of the 741 op amp as the output to the 386 chip. It should be pin 6 on the 741 chip (output). I attempted the circuit with his pinout and it would never work. Pin 1 is the offset null. Pin 6 is the output of the op amp. Other books of his state the 741 can use a single polarity power supply for non voice purposes and yet this same circuit uses such. He states the same circuit can be used with several type microphones or sensors etc. If used with a condenser mike it cannot be used without additonal parts.

5.0 out of 5 stars Forrest Mims Book Review, May 1, 2010

By 

Peter M. Flores "Pete" (New Orleans) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Forrest Mims Circuit Scrapbook, Vol 1 (Paperback)

If you are interested in electronics, I would highly recommend reading this book. Despite the fact that technological components have surpassed many of the circuits contained in various chapters, the significance is the description of the circuit themselves. The "how and why" a particular circuit operates.

The author is quite straightfoward in the description and operation of electronics. I highly recommend this scrapbook of electronic circuits and schematics.

I have placed this book on the shelf with other favorites and it has become a reference by providing the ground work for circuit development.