I am not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but i
figure its worth a shot. OK, first of all i have been away from radio
for a few years (regretably) my call is KB2YFH. Anyway, i got my
ticket when i was 16 i think or maybe younger... My question is i am
getting older and still have nothing but a H.S diploma and dead-end
jobs to show for... so, obviously i would like to continue my
education. I realize now that my only true love was fixing and
tinkering with my old radio equipment. I would like to know if someone
could tell me what career path i should take that will qualify me and
give me the experience i need in working with electronic equipment...
preferably Wireless communications, RF circuts ... you know all the
skills used to diagnose and repair such things as amateur transievers
etc. I was licensed in NJ, but recently moved to Florida's Space
Coast (Melbourne) where i am happy to see that ham radio is alive and
thriving. I assume taking courses in electronic engineering would be
in the right direction, but i am not sure exactly what i should do. If
anyone could please give me some advice on what type of schooling i
should look for, and if possible what schools are good for what i am
looking for it would be greatly aprreciated. Thank you and i look
forward to getting back on the air ASAP.

If your main interest is in diagnosis and repair, I suggest you look
into an Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) curriculum. Courses and
degrees are offered by a lot of community colleges, as well as technical
schools. Visit your local community college and have a talk with a
counselor there -- he or she can give you a lot more information about
what they offer, what the course content is like, and the kinds of jobs
it'll prepare you for.

An Electrical Engineering (EE) degree at a college or university
prepares you more to do design, rather than repair. A BSEE (Batchelor of
Science in Electrical Engineering) curriculum involves a lot more
mathematics than an ASEET (Associate of Science in Electronic
Engineering Technology) or BSEET degree. If you follow a traditional
order of course work, you'll be in a BSEE program quite a while before
you get to much that you recognize as electronics, since you'll usually
start with calculus, physics, chemistry, and, yes, English. This is to
lay the ground work for you to be able to understand electronics at the
necessary level when it's introduced later in the program. In contrast,
EET courses are a lot more hands-on, and get to the basic subject matter
earlier. But it doesn't cover the material in as much depth as in an EE
program.

While community colleges seldom or never grant a BSEE degree, they
generally offer quite a number of courses that can be transferred to a
full college or university toward a BSEE degree, if that's your choice.
Those courses are likely to be non-electronics courses, though, like the
physics, chemistry, math, and English I mentioned.

You might start along one path and decide later on the other. That's
fine, although you should be aware that quite a number of courses in one
program might not directly transfer for credit into the other. The
counselor can give you the straight story about all that.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Justin wrote:
I am not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but i
figure its worth a shot. OK, first of all i have been away from radio
for a few years (regretably) my call is KB2YFH. Anyway, i got my
ticket when i was 16 i think or maybe younger... My question is i am
getting older and still have nothing but a H.S diploma and dead-end
jobs to show for... so, obviously i would like to continue my
education. I realize now that my only true love was fixing and
tinkering with my old radio equipment. I would like to know if someone
could tell me what career path i should take that will qualify me and
give me the experience i need in working with electronic equipment...
preferably Wireless communications, RF circuts ... you know all the
skills used to diagnose and repair such things as amateur transievers
etc. I was licensed in NJ, but recently moved to Florida's Space
Coast (Melbourne) where i am happy to see that ham radio is alive and
thriving. I assume taking courses in electronic engineering would be
in the right direction, but i am not sure exactly what i should do. If
anyone could please give me some advice on what type of schooling i
should look for, and if possible what schools are good for what i am
looking for it would be greatly aprreciated. Thank you and i look
forward to getting back on the air ASAP.

Roy Lewallen wrote:
A BSEE (Batchelor of
Science in Electrical Engineering) curriculum

That should, of course, be Bachelor.

How embarrassing. Guess those English for Dumb Engineers courses weren't
quite enough. . . needed a course in Using a Spelling Checker.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Roy Lewallen wrote:
A BSEE (Batchelor of
Science in Electrical Engineering) curriculum

That should, of course, be Bachelor.

How embarrassing. Guess those English for Dumb Engineers courses weren't
quite enough. . . needed a course in Using a Spelling Checker.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
snip
If you follow a traditional
order of course work, you'll be in a BSEE program quite a while before
you get to much that you recognize as electronics, since you'll usually
start with calculus, physics, chemistry, and, yes, English. This is to
lay the ground work for you to be able to understand electronics at the
necessary level when it's introduced later in the program.

However this doesn't stop you from taking a more hands on electronics
course each year or each half year. Usually you will get a little leeway
in what order you need to take classes.

Another route to go is a trade school. A friend went to ITT and loved the
instruction method there. 2-3 hours of theory followed by 3 hours of
application. He now works for Altera on there Nios Development. System.

I was going to go to my local community college this coming fall but with
budget cuts they dropped over 100 courses which all seem to have come from
their Physics and Engineering departments. There isn't a single
"Electronics"
course offered.


Neo-Volt

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
snip
If you follow a traditional
order of course work, you'll be in a BSEE program quite a while before
you get to much that you recognize as electronics, since you'll usually
start with calculus, physics, chemistry, and, yes, English. This is to
lay the ground work for you to be able to understand electronics at the
necessary level when it's introduced later in the program.

However this doesn't stop you from taking a more hands on electronics
course each year or each half year. Usually you will get a little leeway
in what order you need to take classes.

Another route to go is a trade school. A friend went to ITT and loved the
instruction method there. 2-3 hours of theory followed by 3 hours of
application. He now works for Altera on there Nios Development. System.

I was going to go to my local community college this coming fall but with
budget cuts they dropped over 100 courses which all seem to have come from
their Physics and Engineering departments. There isn't a single
"Electronics"
course offered.


Neo-Volt

If your main interest is in diagnosis and repair, I suggest you look
into an Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) curriculum. Courses and
degrees are offered by a lot of community colleges, as well as technical
schools. Visit your local community college and have a talk with a
counselor there -- he or she can give you a lot more information about
what they offer, what the course content is like, and the kinds of jobs
it'll prepare you for.

An Electrical Engineering (EE) degree at a college or university
prepares you more to do design, rather than repair. A BSEE (Batchelor of
Science in Electrical Engineering) curriculum involves a lot more
mathematics than an ASEET (Associate of Science in Electronic
Engineering Technology) or BSEET degree. If you follow a traditional
order of course work, you'll be in a BSEE program quite a while before
you get to much that you recognize as electronics, since you'll usually
start with calculus, physics, chemistry, and, yes, English. This is to
lay the ground work for you to be able to understand electronics at the
necessary level when it's introduced later in the program. In contrast,
EET courses are a lot more hands-on, and get to the basic subject matter
earlier. But it doesn't cover the material in as much depth as in an EE
program.

While community colleges seldom or never grant a BSEE degree, they
generally offer quite a number of courses that can be transferred to a
full college or university toward a BSEE degree, if that's your choice.
Those courses are likely to be non-electronics courses, though, like the
physics, chemistry, math, and English I mentioned.

You might start along one path and decide later on the other. That's
fine, although you should be aware that quite a number of courses in one
program might not directly transfer for credit into the other. The
counselor can give you the straight story about all that.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Justin wrote:
I am not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but i
figure its worth a shot. OK, first of all i have been away from radio
for a few years (regretably) my call is KB2YFH. Anyway, i got my
ticket when i was 16 i think or maybe younger... My question is i am
getting older and still have nothing but a H.S diploma and dead-end
jobs to show for... so, obviously i would like to continue my
education. I realize now that my only true love was fixing and
tinkering with my old radio equipment. I would like to know if someone
could tell me what career path i should take that will qualify me and
give me the experience i need in working with electronic equipment...
preferably Wireless communications, RF circuts ... you know all the
skills used to diagnose and repair such things as amateur transievers
etc. I was licensed in NJ, but recently moved to Florida's Space
Coast (Melbourne) where i am happy to see that ham radio is alive and
thriving. I assume taking courses in electronic engineering would be
in the right direction, but i am not sure exactly what i should do. If
anyone could please give me some advice on what type of schooling i
should look for, and if possible what schools are good for what i am
looking for it would be greatly aprreciated. Thank you and i look
forward to getting back on the air ASAP.

I'm taking Electronics Engineering Technician at Saint Lawrence College
this fall so I can pursue a similar career. It's a 2 year program, and
it seems to be available at most college's. The starting salary for a
technician is supposed to be about $35,000 CDN. The technologist level
(3 year program) is about $45,000 CDN starting. If you wanted to go
university level it's 4 years plus and the salary is much higher, but
the math level is crazy.

Justin wrote:
I am not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but i
figure its worth a shot. OK, first of all i have been away from radio
for a few years (regretably) my call is KB2YFH. Anyway, i got my
ticket when i was 16 i think or maybe younger... My question is i am
getting older and still have nothing but a H.S diploma and dead-end
jobs to show for... so, obviously i would like to continue my
education. I realize now that my only true love was fixing and
tinkering with my old radio equipment. I would like to know if someone
could tell me what career path i should take that will qualify me and
give me the experience i need in working with electronic equipment...
preferably Wireless communications, RF circuts ... you know all the
skills used to diagnose and repair such things as amateur transievers
etc. I was licensed in NJ, but recently moved to Florida's Space
Coast (Melbourne) where i am happy to see that ham radio is alive and
thriving. I assume taking courses in electronic engineering would be
in the right direction, but i am not sure exactly what i should do. If
anyone could please give me some advice on what type of schooling i
should look for, and if possible what schools are good for what i am
looking for it would be greatly aprreciated. Thank you and i look
forward to getting back on the air ASAP.

At this point in my life I would attempt to dissuade ANYONE from
attempting
to build a career from technology of any sort, unless it is totally in
that
person's blood. I am talking dedication far in excess one would
normally
give a spouse.

Reasons:

1. There are now very heavy market forces toward globalization. This
means
most technology jobs at the low and medium ends of the scale are being
outsourced
to third-world countries such as India, Mexico, and China.

2. There is rampant age discrimination in the field, and companies
make it extremely expensive to prove such. Your chances of getting
and keeping an
engineering, software, or electronics job diminish greatly upon
reaching the
age of about 35. Your chances of such upon the age of 40 are such
that a
great amount of luck is called for.

3. Engineers and other "techies" have now become such a commodity
that at
many large companies treat them with a fair degree of contempt.
Basically,
Dilbert is more true to life than you might think.

4. Craftsmanship is no longer a guarantee of immortality. Whatever
dedication
you place into your work will largely wind up in a landfill
eventually.

Yes, this all sounds bleak. But this is life.

In your point in life, I would recommend working your way through an
accelerated liberal arts degree at a community college where you could
possibly obtain some credits for life experience. Take practical
courses: accounting, computer programming, 4 units of a foreign
language, and how to teach English as a second language. Take some
arts: pottery is generaly easy. Take math up to integral calculus.
Then fill your mind with civics, western history, and culture.

At that point you should be prepared to teach English in the Peoples'
Republic of China.

Good luck,

The Eternal Squire

I'm taking Electronics Engineering Technician at Saint Lawrence College
this fall so I can pursue a similar career. It's a 2 year program, and
it seems to be available at most college's. The starting salary for a
technician is supposed to be about $35,000 CDN. The technologist level
(3 year program) is about $45,000 CDN starting. If you wanted to go
university level it's 4 years plus and the salary is much higher, but
the math level is crazy.

Justin wrote:
I am not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but i
figure its worth a shot. OK, first of all i have been away from radio
for a few years (regretably) my call is KB2YFH. Anyway, i got my
ticket when i was 16 i think or maybe younger... My question is i am
getting older and still have nothing but a H.S diploma and dead-end
jobs to show for... so, obviously i would like to continue my
education. I realize now that my only true love was fixing and
tinkering with my old radio equipment. I would like to know if someone
could tell me what career path i should take that will qualify me and
give me the experience i need in working with electronic equipment...
preferably Wireless communications, RF circuts ... you know all the
skills used to diagnose and repair such things as amateur transievers
etc. I was licensed in NJ, but recently moved to Florida's Space
Coast (Melbourne) where i am happy to see that ham radio is alive and
thriving. I assume taking courses in electronic engineering would be
in the right direction, but i am not sure exactly what i should do. If
anyone could please give me some advice on what type of schooling i
should look for, and if possible what schools are good for what i am
looking for it would be greatly aprreciated. Thank you and i look
forward to getting back on the air ASAP.