"Ian White, G3SEK" wrote in message ...

Good news: to "do things right", you don't actually "needta" revisit
those courses. Their uses in RF design would be far too specialized for
what you need right now.
snip

Although not an RF design text, 'The Art of Electronics' by Horowitz and
Hill is an excellent example to how to use math when you need it, while
always avoiding unnecessary 'math for math's sake'.

I wholeheartedly agree about Horowitz and Hill, mine is never very far
away. In teaching basic circuits to coworkers (I'm in data processing
now) I tell them that if they must get only one book – that's the one.
I wish the guys would do a third edition.


Some areas do require math because they're fundamentally math-driven,
for example complex modulation and DSP techniques - but even there you
can understand a lot from an *appreciation* of the math (by which I mean
the ability to understand where it's going, as distinct from the ability
to do it yourself).

Yes, but when you read some of the high-brow white papers written by
folks a HP or Motorola, those guys only language is calculus! I read
through the stuff and know I'm missing part of the picture and that's
frustrating for me.

The huge advantage of being an amateur is that you don't need to go into
areas that require knowledge you don't possess. The *other* huge
advantage of being an amateur is that, if you decide that's where you
want to go, then nothing is off-limits!

That's true. And with some time I'll pick it up again along the road.

RF design, now... to get yourself started, try Bowick (sorry, I can't
remember the exact title, but the name will find it) and also Hayward's
'Introduction to RF Design' (now published by ARRL).

The other growing-point in RF design is the use of computer-aided design
and analysis. Gradually, radio amateurs are moving towards this
approach, where you spend quite a lot of time designing, but don't
switch the soldering iron on until quite late in the process. Seek out
books that use this approach (but avoid books that are too closely tied
to any specific brand of software). There are lots of free 'student
version' software downloads on the web, but that's a separate large
topic.

Finally, pick up an old copy of Terman's 'Radio Engineering', to keep
yourself in touch with the days when it all had to be done using algebra
on the bare metal. That demanded a very fundamental level of
understanding, which is in danger of becoming lost.

I will look for the titles.
thanks,
gobo