BES

Basic Electronics Series

This is a collection of PowerPoint slideshows, all in my Basic Electronics series, which have been converted to PDF format for easy web viewing…

All articles are copyrighted material as stated thereon; photo credits are given as appropriate and are also stated thereon. If no specific photo credit is given, the photo is the intellectual property of and is copyrighted by CMS in Pitman, NJ USA.

As you read these articles, please feel free to drop me an email with any questions that you may have.  I will be happy to provide an explanation for any of the material that you may find to be confusing.

A new feature, effective 23 March 2024, is that the article titles in the listings below will from this point on also be live links to those articles!

Series vs Parallel – Ohm’s Law AppliedOscilloscope Basics
This slideshow was developed to explain the workings of series and parallel circuits…A slideshow presentation designed to familiarize the newcomer with modern oscilloscopes…
Mathematics for the Ham Radio OperatorUnderstanding the Decibel Scale
This slideshow deals with the basic mathematics that may be required when studying for the various ham radio licenses…This slideshow was developed to help make some sense out of the frequently confusing decibel scale so often encountered in amateur radio…
Electronic TroubleshootingCapacitor Marking and Identification
This slideshow is a presentation of the basic philosophies of troubleshooting electronic equipment…This slideshow was created to help explain the various methods by which capacitors are marked as well as to help to identify capacitor types by appearance…
Resistor Color CodesOhm’s Law
This slideshow was built to teach the standardized resistor color-coding scheme used in electronics today…This slideshow is a basic presentation on Ohm’s Law, geared to the beginner, and includes several calculation examples…
Understanding Smith ChartsSmith v4.1 Operations (VIDEO)
This slideshow presents the aspects of the Smith Chart that are of most interest to amateur radio operators, and explains the basic construction and use of these charts in practical situations…This video is a narrated screen capture of the operation and use of the Smith v4.1 software package to design “L” match circuits for various complex impedance corrections as described in the slideshow “Understanding Smith Charts” also found on this page… 
Panel Meter Range ExtensionAbout the FRN…
This slideshow describes the methods of extending the rage of a standard panel-mounted voltmeter or ammeter…This slideshow details the process involved in obtaining an FRN from the FCC, a requirement for any and all new license applicants…
Using Component DatasheetsOhm’s and Watt’s Laws
This slideshow provides some basic information about component datasheets and how to find the information that you need from such documents…This slideshow tackles some explanations of the similarities and differences between Ohm’s Law and Watt’s Law, with sample equations…
link to article
Soldering Done RightBasic SMD Soldering
This slideshow deals with the proper procedures and methods for successful soldering on electronics projects…This slideshow covers the basic principles of soldering when dealing with surface mount device (SMD) components…