Ask HN: How do I learn practical electronic repair?

State of modern electronics repair

• Modern devices are harder to repair: tiny components, multilayer PCBs, BGAs, microcontrollers, proprietary firmware, scarce schematics and parts.
• Despite that, many faults (especially in consumer gear) are still fixable: power-supply issues, bad capacitors, connectors, and switches are common wins.
• Some argue deep faults in highly integrated gear are rarely economical; others counter that hobbyists and small shops still get impressive results.

Learning path & mindset

• You need both electronics theory and repair “intuition”; they’re related but distinct.
• Suggested loop: learn basics → build simple circuits → tear down and fix broken stuff → repeat.
• Many recommend starting by building simple kits (not just Arduino abstractions) before serious repair.
• Expect to fail and “break things more” early; the low cost of junk electronics makes this acceptable.

Tools & equipment

• Core starter kit: temperature‑controlled soldering iron, flux, leaded solder, solder wick, basic multimeter.
• Strong emphasis on learning both soldering and desoldering; right tools (desoldering pump/iron, hot air) are described as near‑essential beyond trivial jobs.
• Next tier: isolation transformer, oscilloscope (even a cheap/used one), bench PSU, magnification, fume extraction, “third hands,” heat gun, heat‑shrink, good hand tools.
• Several advise starting with inexpensive tools and upgrading only once limitations are painful.

Safety considerations

• Treat mains and high voltage with great respect; one‑hand rule, isolation transformer, GFCI, fuses, and emergency power cutoff recommended.
• Risks highlighted: electrocution, burns, fire, and fumes; also the danger of rendering repaired devices unsafe (e.g., batteries, bypassed protections).
• Some devices (microwaves, EV battery packs) are widely described as “don’t touch” for beginners.

Where to practice & what to repair

• Get cheap or free broken items from Craigslist/Marketplace, thrift stores, “for parts” listings, or e‑waste.
• Good early domains: appliances (washers/dryers), older transistor gear, vintage hi‑fi, game consoles, basic consumer electronics; avoid smartphones and very dense SMD at first.
• Strategy ideas: buy multiples of the same broken model to combine into one working unit; focus on classes of devices you care about.

Resources (videos, books, communities)

• YouTube is heavily endorsed for both theory and live repairs, but many note that diagnosis steps are often glossed over.
• Recommended written resources include “Getting Started in Electronics,” “How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic,” “Practical Electronics for Inventors,” and (for deeper theory) “The Art of Electronics” and ARRL materials.
• Community options: repair cafés, Discord/online groups, local classes (e.g., community colleges), and repair‑focused wikis.

Diagnosis vs part-swapping & limits

• Multiple commenters stress learning systematic diagnosis: tracing power rails, recognizing common failure modes (dried electrolytics, shorted MLCCs, cracked joints), reading datasheets, and inferring schematics.
• Debate exists on how much formal EE is “needed”: some say quite a lot for serious troubleshooting, others say you can get far with pattern recognition plus basic concepts.
• Economic and future value is mixed: some foresee growing importance of repair skills; others think increasing integration and software dependence will limit what’s realistically fixable.