How Old Was You When You Became Interested In Electrics?

[Ziggie]

I was about 4 . My father fixed old radios and early TV’s for the OAPs and my playing was wiring 15amp plugs. The best lesson was “if you want to talk to dad, put your hands in your pockets”. He did all the work for free and he was taught during the war in the RAF as a direction finder for Lancaster stationed at Newmarket. The tote was his home.

 

[Chris1234]

I think it was this book when I was 9 or 10.
One of the first things I built was an electric motor from this book. I may (or may not) teach it to my local Cub group, but fear they are too young.

My first electric shock that I remember was when I was on the CB radio, I had a 12v PSU which had the cover missing, so I stuffed a pair of socks over the live terminals.
One day I couldn´t find any socks and saw this pair, grabbed them, and you know the rest!

 

[Phil Thompson]

Got my first dig about 12 or 13 putting a plug in with no back to check id wired the light up properly, didnt switch it off before going to remove it again lol

 

[James360]

6 year old my grandad bought me a book called the boy electrician for christmas and told me to read it then after that working with my grandad in his radio repair workshop in the back bed room of my nanas house were he made a good living repairing radios record player etc etc those were the days 49 years ago

 

[brianmoooore]

Market day in the nearest town was Tuesday, and when my parents went there for their weekly shop, I would go with them (must have been pre school) and spend my pennies (the 1d type) in Woolworths on little MES lamps, batten holders to suit, odd bits of wire and batteries, bring them home, and with the aid of some brass stud type paper clips and some stiff wire to make switches, would wire them into all kinds of circuits.
First 240 volt belt was not too long after. Electricity at the time was courtesy of a Lister start-o-matic generator set, which started up automatically when the first light or appliance was switched on and stopped when the last appliance was turned off. It was strictly forbidden to fire up the generator during daylight hours without good reason, so one day, when I wanted electricity for some trivial reason, I decided to see if the generator was running by sticking something metallic into the live side of a socket in my bedroom. It was running!
Forward a few years to when I was eleven years old. Mains electricity was coming to the area, and the whole place had to be rewired to meet the regs. A newly qualified electrician turned up to do the job, and I shadowed him the whole time he was there, learning a lot
along the way, and sparking an interest that later became my career.
The newly qualified electrician later went on to found one of the largest electrical contracting firms in the whole area.

 

[frank_91]

Around 15 I think

 

[Trainspotter]

I first got interested in electricity around aged 8, our street had an HV fault feeding the Local secondary sub station (11kv to 415v), watched the SSEB (local DNO) Dig up the road and the old school jointers piece in a part of cable (PILC) paper insulated lead cable, grew from there ended up serving my craft apprenticeship, (unfortunately not with the DNO as wanted), moved into power generation then water industry doing pumps, water treatment plant, now on the railway sorting trains, to this day still wished I had got into the DNO or as it was known "the board", been good though as been all over the world on the power generation equipment, good to see how other countries do it, although sometimes had to step back from a few panels etc as some countries leave a lot of health and safety and best practice etc sitting in the box

 

[Ray Pooley]

16. At college studying ONC Year 1 Mech and Elec Engineering. Precusor to HNC and BSc. Not quite the same as installing electrical installations but more to do with the design and function of electric motors and electronics. Nevertheless a very good grounding as far as electrical principals are concerned. Interest in electrical installations came much later in life.

 

[mambo]

Late starter in my 30s after working as a hod carrier....my mate was a sparky and he would ask me to work for him as a mate...

Started going in college for evening classes

 

[Callan]

Late starter in my 30s after working as a hod carrier....my mate was a sparky and he would ask me to work for him as a mate...

Started going in college for evening classes

I start evening training soon well weekends actually. I’m just wondering would you recommend it? Thanks

 

[G1ZQC_David]

I think I was about 9 or 10 years old, I took a torch to pieces behind the settee, my Dad found me, and instead of telling me off, he said, put it back together and make it work, which I did. That is when I discovered I had a photographic memory (of sorts). I went on to pass the Radio Amateurs Exam (passed first time), built a transmitter, went into mobile Disco, self taught Arcade machine mechanics, computers, and finally teaching.
I am not a "qualified" electrician, but could teach the 18th edition on prior knowledge stretching back some 55 + years.

 

[Pete999]

15 started as an Apprentice 21 when I qualified

 

[Julie.]

As I keep getting told!

 

[Let me think]

8~9 years old, trying to get jammed toast out of toaster with a knife, while it was still on. All I remember was bright flash. Looking at knife which had a large nick in it and receiving a 'loving' slap from my mother for being so bloody stupid.

Those were the days.....

 

[mambo]

I start evening training soon well weekends actually. I’m just wondering would

I start evening training soon well weekends actually. I’m just wondering would you recommend it? Thanks

Barking and Dagenham college...NVQ level 3 Xstraining