Hello Billyc,

Billy>>The only PB manual I received was from MicroEngineering Labs, Inc perhaps there is another one out there , Melanie the intent of the memo is not to criticize the product but to try and make it better and saleable to the public.Finally consider the course I am teaching C++ if the founders had two or three code versions we would really be in a mess.<<

Billy, I used to teach C/C++ at both WSU and BCCC before my hearing loss. I program for a 100+ million dollar company in C/C++. I use Borland compilers, and own probably 10 of them... From Turbo C/C++ Version 1.01 to Borland Builder 6.0. And there are *many* differences between each and every one of them. What I have found, is that sometimes it is better to write my program in the earliest version (to debug) then update it to the newest version. And when i do such things, I find that it will have to be changed to some degree (because of different ANSI requirements of C/C++ that are changing throughout the years).
Thus, what i am saying, there are a extreme number of Versions in C/C++....not near as many in PBP.

Since it is difficult to "teach" a full course in electronics, how do you expect for 1 book to cover all?

Lets put it this way... in a language you and I understand... Lets go back to the 1970's ok??? Remember the Novice 2 years non-renewable? CW only? You either bought a book that had information in it, or found a Elmer. (And GOD BLESS that Elmer!). He had so much knowledge, kindness, love, and patience as we blew up the 2n2222's and 12AX7's <g>... And if you (I say *IF* you were lucky to find a 6L6, you would make yourself a lunchbox transciever with a rock of 7.120 mhz, and a regen. receiver that had a bandwidth of 500khz <g>...but it was music to the ears! And if you got brave and upgraded to gen...that EICO 7Drifty3 <g> or the Eico 720 Rock bound (for the novice).

Anyhow, to pass that test, we learned the very basics of dipping the plate, and peaking the grid. We learned of simple amplifiers and tuned circuits. We learned that if our "Eyes" felt a tingling, that RF was fairly high <g>. (Gosh, I LOVE reminessing<sp> about the good old days... sorry about this)

But in actuallity, it took a lot more than 1 book to get through to Extra Class Licenese.

Granted the book lacks a lot of things, I agree. But how to do you go through a few years of good electronics in such a short book? Especially when the PBP has such a tremendous range of power in *all* areas of electronics? Most people are clueless how PWM works, or how to use it. Putting together a electronic motor and PWM maybe out of their league. Its like trying to tell someone nowadays about a grounded grid amplifier. Heck...most would say "What is THAT?"

Anyhow... I am also fairly new to the PIC chips, but am experienced in the philips chips. I had a LARGE learning curve, and still have a large learning curve with these PICS. But I am able to get my projects done. I find myself reverting back to the very basics, and not using the total Value of PBP. I find myself writing my own LCD routines, instead of using LCDin and LCDout.

I am thankful for the people here, that are my so-called Elmers, and are patient with me and my stupid questions. But I do agree with you that it would be nice to have a book of somekind that goes more into detail of the majority of things PBP has...And I also realize that PBP cannot teach two years of electronics <g>.

Dwayne