Hi My name is Paul I'm 74 yo and just finished my TAFE college course in Electronics & Communications Cert-3. Those in Australia will know this course.

I am already an Electrical Mechanic with 52 yrs in Mining industrial controls systems. I have always loved electronics but especially the older radios, fascinating subject and now I have time to do this hobby. Although I have finished the trade course I still have a lot to learn about older radios. I'm here for help and maybe help.
Thanks.

Did you say you are 74 years old and just finished your E&C???

Did mine back in the early '70s, I'm a year older than you!

Welcome to the forums, Paul.

Back when I was deciding my career path I completed a pre-apprenticeship course and it combined the electrical and electronics trades, both of which I was keen on. I ended up going with electrical simply due to circumstances - the NSW Department of Health had an opening for an electrician so that is the apprenticeship I went with.

Post trade, there were a few chances to continue on and become dual-trade but I could see the rate at which local manufacturing was being wound back and decided that I'd had enough of learning (in the formal sense anyway) and remained just with the electrical side of things. At the end of the day, I am not academic enough to sit in classrooms trying to absorb information.

That said, for those that have the self-motivation to go and complete a course of their choosing I still encourage it. There's no such thing as too much knowledge. In some ways I do wish I'd engaged with electronics a bit more, though the self-motivation wasn't there unfortunately. I am fine with logic circuits and anything to do with control, though in my electronics trade course there were no subjects pertaining to the use of valves - not that I was expecting it but if there was, it would have probably helped me more than what I'd already completed.

Welcome to the site Paul!

Good for you 'never too old to learn' is a good motto.
I'm 80 and still learning about all sorts of radio and allied things.
See the 'special projects' section where I post stories investigating all sorts of electronic things.

Cheers, Fred.