[TriLUG] Radio Shack: was Old Dog In Need of New Trick - Digital TV Recording

Steve Litt slitt at troubleshooters.com
Fri Feb 7 21:58:42 EST 2014


On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 14:28:17 -0800 (PST)
John Vaughters <jvaughters04 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Steve,
> 
> Thanks for the shout out on the Shack. I love to pound them because
> they changed their 1970's model. So maybe we can bring in Jimmy Paige
> and John Travolta for the next commercial. They have abandoned their
> Maker Model of business and they have failed at all the other
> business models. If they would return to the Maker Model, I would be
> their biggest fan. Remember the 100 in 1 electronics kits? So if
> their plan is to find a new niche in Maker Land. I am on board. 

I remember when they were Allied Radio, and that was where you went to
get a short wave radio kit, or a reel to reel tape recorder. I agree
that over the last 40 years they've steadily declined, but my local
Radio Shack still has several big drawers of semiconductors, LEDs,
gender benders, and all that stuff you didn't know you needed til you
were most of the way through a project and said "whoops, I forgot
something!"

If you order away, consider All Electronics:

http://www.allelectronics.com/

I used to live within skateboarding distance of them: Cheap, good
quality stuff, excellent quantity discounts. They were great!

For semiconductors, it's hard to beat MCM:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/

I bought most of my parts from MCM when I ran Steve's Stereo Repair,
before I started coding for a living.

> I went to Fry's in the Atlanta area last summer and decided they had
> alot of components for good prices, but they were also on the
> consumer electronics Band Wagon, but had competitive pricing to other
> big box stores. I did have to show a receipt for a $3.42 purchase.
> Quite ridicules. I would love to have Fry's here in Raleigh. Where
> else can you buy an oscilloscope in desperation `,~)

You're fortunate. I was detained by a hoodlum security guy who acted
like I was a thief and tried to come off tough with me. Then the store
manager came, I demanded the hood be fired for acting like that, and
the store manager said he was sorry, and then explained that a lot of
people stole things (in other words, he called me a thief yet again).

I'll bet you that right there, in Raleigh, is some little hole in the
wall place that sells electronic parts cheap. Ask around at a local
DeVry: Those students know where to get the parts they need cheap.

SteveT

Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance


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