Radio Shack, gone to the dogs.

[kb9wgx]

I know, we've had the Rat Shack discussion before, but this really makes me mad. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Radio shack has basicly discontinued all the products in their commercial catalog. This was all the good stuff, like a wide selection of connectors, resisters, ICs, LEDs, etc. You used to be able to order these online, but now if it's not in the regular catalog, you can't find it. You can't even buy power resisiters over 10 watts now! And forget that in line 8 pin mic jack! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

Their are a few online resources for these left, Tower Electronics and All Electronics. If any one knows of more, please let me know!

Josh

[KF4ZHL]

I know where you're coming from. I gave up on the RS retail outlets for the most part. Let's not even mention the outrageous mark-up on stuff! You can't find any ham parts at all in retail anymore. Two years back, all I wanted was a five pin mic. connector. "We'll have to order that" they said. I also tried to get a new battery pack for a HH CB some years back to resell when I was making minor repairs on broken equipment for fun. It wasn't that old and they couldn't find any parts for it. I rearranged the connections so it would fit my ADI HT battery pack. What was the use? The cases didn't match and I valued the battery more anyway. I guess it was fun. The point is Radio Shack is almost always a disappointment these days. Just another cell phone accessory dealer!

[wb6bcn]

http://www.digikey.com

http://alliedelec.com

http://www.newark.com/

http://www.jameco.com/

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/

http://www.icc-electronics.com/?source=overture

http://www.mouser.com/

This is just a sampling of the companies on line with parts.

[W5HTW]

I believe you are referring to Cell Shack?

I picked up the Allied catalog a few weeks ago. Great inventory and good prices. Mouser is good, too, and so is Newark.

Which reminds me, I gotta get out the Allied book and order some electrolytics. So, ta ta

Ed

[KA4DPO]

Josh, you're right on the money. A few weeks ago I went to Radio shack to find a couple of common transistors for a power supply and discovered they don't have anything anymore. All they have are some cheesey switches and binding posts. I had to order from an on line supplier that required a $25.00 minimum order. The transistors were only
$5.00 for the pair so I ordered some other stuff I really didn't need to make up the difference. It's too bad no one caters to the home brew/repair market anymore but I guess there's just not enough profit in it anymore.

[KA4DPO]

Josh, you're right on the money. A few weeks ago I went to Radio shack to find a couple of common transistors for a power supply and discovered they don't have anything anymore. All they have are some cheesey switches and binding posts. I had to order from an on line supplier that required a $25.00 minimum order. The transistors were only
$5.00 for the pair so I ordered some other stuff I really didn't need to make up the difference. It's too bad no one caters to the home brew/repair market anymore but I guess there's just not enough profit in it anymore.

[AG3Y]

I went into RAT SHACK a week or so ago, to get some "hearing aid" type batteries for my electronic notebook. I found them on the battery rack ( amazing, isn't it ? ? ? ) and went up to the counter to pay for them. The three salesmen behind the counter were all heavily involved with irate customers that had some sort of problem or another with their CELL PHONES ! I thought that certainly someone would see me patiently waiting there and come to my rescue, but obviously the cell phone people were MUCH MORE important to the salesmen behind the counter, than a guy that was ready to fork out a couple of bucks ( for something they didn't even have to find for me ) and satisfactorily walk out of the store.

After about 15 minutes of that !@#$% nonsense , I pointedly thrust the batteries into one of the salesmen's hands, turned on my heals, gave a loud "huuuf" and walked out of the store.

I hope I never am stupid enough to go back into a "CELLPHONE SHACK" store again! Man, they deserve any bad press they get!

73 from Jim AG3Y

Hey, my basement beats Shack, Mouser, Allied, MCM and the rest. What to you need? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Tom K8ERV tlamb@mesa.net

[KC0QOR]

A few weeks back I visited my local RS to look around. Being a new ham I didn't know how bad the Shack had become. Years ago I would go there with my dad when he was shopping for his homebrew parts. They always had everything he needed. So I went in there with my new ticket and asked the salesperson, "Do you have any ham radio antennas?" The young lady behind the counter replied, "What is a ham radio?"

RS is definately not catering to the amateur radio crowd anymore. Its too bad, really. I have to drive thirty miles to buy a PL-259.

73
KC0QOR

[kb9wgx]

I guess this is something we all agree on, Radio Shack sucks!
If you want cell phones, tvs, or sattelite systems, I can get them cheaper at Best Buy!

Thanks for the links guys.

[kc9esf]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (kb9wgx @ Oct. 08 2003,17:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I guess this is something we all agree on, Radio Shack sucks!
If you want cell phones, tvs, or sattelite systems, I can get them cheaper at Best Buy!

Thanks for the links guys.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I agree too.

But

when you gotta have that N sized battery, or a BNC connector, they are the guys to go to. especialy if you want (need) it NOW.

whipped up a 6 element yagi(my first). had to go to RS for the BNC and cable.

odd the original poster said they aint stocking parts anymore, as that would kill 1/2 of our local RS sales. but i think he is an independently owned, and they got different rules

[W1RFI]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC0QOR @ Oct. 08 2003,00:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">RS is definately not catering to the amateur radio crowd anymore. #Its too bad, really. #I have to drive thirty miles to buy a PL-259.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
The Connecticut Radio Shack's have PL-259s in stock, along with most other connectors. To save wall space, most of the stores are putting such parts into a big metal cabinet with drawers.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

[kb9wgx]

Maybe you misunderstood. They are no longer stocking any parts from their commercial catalog, which was all the good stuff. No Radio Shack stores are carying these any more. They can not even order them. You can't even order them online!
They still stock the pl-259 and bncs, at 4 - 5 times the price you can buy it elsewhere.

Check out http://www.allelectronics.com/ and http://www.pl259.com/

Josh

[K9STH]

I buy at least 95 percent of the parts that I need to repair boat anchors, etc., for other people from Mouser. They do not have a minimum order amount for the United States, Canada, or Mexico. They do have a pretty good minimum for places other than those listed before.

I have found that the quality of Mouser parts is excellent and the prices are substantially less than many of the other Internet and mail order outlets. Also, I have found that Mouser has several lines in most parts and that those that cost the less work just as well as those that are more expensive. Example is electrolyic capacitors. Mouser does have 10 percent tolerances and 20 percent tolerances. Frankly, the 20 percent ones usually cost up to about 30 percent of the higher tolerance models. But, considering that the components that I am replacing often had a -50 / + 80 percent tolerance, the 20 percent versions are much closer in actual value than the original parts.

Mouser ships by UPS ground usually the same day as you place your order. The minimum shipping charge is $3.20 no matter what you get. Therefore, if I do need several different items I do go ahead and order them at the same time. Thus, the shipping charges do not usually increase unless the weight goes over the minimum.

I have no attachment with Mouser except to be a satisfied customer. Since Mouser is located on the south side of Fort Worth, my delivery is usually the next business day after placing my order. Mouser does accept major credit cards.

Although you can use their &quot;on line&quot; ordering system, I have found that this can delay the order by usually one day. The sales staff recommend using Mouser's 800 number and placing your order with a &quot;human&quot;. That is what I usually do these days. The call is &quot;free&quot; and I have never been put on hold (keeping my &quot;fingers crossed&quot;!).

Glen, K9STH

[AG3Y]

Besides, when you buy an electrolytic capacitor that is closer to the design value than the one you replaced, what is it going to do, have less humm ? Better frequency response ? oooooh , I can live with those results !

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

73 from Jim AG3Y

If the cap volt rating is lower than what you have, just reduce YOUR voltage. Saves money that way-------

[ka5s]

I'm not mad at RS. Why should I be? Only a few of us buy this kind of item these days. They don't make money selling it any more, and they don't owe me anyting but good service - which I can get mad about - on stuff they do sell.

I am disappointed to see the parts go, but I sure took advantage of lifetime tubes when they had 'em. Used their sweep tubes in my National 500. &quot;Sumpin wrong wid dese here tubes, dey got holes sucked in em.&quot; Every month! #Maybe I should have run a bit less power, eh?


Cortland

[AG3Y]

Yup, so much for the &quot;lifetime&quot; tubes, too. &quot;They'll last for as long as they last. . . that's their LIFETIME ! &quot;

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
73 from Jim AG3Y

You can't even get a catalog from them anymore. None of the stores have any, and there's no option on their website to request one.

I sent them several e-mails asking about it and never had the courtesy of a reply...

Maybe if it's an emergency, I might go in there and grab something... but with 99 per cent of the parts I need, it's no emergency, so I get them elsewhere, even if it means having to have them shipped...

[ki4bgo]

I wish them a nice &quot;Going Out of Business&quot; sale... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[w5zzq]

The best places to look and order parts is Mouser - Allied - MCM. Every Shack I go into never have what is needed. I guess they are getting out of the parts business. Better off ordering and SAVING money......

[ad5td]

They are not all that way! Case in point: The Radio Shack in Rockport Texas. #This is just a little town. #Not 10,000 people, yet right here near the coast, is one of the best stocked Shacks that I have seen since the 70's. #It is a Non Company Store managed by a Ham (KD8GB, Steve) This guy caters to Hams. #He has a sales staff that is young yet intelligent and caring. #If you are not greeted within 30 seconds of comming in the store, the sales staff is hammered!. #The young guys may not know it all, but, they won't give you a bull sh*t answer. #They will say &quot;I don't know, let me find out for you&quot;. #This guy Stocks parts. #He Stocks ham assesories. #(He even hinted that RS may be getting back into the VHF biz) #So lets not lump all Radio Shacks in one pile. #Some still care. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[n8zux]

I found what works for me, OK so the kid does not have a adaptor plug, right accross the parking lot is a K-Mart kinda funny I bought the adaptor ( video OK ! ) a slip on sleeve gold plated for a TV ant for the car I bought so my XYL can watch TV. other times I usually can go to a Assoc. store &amp; get a part or order on line from Mouser .

its called walking with the web pages.

[K2ACX]

I would agree with KD5UJX's &quot;they are not all that way&quot; assertion. #Case in point:

I walked in on Friday looking for a short length of coax. #The sales guy looked at me like I was on something when I told him I needed 50-ohm and not 75. #Mumbling to himself, he wandered away. #The other clerk present did not know what I meant by 'coax' or 'coaxial cable.' #

So, rather than make a scene in the store and storm out, I just checked out the other RS in town. #The clerk didn't seem to know a lot about coax but he knew what I was talking about and where it was on the shelf. #That's good enough for me! #After all, how many of us are going there for advice?

Brian K2ACX

[KD7WHQ]

True enough, they are not all that way, but the company is downsizing it's store count as well as stock in a lot of areas, including mine.
There used to be a store in North Bend (WA), it's been gone for three years.
And, from Issaquah, through Redmond, into Seattle, if I am looking for something, they are either out of stock, or I am taking the last one off the peg, or out of the drawer.
Last weekend, I went into the Crown Hill store in Seattle, and took the last sub-mini phone plug, and (what's the number?) PL-259 - PL-259 barrel connector. Who knows when people will be able to walk into that shop and walk out with those two parts?
Turned out by the day was over, I didn't need them, but...

Doesn't look good, and I'm glad companies like Mouser exist. Radar Electronics as well, but they aren't on the web.

[N0WVA]

Besides CBers, who uses pl259 connectors annyways? Just us hams? And sometimes I think WE are stupid for using these forsaken connectors. The solution is to just use a bannana plug for your center pin and an alligator clip for the outside braid. See? It works about as good. Then just slap duct tape over it all, and there ya go.

[kb9wgx]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0WVA @ Oct. 13 2003,13:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...use a bannana plug for your center pin and an alligator clip for the outside braid...Then just slap duct tape over it all....[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
If only more people thought like this. Hams could take over the world!

[ki4bgo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0WVA @ Oct. 13 2003,22:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Besides CBers, who uses pl259 connectors annyways? Just us hams? And sometimes I think WE are stupid for using these forsaken connectors. The solution is to just use a bannana plug for your center pin and an alligator clip for the outside braid. See? It works about as good. Then just slap #duct tape over it all, and there ya go.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
...and make sure you gob on loads of &quot;coax-seal&quot; over that bad boy if it's outside! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[KI4BOO]

Radio Shack isnt TOO bad. The one here in town still has a wall with all of the CB/Amateur necessities in it. Nothing in-depth, but a selection of antennas, some drawers well stocked with parts, and a spool or two of 50 Ohm.

I went in tonight looking for a new 2M Antenna for my truck I just bought. I found one of their 5/8 wave Mag Mounts that was marked on the shelf for $18. I took it to the guy and asked for the REAL price, because $18 seemed a bit too cheap. He looked, and told me it was only $10.

I bought it right away, and ran out of the store as quickly as I could. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif It works awesome, and Im happy with my $10 purchase.

They have a few CB and 10M HF antennas to choose from. Nothing GOOD, but not too shabby. Plenty of long CB whips to modify for VHF bands...

[K3DAV]

Hey guys:

Have any of you ever checked out this site. When the page loads, read what RS is doing to them, then at the top of the page, click on &quot;Message Boards&quot;. This site is for RadioShaft employees and those who hate RadioShaft. Everyone is welcomed to join. Click on this link below. You will love this site.

RADIO SHACK SUCKS. (http://www.radioshacksucks.com)

[wn9npj]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif Radio Shack: Where you have questions and we have blank stares.

[KC5JSR]

Have questions? They don't have answers!
Mouser electronics has everything your heart desires.
And I'm of the same opinion as another poster, CELL SHACK.
Personally, I wouldn't buy their crap anyway.
Even though one of my friends owns one. Sometimes he can find what I'm looking for, but he has ways.
Mouser electronics rule!

Also, if your looking for some really neat stuff.
www.edsci.com

73' and happy Thanksgiving

[KC5JSR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wn9npj @ Nov. 25 2003,19:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif #Radio Shack: Where you have questions and we have blank stares.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Man, I wasn't trying to copy cat you. But I see you know where I'm coming from.
Actually it can be quite fun, if you want to play around and really hit the spec's on the little bitty area where they keep all the resistors, capacitors, transistors and on and on and on....
The guy/gal will start turning red, then smoke starts emulating from various places about the head, then the skin starts turning a really bad shade of green, that's right B-4 their head turns a full 360 Deg.
By then I hope your out of the mall!
73' DE KC5JSR
John C.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ki4bgo @ Oct. 10 2003,21:16)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I wish them a nice &quot;Going Out of Business&quot; sale... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
When they had the big &quot;TechAmerica&quot; and later &quot;Radioshack.com&quot; catalogs they also had a handfull of retail stores that actually had a ton of great stuff, everything that was in the catalog including a decent amateur line (mostly Alinco and Standard radios but lots of acessories from many sources). I used to stop by the Atlanta one whenever I traveled there, and pulled up one day to find a huge going out of business sign. It had been picked over fairly well, but I got some great stuff all 60-90% off retail.

I do miss that store, it was a 3 hour drive but it was the size of a supermarket. One could actually walk in there and walk out with enough to furnish a decent ham shack from HF to 440.

Hi guys... FYI - Here is a reply I got from Radio Shack two weeks a go. BTW - I never said anything about a transciever in my email to them. I was talking about experiences that include - jumpers, electronic kits they used to have and some lady who tried to up-sell me on a phone when she did not know what a resister was. This had to be a standard reply fixed up on my behalf.

&quot;Hello Matt:

Your email was forwarded to my attention for response.

Not surprisingly, you are not the first ham to deliver a passionate plea about our decision to remove ham transceivers and a few accessories from our product line, nor I suspect will you be the last, as your hobbyist community is one of the most enthusiastic in existence.

The decision to drop those items was not made lightly. Considerable thought was given. As we are a public company, we are responsible to our shareholders and because of that we owe it to them to stock and sell products that display a sufficient upside to the risk/reward relationship that is inherent in retailing. That was not the case with ham transceivers. They simply did not sell well enough to be retained in our line, despite our best efforts. The individual that directed the line has been a ham since 1965 and he holds an Extra class license. There could not have been a more passionate, vocal advocate for Amateur Radio (AR) here at RadioShack.

Without RadioShack, the remainder of the AR industry is made up of a group of approximately 20 retailers totaling 35 or so retail outlets. For them to maintain an in stock position on any particular radio requires an insignificant investment when you consider that for us to maintain a workable stock position we would need in the neighborhood of 5,000 units. If those other retailers sell 100 radios per month, they could turn their inventory 12 times per year whereas our experience was 1 turn every 2 years. Sales of transceivers simply did not warrant that inventory exposure when those dollars could be more wisely invested in items that turn over much more frequently. That is simply good business sense. We even explored the notion of selling our designs to someone who could then sell them through AR magazines and/or those other retailers, to no avail. We explored long ago carrying the products by the manufacturers you mentioned and it could not be done in a mutually satisfactory or beneficial way.

We still maintain an inventory of the parts and connectors for which there is high demand. In fact our level of support for the AR hobbyist now is nearly identical to the level prior to our entering the transceiver business circa 1991. However we simply cannot compete on a daily basis for every part or connector - that falls to a company like Allied Radio - their catalog includes over 1500 pages of parts. They sell parts. We are a convenient source for a good percentage of the every day necessities in parts but we are not strictly a parts store. The same holds true for batteries - we have the batteries most people need on a regular basis but a store like Batteries Plus - with a storefront similar in size to a normal RadioShack store - that sells and stocks nothing but batteries should be expected to have the items in stock that we don't carry.

We still carry courseware and other accessories through RadioShack.com. They can be ordered on line or through every RadioShack store.

The great thing about RadioShack is that we are everywhere. I suppose ultimately that is what forced our hand in the AR business. That business simply cannot support a 7,000 store chain in spite of our efforts to make it so.

Please be assured that we do appreciate your loyalty and patronage over the years, and we hope - in spite of your frustration over our decision to stop providing ham transceivers - that you will continue to do business with us in the future.

Thanks you for taking the time to write and express your concerns. Customer feedback is always welcome here.

Respectfully,

Chuck *^&amp;%^%$ - Supervisor

RadioShack Customer Care

(827) 415-....&quot;

[nh7sw]

I agree with you completely, I just got my license about a week ago and went to radio shack to look around. They dont sell any ham stuff anymore. They used to have 2 meter and antennas and a lot of other stuff. Now all they have is scanners and cb antennas. They just dont have anything good

[N8CPA]

I've missed the old RS for the last 14 years, or so. #They used to sell 2 or 3 #nice looking keys, one of them a clean brass model with a shorting bar. #They also sold a code practice oscillator kit, which was the first rdaio related kit I ever assembled. #It was just a little audio circuit in a plastic bag. #Speakers, pots, and cases were sold separately. #When they quit carrying those, I knew the writing was on the wall for &quot;source.&quot; #Sad.

!!