I was flipping through a special issue of MAKE magazine on 3-D printers just now, and there it was: a 2-page advertainment just inside the front cover, on how to make yourself an optical tremolo, with a list of parts you could buy at Radio Shack to make it, and a link to a construction article. And it was a Radio Shack effort! :icon_eek: :icon_eek:
If you go to: https://www.radioshackdiy.com/project-gallery (make sure to take note of the index at the bottom of the screen) you'll find a bunch of interesting music DIY projects there under the heading "music, photo, video", although you're probably better off selecting "select all" and scrolling through. Many of the projects seem to some from MAKE and similar souorces. A fair number of Arduino-related projects in there too.
The optical tremolo itself can be found here: https://www.radioshackdiy.com/project-gallery/optical-tremolo-box
Who knew?
Looks like a fun little project! Now if RS would just be a bit more realistic about their component prices... ;)
You can order stuff from RadioShack online, but I think the prices are still ridiculous.
Agreed on the pricing. I was just pleasantly surprised at the repository of construction projects.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 10:22:36 AM
Agreed on the pricing. I was just pleasantly surprised at the repository of construction projects.
Time will tell if it lasts...
Hmm... the new MBAs at Radio Shack may have figured out that they are not in a good position to compete with Best Buy.
One of the guys at Rat Shack told me that corporate set up a booth at some DIY show a couple of years ago and all day long they just caught crap about being a cell phone store for the whole weekend and it made them rethink. There was an article a while back about the Radio Shack that's on the same block as the Make headquarters and how he was doing really well because he had a Make section of the store.
RG is right, maybe they finally caught on.
Quote from: R.G. on March 05, 2013, 10:44:32 AM
Hmm... the new MBAs at Radio Shack may have figured out that they are not in a good position to compete with Best Buy.
+1 And at a larger scale, they're noticing the ever so fragile trend that's been trying to gain strength in recent years where it's "cool" to work with your hands again, and they're trying to cash in on it. None the less, this is good news (provided it works).
Quote from: wavley on March 05, 2013, 11:46:46 AM
One of the guys at Rat Shack told me that corporate set up a booth at some DIY show a couple of years ago and all day long they just caught crap about being a cell phone store for the whole weekend and it made them rethink. There was an article a while back about the Radio Shack that's on the same block as the Make headquarters and how he was doing really well because he had a Make section of the store.
RG is right, maybe they finally caught on.
I, for one, would welcome a world where a 15 year-old can walk into a Radio Shack and buy an Arduino.
Quote from: wavley on March 05, 2013, 11:46:46 AM
One of the guys at Rat Shack told me that corporate set up a booth at some DIY show a couple of years ago and all day long they just caught crap about being a cell phone store for the whole weekend and it made them rethink.
Wouldn't surprise me. But these days when someone says the word "electronics" what do they think of? Cell phones, iPods, iPhones, TVs, etc. - NOT capacitors, resistors, etc. I'm surprised that they are even entertaining the idea of supporting DIY projects. Fine with me. Now if only they would carry a larger variety of components at
reasonable prices...
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 11:55:25 AM
I, for one, would welcome a world where a 15 year-old can walk into a Radio Shack and buy an Arduino.
[/quote]
http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=13384949&kw=arduino&origkw=Arduino&sr=1
Mark.....the day has come!!
The business model died when they gave individual stores the option not to carry some parts....
The business model for Radio Shack is dead, has been for some time.
Elvis has left the building......
Quote from: armdnrdy on March 05, 2013, 12:06:26 PM
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 11:55:25 AM
I, for one, would welcome a world where a 15 year-old can walk into a Radio Shack and buy an Arduino.
http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=13384949&kw=arduino&origkw=Arduino&sr=1
Mark.....the day has come!!
[/quote]
Maybe.....are those items only available by order, or can you walk into a store and pick one up?
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 12:37:30 PM
Maybe.....are those items only available by order, or can you walk into a store and pick one up?
The last time I was in a radio shack was about a year ago, but they had a few different arduinos for sale back then.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 12:37:30 PM
Quote from: armdnrdy on March 05, 2013, 12:06:26 PM
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 11:55:25 AM
I, for one, would welcome a world where a 15 year-old can walk into a Radio Shack and buy an Arduino.
http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=13384949&kw=arduino&origkw=Arduino&sr=1
Mark.....the day has come!!
Maybe.....are those items only available by order, or can you walk into a store and pick one up?
[/quote]
Yes they are. Click on "find it in your store" then enter your zipcode and it will show local stock.
I am heartened! :icon_biggrin:
This turn of events is, sadly, unlikely to happen north of the border, where the DIY-est thing you can probably get is a coax cable or 9v battery. But I'm glad there is hope somewhere.
Quote from: jaapie on March 05, 2013, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 12:37:30 PM
Maybe.....are those items only available by order, or can you walk into a store and pick one up?
The last time I was in a radio shack was about a year ago, but they had a few different arduinos for sale back then.
The one in my town has a bunch of Arduino stuff, Make Magazine kits, and Velleman kits. Started about a year and a half ago and there is more every time I go in. I actually make it a point to buy parts from Radio Shack about once a month just to encourage them to keep parts in stock for when I actually DO have a parts emergency, plus they're often franchises and I like to support local business.
Quote from: wavley on March 05, 2013, 01:00:41 PM
The one in my town has a bunch of Arduino stuff, Make Magazine kits, and Velleman kits. Started about a year and a half ago and there is more every time I go in.
Wow, you are lucky. I used to have to drive to the other side of town to the only real electronics store here to get any Velleman kits or any parts. Now even they have gotten lame so now I have to pretty much buy
everything from someplace online now.
My Radio Shack now has a whole section of Arduino stuff.
It seems like they added the first project in 2011 ???
ive been seeing these "maker" ads from radio shack in issues of WIRED for probably close to a year now. i remember the first time i saw one i had the same thought as mark. but im very glad this movement has hit mainstream. they have the arduino kits in the radio shack on 45th St and 6th ave in NYC. its also an RS that has the component drawers. 1 block from times square. pretty amazing. its saved my butt a few times while building pedals at work.
let this warm your cold dead hearts ;D:
http://brooklynrobotfoundry.com/ (http://brooklynrobotfoundry.com/)
its around the corner from my apartment!! just for kids though :icon_cry:
The pricing at radioshack, if you think about it is realistic in the sense that it is a brick and mortar store they gotta pay bills too, you don't have to pay shipping and there is no minimum buy. I wouldn't recommend building whole projects with parts from there for sure, but they're good in a pinch.
Quote from: jimilee on March 05, 2013, 01:31:46 PM
I wouldn't recommend building whole projects with parts from there for sure, but they're good in a pinch.
Pretty much the only time I go there is if I need something NOW and I know that they have it. But it's not very often that I go there, I avoid it if at all possible.
Radio Shack has been slowly trying to get back into being DIY friendly for maybe a year or so now. I heard the same story about the guy at the booth getting an ear full. If RS management got some feedback via mail or email, it might have an even greater effect.
I've mentioned it somewhere here before - yes their prices are higher than places most of us order from. But remember, Radio Shack is not only online, but a brick and mortar retailer as well, so prices are going to be higher. You pay for the convenience, but if they have something you need and you can get it now....
I'm not specifically a "fan" of Radio Shack, but if they're going to return to a time when a 14 year old kid can walk in and buy a kit, a book, some parts, their first soldering iron, and now Arduino, then it's a good thing and should be encouraged. Why do I say that? Because when Radio Shack finally came to town in the late 70s, I was that 14 year old kid.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 11:55:25 AM
Quote from: wavley on March 05, 2013, 11:46:46 AM
One of the guys at Rat Shack told me that corporate set up a booth at some DIY show a couple of years ago and all day long they just caught crap about being a cell phone store for the whole weekend and it made them rethink. There was an article a while back about the Radio Shack that's on the same block as the Make headquarters and how he was doing really well because he had a Make section of the store.
RG is right, maybe they finally caught on.
I, for one, would welcome a world where a 15 year-old can walk into a Radio Shack and buy an Arduino.
They already have those in Reno, NV.
And a few other kits.
Nothing much musical wise in kit form yet though.
I remember the old days though.
The very first electronic DIY thing I built was a radioshack reverb kit back in the 80's.
Came with a layout, PCB, schematic, but I had to source several parts elsewhere.
Quote from: CodeMonk on March 05, 2013, 02:35:14 PM
They already have those in Reno, NV.
And a few other kits.
Nothing much musical wise in kit form yet though.
You live in Reno? I live in Las Vegas, NV. Is the unemployment there as bad as it is here?
The local radio shack (now called the source) has a very weak component section. Even if they did stock a wider variety of parts, the knowledge isn't there. I'll stick with my sweet sweet interior electronics. They can offer tons of advice, super-knowledgeable about parts, and order most of what I need. Which reminds me I need a source for 3pdt stompies around $2.50 each (last deal I got on ebay)
You have questions? We have puzzled looks on our faces.
But seriously, it is indeed encouraging to hear so many of you note that one can indulge in some forms of hobby electronics at a local Rat Shack these days. Maybe not all that frugally, but then we never used to care about it all that much back when it was what we needed to depend on, because it was all most of us had. Who knows, perhaps the presence of things like Arduinos in Radio Shacks might attract a different sort of young employee, who looks forward to interacting with the customers that those sorts of things appeal to. And even if it doesn't, the idea that mom or grandma can pop into one of those places at a shopping mall and buy a kid something like that as a last minute birthday or Christmas gift, gives me hope.
As an aside, what started me off on this thread in the first place was a special issue of MAKE I bought for my kid (where I saw the project article and URL), devoted to 3-D printers. Maybe it's not so far off where we'll be making our own custom control knobs, legended and figured pickguards, pickup covers (P90 with wings, anyone?), binding, replacement rack-and-pinion mechanisms for wahs, enclosures, and amp logos.
Man, I'm starting to like the future! :icon_biggrin:
I think ill stop complaining about Jaycar (australian version of radio shack). They could NEVER fill a BOM for a pedal build, but they do have alot of electronic parts and accessories. Tools, soldering irons, heatshink, lab psu's, components, (res's, cap's, pot's, etc), tones of all types of wire, alot of IC's, etc etc.
Does radio shack have none of this sort of stuff anymore? Jaycar is however 10x the cost of online and i only go there for the 2 reasons mentioned above 1. Urgent 2. Know its instock -> ie, almost never. :)
Paul
Quote from: Paul Marossy on March 05, 2013, 02:54:07 PM
Quote from: CodeMonk on March 05, 2013, 02:35:14 PM
They already have those in Reno, NV.
And a few other kits.
Nothing much musical wise in kit form yet though.
You live in Reno? I live in Las Vegas, NV. Is the unemployment there as bad as it is here?
Unemployment is bad here as well.
Actually, a little place called Stagecoach. Its about 25 miles east of Carson City.
Except for the previous, 4 years when I was in Newhall, Ca., I've lived in this area since 1989, including Reno, Sparks, and Carson City.
My sister lives in Vegas though.
I think you all are nuts. Vegas is to damn hot for my tastes.
Quote from: chromesphere on March 05, 2013, 09:29:36 PM
I think ill stop complaining about Jaycar (australian version of radio shack). They could NEVER fill a BOM for a pedal build, but they do have alot of electronic parts and accessories. Tools, soldering irons, heatshink, lab psu's, components, (res's, cap's, pot's, etc), tones of all types of wire, alot of IC's, etc etc.
Does radio shack have none of this sort of stuff anymore? Jaycar is however 10x the cost of online and i only go there for the 2 reasons mentioned above 1. Urgent 2. Know its instock -> ie, almost never. :)
Paul
The Radioshacks I have been in have some stuff.
LM741, TL084, 555's, 1N914/4148, 2N2222, 2N3906, resistors and a few voltage regulators, pots and knobs.
Only plastic and paper thin aluminum enclosures though.
And green drop caps are like $1.50 for 2
FeCl, and copper clad.
Breadboards, irons, and other stuff I forget.
Luckily there are two Shacks nearby that both stock a decent amount of parts, yes even enough to build pedals!
The one is right next door to a hobby store, so that might help.
I have no problem paying a little more for something if I can get what I need NOW to finish repairing something needed ASAP.
If I have time, then I'll order a dozen for the same price from Mouser or Digi-Key.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 08:34:17 PM
You have questions? We have puzzled looks on our faces.
:icon_mrgreen: :icon_mrgreen:
Or- You have questions? We'd like you to explain what the hell you're asking us for.
This is good news. Maybe Radio Shack is getting back to what they did best. Partnering with Make is a good idea too. The guy who used to sell the board for my Firefly got on the Make wish list one Christmas with it, and I was pretty impressed with that outfit when I saw it. Obviously, with the support for online mags like Make, DIY-ing is coming back, at some levels. Good for RS to capitalize on that. I wish them luck.
Quote from: CodeMonk on March 05, 2013, 11:25:36 PM
Unemployment is bad here as well.
Actually, a little place called Stagecoach. Its about 25 miles east of Carson City.
Except for the previous, 4 years when I was in Newhall, Ca., I've lived in this area since 1989, including Reno, Sparks, and Carson City.
My sister lives in Vegas though.
I think you all are nuts. Vegas is to damn hot for my tastes.
I've never even heard of Stagecoach NV. It is too hot here in Las Vegas, but I seem to be trapped here. I've tried to get out of here before, but I have no family anywhere else but California and my wife doesn't want to move there either. Apparently no one is interested in helping me relocate, so I appear to be stuck here forever. :icon_cry:
Anyway, the official unemployment rate is around 14.2% last I heard, but the real unemployment rate is really more like at least 25%. Seems to SLOWLY be getting better, but it will never be like it was here before 2008 in terms of everyone easily getting a job. We only have (had) two kinds of "industry" here anyway - gaming and construction. Construction is still practically non-existent here after nearly five years. There needs to be more than one or two eggs in our employment basket. Anyway, back to topic... :icon_wink:
Been getting a few odds and ends at Rat Shack for the last several years, and they have been slowly expanding the stuff in the bins.
Decent price on knobs, battery terminals, etc, if you figure in shipping for a small lot.
It will never be like the days of yore when they had a tube tester, but hell, anything besides remote control bugs and cell phones is a win for us!
Quote from: DougH on March 06, 2013, 09:55:21 AM
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 05, 2013, 08:34:17 PM
You have questions? We have puzzled looks on our faces.
This is good news. Maybe Radio Shack is getting back to what they did best. Partnering with Make is a good idea too.
They should also partner with one of the pedal sites and do videos on building pedals with RS parts (or have Make do it depending on their legal agreement). All of this would, of course, require them to start stocking the right parts at a reasonable price.
Reasonable prices? Radioshack? HAAA
I get employee discount (not an employee) which is half off and the parts are still expensive.
Yes. It would have to be a major paradigm shift for them.
Yeah, they are really beefing up alright... ::) Besides all of the overpriced silly little noise maker and LED lab kits and arduino stuff they now carry metal film resistors :o But, they are in a variety pack with about 8 different values with a total of 30 for the low low price of $8.00 :P I love the cap prices, $2.50 or so for 2 caps lets say 220n which is as high as the go by the way in mylar film... :P :P :P If I am in a pinch I will just tear apart one of my kids toys and steal the parts out of them... Replace them later when my Tayda order comes in :icon_lol: or not...
I did pick up an old Realistic radio at a garage sale with an old brown bakelite or cardboard PC board with all of the components covered is some sort of wax... Good stuff...
Re: the high prices. For that you get the convenience of picking up parts at the mall and driving home with them instead of waiting a week or so for the mail. For onesy-twosies, RS will do fine for me, if they stock the part to begin with. The mall is 5-10 minutes from my house. I'll do the quantity orders online of course but if I only need one or two parts to do something, paying $2.00 for a $.50 or even a $.25 part doesn't bother me. Better than waiting around a week or so for one or two widgets to show up- and paying shipping. I don't mind paying for convenience, and have yet to find a one-stop shop online, so shipping cost is always a factor.
Quote from: DougH on March 06, 2013, 03:48:51 PM
Re: the high prices. For that you get the convenience of picking up parts at the mall and driving home with them instead of waiting a week or so for the mail. For onesy-twosies, RS will do fine for me, if they stock the part to begin with. The mall is 5-10 minutes from my house. I'll do the quantity orders online of course but if I only need one or two parts to do something, paying $2.00 for a $.50 or even a $.25 part doesn't bother me. Better than waiting around a week or so for one or two widgets to show up- and paying shipping. I don't mind paying for convenience, and have yet to find a one-stop shop online, so shipping cost is always a factor.
Pretty much my mindset too. If they have it and I need it NOW, I'll spend the little extra.
[rant] I have a store two blocks from my house, it takes nearly ten minutes between when I leave my house and when I walk in the door. Sometimes I have to wait at least two minutes at the $*@#!%& light just to get out of my neighborhood. And then a another minute or two at the next two lights. [/rant] :icon_rolleyes:
I haven't been in a Radio Shack in 10 years or so, so I'm not sure if the local one in town is selling Arduinos yet. However, when the current owner bought it, he moved it into his other business which is a gas station/bait shop. So, I'm pretty sure it's probably the only Radio Shack where you can get a 2 day old corn dog, a liter of Mt. Dew, a couple dozen minnows, a few resistors, and fuel up the truck all at the same time. :icon_mrgreen:
DIY is coming back as economies crumble. It's possible that the rare and hard to find parts that MBAs stopped selling in radio shack in favor of higher turn over might return with a manufacturer or two seeing the value in supplying Good DIY parts.
Im sure a company could create a factory that can produce multiple different objects with the same machinery to save on costs. Could you imagine being able to build a resistor series and then turning around and making a transistor series or pot series? I wonder if 3D printing technologies will create a renaissance of DIY as it progresses.
If economies are crumbling, you wouldn't know it from the cover price of MAKE magazine. I certainly won't paint everythng as being in tip-top shape everywhere economically, but I think there is something to be said for the increasing fashionability of the DIY ethic. Maybe it's fostered by the niche mentality of the web, maybe the technology, from laser printers, to all-in-one portastudios, games development systems, cookbooks (and cooking channels), and maybe it comes from unfulfilling jobs (or the need to get more fulfillment than any regular job can provide), people want to make their own stuff. MAKE is a reflection of that, as is this very website. RS used to initially be a reflection of a very small subculture - ham and shortwave radio folks (hence the name) - and maybe now it is starting to recognize that there is a potentially even larger culture out there. The "I" that it wants to DY is a little different, but its easy to accommodate to.
just last year i beleive right before the election , i recieved a jameco catalog that had a picture of a homeless guy on the cover . is that a good marketing ?
i would imagine that frys electronics may have had something to do with the trend to reduce the component inventory at rs . point is , before frys rolled up , rs was the only game in town . if they are going to get back in the game , they have a large competitor . have you been to a frys outlet ?
rat shack also seems to be like a temp job , burning thru lots of counter guys but it wasn't always like this .
i would love to see them blossom into a francise that i could enjoy supporting , i am willing to pay more for the convenience , but they should make up there mind who they are and perhaps decent respectful sales guys would be an incentive . i either get " what are you trying to hook up " or a smoldering scowl when i am in there . i make a habit of smiling , giving a confident nod , but i believe they are trained to chase you and interrogate if you approach the parts area . i have never returned anything , and its none of there business what i am planning to build . for a while i gave in and would go ahead and attempt to explain myself . please dont ask questions if you are not qualified to answer . and by that i mean the workers have no clue as to what they stock , what the parts are , where they are , they demand to know what i am doing then they usually discourage me from even looking exhibiting extreme frustration . i realize its a bit much to ask , that all their staff be experienced , knowledgeable wire-heads , but the common courtesy thing , its important to me . if their guys only know about gold plated iphone adapters , they should be instructed to relax a bit . i tried polightly informing them " iknow exactly what i need , i have the part number " then producing a small slip of paper with a smile . didnt work , they tailed me and started opening the wrong drawers and stammering . two employees had a ladder in front of the soldering irons , i said " exuse me guys i would like to grab one of those soldering irons " , " what are you TRYING to solder was the response " , i ended up just leaving . are they trained to hassle diy'ers ?
i stopped going in there , i started calling ahead with a part number and having it at the counter , my wife would pick it up on her way home . but i honestly haven't purchased from them much since i started ordering online .
and yes its a real thrill to see diy as big as it is , i blame the internet .
Quote from: petey twofinger on March 07, 2013, 01:13:56 PM
i either get " what are you trying to hook up " or a smoldering scowl when i am in there . i make a habit of smiling , giving a confident nod , but i believe they are trained to chase you and interrogate if you approach the parts area . i have never returned anything , and its none of there business what i am planning to build . for a while i gave in and would go ahead and attempt to explain myself . please dont ask questions if you are not qualified to answer . and by that i mean the workers have no clue as to what they stock , what the parts are , where they are , they demand to know what i am doing then they usually discourage me from even looking exhibiting extreme frustration . i realize its a bit much to ask , that all their staff be experienced , knowledgeable wire-heads , but the common courtesy thing , its important to me . if their guys only know about gold plated iphone adapters , they should be instructed to relax a bit . i tried polightly informing them " iknow exactly what i need , i have the part number " then producing a small slip of paper with a smile . didnt work , they tailed me and started opening the wrong drawers and stammering . two employees had a ladder in front of the soldering irons , i said " exuse me guys i would like to grab one of those soldering irons " , " what are you TRYING to solder was the response " , i ended up just leaving . are they trained to hassle diy'ers ?
I usually just coolly tell them I know exactly what I'm looking for as I pass by the counter on the way to where the parts drawers are. They usually don't bother me. But the paying at the counter can be annoying. No, I don't need batteries. I'm happy with my cell phone. Etc, etc...
How long has that "Arduino" stuff been around?
Looks like some great projects to get my little boy into.
He already has a couple electronic experiment kits that you snap components on a board to build different circuits,
and this looks like the next step for more complicated experiments.
I've gone pre-emptive at my local Rat Shack and make a point to tell them, as I approach the checkout, "Yes, this is it, I've got everything I need, I don't need batteries, my cell phone carrier need not be mentioned and you already have my email address." They usually find this pretty funny ;D
You guys may not remember the old days when they always asked you for your phone number...
Quote from: DougH on March 07, 2013, 03:24:17 PM
You guys may not remember the old days when they always asked you for your phone number...
I do! I hated that! :icon_lol:
Quote from: Paul Marossy on March 07, 2013, 03:25:54 PM
Quote from: DougH on March 07, 2013, 03:24:17 PM
You guys may not remember the old days when they always asked you for your phone number...
I do! I hated that! :icon_lol:
I may not be the oldest fart around here, but I do remember when they sold radio parts, tubes, and replacement speakers... good times.
Quote from: wavley on March 07, 2013, 03:29:14 PM
Quote from: Paul Marossy on March 07, 2013, 03:25:54 PM
Quote from: DougH on March 07, 2013, 03:24:17 PM
You guys may not remember the old days when they always asked you for your phone number...
I do! I hated that! :icon_lol:
I may not be the oldest fart around here, but I do remember when they sold radio parts, tubes, and replacement speakers... good times.
Yep. I remember going there with my Dad to use their tube tester that hung on the wall.
I also remember when they would ask for your name, address, and phone #, and then hand write every little part on a sales slip, and use an adding machine to get the total cost. It would really piss them off if I was buying 30 parts.
Now days, the kids at the closest store usually leave me alone. Sometimes they ask me what I'm building when I get to the counter, and I just say that I play guitar and build my own guitar pedals. This usually impresses them for some reason. Maybe because I'm an old fart???
all i know is i LOVE their metal project boxes, i've gotten so used to using them i don't care for hammond boxes any more!
@Petey:
I get the same thing - being tailed on my way to the parts drawers. I think it's just them keeping an eye on you, so you don't spleef the small bags of components.
Quote from: petey twofinger on March 07, 2013, 01:13:56 PM
i stopped going in there , i started calling ahead with a part number and having it at the counter ,
My last three attempts using this method ended with a suggestion that I order them online. My response that "Tayda doesn't carry Radio Shack parts" is usually followed by silence....
Well I would say support anyone and everyone that would even bother to carry parts for us. As overpriced as they are, at least the parts are there. I hated the phone number part and later the batteries/cellphone speech, but I still support it whenever I can.
Quote from: rutabaga bob on March 07, 2013, 07:33:44 PM
@Petey:
I get the same thing - being tailed on my way to the parts drawers. I think it's just them keeping an eye on you, so you don't spleef the small bags of components.
Pepper spray. Works every time. :icon_twisted:
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 07, 2013, 08:56:46 AM
If economies are crumbling, you wouldn't know it from the cover price of MAKE magazine. I certainly won't paint everythng as being in tip-top shape everywhere economically, but I think there is something to be said for the increasing fashionability of the DIY ethic. Maybe it's fostered by the niche mentality of the web, maybe the technology, from laser printers, to all-in-one portastudios, games development systems, cookbooks (and cooking channels), and maybe it comes from unfulfilling jobs (or the need to get more fulfillment than any regular job can provide), people want to make their own stuff. MAKE is a reflection of that, as is this very website. RS used to initially be a reflection of a very small subculture - ham and shortwave radio folks (hence the name) - and maybe now it is starting to recognize that there is a potentially even larger culture out there. The "I" that it wants to DY is a little different, but its easy to accommodate to.
Food's getting more expensive too. Im not sure where you're going with that. I will say that the president said in a state of the union speech that the economy was getting better, and then they furlough 800k workers a month or two later? Okay. 1 in 3 males are out of work, and the shops on main street have died off, bars for drinking are only open friday and saturday, when they used to be open Tuesday-Sat, my dentist office cut hours back to 3 days a week instead of 5.
I'm just looking at what's going on around me in reaching a conclusion. as for MAKE, they're advertising well, and have good word of mouth going, and making a 1 off pedal is cheaper than buying it, especially if you have free time from low working hours. The middle class used to be the tinkerers from having a good paying job with reasonable hours and then lots of free time to enjoy other hobbies. We know the middle class is shrinking, not growing, and more people are getting into the DIY area..
People go back to tinkering when economies get bad. That's all Im saying.
Quote from: Jdansti on March 07, 2013, 10:53:52 PM
Quote from: rutabaga bob on March 07, 2013, 07:33:44 PM
@Petey:
I get the same thing - being tailed on my way to the parts drawers. I think it's just them keeping an eye on you, so you don't spleef the small bags of components.
Pepper spray. Works every time. :icon_twisted:
I like the way you think, John! :D And I used to work there ... 32 years ago ...
Quote from: bluebunny on March 08, 2013, 10:46:55 AM
Quote from: Jdansti on March 07, 2013, 10:53:52 PM
Quote from: rutabaga bob on March 07, 2013, 07:33:44 PM
@Petey:
I get the same thing - being tailed on my way to the parts drawers. I think it's just them keeping an eye on you, so you don't spleef the small bags of components.
Pepper spray. Works every time. :icon_twisted:
I like the way you think, John! :D And I used to work there ... 32 years ago ...
So did I (34 yrs ago)! The difference between us and the current sales folk is that you and I knew exactly what a 555 timer was and where to find it when a customer asked for it. Of course customers probably wanted to punch me out every time I asked them if they would like a stereo system to go with their 555 timer. ;)
Quote from: wavley on March 07, 2013, 03:29:14 PM
I may not be the oldest fart around here, but I do remember when they sold radio parts, tubes, and replacement speakers... good times.
I remember those times as well. Take a walk down memory lane here : http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/ (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/)
rat shack memories ...
typing cuss words into the TRS80 speech synth module - was in there with my dad ad his German friend Konrad , you should have seen his face when that thing called him coon rod ...
playing around with the re-branded moog demo synth on display and being shut down immediately , " who do you think you are kid , Keith Emerson ? "
those free green 9 volt batterys and the little BOTMC punch card - 3 words , No Purchase Necessary ...
oh and thanks for that link .
Quote from: Electron Tornado on March 08, 2013, 11:23:49 AM
Quote from: wavley on March 07, 2013, 03:29:14 PM
I may not be the oldest fart around here, but I do remember when they sold radio parts, tubes, and replacement speakers... good times.
I remember those times as well. Take a walk down memory lane here : http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/ (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/)
Thanks for that little "walk".
My first DIY was a reverb kit from Radioshack.
Sometime between 1981 - 1989.
But damned if I can find it :(
yes , i can not stop looking at those old rat shack catalogs ...
i did find this on wikipedia though :
Customer relations
RadioShack and the Better Business Bureau of Fort Worth, Texas met on April 23, 2009 to discuss the condition of their file and the number of unanswered and unresolved complaints. At this time RadioShack had the grade of "F" and was not listed as a BBB Accredited business. The company is now working on a plan of action to address the existing and future customer service issues. Part of this plan is already visible in stores which are now required to post a sign with the District Manager's name and the question "How Are We Doing?" The sign also includes a direct toll-free number to the district office for an area and every office has received a unique phone number. RadioShackHelp.com has also been created as another portal for customers to resolve their issues through the internet. As of 2012, the BBB has upgraded RadioShack from an "F" to a "A" rating
heh .
Quote from: petey twofinger on March 08, 2013, 03:33:33 PM
rat shack memories ...
typing cuss words into the TRS80 speech synth module - was in there with my dad ad his German friend Konrad , you should have seen his face when that thing called him coon rod ...
playing around with the re-branded moog demo synth on display and being shut down immediately , " who do you think you are kid , Keith Emerson ? "
those free green 9 volt batterys and the little BOTMC punch card - 3 words , No Purchase Necessary ...
oh and thanks for that link .
Tandy (I guess they were called that because we had Radio Spares already) even did BOTMC out here in Australia... My local one had a pair of minimus 7s out the front all the time - they were amazing little speakers. I spent a few afternoons typing BASIC programs that I'd 'ported' from other flavours of BASIC on the demo trs-80. I remember the end of them selling valves, and I scoured every Tandy in Adelaide (from Gawler to Reynella) looking for the last of their EL34/6CA7 that were on clearance at about $9 a shot - I bought all 12.
Tandy Australia is all gone now though, was eaten by Dick Smith Electronics (which was owned by Woolworths) - who then got out of all componentry.
Nice to see the 'parent company' still doing it, and still looking after DIY.
We have Jaycar out here, which still seems to be trying to find a happy medium and to keep parts profitable I guess. We used to be able to buy 1 resistor, they now come either in a little heatshrink bag of 8, or in the case of the 1watters, folded inside a little card with a hole, just like when I first started buying resistors in tandy :)
david
Quote from: petey twofinger on March 08, 2013, 03:33:33 PM
rat shack memories ...
typing cuss words into the TRS80 speech synth module -
Whoa! Blast from the past! :icon_eek: The first time I saw one of those Trash-80s with the "artificial intelligence" programs, the store manager told me to swear at it to see the reaction. So there I am typing in all kinds of profanity, when some lady comes up behind me to check it out - with all kinds of "language" on the screen. (OK, eyes forward, just type anything to scroll that stuff off the screen.)
Those green batteries! ("Memorieeeeees.......")
The one that was in town here is gone. I wondered for years why they weren't out of business. I was never sure how they made money as they never looked busy. Stop asking me for my phone number you jerks!!!
Quote from: Jdansti on March 08, 2013, 11:20:01 AM
. . . Of course customers probably wanted to punch me out every time I asked them if they would like a stereo system to go with their 555 timer. ;)
LOL!! :D :D :D
Yeah, been there, done that (it was mandatory!). Then you go and ask them for their name, address, phone number, date of birth, mother's maiden name ... and then wonder why they never come back... :icon_rolleyes:
Quote from: pinkjimiphoton on March 07, 2013, 07:11:57 PM
all i know is i LOVE their metal project boxes, i've gotten so used to using them i don't care for hammond boxes any more!
I like to use them for projects sometimes. Just did the other day to make a speaker simulator for my headphone rig. I chop them down about an inch cause they're a little too tall for my liking.
Just went here (www.radioshackcatalogs.com/) to look up some old stuff I've owned over the years. I still have this meter in its original box that Dad bought me when I moved out on my own around 1980.
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q485/jdansti/62FCCBA7-774E-4F93-88DA-E1995983B160-12239-00000FAED96AB255.jpg)
I think I had one of those too! :icon_biggrin:
My dad gave me one of those years ago, and it's the meter I use on my bench. Still have the original box. Still use the aluminum boxes from time to time: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=99037.msg871979#msg871979 (http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=99037.msg871979#msg871979)
Quote from: Jdansti on March 09, 2013, 12:29:50 PM
Just went here to look up some old stuff I've owned over the years. I still have this meter in its original box that Dad bought me when I moved out on my own around 1980.
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q485/jdansti/62FCCBA7-774E-4F93-88DA-E1995983B160-12239-00000FAED96AB255.jpg)
Anyone ever have one of these ('78 catalog)? It's a pretty nice little mixer, although I need to troubleshoot one of the inputs that is dead. .
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q485/jdansti/BC9249BD-DAEE-49C8-B484-F699599BA5C4-12632-00000FC720D5DA7D.jpg)
> I still have this meter
I have the next-up 22-204U, same vintage, well-used (and repaired).
The mike-mixer is only about 6 parts, with pretty cheap joints jacks and switches. You can diagnose it faster than you screen-grabbed the image.
^ Thanks! Amazing that in the 35 years that I've owned it, I've never opened it.
Quote from: Jdansti on March 09, 2013, 12:29:50 PM
Just went here (www.radioshackcatalogs.com/) to look up some old stuff I've owned over the years. I still have this meter in its original box that Dad bought me when I moved out on my own around 1980.
I think it was the 22-204 was also sold as an archerkit in a blue case (instead of black), I had one of those!!!!
david
going in there with a pen and paper , copying forest mimms circuits out of the engineers mini handbooks in 92 ...
too cheap to buy em !
i did buy the parts there though so they did "get me" ...
Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html) . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. :icon_lol:
Engineer's notebook on the right, that I purchased in 1980....
I was nine years old at the time, amazing that I still have it.....
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8545659886_3094b7f0d2_c.jpg)
Bought Anderton's book in '86, missing the record insert though. Funny thing, there is handwritten PAIA kit pricing from 1987 written in the margins....
Quote from: Electron Tornado on March 10, 2013, 10:24:41 AM
Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html) . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. :icon_lol:
Featuring an on/off switch! ;)
Quote
going in there with a pen and paper , copying forest mimms circuits out of the engineers mini handbooks in 92 ...
too cheap to buy em !
i did buy the parts there though so they did "get me" ...
So
You are the reason they are struggling financially... :icon_wink:
Quote from: Electron Tornado on March 10, 2013, 10:24:41 AM
Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html) . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. :icon_lol:
Given how intense superbright LEDs can get, with such minimal current, and the pleasing array of colours they come in now (not to mention the possibility of colour blending via the RGB units), somebody has got to whip up a colour organ design for Nuts & Volts or MAKE. Heck, you wouldn't even need SCRs anymore!
Quote from: Mark Hammer on March 15, 2013, 08:50:49 AM
Quote from: Electron Tornado on March 10, 2013, 10:24:41 AM
Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html (http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html) . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. :icon_lol:
Given how intense superbright LEDs can get, with such minimal current, and the pleasing array of colours they come in now (not to mention the possibility of colour blending via the RGB units), somebody has got to whip up a colour organ design for Nuts & Volts or MAKE. Heck, you wouldn't even need SCRs anymore!
A bit OT- But I used to play with SCRs many years ago. My understanding is they are suited for voltages higher than we normally use in our stompboxes. It would be nice if we had a
single component (semiconductor) equivalent of the SCR that we could use for switching 9VDC or signal paths other than a relay.
You can use an SCR if you run off 9VAC and allow for the voltage drop (~2 volts) in the SCR. But if you just want a colour organ, here is an interesting one:
http://www.electronicpeasant.com/projects/ledlamps/ledcolor.html
I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine 'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.
Quote from: Puguglybonehead on March 16, 2013, 01:39:17 AM
I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine 'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.
Imagine what you could do with a few hundred RGB LEDs on the front of a guitar body - something like Ace Frehley's 'light-up' LP... a few stripes? While that was pretty far out in it's day it would be kid stuff these days! how about entire (lowres) TV images!!!!
david
^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ-CAQ64iC8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-AjFMVuT90
This guy accidentally invented a new way to find which frets are buzzing ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLA8yxj3hwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dZumWHkEs
;D
Quote from: Puguglybonehead on March 16, 2013, 01:39:17 AM
I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine 'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.
Imagine a circuit using a couple of 4017 counters, whose outputs drive a series of 3mm LEDs, distributed all over the guitar, perhaps wired under a large-ish pickguard. You'd get a sort of twinkling Christmas-tree effect. Now, step those counters with a voltage controlled clock tied to an on-board envelope follower, and the twinkle-rate corresponds to your playing.
Take THAT, Matt Bellamy! :icon_lol:
Hey John,
those are 'nothing at all like I was talking about'. sounds like another idea I should offer to license.... :icon_twisted: ;D
david
PS. I'm kidding...
$10 off of $20+ purchase coupon through 3/30/13.
I think this only works on a smartphone. Go to http://mobile.chron.com/chron/index.htm?c=1. Click on the RS coupon at the top of the page. You can have the sales person scan your phone screen, type in the coupon #, or you can give them a printout (the easiest way to get it on paper is to email yourself a screen shot). I think the coupon # is unique to your phone, so you can only use it once. Read the fine print, as certain products are excluded (i.e., Bose).
Now's your chance to get that $2.00 capacitor for $1.00! (If you buy 10 ;))
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q485/jdansti/07C92636-CE65-4093-A7E9-EE11FA2B000E-223-0000005F122FCB66.jpg)
The Shack's not doing so well...
http://www.chron.com/default/article/RadioShack-1st-qtr-loss-widens-sales-slump-4457138.php
Quote from: Jdansti on April 25, 2013, 02:49:19 AM
The Shack's not doing so well...
http://www.chron.com/default/article/RadioShack-1st-qtr-loss-widens-sales-slump-4457138.php
Partly the economy, partly competition, and partly because RS painted themselves into a corner.
I know their prices are higher (hey, it's brick and mortar vs mail order), but if Radio Shack had a better selection of parts and kits, etc for the DIYer, like they did in the late 70s and early 80s, would you shop there more?
^ Probably. I wouldn't stock up on things due to the price, but when you need a particular component and don't want to wait for shipping, it's worth it.
Quote from: Jdansti on April 25, 2013, 06:19:24 PM
^ Probably. I wouldn't stock up on things due to the price, but when you need a particular component and don't want to wait for shipping, it's worth it.
exactly. The convenience of a walk-in store is being able to get something immediately, use it, and move on, instead of having to wait and delay a project or other thing. Couple this with a wide array of products that can appeal to even the most unusual things, and you'll always have customers over, say, getting a few customers for the weak selection and high price, just because it's more cost effective in the short term to not order a lot of different parts as Radio Shack.
online is still the only way to go for stocking up on things. Radio shack can carry a big bag of selections of resistors in different Ohm/K/Mohms, which is a decent enough deal. Other than that, their pots, caps, transistors, and all other sorts of things are overpriced.
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/2n3904-npn-general-propose-transistor.html
.02c. That's 200 for 2 dollars. ridiculous compared to radio shacks 1-2 for 2 dollars, depending on the transistor. Even back in the 80's, (15) 2n3904 were $1.98. I'm not sure how online stores make any money through selling so cheap, but that matters less than the fact that radio shack just cant compete if it wants too much mark-up and has too little selection.