I would add Allied www.alliedelec.com to that list -- their "break point"
for shipping is $25, they will ship via USPS Priority Mail (which is very
quick anyway). At any rate, who doesn't have a soft-spot in their heart for
old Allied with their Knight Kits from 4 decades ago!


"Bill Turner" wrote in message
...
On 26 Nov 2003 17:08:04 -0800, (Howard) wrote:

One manager mentioned that components are no longer a real concern of
management and that he is under the impression that "parts" are on the
way out soon.

__________________________________________________ _______

I wouldn't be surprised. Radio Shack's only advantage, IMO, is they're
handy. If you don't mind mail order, you can get equal or better parts
and FAR better selection from Mouser or Digi-Key, and probably spend
less overall even when shipping is included. Get a catalog and give 'em
a try.

--
Bill, W6WRT

I agree with BIll,

http://www.mouser.com has online pdf catalog, same day shipping fast.

http://www.allcorp.com has some good stuff also.

mark




I wouldn't be surprised. Radio Shack's only advantage, IMO, is they're
handy. If you don't mind mail order, you can get equal or better parts
and FAR better selection from Mouser or Digi-Key, and probably spend
less overall even when shipping is included. Get a catalog and give 'em
a try.

--

I agree with BIll,

http://www.mouser.com has online pdf catalog, same day shipping fast.

http://www.allcorp.com has some good stuff also.

mark




I wouldn't be surprised. Radio Shack's only advantage, IMO, is they're
handy. If you don't mind mail order, you can get equal or better parts
and FAR better selection from Mouser or Digi-Key, and probably spend
less overall even when shipping is included. Get a catalog and give 'em
a try.

--

Try Digi-Key or Mouser Electronics on the Internet. You can't get much
more convenient than that. A few "clicks" on the their web site and
3-4 days later the parts are setting on your door step. It beats
driving all over town.

Try Digi-Key or Mouser Electronics on the Internet. You can't get much
more convenient than that. A few "clicks" on the their web site and
3-4 days later the parts are setting on your door step. It beats
driving all over town.

Mike Coslo wrote in message . net...
Howard wrote:

Recent visits to my local Radio Shack for even the most simple
components has left me disappointed. Recently I had the need for 5
10uf electrolytics at any voltage really, and could not find them at 3
local stores.

There used to be a selection of 25 or so IC's that were widely used
and popular...no more tho.

Even a simple LM386 could not be found around here.

Also, the parts are now being jammed into these ugly parts bins as if
to hide them from view.

Is this the same situation where you live?

One manager mentioned that components are no longer a real concern of
management and that he is under the impression that "parts" are on the
way out soon.

Wouldn't that just be the way...the old local electronics places are
out of business, and the Shack eliminates their parts. They sure do
have answers, don't they?

I wonder what their answer will be when the cell phone market is
saturated. (which is starting now) I really doubt that the Shack will
survive, since they've pinned so much on cell phones.

- Mike KB3EIA -

The last time I went to rat shack the two salesmen staffing the store
descended on me like a pair of hungry vultures...when they found out I
wasnt there to buy a phone or oher electronic appliance they left me
alone. Its odd how rat shack has confined all parts to the parts bin
thing yet they sell new soldering irons and those junk tools.......
This store does seem to keep an adequete supply of their ferric
chloride in stock hough, that and he odd connector are all I buy
there.

The electronics supply house we had here, radio electric, left town
many years ago....we do have another elecronic place in a nearby town
but it sells mostly computer and telecommunications related
stuff....Th ics they do carry are all nte at nte prices.....and the
selection of passives is poor...like rat shack kind of 5 resistors for
a dollar something........

I honestly hate having to use a place like mouser or allied but what
else can you do ???

Mike Coslo wrote in message . net...
Howard wrote:

Recent visits to my local Radio Shack for even the most simple
components has left me disappointed. Recently I had the need for 5
10uf electrolytics at any voltage really, and could not find them at 3
local stores.

There used to be a selection of 25 or so IC's that were widely used
and popular...no more tho.

Even a simple LM386 could not be found around here.

Also, the parts are now being jammed into these ugly parts bins as if
to hide them from view.

Is this the same situation where you live?

One manager mentioned that components are no longer a real concern of
management and that he is under the impression that "parts" are on the
way out soon.

Wouldn't that just be the way...the old local electronics places are
out of business, and the Shack eliminates their parts. They sure do
have answers, don't they?

I wonder what their answer will be when the cell phone market is
saturated. (which is starting now) I really doubt that the Shack will
survive, since they've pinned so much on cell phones.

- Mike KB3EIA -

The last time I went to rat shack the two salesmen staffing the store
descended on me like a pair of hungry vultures...when they found out I
wasnt there to buy a phone or oher electronic appliance they left me
alone. Its odd how rat shack has confined all parts to the parts bin
thing yet they sell new soldering irons and those junk tools.......
This store does seem to keep an adequete supply of their ferric
chloride in stock hough, that and he odd connector are all I buy
there.

The electronics supply house we had here, radio electric, left town
many years ago....we do have another elecronic place in a nearby town
but it sells mostly computer and telecommunications related
stuff....Th ics they do carry are all nte at nte prices.....and the
selection of passives is poor...like rat shack kind of 5 resistors for
a dollar something........

I honestly hate having to use a place like mouser or allied but what
else can you do ???

"Clifton T. Sharp Jr." wrote:

When I get that from a store that sells electronics (Circuit City seems
famous for that), I ask the salesman a question I know he hasn't got a
chance of answering, such as, "I'm looking for an AM-only radio that has
a metal oxide silicon field effect transistor front-end."

You should see them run.

"Which model has the best noise figure?" Or, "Can I use this to
receive SCA broadcasts?"

--
I say, the boy is so stupid that he tried to make a back up copy of his
hard drive on the Xerox machine!

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"Clifton T. Sharp Jr." wrote:

When I get that from a store that sells electronics (Circuit City seems
famous for that), I ask the salesman a question I know he hasn't got a
chance of answering, such as, "I'm looking for an AM-only radio that has
a metal oxide silicon field effect transistor front-end."

You should see them run.

"Which model has the best noise figure?" Or, "Can I use this to
receive SCA broadcasts?"

--
I say, the boy is so stupid that he tried to make a back up copy of his
hard drive on the Xerox machine!

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

In article ,
says...

Recent visits to my local Radio Shack for even the most simple
components has left me disappointed. Recently I had the need for 5
10uf electrolytics at any voltage really, and could not find them at 3
local stores.

There used to be a selection of 25 or so IC's that were widely used
and popular...no more tho.

Even a simple LM386 could not be found around here.

Also, the parts are now being jammed into these ugly parts bins as if
to hide them from view.

Is this the same situation where you live?

One manager mentioned that components are no longer a real concern of
management and that he is under the impression that "parts" are on the
way out soon.

Wouldn't that just be the way...the old local electronics places are
out of business, and the Shack eliminates their parts. They sure do
have answers, don't they?

de WA2AFD

You are very correct is saying they are hanging up the parts business.
Radio Crap is an investor owned company, and they want to sell big profit
margin items, and more expensive items. How many resistors must they sell
to equal the money made on one very overpriced printer cartridge?

It has always been common knowledge that Radio**** NEVER wanted technically
knowledgable persons as employees!! They wanted SALESPERSONS employed as
salespersons. Technical persons would slow down sales by dedicating way to
much time to somebody trying to find a good replacement for a 2N404 used in
a 'radio experimenter' magazine 'build your own metronome' article from 1954.

I saw a guy with a 470mfd @ 16vdc cap required, and he asked the crappyshack
bozo if the rodeolack 470mfd @ 25vdc replacement part would work. Mister RS
Suit-n-Tie said "Oh no, it has far to much voltage, and would blow your circuit
up". If I told you I wanted to cause Mr.RS bodily harm for being so stupid
in his field, would you have helped me?

Radio Shack, a collection of techno-lackies, who all own 2.4ghz computers
in their homes, and would not know a 12AX7 from a Dean's Peacocks condom.

Sadly, I have resorted to buying up everything I think I may ever want or
need for the next 15 years of my experimenter life at local hamfests. Not
only are experimenter parts that are big enough to see becoming harder to find,
but people who know what to do with the parts are about as rare as monkeypox.

Now I will go back to my cave, and remember all the cool things I showed
my blue shirts how to build using just the stuff we found while pillaging
the dumpsters on the Navy base. Damn, we had some cool stuff!

Just call me Chief.