Yes, but even crap on a late Sunday afternoon when the project demo was due on
Monday morning was a blessing...

Jim


-Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
-a great loss really...


Jim Weir, VP Eng. RST Eng. WX6RST
A&P, CFI, and other good alphabet soup

Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
a great loss really...

Larry, I have been buying electronic components from Radio Shack for 40 years,
and I can't say I got any that were complete c***. They all worked, isn't that
what you get them for?
Radio Shack doesn't manufacture any of the parts they sell, they repackage
OEM parts and resell. They cost more, and the people working there know little
or nothing about the parts section. But the parts work.
As another poster pointed out, they are mighty handy for the odd part to meet
some deadline, or if you are just trying to finish your latest weekend creation
and need a 1N4007, and a 10k 1/4 watt in a hurry. I would never use them as
the major parts supplier for anything but the smallest of projects. I would
consider them getting out of the parts business a loss.
73 Gary N4AST

Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
a great loss really...

Larry, I have been buying electronic components from Radio Shack for 40 years,
and I can't say I got any that were complete c***. They all worked, isn't that
what you get them for?
Radio Shack doesn't manufacture any of the parts they sell, they repackage
OEM parts and resell. They cost more, and the people working there know little
or nothing about the parts section. But the parts work.
As another poster pointed out, they are mighty handy for the odd part to meet
some deadline, or if you are just trying to finish your latest weekend creation
and need a 1N4007, and a 10k 1/4 watt in a hurry. I would never use them as
the major parts supplier for anything but the smallest of projects. I would
consider them getting out of the parts business a loss.
73 Gary N4AST

JGBOYLES wrote:

Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
a great loss really...

Larry, I have been buying electronic components from Radio Shack for 40 years,
and I can't say I got any that were complete c***. They all worked, isn't that
what you get them for?
Radio Shack doesn't manufacture any of the parts they sell, they repackage
OEM parts and resell. They cost more, and the people working there know little
or nothing about the parts section. But the parts work.
As another poster pointed out, they are mighty handy for the odd part to meet
some deadline, or if you are just trying to finish your latest weekend creation
and need a 1N4007, and a 10k 1/4 watt in a hurry. I would never use them as
the major parts supplier for anything but the smallest of projects. I would
consider them getting out of the parts business a loss.
73 Gary N4AST

Well.

Here in Canada, they got out of the small parts business years ago. HOWEVER,
the parts can still be bought on-line at RatShack (as they are known here). But
who wants to buy just one IC or transistor or resistor to finish that project on
line.
Now, would you believe, they are finally starting to stock a few small parts once
again ?
I needed two 1N34A diodes last week to repair an antenna tuner for a friend.
My stock was nil, so on the off chance, I called Radio Shack. Sure enough, they
are back on the shelves again, at 10 for about 4 bucks including the 15 % tax.
What I can't find locally is two small dial lamps to replace the ones in a Yaesu
FT-212RH. Radio shack has 12 volt bulbs, Yaesu used 9 volt bulbs. No hobby
type stores here stock anything other than 14 volt bulbs.

In Canada, it's very hard top get small quantities of small parts even when you
can find someone that has what you need. I needed 7 zener diodes to do a project
and had to buy a minimum order of 500. Good thing they were only 7 cents each.

7 3
Reed - VE1NU

---

Looking for information on Marconi SMR-3 and
Northern Electric R8119A receivers of WW2.

JGBOYLES wrote:

Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
a great loss really...

Larry, I have been buying electronic components from Radio Shack for 40 years,
and I can't say I got any that were complete c***. They all worked, isn't that
what you get them for?
Radio Shack doesn't manufacture any of the parts they sell, they repackage
OEM parts and resell. They cost more, and the people working there know little
or nothing about the parts section. But the parts work.
As another poster pointed out, they are mighty handy for the odd part to meet
some deadline, or if you are just trying to finish your latest weekend creation
and need a 1N4007, and a 10k 1/4 watt in a hurry. I would never use them as
the major parts supplier for anything but the smallest of projects. I would
consider them getting out of the parts business a loss.
73 Gary N4AST

Well.

Here in Canada, they got out of the small parts business years ago. HOWEVER,
the parts can still be bought on-line at RatShack (as they are known here). But
who wants to buy just one IC or transistor or resistor to finish that project on
line.
Now, would you believe, they are finally starting to stock a few small parts once
again ?
I needed two 1N34A diodes last week to repair an antenna tuner for a friend.
My stock was nil, so on the off chance, I called Radio Shack. Sure enough, they
are back on the shelves again, at 10 for about 4 bucks including the 15 % tax.
What I can't find locally is two small dial lamps to replace the ones in a Yaesu
FT-212RH. Radio shack has 12 volt bulbs, Yaesu used 9 volt bulbs. No hobby
type stores here stock anything other than 14 volt bulbs.

In Canada, it's very hard top get small quantities of small parts even when you
can find someone that has what you need. I needed 7 zener diodes to do a project
and had to buy a minimum order of 500. Good thing they were only 7 cents each.

7 3
Reed - VE1NU

---

Looking for information on Marconi SMR-3 and
Northern Electric R8119A receivers of WW2.

Bill Turner wrote:

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 17:20:01 GMT, Claudia & Reed Park
wrote:

In Canada, it's very hard top get small quantities of small parts even when you
can find someone that has what you need. I needed 7 zener diodes to do a project
and had to buy a minimum order of 500. Good thing they were only 7 cents each.

__________________________________________________ _______

Can you buy from Mouser in the US? Last time I checked they had no
minimum order and FAR more parts than Radio Shack. You do have to pay
shipping, but by the time you order about $25.00 or so, the saving in
parts cost will pay for the shipping.

www.mouser.com

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

--
Bill, W6WRT

Not sure as of this writing Bill. Fewer and fewer places in the US of A
are willing to ship to Canada. One place I checked before Christmas
had increased the minimum order to Canada to $ 150.00 in US funds.
Some places have no minimum order if the address is American. I
should start polling companies and create a data base of who will and who
will not. We used to have a super supplier in town, but that was
decades ago and was known as CamGuard Supply. You could walk in
and buy one 1/8 watt resistor if you wanted from a fella behind the counter
who knew what you were talking about. No blister packs back then.
Now it takes me days of searching the internet, and days to unwrap the
darned thing when I do get it. No wonder so few new people are interested
in electronics, it's just to hard to find parts.

Ham of 38 years who loves to build things.
Reed - VE1NU

It's easier to get tubes for 70 year old radios than parts for 15 year old radios.

Bill Turner wrote:

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 17:20:01 GMT, Claudia & Reed Park
wrote:

In Canada, it's very hard top get small quantities of small parts even when you
can find someone that has what you need. I needed 7 zener diodes to do a project
and had to buy a minimum order of 500. Good thing they were only 7 cents each.

__________________________________________________ _______

Can you buy from Mouser in the US? Last time I checked they had no
minimum order and FAR more parts than Radio Shack. You do have to pay
shipping, but by the time you order about $25.00 or so, the saving in
parts cost will pay for the shipping.

www.mouser.com

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

--
Bill, W6WRT

Not sure as of this writing Bill. Fewer and fewer places in the US of A
are willing to ship to Canada. One place I checked before Christmas
had increased the minimum order to Canada to $ 150.00 in US funds.
Some places have no minimum order if the address is American. I
should start polling companies and create a data base of who will and who
will not. We used to have a super supplier in town, but that was
decades ago and was known as CamGuard Supply. You could walk in
and buy one 1/8 watt resistor if you wanted from a fella behind the counter
who knew what you were talking about. No blister packs back then.
Now it takes me days of searching the internet, and days to unwrap the
darned thing when I do get it. No wonder so few new people are interested
in electronics, it's just to hard to find parts.

Ham of 38 years who loves to build things.
Reed - VE1NU

It's easier to get tubes for 70 year old radios than parts for 15 year old radios.

"Claudia & Reed Park" wrote in message
...

No wonder so few new people are interested
in electronics, it's just to hard to find parts.

Wow - my experience sure is different! The Internet has made parts FAR more
available. Used to be you would pour through the Allied catalog making up
the list, go down to the Post Office to get a money order, send off the
order which included some outrageous shipping charge, then wait one or two
months for the parts to arrive. I was fortunate in that I lived across the
river from Radio Row, so if I couldn't find it in the catalog, I would
organize an expedition into the city. Still, collecting parts for any
reasonable sized project was a complex, time-consuming affair.

Today you go online to see what DigiKey has in stock at this moment, order
online or over the phone, and wait until tomorrow, or if you're cheap like
me, the day after tomorrow, for the parts to arrive. No sirrrreeeee, I'll
take today over the bad old days.

Gotta admit, it can be a little frustrating until you've lined up your
favorite list of suppliers. But whatever you want is out there.

My list:

DigiKey (www.digikey.com) is generally my first choice. They are not always
cheapest, but their prices aren't bad, and their customer service is second
to none. (I only learned recently that they were started by a ham, too!)
They have an amazing number of parts, although they are pretty weak in the
RF department. They also have the best catalog. They do have a $25 minimum
order, but that is never my problem .... they have too many goodies I can't
live without. Their default shipping is by air, though, so if you're cheap
you need to specify ground shipping.

B.G. Micro (www.bgmicro.com) has a lot of unusual stuff. Some of their
things are very inexpensive, some pretty high, so you need to know what you
are looking for. I like them for cases and LCDs, although sometimes they
have deals on something you need, like a pile of zeners or 1000 2N2222's.

W8DIZ (http://partsandkits.com) is THE source for toroids. His prices are
amazing and he ships priority mail, so shipping is only three-something. He
has a few other assorted parts, and when he does, they are cheap. He sells
toroids in big bunches, but even if you need only a few, you can typically
get a couple dozen from him for less money you would pay to Amidon for
three.

Dan's Small Parts and Kits (www.danssmallpartsandkits.net) has more RF stuff
than most. His collection is a little odd, but if he has it, his price will
generally be on the low end. He only takes orders by snail mail, though, so
it's typically a two week wait or more.

R.F. Parts (www.rfparts.com) has, well, RF stuff. If I can't find it
anywhere else, I go to them. They are definitely the high-priced spread,
but if you need an exotic transistor, you need it.

Mendelson's (www.meci.com) is the weirdest. They have a varying inventory
of oddball stuff like BG Micro, but their strength tends to be more along
the lines of connectors and hardware. They usually have a lot of really
weird stuff, though, so sometimes you discover something you can't live
without!

Someone mentioned www.radioshack.com. They used to be a good source,
actually. But recently they have cut back to only what is in the stores,
and at the same prices, so they are off my list.

I have found that copperclad, hookup wire, knobs and tools are best left for
the hamfests. You can get them, but they tend to be pricey online.

We have two Radio Shack stores here in town, and both of them seem to be
carrying more parts than they used to. They have hidden most of them in
those little drawers, but there seem to be more there than there used to be.
At least they are easier to find.

Still, because of the price, they are my supplier of last resort!

No affiliation with any of these guys, of course.

...

"Claudia & Reed Park" wrote in message
...

No wonder so few new people are interested
in electronics, it's just to hard to find parts.

Wow - my experience sure is different! The Internet has made parts FAR more
available. Used to be you would pour through the Allied catalog making up
the list, go down to the Post Office to get a money order, send off the
order which included some outrageous shipping charge, then wait one or two
months for the parts to arrive. I was fortunate in that I lived across the
river from Radio Row, so if I couldn't find it in the catalog, I would
organize an expedition into the city. Still, collecting parts for any
reasonable sized project was a complex, time-consuming affair.

Today you go online to see what DigiKey has in stock at this moment, order
online or over the phone, and wait until tomorrow, or if you're cheap like
me, the day after tomorrow, for the parts to arrive. No sirrrreeeee, I'll
take today over the bad old days.

Gotta admit, it can be a little frustrating until you've lined up your
favorite list of suppliers. But whatever you want is out there.

My list:

DigiKey (www.digikey.com) is generally my first choice. They are not always
cheapest, but their prices aren't bad, and their customer service is second
to none. (I only learned recently that they were started by a ham, too!)
They have an amazing number of parts, although they are pretty weak in the
RF department. They also have the best catalog. They do have a $25 minimum
order, but that is never my problem .... they have too many goodies I can't
live without. Their default shipping is by air, though, so if you're cheap
you need to specify ground shipping.

B.G. Micro (www.bgmicro.com) has a lot of unusual stuff. Some of their
things are very inexpensive, some pretty high, so you need to know what you
are looking for. I like them for cases and LCDs, although sometimes they
have deals on something you need, like a pile of zeners or 1000 2N2222's.

W8DIZ (http://partsandkits.com) is THE source for toroids. His prices are
amazing and he ships priority mail, so shipping is only three-something. He
has a few other assorted parts, and when he does, they are cheap. He sells
toroids in big bunches, but even if you need only a few, you can typically
get a couple dozen from him for less money you would pay to Amidon for
three.

Dan's Small Parts and Kits (www.danssmallpartsandkits.net) has more RF stuff
than most. His collection is a little odd, but if he has it, his price will
generally be on the low end. He only takes orders by snail mail, though, so
it's typically a two week wait or more.

R.F. Parts (www.rfparts.com) has, well, RF stuff. If I can't find it
anywhere else, I go to them. They are definitely the high-priced spread,
but if you need an exotic transistor, you need it.

Mendelson's (www.meci.com) is the weirdest. They have a varying inventory
of oddball stuff like BG Micro, but their strength tends to be more along
the lines of connectors and hardware. They usually have a lot of really
weird stuff, though, so sometimes you discover something you can't live
without!

Someone mentioned www.radioshack.com. They used to be a good source,
actually. But recently they have cut back to only what is in the stores,
and at the same prices, so they are off my list.

I have found that copperclad, hookup wire, knobs and tools are best left for
the hamfests. You can get them, but they tend to be pricey online.

We have two Radio Shack stores here in town, and both of them seem to be
carrying more parts than they used to. They have hidden most of them in
those little drawers, but there seem to be more there than there used to be.
At least they are easier to find.

Still, because of the price, they are my supplier of last resort!

No affiliation with any of these guys, of course.

...

Look up Hosfelt Electronics. They carry those small lamps I believe. I bought some for my 212RH and I believe it was them I bought them from. You want the "Microwheat" bulbs.. I think that is what they are called. Or maybe mini wheat as the wheats are small in their own right. They are out there to be found though from regular parts places. SM.
"Claudia & Reed Park" wrote in message ...

JGBOYLES wrote:

Besides, their parts were and always have been complete crap anyways, so not
a great loss really...
Larry, I have been buying electronic components from Radio Shack for 40 years,
and I can't say I got any that were complete c***. They all worked, isn't that
what you get them for?
Radio Shack doesn't manufacture any of the parts they sell, they repackage
OEM parts and resell. They cost more, and the people working there know little
or nothing about the parts section. But the parts work.
As another poster pointed out, they are mighty handy for the odd part to meet
some deadline, or if you are just trying to finish your latest weekend creation
and need a 1N4007, and a 10k 1/4 watt in a hurry. I would never use them as
the major parts supplier for anything but the smallest of projects. I would
consider them getting out of the parts business a loss.
73 Gary N4AST

Well.
Here in Canada, they got out of the small parts business years ago. HOWEVER,
the parts can still be bought on-line at RatShack (as they are known here). But
who wants to buy just one IC or transistor or resistor to finish that project on line.
Now, would you believe, they are finally starting to stock a few small parts once again ?
I needed two 1N34A diodes last week to repair an antenna tuner for a friend.
My stock was nil, so on the off chance, I called Radio Shack. Sure enough, they
are back on the shelves again, at 10 for about 4 bucks including the 15 % tax.
What I can't find locally is two small dial lamps to replace the ones in a Yaesu
FT-212RH. Radio shack has 12 volt bulbs, Yaesu used 9 volt bulbs. No hobby
type stores here stock anything other than 14 volt bulbs.

In Canada, it's very hard top get small quantities of small parts even when you
can find someone that has what you need. I needed 7 zener diodes to do a project
and had to buy a minimum order of 500. Good thing they were only 7 cents each.

7 3
Reed - VE1NU

---

Looking for information on Marconi SMR-3 and
Northern Electric R8119A receivers of WW2.