[Boatanchors] RATSHACK?

Sun May 29 09:40:20 EDT 2005

It's about time a post acknowledges the good points about Radio Shack.  
Convenience and quick emergency type needs is where they come in handy.  
Many a field day operation was saved by a quick radio shack purchase.  As 
far as the knowledge possessed by the workers at RS, I don't see that they 
are in any worse shape than other "minimum wage" employees.

The only radio shack in my area is getting ready to close, it was one of 
those "independent" type (kinda like some of the Macdonalds) operating in a 
furniture store.  Now the nearest radio shack will be about 50 miles away 
(one way), so that the only redeeming features is moot!  Long live RS and 
may many benefit from their convenience.

P.S.  I have no connection with RS or Tandy, just an occasional customer.  
Didn't that part of Tandy spin off from Allied electronics?  I remember 
Allieds big catalog that use to be sent to the occasional purchaser.  I know 
they are still in business and I ordered a part from them for my Weller type 
pencil gun soldering iron.

de wd4air

>From: George KB2Z <Thermionic_Emission at earthlink.net>
>To: "boatanchors-mailman.qth.net" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] RATSHACK?
>Date: Sun, 29 May 2005 08:00:47 -0400
>
>I try Radio Shack first for convenience and to save time.
>Granted 9 times out of 10 they dont have what I want, but they are a 5 
>minute ride away.
>We have no local electronics supply houses that I am aware of.
>
>I like and deal with Mouser. Yes I know they have no minimum order. My pet 
>gripe with Mouser is they wont put a few resistors in an envelope and send 
>in the mail. As an example I need two,  2 or 3 Watt 1.2k resistors. I dont 
>use credit cards. For 50 cents worth of resistors I have to pre-pay  $12 
>UPS shipping. You get a credit slip for the unused shipping, but it still 
>costs roughly $6.50 for 2 resistors. If I used a credit card it would still 
>cost $6.50. I end up buying things I dont need to justify the shipping.
>I also realize that the big guys arn't staying in business on my 2 
>resistors and should not cater to me.
>
>Is there any middle ground I'm unaware of?
>
>Thanks, George KB2Z
>
>At 04:01 AM 5/29/05 -0700, you wrote:
>
>
>>--- FRED - W4FJF <ka2hlw at netzero.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > "...because nobody
>> > asks for them anymore. I live in a town that has 27
>> > active hams, so I think my ANSWER was an outright
>> > lie."
>> >
>> >
>>
>>Why would one go to Radio Shack for stuff?  If I'm any
>>representation of the amateur market, the number of
>>hams in a given area would have no bearing on the
>>amount of business I would expect a Radio Shack would
>>have.  For the most part, Radio Shack stuff
>>(miniboxes, connectors, cables, etc.) is cheaply-made
>>garbage.  I'll go there in an emergency, but for the
>>most part it's Mouser or some other purveyor of "real"
>>components.  Not being a hospital emergency room
>>physician, I have few "emergencies" that can't wait a
>>week for UPS.
>>
>>Also, I generally like to get my entire body into a
>>store before I get jumped by an employee.  While I
>>would welcome employee assistance in most stores, I
>>have found that I can get out of a Radio Shack much
>>faster without "help."  With employee assistance I can
>>usually be out of a Radio Shack empty-handed in about
>>23 minutes: 7 minutes to explain what a resistor is, 6
>>minutes for the employee to wrestle the mutilated
>>store catalog from an associate who is trying to help
>>another customer find a replacement tape for his
>>1985-vintage answering machine, 3 minutes until I lose
>>patience, grab the catalog and look it up myself, 3
>>minutes to find the chest of drawers that now houses
>>components, 3 minutes to find the proper drawer, 5
>>seconds to stare bewildered at the nearly empty drawer
>>and tell me that they don't stock those anymore
>>because nobody wants them, and 55 seconds to run the
>>gauntlet of employees as I bolt for the door.  Without
>>help, I can go staight to the cabinet, perform the
>>ritualistic opening and closing of the empty drawer,
>>and bolt for the door all in about 45 seconds
>>(assuming I can get by the employees).
>>
>>Yes, I'm an active ham; and no, I don't shop at Radio
>>Shack.
>>
>>73,
>>Jim
>>w2bvm
>>
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