Ah the good old days

[w9cll]

 

[Back_Crick_Hobbies]

good ol' days indeed. i remember the isles of components in RadioShack. went to buy a RadioShack SWR meter to tune my K40. the manager Richard asked me what i needed for. i told him to tune my K40 on my car. he said, take it home, tune it, and bring it back. :O

years later my mother bought a cell phone at RadioShack. they sold her a battery package. new battery a year for 2 years. when she went to get a new battery, they told her "we don't offer that anymore". knew right then RadioShack was done for. RIP

 

[AudioShockwav]

They had component level parts that you could go put hands on and buy, it was great.
Parts boxes with voltage regulators, IC's , sockets , transistors, heat sinks.
Ya it was like a candy store back then.

The business model changed as people became disposable product consumers.

No user serviceable parts inside.

73
Jeff

 

[w9cll]

The market dried up and they made horrible business decisions

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

I used to go in there when I was a kid, all the little component parts would occupy me. The 101 electronics projects kit was a winner for sure.

Then they turned into a cell phone/ toy store.......

 

[Dmans]

My first CB antenna was that $9.95 1/4 wave GP in the ad above. Paired it up with a 23 channel Megatone mobile radio (won in a church raffle) on a $14.95 2 amp R/S power supply.

Damn, I'm getting old!!

73
David

 

[The turd]

My first CB antenna was that $9.95 1/4 wave GP in the ad above. Paired it up with a 23 channel Megatone mobile radio (won in a church raffle) on a $14.95 2 amp R/S power supply.

Damn, I'm getting old!!

73
David

Baba Booey

 

[guitar_199]

My favorite Radio Shack story.... and it is true.... it happened to me.
At the time I worked at the Johnson Space Center here in Houston.

I had been looking at a project that called for a quad op amp and I saw in the RS Catalog that they carried the exact one I needed. So... out on a lunch trip one day I stopped by the Clear Lake store.

Walked in... and I knew right where to go.... so I just cut through the place. As I passed the sales counter... the friendly guy faced me and smiled... and said

"can I help you find something?".

I said, "I just need to look at your linear integrated circuits"

His face went blank first... then angry...... as he growled back to me....

"WE DON'T SELL LINEARS HERE!".

I didn't say anything else to him. Just kept walking.

 

[dave457]

I still have my battery of the month club card

 

[glassinsulator]

In the w-a-y past: purchased a 6.3 volt filament transformer from RS. When I got home measured voltage with trusty Triplett VOM. Measured 8+ volts. Returned to store and knowlegable clerk advised it would measure 6.3 volts under load. DUHH!!!

 

[w9cll]

Just a few years later -

 

[w9cll]

Then the end -

 

[midnight special]

Just a few years later -
View attachment 63250

thee .64 is what i have now,, of course some one in its past burned up the circuit board loading coil but i made a new one that will probably do 1k now,,,, any one watch young sheldon? he seems struck on going to radio shack for parts and computers.....

 

[Back_Crick_Hobbies]

thee .64 is what i have now,, of course some one in its past burned up the circuit board loading coil but i made a new one that will probably do 1k now,,,, any one watch young sheldon? he seems struck on going to radio shack for parts and computers.....

is that for Europe only? never heard of a .64 wave before.

 

[nomadradio]

never heard of a .64 wave before.

A 5/8-wave should be zero point six two five of a wavelength. The difference between that and zero point six four is kinda tiny. Sounds more like a marketing dodge than a technical detail.

73