Last chance to visit a RadioShack store

[Tom]

Just an FYI ... Ed Juge, the founder of our forum, worked for Tandy. Check out his bio by rolling over About in the menu above and clicking on History of The RV Forum.

 

[blw2]

Yeah, I used to visit them a few times a year.....
when I needed a switch, connector, plug, etc....
they had what I wanted maybe 30% of the time.  I always hoped they would be the electronics store they were when i was a kid.  The place that had tons of electrical parts and gizmos.... sadly no
Still sad to see.... I guess only because it was a "fixture" since I was a kid

 

[8Muddypaws]

My favorite store for electronic components and stuff in the 80's used to be Quement Electronics in Campbell, CA. They closed their doors due to competition from the first Fry's Electronics store opened in the Bay Area (followed by several more).

I still used local RadioShack stores for convenience, although my last visit was a couple of years ago; While in the MidWest, the oven at our son's house quit. A quick diagnosis, a trip to the local RS for a component, and the oven was fixed.

I wish Quements was still there!  I would drive past a dozen Radio Shacks to go there.  For a while there was a Heathkit store about a half mile south too.

 

[John From Detroit]

There are other electronics suppliers that have a decent parts division. Fry's for example in the Western US

Mail order you can still get Poly Packs, and All ELectronics and a few others (I'm thinking of one that starts with J but can't recall the entire name)  And for older stuff there are sources as well. I have a few URL's lying about.. But still... I liked Radio Shack.

I think what killed them is shutting down the parts selection.. You used to be able to build radios from the parts on their wall.. not so much now with what they have in those drawers.

Want to build your own radio.. I know where to get plans for a multi band ham radio transmitter that uses genuine vacuum tubes. a few watts of AM with plans to upgrade in the future.

 

[Tom]

I wish Quements was still there!

Me too Russ. I used to get all kinds of Sam's schematics for TVs and various electronic equipment there. Wasn't aware of the Heathkit store on Bascom Ave.

 

[8Muddypaws]

Frys doesn't stock all that much in the parts area.  If you want a 3k ohm 1/2w wire wound resistor Fry's is not the place to look.  If you want an iPhone charger, a Samsung refrigerator and a sandwich you're in luck!

Weird Stuff and HSC are still in business but good luck finding a specific part in that chaos.

It's not as easy to find the right parts there but I've had some success with eBay.