Ye Old Radio Hangout
Eric P. Nichols (KL7AJ)
on
August 4, 2007
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Yesterday I visited our local Radio Shack store to purchase a microammeter. I knew before I even set out that it would probably be a futile exercise, but I thought I'd give them one last chance. For the past few years their motto has been, "You have questions? We have blank stares."
Needless to say, I got the blank stare when I asked for a microammeter. The very last vestige of electronics "componentry" has evaporated from that once-venerable institution. I now have no reason whatsoever to darken that store.
My intent is not to "rag on" Radio Shack in particular, but rather to lament yet another lost amateur radio tradition...the radio hangout.
When I was first licensed in 1972, the radio hangout of choice was Henry Radio in Los Angeles. It was an event as much as a location. Even if you didn't buy anything there, it was THE place for any ham to hang out on a Saturday morning. We'd swap lies and FT-243 crystals, and operate boat anchors in one of the three jam-packed showrooms. There was always a coffee urn chugging away in the corner, and even though it was unequivocally abominable stuff, it tasted wonderful because it was anointed with memories and adventure.
If you were even remotely interested in radio, stepping into Henry Radio would suck you in like a pool of quicksand. If you WEREN'T remotely interested in radio, Henry Radio would still suck you in like a pool of quicksand! It was like a perpetual field day at Henry. I don't know how many new hams resulted in unplanned visits to the place, but it was certainly countless.
If you had a question about ham radio...you definitely didn't get blank stares. You got the straight dope! And if the proprietors didn't have the answer (an extremely rare occurrence), some customer loitering around the venerably battered counter most certainly WOULD.
Probably my most memorable experience at Henry Radio was when I was still a novice. I was at the counter, looking at SWR bridges or something, and I heard some very jovial conversation from one of the back rooms. The voice was oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. A few seconds later, who should emerge from the radio dungeon but Andy Devine! He was joking around with a couple of the other Henry denizens just like a regular human being. I introduced myself, and told him he was the first actual famous person I'd ever met, and he gave me an autographed eyeball QSL card, and told me I'd get a REAL one after I worked him on the air...a promise he kept a few months later, when I'd gotten my General.
Alas, Henry Radio and Andy Devine are both gone...along with far too many ham radio traditions.
I'd venture to say that MOST hams that were licensed as a result of Henry Radio are still active, if they're alive. Most hams we license nowadays are seldom heard from again. I believe the lack of radio hangouts like Henry are a major reason for our current attrition rate. New hams need to SEE a working station...or we'll never see them again.
It's probably an irreversible end of an era. I don't know if we will ever have the likes of Henry Radio again...and I'm not just talking about the American manufacturing aspect. As I mentioned earlier, Henry Radio was as much an event as it was a place. We need to somehow convey that to the next generation of hams...if there is one.
Sincerely,
Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by G3LBS on August 4, 2007
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You are right in part. In the 50s we had lots of such hangouts in England - where Radio Shack has now bit the dust.
However the biggest bargain of all time still exists at USA RadioShacks - 100 ft of 300ohm twin for about 20 dollars see eHam Product Review.
Hirsch's (www.radiomart.com) still is alive and kicking in Buffalo NY I always call in when I go to Buffalo. It has the Henry atmosphere.
Buffalo Gil W2/G3LBS
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K8FV on August 4, 2007
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In the 50's a trip to Henry Radio was a treat but difficult for me on a bicycle. However I did have Dow Radio in Pasadena. It was also a place where if the sales folks didn't have an answer another customer would.
Many things were built with parts from there and C&H Surplus down the street.
A great place for a kid doomed to be an engineer.
Fred, K8FV
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by N7YA on August 4, 2007
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All is not lost, but the one downside is that one needs a ham store in their town to get that kind of hangout...a rare thing to find these days. Fortunately for me, we have an AES here in Vegas with a great crew working there, always willing to chat with you and talk shop, thankfully. not to mention the toys.
But i must concur that Radio Shack should come up with a more appropriate monicker since i believe they no longer have an interest in radios whatsoever and they plainly dont care whether we do or not, were no longer their demographic. hard cold truth, we cant even be mad at them anymore, theres just not enough of us buying their stuff for them to justify caring about what we want....or for hiring anyone with an IQ over 85...sorry, had to take one last jab at a fallen giant.
Now the hangouts are more simple, we make friends in our community with other hams we meet on the air or at FD or on the road when you notice the callsign license plate, club meetings, etc...then invite them to your shack and start a new tradition with new friends.
RS is dead, ham radio isnt yet...and neither are our traditions. our lamenting the past wont help the future. be positive, gentlemen...were going to be fine.
73...Adam, N7YA
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by W4SK on August 4, 2007
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In Nashville, it was Electra Distributing on West End. Just a City Bus ride away in 1965 for a budding novice like me.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by VK3ART on August 4, 2007
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I to have fond memories of Henry Radio in Anaheim ? LA( near my Hotel down the road from Disneyland ) April 1977 whilst holidaying in the USA alone as a 22 year old, it was quite an experience. Licenced back here in Australia 3 months later ( just knocked up 30 years a Ham ).
I remember the new gear room with ALL makes & models hooked up to power and antennas ( try before you buy ), the visiting QSL Card wall and the main area with row upon row of used, what is now classic boat anchour gear, Collins, Swan, Galaxy, Hallicraters etc..
What a great start to the hobby. Not quite the same now.
Would like to read comments from those who worked there at that time and those Hams that may have visited.
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by AD5X on August 4, 2007
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For me it was "Uncle Mike's" (I think) in Silver Spring, MD when I was a teenager in the early/mid 60's. In the 70's, Tucker Electronics in Garland, TX had a great hang-out showroom complete with tables and coffee. But unfortunately, they went out of the ham business.
Phil - AD5X
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N0IU on August 4, 2007
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In St. Louis, it is Gateway Electronics. I really like it when you say that it is not just a place, it is an event. How do you find Gateway? Look for the antennas with the cars parked under them!
And when you want a single resistor, you buy a resistor. You just go the bin and pick out the one you need.
Scott N0IU
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KG8JF on August 4, 2007
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Unfortunately, my "hang out" memories are not so good. I used to live in Cleveland and never got that warm fuzzy feeling when I went to our local "candy store". If you were talking to one of the guys and were serious about buying something and the phone rang, he would stop you and answer it. He would then say, "Milwaukee says answer the phone, at all costs. Well it has since cost them my business. We used to have Pioneer Electronics in Cleveland. They got out of the amateur market to concentrate on industrial, commercial customers. Most of my big purchases are done with HRO. They are just an overnight shipment away and they ship free, and they are out of state. There just are not any Henry Radios out there anymore. If there are any, please let know by replying to this post.
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by W3LK on August 4, 2007
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<< In Nashville, it was Electra Distributing on West End. Just a City Bus ride away in 1965 for a budding novice like me.>>
Now that's a name I haven't thought of in MANY years.
73,
Lon - W3LK
Naugatuck, Connecticut
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by W2RDD on August 4, 2007
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In Amsterdam, New York it was Adirondack Radio in the west-end of the city. As a kid in the '50's, I was in awe of all those great, big, receivers and transmitters.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KI4JEK on August 4, 2007
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Castrups, on West Franklin St., in Evansville, IN. was 14 in 1960 and novice KN9TIR. Carried papers and made 10 to 12 dollars a week. Would ride my bike there on Sat. mornings after paying paper bill. Paul Castrup and his wife knew I did not have any money and would let me drool over the new and used equipment. Could not transmit 3 blocks at home and they had this big room in the back full of all kind of neet stuff. Paul came up with a set of used Balum Coils and clips and came up with a "tuner" for 4 dollars. Got out then. What memories, Now live in VA and will begoing to E-ville Aut 9th. and plan to go to the Ham Station. Hope they are like the old Castrups. 73 and great memories to all.
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by NU0R on August 4, 2007
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I got my first rig at Henry Radio in Butler, Mo.It was a Swan 350B. Talk about a drifter!!! Also bought my first new rig there also, a Kenwood TS530 SP. Henry is now gone from there, but I still have the 530 and it is in mint condition. It is tough being in a part of the country where no real radio stores exist. I guess for me St. Louis is the closest at 300 miles. At $3.00 a gallon for gas, I will never get up there. I miss Henry Radio too! Bruce
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by N4KC on August 4, 2007
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I'll join the parade! In Birmingham it was Ack Radio, Clary's, and the cleverly named Electronic Supply. The highlight of a country kid's year was to hitch a ride to the big city of Birmingham and go to the open houses those stores held the day before the Sunday-only Birminghamfest.
I'd just stand back in a corner and listen. Oh, and covet, too. I especially remember the shelves of used gear--still beyond my budget but not my dreams.
73,
Don N4KC
www.n4kc.com
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by VE3TMT on August 4, 2007
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For me back in the late 70's, early 80's Radio Shack was the only local hangout. It was about a 15 minute bike ride for me and I'd spend all afternoon looking at the CB's and playing with the DX-302. Man I wanted that radio so bad! We also had Kingston Electronics, where one could walk around scrounging through shelves and bins of surplus components and I used to buy all the past issues of 73 magazine there which really fueled my passion for ham radio. Too bad they are both gone, although RS is still here it is nothing more than a computer/cell phone store now.
Max
VE3TMT
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by K0CBA on August 4, 2007
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"In St. Louis, it is Gateway Electronics."
For us really older guys don't forget Walter Ashe and then later on, the Ham Radio Center.
For awhile, St. Louis also had Lafayette Radio and Mid-Com.
The saddest part is that someday right now will be someones' "good ol' days". How bleak is that?
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K0MYW on August 4, 2007
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The original Henry Radio, in Butler, Missouri, was "heaven on earth" to a kid back in the late 1950s and early '60s. My father frequently had business to conduct in Kansas City, and often I'd tag along on his drive from our home in southwest Missouri. He'd drop me off at Henry Radio on his way to Kansas City in the morning, then pick me up on his way home in late afternoon. I'd spend the day in the "demonstration room" just to the right of the main sales counter. It was filled with the kind of gear, mainly receivers, that I could only dream about owning. For several hours I could tune around the bands. While I did buy some lower-cost gear from them, the sales guys were very tolerant of my "test-driving" the expensive rigs. Fond memories...
Fortunately for those of us in the Ozarks, there still is a Saturday morning gathering spot for hams, courtesy of tolerant business owner K0VCD. In fact, I'm on my way there now. More memories in the making...
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by KG6AMW on August 4, 2007
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In Sacramento in the 1960's it was Zacket Electronics, a store filled with radios to rafters located in an old building down town, now we have no radio stores left.
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by K7PEH on August 4, 2007
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Hangout memories. Oh do I miss those days. Well, sort of.
But, when I was a kid in San Jose (circa 1958 to 1963) there were three places that were hangout arenas. The best was Quement Electronics on Bascom Avenue which was probably actually located in Campbell (which is surrounded by San Jose). Quement was owned and run by a ham radio operator by the same name. It was a large place with lots of square footage with areas dedicated to various electronic applications such as hi-fi/stereo, gadgets, parts, and of course ham radio. And, ham radio had the largest portion of the store as I remember with new equipment on display as well as a good used assortment of rigs.
The other place I remember was a bit more homey. It was a Radio and TV repair shop owned by a ham radio operator so the store itself was like a giant parts bin of stuff geared mostly to ham radio home brew hobby types. This was a real hangout with chairs to sit around and chat and even an active ham station in operation. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of this place but it too was on Bascom Avenue but about a mile down the street from Quement (on the other side of Moorpark Avenue for you local people). It was near the Bascom Avenue Theater which I think is still there.
And, then there was United Radio, TV, and Electronics supply. The best place to get parts. They had everything. I remember going there with my mom to buy parts for a project only to find out that they did not have the NPN transistor I needed. So, the guy at the counter told me how to change my circuit to adapt to the equivalent PNP transistor that they did have. No, you will not find that kind of counter person at your local Radio Shack.
When I was in college at Oregon State University, the town of Albany Oregon had a nice little Ham Shack type electronics store. Albany was only a 15 minute drive from Corvallis (the home of OSU). My last memories though of that place were basically the end of my ham radio interest of my youth. I sold them my Hammarlund HQ-170AC receiver for the much needed tuition money I needed for school (Fall of 1966). That ended my interest in this hobby until my return in 2004.
Yes, good memories.
Phil, K7PEH
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by WA1RNE on August 4, 2007
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Henry Radio must have been a trip back in those days, probably very similar to my experiences with Graham Radio of Reading, MA, a very popular amateur equipment supplier in the Boston suburbs. They were primarily a Drake dealer, but they sold other lines as well. I don't recall what the other manufacturers were because in those days I was fixated on my "dream" rig, a Drake 4 Line and didn't really look at much else in the store.
The Boston area also had some other decent radio and electronics suppliers, from Lafayette Electronics - which I thought was a couple steps up from Rat Shack, Abbott Electronics for parts and Rivendell in Derry, New Hampshire, an amateur dealer.
Today, Ham Radio Outlet is about as close as it comes to one of those old time dealers, at least in my area, but it's just not the same experience like the old days of Henry, Harrison and Graham Radio.
.....WA1RNE
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by K7JQ on August 4, 2007
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In Philadelphia, back in the 50's and 60's, we had quite a few candy stores. On Arch St (radio row) in center city, there was Almo Electronis, Radio Electric Service Co (RESCO), and a wide assortment of surplus radio stores. In the near suburbs, we had AG Radio Parts, "Ham" Buerger (owner was Howard Buerger), and Hamtronics. All these stores carried Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, National Radio, Collins, Gonset, Drake, Eico, and all sorts of accessories, antennas, etc. We also had a Heathkit store. The last remaining one was Hamtronics...carried Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom into the early 90's. All gone now...many fond memories and good times had by all the local hams. Now living in Phoenix...at least an HRO to go to. 73, Bob, K7JQ
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The Radio Pro Shop Butler Pa.
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by N3JBH on August 4, 2007
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Butler Pennsylvania Chuck Bell’s Radio Pro Shop.
Chuck was an inspiration too many of local’s to get in to Ham radio. He was a Drake and Collins dealer. But seem to have every kind of radio in there. Shelves full of huge radios. All glowed and you could never mistake the aroma of warm Bakelite.
Chuck pulled the plug on Ham radio in the mid 1970’s but his 25 or so tears of service was great and the memories of him and his place will last for ever. Chuck has long sense passed on but to many locals folks he will last for ever May you rest in eternal peace Chuck. Jeff N3JBH
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by WA8KOQ on August 4, 2007
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Ahh yes, I remember. Back in Cincinnati in the 60's it was Mytronics for me. Also Coston's Radio & TV. Coston's had a thing they called "Saturday Night At Coston's" on the first Saturday of every month. They provided free soft drinks and donuts, and I think I remember Hot Dogs onece in a while. My buddies and I went every month and it was absolutely packed every time.Learned alot, Traded a lot, bought a lot.
73
Wink
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WQ6F on August 4, 2007
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In the post-war 40s and 50s, my favorite hangouts in Pittsburgh, PA were Cameradio and Tydings. Not until relocating to CA in the 60s did Henry Radio in West LA become the 'emporium'. Being kind of nostalgic, please note my original 6-land call has been reinstated......W6CGC. 73 de Al
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by N6KYS on August 4, 2007
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I'm jealous! All we had in Toledo was Jerry's CB. I know these places are still numerous today, particularly at truck stops, but Jerry's was bigger (and downtown), and carried Tempo One and FT-101 rigs. The reason was obvious, but many people did emerge from hanging around that place as hams.
Brad Knapp
N6KYS
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by KE3WD on August 4, 2007
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In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania we had a little "radio row" where there were two stores stocking Amateur Gear and parts, almost side-by-side, back in the day -- Tydings Electronics and Cameradio -- with real army surplus stores near them also, which sometimes featured items such as code keys, headsets, parts of military radios in barrels, etc. at bargain basement prices.
The ham radio hangout store may not have died completely.
Have been living here in Portsmouth, Virginia for about 6 years and only recently discovered a small store catering to Amateur Radio over in Newport News, a short drive from here. Ironically enough, I found the place during an internet web search and not via local advertising, word of mouth or the paper phone book.
Hilton Sport & Hobby
Newport News VA
Stopped by and met the proprietor, Gary E. Dohey , N4ZCC the same day I found out about the place a couple or three months ago.
Hilton Sport & Hobby combines Amateur Radio sales and support with Firearms sales and support, all under the same roof, how cool is that?
While not being a full line dealer of the big three rig companies, he is stocking pretty much the full MFJ line, right there on the shelves, Larsen antennas and a few others, plus he has a niced used gear section where he will take consignments.
Also has the obligatory HF station set up at a table for those who wish to operate.
Blast from the past, or maybe hopefully the shape of things to come.
http://www.hiltonsport.us/
--And whenever you do find a place that is catering to Amateur Radio needs in any way, shape or form, maybe you should consider patronizing them for whatever parts they do offer that you may be in need of, even if the price may be a little higher than what you might be able to obtain those parts for online. Usually once you add in the shipping costs, the price doesn't look all that different. And supporting the local business that stocks only a few items may just lead to them thinking about adding a few more items to the list. Local Mom 'n Pop TV shops, repair facilities, electronics supply houses, etc. -- will all pay attention to what is going off of the shelf and what has been hanging there forever and they WILL respond to our needs if we were but to start the ball rolling by purchasing what we can from them. Or letting them know that there is a possible market by asking them if they stock something. The more who ask, the more they are likely to take notice of us.
Think about this seriously: If you are looking for a second career, your own business, entrepeneurship, etc. and you are into ham radio, perhaps if there is not a small Ham Radio oriented business in or near your area, you could be the defining force in starting one!
Two ways to look at any problem, it can be seen as "nothing there and nothing doing" or it can be seen as oppurtunity. The universe abhors a vacuum.
73,
--KE3WD
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by KD5XB on August 4, 2007
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As a youngster, I lived in Freer, Texas. A very small town, there was NOTHING related to radio there, except for the hams. I know now that my parents were pointing me towards ham radio, but I can't imagine why, as they weren't hams and had almost nothing to do with radio.
I do remember a store in Corpus Christi, though -- but the name escapes me. Maybe Copelands??? Anyway, my mother took me there once, and I was amazed at all the equipment. They even had a box with row of buttons like this:
A B C D E F G H
I J K M N O P Q
R S T U V W X Y
Z 1 2 3
ETC
This was an early CW keyboard, but not laid out in the QWERTY arrangement. I guess at some point, I was hooked.
Of course, there was always the Lafayette catalog, but I wasn't blessed enough to have a ham radio hangout until much later, when I had joined the Marines and was stationed at NAS Memphis. Anybody remember Germantown Radio? I asked a fellow in Memphis about that place a few months ago, and he was shocked that I knew of it! <G>
7 3
Earl
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W0CKI on August 4, 2007
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I go back to World Radio Labs, lived in Omaha from 1950-1955, in Council Bluffs IA. What a great place. Leo had everything and the company built some notable products. My dad and I, he paid for it, bought an SX 71 there, used it for many years. One other thing, I now live in Las Vegas and completely agree with the the previous comment about AES.The crew there is terrific.
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by WA4DOU on August 4, 2007
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I remember Amrad Supply on Balboa Ave. in San Francisco, Gizmo in Rock Hill, ham stores in Miami, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Durham, etc. Ham stores largely went away because they could not compete with mail order and 1-800 #'s. Competition caused razor thin profit margins and hams largely bought only from the cheapest sources. We have no one to blame but ourselves.
Land mobile radio dealers who were in business in the period of roughly the 1940's to 1980's often became millionaires. Those who came in the late 70's and on were able to earn a living and little more. By the late 80's, the mail order vendors and 1-800 #'s began appearing.
You can still become a ham radio dealer if you can afford to buy in huge lots and if your primary effort is devoted to shipping boxes. Giving advise and hanging out with the boys and hoping for an occasional sale will kill you for sure. Hams want to be coddled and there just is no profit in ham radio to sustain such operations anymore.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W6RS on August 4, 2007
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Eric -
Thanks for causing some fond memories to come flooding back. In the Chicago area we were blessed with several establishments. First and foremost was Allied Electronics on Western Avenue. The showroom was chock full of all brands of great equipment including their own Knight brand. All the guys who worked in the "ham shack" were active hams and were always ready to sit and rag chew whether you were buying or not. Then we had Spectronics in OakPark which was a haven for used VHF gear and new HF stuff. Again, run by hams and it had the venerable coffee pot boiling away in the corner so you could sit, talk and gulp down the vile brew. AES was there also, but never had the homey feel that these others did. I was one of the VERY lucky one's who was treated to a Hallicrafters (35th & Kostner Ave) factory tour which eneded in their company ham station and having the opportunity to sit and chat with Bill Halligan, W9AC, owner and founder. It's funny, but there was a very distinct "used electronics" smell all these stores had in common. Hard to describe other than to say it was a cross between burnt phenolic and mildew, but oh how I reveled in walking in and taking a deep breath, because you knew that you were somehow amoungst friends. Oh well, that was over forty years ago, but is still one of my favorite memories which never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Rich-W6RS (Ex WN9SZN,WA9WYB,W6WYB)
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by N6FM on August 4, 2007
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In San Diego in the 60's it was Western Radio. Many a pleasurable Saturday afternoon was spent there as a teenager. I was in charge of setting up a talk-in station for the 1964 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention. Western Radio was happy to provide an HT-37 and SX-111 for SSB, and a Gonset for AM (there were mobiles on AM) to a teenager who came with his mother to pick it all up. I remember that the used equipment shelves were full of equipment as were the shelves of Henry Radio in Anaheim from whom I purchased my first SSB radio.
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by W5HLH on August 4, 2007
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The same "disappearing store" phenomenon is happening in other hobbies. Model railroading has been hard hit, as has astronomy and even scuba diving. Profit margins are just too thin to support retail operations for specialty interests unless you're in a large population area, and even then a lot of those stores have internet/800 number operations. For example, when I lived in California I bought a lot of stuff through AES in Las Vegas; shipping was usually less than the CA sales tax if I bought locally at HRO.
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by N3JBH on August 4, 2007
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KG6WLS asked
"Why do they even call themselves Radio Shack anymore?
I ask why they even in bussiness any more ???
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N3JBH on August 4, 2007
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KE3WD Clark I respectively will disagree in your thoughts that opening a small store be an opportunity. With larger resellers such as AES,HRO, Burghardt, and the others. I question the usefulness of such a thought.
I really doubt there be any way you compete with them in service,price,selection, and stock.
And idea of stocking stuff such as the MFJ line is ludicrous. First off many if not almost all folks that buy MFJ stuff want a inexpensive item (read Cheap) at the best price possible. There willing to except less quality for a larger savings.
And being MFJ seams’ to be sold by every one but Wal-Mart. I again don’t see where your suggestion of this being an opportunity is a good one. No Clark I think the market is pretty well filled to its limit now and so cut throat that a mom and pop shop would never make it.
Jeff N3JBH
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by WB7AVF on August 4, 2007
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In Seattle we had Amateur Radio Supply in Georgetown. That was a great place. RAdar Electronics at the foot of Queen Anne Hill. AS you say, walk into a Radio Shack today and ask for a 'project box...I'm sure you've got one stashed away somewhere' and it takes 'em ten minutes to figure out what you're talking about.
I gather here in New York City there was a "radio row" inLower Manhattan. MAny stores. Now THAT must have been cool!
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by N7YA on August 4, 2007
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>>It's funny, but there was a very distinct "used electronics" smell all these stores had in common. Hard to describe other than to say it was a cross between burnt phenolic and mildew,<<
Indeed!! hehehe, i know that smell well and im still in my 40's...i just like old gear along with the new. Old guitars have that certain smell too, somewhere between 40 years of cigarette smoke from the clubs, sweat and spilled drinks...gotta love it!
73...Adam, N7YA
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WA8KAZ on August 4, 2007
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Coston's Radio and TV in Cincinnati was the place to be in the early to mid 60's. They had a good line of new and used gear and it was easy to trade up. I still have my Clegg 99'er, my first new rig! Dennis, WA8IWY and I would be there on Saturday as our place to hangout
73 de WA8KAZ Wayne
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WB6MMJ on August 4, 2007
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Wow! I remember going there myself in the 70`s.
I would first go to the front of the store and look at all the used equipment. The side rooms full of 390 type receivers and other stuff. There was one time I went there and there was a Collins KW-1 sitting there with a sign on it saying, "Not to be sold to C.B`ers" LOL. There was another time I went and saw two Johnson Desks by the front window.
When the Kenwood Twins first came out, I remember seeing a pair of them in the display case. I have a pair here in my shack now because of that memory.
Through the years I bought a few used pieces of equipment there. They were always friendly and willing to deal.
I miss those days. It was a long drive from La Crescenta to Olympic Blvd. in L.A. But it was well worth it.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W5XE on August 4, 2007
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Eric, I remember those days. I was living in Simi
Valley at the time (W6NJP) and whenever I could
manage, get down to 11000 W Olympic and Henry
Radio. Those were memorable times. Almost a
Who's Who of DXers like Don Wallace, W6AM, Frank
Cuevas W6AOA, W6KPC, Ted Henry and some of the
sales and tech people from the back room. What
a great time and a lot of times Don W6AM would
say to the group, follow along and "we will continue
our coffee at my place". That Palos Verdes hilltop
was something else.
Ted Henry had full operating positions set for
those prospective customeers to try out various
pieces of gear before purchasing. I did that one
Saturday morning and went home with a nice, new
Tempo 1/ps. Sure were great times.
Ray, W5XE
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K0SEP on August 4, 2007
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I was first licensed in 1959 and would visit the local radio stores every Saturday. Usually about 3 friends and myself would ride the street car "downtown" and drule over the latest equipment. All 3 of us received our Novice license and then advanced to General at the local FCC office. Getting into ham radio back in the 50's in the Kansas City area was easy. There were some good radio clubs with "elmers" who were interested in helping us young would-be hams. When it was time to look at radios, we had Radio Lab, Burstein Applebee, McGee Radio, Potter Radio Co., and a few others. My first rig was a Globe Chief purchased by mail order from World Radio Labs and an old SX-28A purchased from Radio Lab.
We were only about 60 miles north of Henry Radio in Butler, MO. This was "the" place to meet other hams and try out some new and used ham gear. I purchased my first SSB rig from Henry Radio, an NCX-3 which was later traded in for a new Drake TR-4C. The only ham radio store remaining in the K.C. area is Associated Radio which started as a CB shop back in the 60's but evolved into a good ham radio store after a management change. It is now our only "candy store" where local hams meet after having a Saturday morning breakfast. The breakfast gatherings are usually club related and start early so there is time remaining to go over to the candy store or to work on some Saturday ham project.
We need to support our local radio stores or we will lose them to mail order outlets - price isn't everything as most hams will verify.
Paul KØSEP
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by KC8VWM on August 4, 2007
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KG6WLS asked
"Why do they even call themselves Radio Shack anymore?
----------
Duh... Because they have cell phone plans for people who already own cellphones.
...I guess I have to explain everything around here.
I got to hand it to them for the bang up job they did assisting me with my FT 817 QRP rig radio headset problem though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heBLegSWEH4
73 de Charles - KC8VWM
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by W6TH on August 4, 2007
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.
Ahhh, for the days to visit T. R. McElroy at 100-102 Brookline, Boston, Mass, back in 1939. Harvey Radio Laboratories, Inc., at 25 Thorndike Street, Cambridge, Mass. Hammarlund Manufacturing Co., Inc., 424-438 West 33rd Street, New York City. Hey! How about Meissner Manufacturing Company, Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Now comes to mind Browning Laboratories, Inc. Winchesteer, Mass.
All of these before WW2 fellow hams, what a missing of these great Mfg'ers, You missed out on so much, but then again all good things must come to an end, eventually ham radio, LOL.
I can go on with more if you are interested?
73 W6TH.
.:
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N9ESH on August 4, 2007
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In Chicago, it was Alied Radio on Western Avenue. At age 12, I went there for their Monday night novice classes and earned my novice license.
Across the street was that chicken band place, Olson's.
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by WB6MMJ on August 4, 2007
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I remember going to Don`s, W6AM, shack there in Palos Verdes. What a shack it was!!!!. It was a real pleasure meeting him also.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KB9YUR on August 4, 2007
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In the Chicago area back in the 60's and 70's, we had
Allied Electronics on Western Ave and across the street
there was Olson Electronics. There was also CB Center
of America (first on Irving Park Rd and then later on
Milwaukee Ave). There was also Radio TV Labs on Irving
Park road west of Central. And wasn't there also an
Erickson Electronics on Milwaukee Ave north of the
Jefferson Park ?!? This sure brings back great memories
of a simpler time and places when I was growing up in the
Windy City ...
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KU2US on August 4, 2007
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Yes, the good ole days. For me it was the local DEDICATED HeathKit store. They had all of the kits available and one of each assembled. It was located in one of the suburbs south of Rochester, NY (Henrietta NY.)..But, as the others did, went bye bye.
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by KI6EAA on August 4, 2007
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"For example, when I lived in California I bought a lot of stuff through AES in Las Vegas; shipping was usually less than the CA sales tax if I bought locally at HRO."
That is the reason there is no room for small "anything" stores anymore, the community will not support it.
The model railroad, knitting, ham radio, woodworking, etc. store is out of business, and the advice the sage owner may have had is no longer available. You made a choice and you saved a few bucks on a purchase by going to the big box guy or by using internet/mailorder.
I don't blame anyone for wanting to save money, but there is a second-order effect - the death of the small retailer. And, as is being discussed, the place to "hang out" to learn about ham radio.
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by W5HTW on August 4, 2007
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<< by N7YA on August 4, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
All is not lost, but the one downside is that one needs a ham store in their town to get that kind of hangout...a rare thing to find these days. Fortunately for me, we have an AES here in Vegas with a great crew working there, always willing to chat with you and talk shop, thankfully. not to mention the toys. >>
I noticed a place called Radio World in Henderson, on a recent trip through there. Ever been there? It was in a strip mall, had a beam and tower on the roof. I was on business and couldn't stop.
Ed
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by W5HTW on August 4, 2007
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I used to live in Inglewood, CA and not far from me was a large, -- you can only use the word "beautiful!" - ham radio store, which I seem to think was Newark Electronics. I could have moved in there. Aisle after aisle of nothing but ham gear, new, used, junk, parts. I can't remember, maybe it was on Century Blvd. And maybe it wasn't Newark, but that is what sticks in my mind.
As to Radio Shack, there was one in Framingham, Mass, where I used to go. Not only did they have lots of ham gear, they had rows of parts in bins, and pull out computer boards (early days of computers!) for 50 cents, with tons of discrete components.
But.... they had a glassed in ham shack! All kinds of ham gear, and ready to go on the air, with antennas on the roof. I bought my first keyer there, a Hammarlund HK-1B. Saw the only Hallicrafters SX-115 I ever saw in my life.
But, as a 17 year old teen, I loved Denver. Not only could I go to the Aurora Army Navy Surplus store and buy ARC-5s and 1625s and parts for prices that fit my part time job in an ice cream parlor making 50 cents an hour, but I could go down town. Larimer Street.
CW Electronics, Burstein-Applebee (I later worked for them) Walter Ashe, Mel Rogers, all big ham radio dealers. And places where a young (or old) ham could dream. Most had on-air equipment. CW had a large room of on-air stuff, from every possible brand name in the late 50s and early 60s.
I bought my first receiver, a Hallicrafters S-85 at BA. Years later I bought some two meter gear at CW Electronics, back in the days when VHF gear was all crystal controlled.
Denver indeed had its own "radio row.' I know most of them disappeared years and years ago. Mel Rogers sold out, BA shut down, but CW hung around for a long time and may even still be there. The Army Navy store in Aurora, last time I was in there, sold uniforms and panchos, and tents and tools, but no electronics. And that was years ago.
But there was a day when Radio Shack meant radio! REAL radio!
Ed
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by W2RDD on August 4, 2007
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I arrived in New York City weeks before they began tearing down "Radio Row" in lower Manhattan to make room for the World Trade Center. Unbelievable source of components and WW2 electronic surplus material.
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by K0IZ on August 4, 2007
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Like Paul, KØSEP, I hung out at BA (Burnstein Applebee). Didn't know about Radio Lab until later. McGee Radio had all kinds of strange stuff, and lots of speakers. The guys at the BA store were people I could look up to (as a teenager).
Associated Radio is a good operation in KC suburb. I rejoined the radio club I was a member of in the late 50's (WØERH, Johnson County Radio Amateur's Club). Still a few of the original folks, including one of my Elmers.
Good memories.
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by K8DXX on August 4, 2007
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What a bunch of pleasant memories! Kudos, guys... and not one nay sayer!
In Detroit in the mid 1960's we had M.N. Duffy, Reno Radio and Radio Supply & Engineering (RSE). I can remember my Dad taking me town to Reno's in about 1965 to get a roof mount tower, TH3 tribnder and the necessary cables and stuff to put it on the roof of his new house (my Mom used to say "look for the antenna with the house under it"). Those places were really special, almost like my basement ham shack on a winter afternoon when I've had the boat anchor station going for a few hours.
Things do change and it is hard to get used to. Hopefully, we can pass the same spirit and "elmering" onto the new people that are joining our ranks these days. I know of two new hams that are thrilled with every new state and country they work. They need help with antennas, grounding, how to call CQ on HF and just someone to share their excitement with. Let's not let them down!
As for Radio Shack, I think their days are numbered. I am concerned for the people who depend on it for an income.
73
Bill / K8DXX (WA8UVW, WN8PKV)
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N4VET on August 4, 2007
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Herb Brown Electronics in Tampa, FL.
Small store full of electronic supplies.
One corner of the store had a HAM station that all HAMS could use.
Pot of Java was on the counter and it looked more like a clubhouse instaed of a store.
My dad was one of the first on the block to have a TV set.
He would fix it himself and we would go to see Herb for tubes and such.
Dan/N4VET
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by KD7YVV on August 4, 2007
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For me here in the Seattle area these days, it's
ABC Communications. When I was a young boy many
moons ago, it was "Doc Ray's" in Jersey City NJ.
Back then I could only drool at the 40 channel
CB's that had just come out. Unfortunately, I
didn't get into ham radio back then as I really had
no clue as to where to begin. The FCC had just
given up on licensing CB, so CB was where I started.
I met many nice OM's and YL's on the air.
Channel 4 was the local channel for most everyone,
although a lady who went by the handle Mother
Superior ran an actual net on channel 12.
She was a lady that was everyone's mother.
You got on the air and was always greeted by her
friendly voice. This was back when CB was pleasant
and friendly. Unfortunately, Doc Ray passed
away and his shop probably went to some junkyard
or surplus outlet. Mother Superior passed away
a few years after that. 20 some odd years later,
I find an old copy of "Now You're Talking" in the
local library here, contact the ARRL, ordered
a current copy, and studied my fat butt from
Technician to Extra. :) Even the last few years in
ham radio have changed, no longer are there the
late night chats on the repeater, some hams I've
known have moved away, but I did find two nets that
I hang out on to this day.
The Northwest Country Cousins net, and the Western
Country Cousins net, both on 3.970 from 7pm pacific
time up until around 10 or so.
Although it's true that alot of the mom and pop shops
are long gone, there are still plenty of hams on the
air who remember them, and some even still have the
same equipment even decades later.
I find it fun to hear about all the things done in
the past, and this article just made me smile,
because I often wonder where I'd be today if I had
gotten into ham radio all those years ago.
The magic is still there though, I can still go into
the mountains, away from the city, toss a wire into
a tree, and pick up AM broadcast stations from
hundreds of miles away on a little AM radio.
Sadly though as another poster said, ham radio shops,
model railroads, and other pieces of Americana are
gone. With instant communications a mouse click or
button push away, people don't see the wonder and
magic that ham radio was.
Thanks for the article, it brought up many memories
I hadn't thought about in years if not decades.
--KD7YVV, Kirkland, WA
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by N7YA on August 4, 2007
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<< by N7YA on August 4, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
All is not lost, but the one downside is that one needs a ham store in their town to get that kind of hangout...a rare thing to find these days. Fortunately for me, we have an AES here in Vegas with a great crew working there, always willing to chat with you and talk shop, thankfully. not to mention the toys. >>
I noticed a place called Radio World in Henderson, on a recent trip through there. Ever been there? It was in a strip mall, had a beam and tower on the roof. I was on business and couldn't stop.
Ed <<
Ed, I think that may be a CB store with a few things that we could use...i try not to frequent CB joints but ill be honest, ive never been inside that store...but now that you've mentioned it, i may load my son into the truck and take a trip that way when we go back out to Boulder City, if we bring it up again hopefully i can tell you more about it. Who knows, it may be a 'hangout spot' that weve been talking about. Still a bit far for me since i live in Summerlin, 30 miles away. either way, i have to go check it out now. :-)
73...Adam, N7YA
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by KB1GMX on August 4, 2007
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;)
The old days...
I'm old enough to remember and even have shopped at:
Lafayette Radio in Commack LI, they never seemed to
have what I wanted. Never did get that 1EP1.
Harrison Radio Farmingdale LI (RT110), Art was a
great guy. Loved to hang out in the Ham radio
department
Olson and Rite electronics in Huntington.
TV repair stores, I used to get parts from them
and basket case TV and radio chassis for parts.
And when I could get into the city with my older
brother to hit Radio Row and Canal ST. I can still
smell the surplus electronics. Up town there was
Harrison, Heathkit and a few others.
Oh, and back then RadioShack had Radios and electronic
parts!
That was then.. and this is now.
Allison
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by KC0KP on August 4, 2007
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Nope, CW is not there anymore. John, W0ADV, the owner is semi retired. They hung around for a while as a commercial two way radio supplier but sold out to Hutton. They sold the amateur radio franchises to HRO long before that.
I remember the old, old CW at 16th and Larimer, its predecessor Radio Products Sales Company.
Burstein Applebee was at 8th and Lincoln. I bought my first real rig there, a used FT101E from a British ham that worked there.
I bought lots of scanners, parts and junk from CWs second incarnation at Blake and Speer.
I chewed the fat with K0BG at the hamshack at BA when he worked there.
Then CW took over BAs location when they left town.
I still visit HRO on a monthly basis. Bought a Kenwood TH79, replaced that with a VX5, suplemented that with a VX7 and sprung for a FT857D.
I try to support my local ham radio dealer. I like to spin the knobs, look at the faceplates and get a feel for the radio before I buy one. Hard to do that on the internet. Eham reviews are great, they let you know how the average guy does with one. I would never buy a poorly reviewed radio. But I still like the tangible feel of a radio in a brick and mortar building to make the final decision.
I never thought I would be an oldtimer, but I turned 59 today so my driver's license sayd I am one.
73s,
KC0KP, ex WA0WTG
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by KE3WD on August 4, 2007
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>>No Clark I think the market is pretty well filled to its limit now and so cut throat that a mom and pop shop would never make it.
Jeff N3JBH<<
Not with that attitude it couldn't.
Another way to look at it though, is that when something is all the way at the bottom the only direction it can go is upwards.
I remember when all had declared talk radio to be dead business. Could have bought some AM stations complete for house money at that time. The ones who did are smiling now.
Don't know if that would be the case with a radio oriented store, maybe that's why the fellow I cited above also got an FFL and is in the firearms bidness, too, but it was and is a very nice experience there, not only a candy store but a bakery on the side, as it were.
And if I do need a piece of Martin Jue's junk, I would purchase it there now that I know the fellow is there, for one thing, it would be immediate, no shipping and his prices are the same. Sometimes he even has sales.
But you focused only on the fact that I mentioned that he carries the full MFJ line. I also mentioned Larsen and said that he carries a few other things as well, just couldn't remember specifics. He has Larsen cellphone antennas, too, a local entrepeneur's nicely made copper j-poles, which might be of interest considering all the new hams coming onboard these days, plus that used rig and equipment shelf.
I left him my number in case anyone is in need of rig repair, pickup there and carry home to my little shop here.
I guess it all depends on how you look at it, sometimes making a killing money-wise is not the only business concern for some people.
Thank God.
We all had fun and Bob paid the rent and supported his family with that store up in Penn Hills for several years at FHO -- "For Hams Only" -- outside of Pittsburgh, do you remember that? He only made the hard decision to close the place when a big cellphone outfit offered him a situation he couldn't refuse, travel, money and position for surveying areas and setting up cell sites. And his XYL's health concerns, which were not small. Was a ham hangout store of the old school variety, though. And a place to get repairs done locally. Rob let the GPVHFS place a remote receiver there, too. At that time you could hit the .610 from anywhere in the Greater Pittsburgh area with a 2W handheld and rubber duck. That remote receiver at FHO high up on that hill right next to the Penn Hills Police Station comm tower site was one of the reasons for that.
I guess it all grinds down to whether one chooses the pessimistic or the optomistic view.
To me the bottle is always half full.
.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W1COP on August 4, 2007
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Growing up in Eastern PA. in the 50's and 60's
we had a few places, but the one which was close to my
home was Shelburne Electronics in Wilkes-Barre they
mostly were a commercial supply house for dealers
but had some new and used Ham Gear,the manager
was Al Spooner (I can't remember his call) God love
him tolerated me hanging out and stupid kid questions,
along with taking all the literature and other
gratis items ( with his permission of course!), stuff
like Mosley desk pop up calendars,RCA Tube Manuals,ect. Old Al was a great guy who taught me
a bit,who wanted me to get my license but it was
many years before I ever did sorry that I never worked him on the air. He developed and sold a CB set in
the early 60's (before type acceptance) that was a
finicky contraption due to a "gimick capacitor" a
twisted pair of wires.
Anyway this all got me working as a teen for one
of their customers in the local Lafayette Radio
Associate store, and TV sales and service store
which was a hangout for some hams and early CBers
long before the craze of the 70's. It was fun!!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KX0R on August 4, 2007
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In Knoxville, Tennessee, when I was a teenager (WA4JAQ)with little money, we would sometimes go to Smith Electronics out on Magnolia Avenue. That place was a real dive full of surplus parts from the local Magnavox factories. They didn't do much ham radio at all - instead they supplied wholesale parts to many of the TV repair businesses in town. There were people waiting in lines to buy the stuff they needed to fix all those TV's...compared to today, it was incredibly inefficient and depressing.
One Saturday a teenage ham friend (Lee Rhodes WA4JAR) and I made the journey across town to Smith's to buy some small parts we needed. While we were looking at all the stuff for sale, a manager-type guy came up to us and asked us what we were doing in the store. We thought maybe we were in trouble or something, since we weren't commercial customers... Then the man told us we could go in the "back room" and get some free parts. We looked at each other, not sure if this was on the level. Then the man gave each of us a paper sack, and he said to be fair, we should take only two of any parts we wanted. In the "back room" there were hundreds of bins and bags full of thousands of surplus parts - resistors, capacitors, coils, connectors, and hardware. The place reeked of phenolic and rosin... We went in and filled our bags, two teenagers in a candy store. We thanked the man, still not believing what had happened!
This act of kindness changed my life, as well as my attitude toward business.
Later we both built all kinds of gear and projects. The Smith parts were a jump start for me. My first transmitters were homebrew, and they worked. Both of us eventually had careers in the electronic industry.
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by K5UJ on August 4, 2007
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As someone else said, if you were in a town too small to support a ham store, the local tv repair shop usually substituted because these places were usually owned by hams and stocked some parts.
Lots of guys mentioned the coffee pot but what about the tobacco? In my youth, every other ham had something burning or an unlit chewed up stubby cigar. One of the guys who helped me get started rolled his own cigarettes with half and half tobacco. I remember indoor hamfests where there would be a blue cloud hanging over everyone.
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by KE7BDI on August 4, 2007
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I too recall with great fondness the robust retail community we hams had in the 50's to 70's. Henry Radio was to me simply the most exciting place to visit in town. There was more radio gear packed in that place than I'd seen anywhere. And Dow Radio in Pasadena was like an old time hardware store with wooden floors, and electronic stuff crammed everywhere. Aside from the bigger outlets, there was plenty of smaller places to get stuff too. Near downtown LA, not far from Henry's, was a surplus place that had a 3 foot square bin full of several hundred crystals. It was well worth my time to dig through that pile for enough 40 meter rocks to hit every 5 KC for 7.0 to 7.150. Yet as good as all those days were, today we have even more amazing opportunities to enjoy this hobby. Today's technology was not even possible to own then. For example, I remember the stuggle to simply copy CW on a very crowded 40 meter novice band using a Hallicrafter S-85 and later a National NC-183D. Both were terrible by todays standards. If I would have had a simple $10.00 4 pole active audio filter I would have thought I was in heaven. What we have today is really worth being thankful for. We have a surprisingly strong community of retailers and manufactuers who still believe hams are a viable market. And the pleasure of our hobby certainly remains, but in even more incredible ways. Softrock anyone?
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by KC8VWM on August 4, 2007
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To me the bottle is always half full.
------------
To me the bottle is always in a vacuum connected to B+
???
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by KC8VWM on August 4, 2007
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The new hangout is the Web. Sites such as e-Ham"
SAD but true!
----------
Did you know that most of us hanging out here are actually in our shacks using our radio equipment as we hang out here on the internet at the smae time?
I have to say that WBCQ (7.415) is kind of weak tonight as I am typing this message. Might be because I swapped out the Carolina Windom for the 6BTV vertical I put up before sunset today. Mabey it's the sunpot gods, not sure.
I guess I need to QSY from eHam.net over to k7RA and check the latest sunspot activity.
:)
Charles - KC8VWM
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by KB5DPE on August 4, 2007
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"To me the bottle is always half full."
That depends on whether it's cheap beer or the good stuff!
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KB5DPE on August 4, 2007
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"Did you know that most of us hanging out here are actually in our shacks using our radio equipment as we hang out here on the internet at the smae time?"
I don't know how to reply to that. For me, ham radio has always been an equal mix of social and technical. From about 6pm until at least 10pm, five or more nights a week, my garage was full with hams tinkering, experimenting, and just socializing. The mix of people covered the entire spectrum. Among those "hanging out" were a renowned neurosurgeon, a local disk jockey, a crane operator (BOY, was he popular), bankers, electronics technicians, and just about every occupation in between. There was always one or more projects in the works and hams that needed a hand with their equipment knew that they could bring it over and there would be someone who would help them, whether just to learn how to use it or, if needed, to help them fix it. Every week we had transmitter hunts, car rallies, or just a trip to the local pizza joint. Returning to ham radio after a very long absence, I naively expected that it would still be like that. I wasn't (still am not) prepared for the, mostly, solitary activities that ham radio today, and the internet, involves. That's not to say that I don't enjoy working on electronics projects or a small amount of time on the internet, but it's not the same as a bunch of people brainstorming a project together. I tried the club thing but the formality of a club is not for me. Having to be there at a certain day and time reminds me too much of a doctor's appointment or the like and none of the clubs that I found were interested in projects of a technical nature. We had our ham radio store hangout's too, but, usually after meeting there, it was off to someone's house to "get to work". So, I guess it's nostalgia to these times that makes me less than enthusiastic for the internet alternative. Not bad, just different and something I haven't gotten used to.
73, Tom
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by ONAIR on August 4, 2007
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In the Boogie Down Bronx, it was the "House of a Million Parts" on Fordham Road! Everything under the sun in little bins, and cheap as hell. Right next door, good ole Lafayette Radio! Plenty of great Ham and CB stuff.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KC8VWM on August 5, 2007
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For me, ham radio has always been an equal mix of social and technical. From about 6pm until at least 10pm, five or more nights a week, my garage was full with hams tinkering, experimenting, and just socializing.
---------------
I understand where you are coming from however it's the "distance" that separates us from engaging in these social activities so we resort to this forum as an acceptable alternative.
Is that a fair statement?
My Best,
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KC9JUB on August 5, 2007
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Purchase Radio Supply in Ann Arbor, MI served the needs of Amateurs and experimenters for 77 years. Unfortunately, it is gone. I remember drooling over the boat anchors that were then state-of-the-art.
73,
Bob - KC9JUB
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W4LGH on August 5, 2007
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Radio Shack did it to themselves, being over greedy!
They sold and still sell pure JUNK for 3 times the price!! Nuff about Radio Sh@t.
Didn't have a Henry Radio in my home town, but my Dad had a radio and TV shop. So I grew up in that environment. Got to meet all the local Hams, who would bring in equipment to have it fixed. So I was destined to get into the hobby. It was really great since I really didn't care that much about sports. I had an almost endless supply of parts, and was always building something, or at least modifying what I had.
Plus I had a lot of elmers, including my #1 elmer, my Dad!
We also had an "Electronics Supply" shop in town, that I always made the trip there with my dad to look at all the goodies!!!
73 de W4LGH - Alan
http://www.w4lgh.com
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N1QKH on August 5, 2007
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My favorite was Algeradio in Hempstead, NY. I needed some type 10 tubes for a retro-project back in the 1950's. "No Problem, how many do you want."
73 de Don N1QKH
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KN4CG on August 5, 2007
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Ah Lafayette Radio. That is a name from the past. I did not have a local store so mail order was the only option. Lafayette and Burstein Applebee were the two I used.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by NY7Q on August 5, 2007
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My very first radio came from Lafayette Radio in about 1957 and I think it was in Fountain Valley Ca but cannot remember for sure. All I know is, when I went into the store, it was difficult to leave.
Ahhh the ole days...
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K6YE on August 5, 2007
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When Henry Radio was on Olympic Bl, near the 405 freeway, it was the place to visit. I bought my first SSB Xmtr, a Gonset GSB-100, there. One of the guys showed my how to tune the bugger. I finally acquired a used Shure microphone and one of the Henry guys not only wired it but gave me the plug, gratis. They had so much cool used equipment and who could forget the "bargin table?"
After they moved to Bundy Dr, their used market started drying up. After every TRW swapmeet, the place was thick with people. Years later, they shut thier doors but continued to build amplifiers. I took a 2KD-5 in for alignment and they did a great job as usual. The last guys I remember dealing with were Boyd Crawford, Nate, and "Radio Leo."
Semper Fi,
Tommy - K6YE
DX IS
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K6YE on August 5, 2007
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When Henry Radio was on Olympic Bl, near the 405 freeway, it was the place to visit. I bought my first SSB Xmtr, a Gonset GSB-100, there. One of the guys showed my how to tune the bugger. I finally acquired a used Shure microphone and one of the Henry guys not only wired it but gave me the plug, gratis. They had so much cool used equipment and who could forget the "bargin table?"
After they moved to Bundy Dr, their used market started drying up. After every TRW swapmeet, the place was thick with people. Years later, they shut thier doors but continued to build amplifiers. I took a 2KD-5 in for alignment and they did a great job as usual. The last guys I remember dealing with were Boyd Crawford, Nate, and "Radio Leo."
Semper Fi,
Tommy - K6YE
DX IS
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N3JBH on August 5, 2007
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Yes Clark i remember the For Hams Only Store. And i can not honeestly comment on how well he did in the store as i did not know him.
i do rember guys buying from AES in Ohio instead because the said that either he did not have it in stock or it was cheaper because of taxes or what ever.
And i did not mean to sound so terrible about this. i just was not sure in todays times it be a great thing to try to start up a shop was all.
Now if i recall Clark you made a comment on qrz about a fellow tring to sell in old boat anchor radio. saying some thing to the effect of them being junk and land fill fodder.
i replyed to you about being rude remember ?
well with that it brings me to another service that a fellow has made for him self here in the Pittsburgh Pa area. And it has ben truley a great sucsess story.
his name is Paul Pinyot www.ppinyot.com he has rebuilt repaired and restored countless boat anchors for many Ham's. now there is a great idea for a new shop indeed. Jeff
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KE3WD on August 5, 2007
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Jeff--
My comment that you took as "rude" was meant only as a joke.
Sometimes the typing on the internet works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes people read things differently than intended.
I thought that's what you were really miffed at me about, since your response was so terse.
When things are in writing sometimes the other parts of the communication that might come through if you heard someone speak can get changed around.
--Mac
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N5YPJ on August 5, 2007
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"For the past few years their motto has been, "You have questions? We have blank stares." "
I might actually have an improved version here - "You have questions? Sorry,we don't have that item". No time lost on a blank stare. Sadly enough my ONLY local source for electronic parts is our local scrap yard, everything else has to be brought by "Big Brown" a week after it's ordered.
As far as ham hangouts go - I have to applaud the guys at Kcomm in San Antonio they do their best to keep ham radio alive in our non-technical knowledge world of today.
73
Richard
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W5HTW on August 5, 2007
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Re Radio World in Henderson, NV. That did not look like a CB beam on the roof, but I have to admit I had no time to take a close look. Traffic was heavy and I had to hightail it back to NM. Wish I had had time to stop for a moment, at least.
Re Denver and CW Electronics. And others. CW had a really nice store. But on the other side of Larimer was either a Walter Ashe or something similar. That is where I bought my S-85. On credit, even! A kid working in an ice cream store and they gave me credit. I think I paid ten bucks a month to the store.
I worked at the BA store on Lincoln in 1976 for a short while. It was mostly home and car stereo. They had a wonderful parts section though, for TV and consumer repair persons, but you had to ask at the counter for parts. Gobs of tubes, resistors, capacitors, all sorts of stuff, but it was out of sight from customers. We also had two or three pieces of ham gear, but the policy was when it was sold, there would be no more. I think a couple of 2 meter transceivers, maybe.
In the early 70s I managed a Lafayette (associate)store. Again mostly stereo, CB, and parts. We were really THE parts dealer in Dover, Delaware, supplying many of the local TV techs. But we did consumer electronics, too. And I put a few pieces of ham gear in there. The Lafayette ten and six meter AM transceivers. I also bought a Drake TR4C through the store, and put it in there so I could operate in my free time. Had a roof tower and a triband beam on top. Being an assocate store, we also sold non-Lafayette stuff, and we had a really good parts inventory. WE also did repair (I was FCC licensed) of two way business radio, and marine radio for the fishing and crab fleets around, plus general consumer repair, and LOTS of CB! But I don't remember getting any ham gear for repairs.
Wish I could be sure what that store was in Inglewood. That was "Ham Heaven!" If you remember the QST photos of Trigger Electronics, and the stacks of gear, this was Trigger Times Ten. I had no money, but I had a little Cushman motor scooter, and I could get around there for 25 cents worth of gasoline, and spend an hour dreaming.
Ed
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WB2WIK on August 5, 2007
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Growing up in the NYC area, we had Ye Old Radio Hangouts, too. One popular one was Federated Purchaser in Springfield, NJ. Hams would come from upstate NY to Connecticut, to Philadelphia, to Long Island, to the Jersey Shore, Delaware, even Baltimore to hang out there at "The Candy Store," Federated, who was a Class AAA dealership for every brand of ham gear back in the 60s and into the 70s.
But there was also Barry Electronics in Manhattan and Harrison Radio on Long Island, as well as smaller shops like Atkinson & Smith in Eatontown, NJ. Each had its loyal following.
I worked at Federated beginning one day after my fourteenth birthday (earliest age at which you can lawfully work in NJ, with signed parental permission, max 20 hours weekly), starting out working "the counter" selling electronic parts and eventually doing all the ham gear repairs in the shop, and then being night and weekend (part time) manager of the ham department at the ripe old age of 19 when I was still in school.
The "smell" of the gear: Ameco, Clegg, Collins, Drake, Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, Johnson, National, Regency, Signal/One, Squires Sanders...we stocked all of it. We had a tribander on a 50' tower at the back of the store, as well as other antennas, and fully operational ham stations on display. When everything else was done and no customers were waiting I'd get a few minutes to work DX using the display S-line. As a 16 year-old skinny kid I had to set up the Johnson Invader 2000, with its 100+ pound power supply, on display and get it operating. Built strong muscles more ways than Wonder Bread.
A couple of other store employes who also worked the ham department included active hams today John W5JON (now in TX) and Mike W2AJI (now in NC).
Coffee and donuts were the norm every Saturday morning.
And hams driving hundreds of miles in lousy weather was the norm every winter when we had somethng "special." The very first Signal/One CX-7 transceivers ever shipped to a retail store were in our place, and almost nobody'd ever seen one before. A guy from Buffalo, NY (350 miles away) called on the phone to make sure we actually had one, as he was going to drive down to see it. I assured him we did, and he made the trip in a snowstorm. He bought it.
Lots of great memories.
WB2WIK/6
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N3JBH on August 5, 2007
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KE3WD No problem's i just kinda of enjoy rhem ole radios' hope all is good now. thanks jeff
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by NXET on August 5, 2007
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folks
Its not the radio store, its the people that used to make these great places happen.
Today is no different. We still have the radio and we still have local city radio clubs. Its just that no one seems to want-- to get togeather in the park or where ever
Granted the walls of equipment are great to show off the new and used stuff, but how many go to HRO and hang out. How many support the store today which needs to sell equipment and all to keep the doors open. With all the taxes, code enforcement and homeless nuts one can see how others don't want to "get togeather" unless they are a gang or have a agenda in mind.
So everyone stays home and listens to the white noise on the radio, check into groups just to hear their name and callsign and think that is great.
Besides these stores, I can recall the open (no we don't charge a dime) local ham radio club meetings that were friendly and not pushing-- buy, pay or join and then not have anything to show for it.
I still marvel at the so called pay for call nets. Join our net and its only 20 bux a year to hear your name called every night on roll call. OH wow!! what a deal !!! to be fair they too have field meetings every so often but, normally half way across the country and as the gent said, who can afford the 4 bux a gallon gas let alone the 40 bux a night to stay in a state camp ground.
I am not saying that hams are cheap, but more, what happend to the fun and social that resulted in the hobby.
Believe me we never had the jammers till after the breakdown of local hams getting togeather. Can you imagine some guy down the street jamming and showing up to a meeting where the rest are brow beating him as to his actions??.
Yet just like here on this web, you see the same thing as some mice hide behind their computer only to seek out and destroy others for the fun of it.
I know some have asked what call sign. Who cares, when instead its more the point of normalicy. Today you have to protect your property, home, car and person. We used to be free with names, call signs, addresses and phone numbers and the like till one day some creaton decided that he would wait until we left home and then broke in and stole the ham gear. Yes it has happened around here several times and yet it is known that they are hams with radios too.
So I think that as a society we have gotten more conseated and conserned about shareing. Some time ritefully so with cause because we don't want to get involved or get to know the other person. Yet today is no different than back then. We all are ham's and as such should enjoy shareing with each other. Its the ones that are pearing out of their deep dark hole that we should be careful of. They are up to no good and will never see anything good to ham radio or its social society.
Want to change it and bring it back-- you start by joining with you local club in having group dinners, lunches or just plain old C U in the park at Noon kinda thing. How many repeaters are just sitting quiet these days... with the same MO as the old time radio stores -- and we dont' use them either. Security is in knowing your friends and others.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KD5XB on August 5, 2007
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You got that exactly right! Last year, I tried to get our club to set aside one weekend a month to go to the clubhouse and just operate the station, and I got nowhere at all. They didn't even answer my emails.
7 3
Earl
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W4ABW on August 5, 2007
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My radio days do not go as far back as some. I do recall getting a real joy from visiting the Heathkit store on Roswell Road in Atlanta in the 1980's.
Al
W4ABW
Raleigh, NC
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K0CS on August 5, 2007
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Here is my "collection" of Ham Radio Dealers visited:
1. - SREPCO Electronics - Dayton, Ohio
2. - Burstein Applebee - Kansas City, Missouri
3. - Associated Radio - Overland Park, Kansas
4. - Henry Radio - Butler, Missouri
5. - Heathkit Store - Kansas City, Missouri
6. - CW Electronics - Denver, Colorado
7. - Missouri Radio - Kansas City, Missouri
8. - Colorado Radio - Denver, Colorado
9. - Burghardt Amateur Center - Watertown, S. Dakota
10. - HRO - Denver, Colorado
11. - HRO - Las Vegas, Nevada
12. - HRO - Anaheim, California
13. - World Radio - Council Bluffs, Iowa
14. - AES - Las Vegas, Nevada
15. - Gateway Electronics - St. Louis, Missouri
Every single one of these businesses were fun to visit with some still offering quality parts and service support, like the good old days.
- BEST DISPLAYS - The HRO Store in Anaheim was like attending a large hamfest.
- BEST HISTORY - That Henry Radio store in Butler, Missouri was like a Museum Tour.
- SLEEPER - The factory owned Heathkit Store(s) were simply outstanding. Savvy, nice displays and they had inventory.
- BEST SERVICE - Burghardt Ham Center in Watertown, South Dakota.
- BEST SALES SUPPORT - The guys at CW Electronics in Denver were like Encyclopedias.
- INNOVATIVE - Leo Meyerson's Council Bluffs, Iowa operation was like a carnival atmosphere. Mailings, Store Promotions and a broad selection of product offerings.
- HAMFESTS - Missouri Radio and Colorado Radio were simply unbeatable at regional hamfests.
There were a few stores I can't remember the names, like Columbus, OH, Minneapolis, MN, Wichita, KS and Fort Dodge, IA.
Many nice memories - I just wish I would have had more money to spend at these places.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W9PMZ on August 5, 2007
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I bought my first radios from Shrepco in Dayton. Bought a used HR10B and a DX60B. Saved for months from my paper route. It was a pretty cool place for a young kid.
Moved to Saint Louis, a few stores there, Mid Com, Ham Radio Center and Floyd Electronics in Collinsville.
There sure were a lot more stores to visit 30 years ago. Things sure were a lot different back then......
73,
Carl - W9PMZ
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W6TH on August 5, 2007
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.
N3JBH on August 4, 2007
Yes Vito please do. tell us more.
Hallicrafters, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, Bliley Electric Co., Erie, Pennsylvania, National Radio Company, Radio MFG. Engineers, Inc., Peoria, Illinois.,Struthers Dunn Inc., makers of relays, Philadelphia, Pa.,
teplex Co., New York City, General Radio Co.,Cambridge, Mass., Howard Radio Co.,Chicago, Ill.
Last but still going strong is the Vibroplex Co.
Thanks for asking.
73, W6TH.
.:
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N3JBH on August 5, 2007
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Sounds impressive Vito. Thanks for telling us. Was hoping you Had World Radio Lab's on the list.
One of my two dream transmitter's is the Globe King 500 C the other E F Johnson Invader 2000. I just love the old Iron. Dont send Me offers Guy's i love to have them but can not afford them right now.
So they will remain sweet dreams for now. Jeff
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WD9FUM on August 5, 2007
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Dad took me to Allied Radio when I was in grade school. I think I drooled all the way home!
There was a local electronics dealer on the Southwest Side of Chicago for a few years called Spectrosonics. Two brothers owned and operated the place. It was mostly stereo gear, but one of the brothers was a ham. They had a ham shack and it was like being the proverbial kid in a candy store.
Got my first SSB rig, a Drake TR-4 (still have it) at Spectronics in Oak Park. Took several bus and "L" transfers to get out there from my folks house. It was a big investment for a kid in high school.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WR8D on August 5, 2007
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Back in the early 80's here in the sticks it used to be the local radio shack store. It was owned by two buddies i grew up with. I finally got them talked into making their amateur license and we used to have a ball on weekends. In the back of the store was a work bench with all kinds of test gear. One of them was an electricial engineer that used to work on F-16 radars, after serving his hitch in the airforce he came home to a more layed back lifestyle. Between the two of us and his brother we've had just about any rig one could name or at least had our paws in it working on them. Hi Hi, we've had big amplifiers...we've blown big amplifiers up...dang this brings back some really nice memories of those days. Every weekend it was someone elses turn to buy lunch and many of the local hams would drop in and be part of the gang. The locals could sometimes blow rigs and amplifiers up faster than we could get the parts in to fix em. Hi Hi...now though for some sad reason there's a differant breed out there that already knows it all. Many are legends in their own minds..."legends of chickenband". The only amateur club is over run by them and most of the older hams no longer attend meetings. Really strange to see people take an amateur exam with no intentions of becoming an amateur operator after passing the test. Oh well that would be a good subject for another thread maybe in a few more months.
Have a great week, John WR8D
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W5HTW on August 5, 2007
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We are kind of fortunate in central NM that we have two good surplus electronics stores. Actually there is a third, but he keeps his doors locked now, as he does most of his stuff on eBay. One of the surpluse stores, though dark and with narrow aisles, has all the capacitors and resistors, tube sockets, tubes, and other things sorted by type, size, value, making everything really easy to find. They have about four aisles of surplus test equipment from the feds, power supplies scopes, signal generators, all kinds of things. No ham gear, but for someone who does building and/or repair of boat anchor type stuff, it is a place you can enjoy walking around in. Not sure it is a good 'hangout' though. But it is a great place to find just about any kind of electronic component you would want. And at very cheap prices. Anytime I think I can use a used component, I go there. For new, though, I order from Mouser.
ed
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KE4XJ on August 5, 2007
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Ahh! The memories.
As a wannabee amateur in Houston, Texas I used to go to Busacker's (sp?) Got my call, WN5VYC but was too busy with college and med school to use it much. Moved to Birmingham, AL. The hangout there was Ack Radio and, occsionally, Long's. AES in Atlanta is still nice on Saturdays, but it is not an early 1960's atmosphere. (I am not 16 anymore, either.) I do miss the peculiar smell that Busacker's had - a cross between mildew and burnt transformer wiring.
I am now 58 years old. Former calls: WN5VYC and KA4OHR.
I have had KE4XJ for over 25 years now. (XJ rolls so nicely off the key with a catchy rhythm!)I upgraded from novice to Advanced in 1982 at the Atlanta Hamfest back when the FCC still gave exams. How is that for old? Got the extra years later.
Brad
KE4XJ
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WA6NIA on August 5, 2007
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KE7BDI: "Near downtown LA, not far from Henry's, was a surplus place that had a 3 foot square bin full of several hundred crystals."
That would probably have been JJ Glass Electronics -- my SECOND favorite place to hang out after Henry in West LA. Gone but not forgotten, I can still picture piles of ARC-5s reaching the rafters in that place. It took some effort getting there in those days as a high schooler with no wheels. But it was always worth the effort. The Henry stores were a great place for a newcomer to "get with the program." I wonder how many people today realize that the Anaheim HRO store sits on the site of the Anaheim Henry shop?
And no talk about LA would be complete without mentioning Apex ... or even C&H Sales in Pasadena. Not radio stores, but they couldn't be beat for surplus. There were several Heathkit stores in the area as well, one in Anaheim and another one in Redondo Beach. That one was a very small shop but it amazed me when they had a replacement part, IN STOCK, for a radio that was no longer being sold.
There were several other radio stores in the area where I lived ... Ham City was a small shop in Torrance and there was LA Electronics -- also in Torrance and not to be confused with LA Tronix -- this was a real radio store owned by a local ham. For surplus locally there was Cash Electronics -- quite a place. And of course, living not far from the harbor area, there were lots of marine salvage shops that would occasionally turn up an interesting bit or two ... like a pristine TCS pair that my friend WA6MRM dragged home one day. I actually dragged a TCK-4 home from Cash one day ... in operating condition. Actually got the thing on the air!
They were great hangouts!
-dennis W6DQ
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by K7SU on August 6, 2007
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I've been a ham for 41 years this October and I've never, NEVER, had the opportunity to visit a large ham radio store. I've been in Vegas a few times and have never ventured to AES. Not because I didn't want to but because I've never really had the chance. Always other stuff to do first. But one of these times I'm just going to do it. When I became a ham back in 1966 we had an electronics supply store that had a couple of ham transmitters on display at any one time. That's where I bought my first transmitter...brand new...Eico 720 for $50. I worked on our farm for $.25 an hour and finally made enough to get it. In fact, now that I think about it, I think my dad bought it for me and I paid him back. :>)
Yep, those were the days.
Kelly
www.K7SU.com
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by K5AT on August 6, 2007
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Dallas in the Late 60's and early 70's Remember?
Crabtrees (and the 10 cent a pound sale)
Heathkit
Nova Electronics
Collins Surplus
Tanners (the only one left)
Electronic Center (on north Haskell, where the first saturday sale started.)
Vikon in Garland
Olson Electronics (across from SMU)
Allied Electronics.
but alas, hardly anyone builds anything anymore, so
we're left with Radio Shack, Digikey and Mouser.
Herb K5AT
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W6TH on August 6, 2007
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.
Jeff, N3JBH,
Not only did I forget World Radio Lab's, but also Heathkit Radio.
73
.:
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KL7AJ on August 6, 2007
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Glad you mentioned JJ Glass! My first novice station consisted of a pair of ARC-5's (one for 80, one for 40) that I got from JJ Glass...complete with dynamotors!
Incidentally, it looks like I've struck a responsive chord or two here! HI.
73,
Eric
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by AE6Y on August 6, 2007
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Thanks to WB2WIK for mentioning the NYC stores. For me, growing up on Long Island and first licensed in 1958 (WV2BWS), the places were Harrison Radio downtown and Harvey Radio in midtown. But most fascinating was Radio Row -- Cortlandt Street downtown, full of small stores with all kinds of parts and military surplus stuff. I once needed a relay for a project, and "Blan the Radio Man" had it -- a store full of relays, many wrapped in waxed paper in little cardboard boxes.
73, andy, ae6y
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KC0NIB on August 6, 2007
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Gads do I remember Henry Radio.
I dropped away from ham stuff in the late 60's as my interests were shifting all over the place then. In the 70's, going to the store looking for parts and such for other electronic projects I was building. Why do I remember the store being in another location back then..??? I must be getting old.
Still one of many "haunts". Another one I used to go to all the time in Long Beach, called Olson Electronics...
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KC0NIB on August 6, 2007
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That store that you were thinking of, was one of three. There was Allied Radio, then there was Lafayette Electronics right down from it and I believe the 2nd of 3 Olson Electronics stores in California at that time.
I was forever in there buying tons of electronic parts for "little projects" that I was tinkering with back then. Boy those are fond memories indeed!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K0SBV on August 6, 2007
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For me, growing up in Omaha, it was World Radio Labs, just across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs. I got my Novice License back in 1958 by attending classes they ran that, as I recall, were taught by Jim Nolan W0AWX, George Hladak K0CYP, and Alan McMillan W0JJK. They had a huge beam right in front of the store as you drove into the parking lot off of Broadway. I rode my bike there from South Omaha on several occasions. Saturday mornings were especially fun as it seemed like all the hams in the world stopped by for eyeball QSO's. To this day, I still have two good friends that I met at those Novice Classes back in 1959.
I also enjoyed visting Ladd Electronics in Omaha and Burnstein-Applebee in KC with my Dad (K0RVJ) as I was growing up.
Thanks for letting me share this memory!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W2CBK on August 6, 2007
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As a teen in the 60's in Milwaukee, my hangout was AES. My younger sister says she still remembers bus trips there with me. After rummaging through my junk box, I'd bring a hand written list of the parts still needed for a project, and hand it to the guy at the counter. He would disappear into the catacombs, and minutes later emerge with the goodies--rarely worth more than a few bucks. I got the same attention as a guy buying a new top-of-line rig.
Second choices were Allied (lots of hi-fi and CB stuff...much lighter in the ham department), Heathkit (they had a dedicated store a few blocks from AES, and tolerated teenagers playing with the assembled goodies on display), and Olson. Olson was a dingy place, and while they might not have had exactly what you wanted, they'd usually have something you could make work--like one of the resistors or capacitors in a 100 for 99 cent grab bag.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W6WKD on August 6, 2007
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Finally a General at age 64, guess I am a sloooow learner. But I remember Henry Radio on Olympic Blvd almost under the 405 freeway, very well. A friend and I would ride our bikes there after Jr. High School. They had three rooms of used receivers and one room with the more expensive receivers. I was dreaming of owning a Hallicrafters SX100 but never did get one. Probably a good this too. With an allowance of only 25 cents a week, I couldn't buy much a Henry but did enjoy the atmoshpere. Since my Dad was an Engineer and a HAM, W6WKD (now my call sign) he supplied me with parts to make my many superhet receivers. Sorry, got to stop as there are real tears in my eyes.
Best regards to all.
Bruce (W6WKD)
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KB4LGM on August 6, 2007
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My favorite radio memories were of working at Ack radio supply here in Atlanta on Deering rd in 1980. The first radio I ever bought was from Tommy, the owner who let me pay a little at a time for . It was an Eico 753 . Of course it drifted terribly , but I loved it just the same. In those days they had some used stuff. Old collins,Some old VHF stuff. He also carried the drake TR-7 line and some Ten-tec stuff too. I would play with the Drakes during my lunch hour. I was there when Collins introduced the KWM-380. There was a lot of buzz about that. I still get in there on every once in a while and it still has the old time feel. But sadly no ham gear.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by AF6G on August 6, 2007
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Someone refresh my memory - was it RSE (Radio Supply and Engineering) that was just outside of Detroit?
P.S. Radio Shack should change their name to "Cellular Shack".
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KL7IPV on August 6, 2007
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Here is the amended "collection" of Ham Radio Dealers visited:
1. Allied Radio - Pomona, CA.
2. Mission Ham Supply - Riverside, CA.
3. Lafayette Stores - Pomona, CA.
4. Henry Radio - Anaheim, CA.
5. Associated Radio - Overland Park, Kansas
6. - CW Electronics - Denver, Colorado
7. - Missouri Radio - Kansas City, Missouri
8. - Colorado Radio - Denver, Colorado
10. - HRO - Denver, Colorado
11. - HRO - Las Vegas, Nevada
12. - HRO - Anaheim, California
13. COMO Radio(I think) Seattle, WA.
14. - AES - Las Vegas, Nevada
Every single one of these businesses were fun to visit with some still offering quality parts and service support, like the good old days.
- BEST DISPLAYS - Mission Ham Supply in Riverside, CA was like attending a large hamfest.
- BEST HISTORY - That Henry Radio store in Anaheim, CA. was like a Museum Tour.
- BEST SERVICE - HRO in Denver, CO.
- BEST SALES SUPPORT - The guys at CW Electronics in Denver were like Encyclopedias.
- HAMFESTS - Mission Ham and Colorado Radio were simply unbeatable at regional hamfests.
There were a few stores I can't remember the names of.
Many nice memories - I just wish I would have had more time and money to spend at those places.
I think one of the reasons we see a decline in our numbers is that the places we all used to congregate are going away. Without those places to rev us up, we may not have gotten where we are now ourselves. Sad.
Frank
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WA1KWA on August 7, 2007
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Evans Radio, Bow, NH. Bought my Drake 2NT after receiving my Novice in February 1969, and two crystals, for 3715 & 3725. Shortly after that, Evans moved up the road, closer to Concord & that building is now part of a Toyota dealership, I believe.
My father bought a Hallicrafters SX-110 from the previously mentioned Graham Radio in Reading, MA a few years before, and that was my first station, the 2NT & SX110.
Bought my HA-460 from Layfayette in the little shopping center at Route 1 & Walnut Street in Saugus, MA.
Went to Hi-Par in Leominster, MA once & bought a 3 element 6 meter hilltopper & a halo. Still have the halo, wish I had the hilltopper. Slick antenna.
Later, Tufts Electronics in Medford, MA; later moved to Hudson, NH, and another place in Groton, MA I went to a few times but cannot recall the name.
73,
Colin WA1KWA
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by W4UXJ on August 7, 2007
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You brought tears to my eye... I got my ticket in 1951 and remember when I talked to a gentleman in Virginia whose name was Art. I did not know it for sure but he sure sounded like someone I had heard before. When I looked up the call in the callbook, I instantly knew who I had talked to....Arthur Godfrey. Strange how 56 years have gone by so fast. But I still love the hobby as much now as I ever have in spite of having to deal with those darn Surface Mount Devices and components :-) Thanks for the memories!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KD8DSY on August 7, 2007
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Reno Radio downtown Detroit, just a city bus ride away for a 13 yr old.
Olson's
Hershell Electronics
Lafayette
Allied Radio
and the factory Heathkit Store on 8 Mile Rd. Always a great place to meet a mentor.
Makes me want to go home tonight and enjoy my "hollow-state" radios.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K6RQR on August 7, 2007
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In San Jose California back in the 60s and 70s it was Quement Electronics on Bascom Ave, I'm pretty sure they are still there but back then they also had a very fine ham radio department with some real characters (remember Manny?) to show you the used and new gear. I remember being dazzled by the Signal One CX-7 and the National HRO-500 but I could also find lots of great older gear and boat anchors. They used to sell the Heathkit DX-100 for "A dollar a pound." In addition, there was a vast collection of parts in the rest of the store for those of us that loved to homebrew or fix what we had. If you couldn't find it on the display shelves then you could go to a parts counter where very knowledgable sales people could find it in the back. I spent many happy hours there looking and dreaming and talking with fellow hams. I miss that.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K2RMO on August 7, 2007
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Also in NJ I remember Route Electonics on rt22 in Springfield. Federated I think was next to a Dairy Queen on rt 22 eastbound. Disco Electronics, Layfayette in Union.
Licensed in 11/1977
K2RMO (ex-WB2THV)
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My Last Memory of Henry Radio
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by K2ANE on August 7, 2007
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Not to be negative but the last time I went to Henry Radio in L.A. was around 1981. I'll never forget the shacks adjacent to their property populated by Mexicans drinking Cerveza, boiling corn on the cob in cut down 55 gallon drums while relieving themselves against their buildings. The kids and women just carried on while the males got looped. It was an unbelievable sight for me in "then" America.
I vowed to never return there again.
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RE: My Last Memory of Henry Radio
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by N0MLR on August 7, 2007
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When I was a Kid in the 70's Radio Shack in Baytown Tx. had walls full of parts still. Then there was a place in Houston called Amateur Supply that I ordered Johnson CB parts from to fix radios for people. My first Job was at Royal TV in Baytown Tx. Ben Adlrich was the guys name. He hired a 15 year old kid and was willing to let me learn as I went. Now that is not even done anymore. Then there was Psyco Sam's in Reading Pa. where I got a few CB items to keep me occupied. Oh and the Ham at Hichkock TV in Hichkock Tx. who took the time one day to help me design a Power Supply and sold me the TV transformer and other parts to build it.
Yes and I shoped at the Lafayette Radio store in Allen, TX. And the Heathkit store in Houston Tx. Bought many a kit from them.
Man what Memories and the strong feeling that we have lost a lot in the last 30 years. Never to get it back.
Well thats progress...........
73
Greg
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by WN4GMT on August 8, 2007
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I grew up in Long Beach, CA and there was an electronics store on Alamitos between Broadway and Third. They sold everything from stereos to Henry amps. In fact, I worked the Queen Mary station, GB5QM from there using the demo Collins pair just after the ship rounded the Cape and started up the Pacific side of South America. This was when it was coming to dock in Long Beach and become a tourist attraction. If I remember correctly the control op's call was WA6WBB.
When I could figure out the transportation, I loved to go to Henry in Anaheim. I think the HRO is in either the same strip mall or maybe one south of the one Henry was in. The HRO used to be up by the Buena Park mall on La Palma and Magnolia.
Ah, Nostalgia!
73 de WN4GMT/0
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by W7NWH on August 8, 2007
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My hangout growing up was Portland Radio Supply in Portland, Oregon. It was mid to late 1970's and tube gear was still plentiful. I could spend hours in there on Saturday mornings. As a kid of 12 I would plan my time moving from area to area. First it was off to the "new gear" area. Chock full of Kenwood TS-820's and Drake TR-7's. That was a big choice. Which rig to pick? It was either a car at graduation or a new rig? Guess who worked in pizza places for the car?
RTTY from HAL, CW keys from Vibroplex, the Ten Tec area. It was a treasure trove of quality gear. Then the parts area, you could pretty much get anything you needed for a project box.
I could spend time checking out the older boat anchors. The premium stuff, the Collins and high end Hallicrafters stuff sat at one end of the table on consignment. My novice SX-111 and HT-37 "twins" we're in this area. The whole place was magical at that time. Tags hanging and rigs just ready to be fired up.
Old timers would come in "just because" hang out and often strike up a story of DX or some other factoid.
Good times! And no I don't think E-Ham is a replacement. The best vibe I get now is at my local Ham Radio Outlet. At least they have the toys on display. The crowd isn't exactly the same, the old timers are now my age.
W7NWH
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by W6UDO on August 8, 2007
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Tnx, Eric: Your piece sure brought back a lot of wonderful memories, and not only of Henry Radio... times I hung out at the Lockheed Amateur Radio Club Shack in Burbank, CA. I studied for my license there and got my first taste of operating on HF. Lots of interesting folks hanging out there to talk to or listen in on a QSO, and plenty of good equipment to use.
Also, there was this junk yard, more an antique store in a field, where you could buy old radios, TVs, washing machines... I recall getting an old all-band radio there and listening to SW Broadcast and ham operators before I got my ticket.
Then there was the electronic store that went out of business. The place was locked up, but around back we found a dumpster where they'd tossed out boxes of components for the taking.
This was back in the early 1960s. Nowadays I doubt you'd find junk yards or places they'd let you dumpster-dive for electronics.
Today here in San Diego we have the local Ham Radio Outlet. Like Henry's or the local club, they have the pot of coffee, a box of donuts, equipment all set up for the operating, and friendly folks there to help you out or just yak with and ask, "Hey, where ya been?" if you haven't been around in a while. Haven't checked out their dumpster, though...Hi!!
Very 73...Joe...w6udo
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WB9AUJ on August 8, 2007
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I guess that I must have been luckier than a lot of you all. While working in Chicago at Channel 26 TV, I got to go to Allied Electronics during the week. There was almost no people in the ham shack then. I got to play with a lot of really neat stuff.
Living in NW Indiana, I had Calumet Electronics in Gary to go meet with the other hams.
What was really nice, is a bunch of us novices sort of moved in, and took over the QTH of Ray, K9HSP. He was always ready to help anybody. We were thrown out of the house more than once because he and Betsy had to go to work. He is missed very much. Ray passed away about 25 years ago.
I bought my Drake "B" line from Green Mill Radio on the Soth side of Chicago, on 115th Street near I-94.
It's too bad that all the shops are gone.
Moving to Ohio, I had Universal Radio in Columbus, a GREAT place to get together. New rigs to test out, coffee to drink, and just have a good time.
Closer to my house in SW ohio, there is R&L Electronics in Hamilton, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati.
Now, I'm in Washington, District of Corruption and haven't had a chance to check around.
John WB9AUJ
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K6TLA on August 8, 2007
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In Elmira, NY it was Chemung Electronics on East Church Street. They were a Lafayette dealer and though not primarily a ham store the owner did have some Drake and other amateur equipment in stock.
It was also a fun place to go to check out the Lafayette CB gear of the 1960's with most of the stuff from the yearly catalog in stock there.
Another local hangout was the ScienceCenter which was run by a gentleman who was one of my junior high school teachers. He stocked a little ham gear with my Conar Model 400 single tube transmitter kit coming from there. I think it cost $25 when new in 1969. I remember starting one afternoon, staying up all night, and not stopping until the transmitter was finished and on the air. Such fun!
Of course there are still hangouts today. Lots of guys enjoy our local HRO outlet in Burbank although with sales tax what it is here, there is probably more browsing than buying going on over there.
The most popular ham hangout of all time is right here on the net. Its a virtual hamfest here all day, every day.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WA6ITF on August 9, 2007
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It was back in the late 1950's. Before I was first licensed as WA2HVK in Brooklyn, N.Y.
I was a a kid electronics tinkerer. Not interested in playing stickball. Not one to go to the local park and hang from parallel bars. Just a kid who liked tubes, resisters, condensers (they weren't known as capacitors yet)and anything else in that genre.
And so it was that any parts I could not scrounge from the back room of my mentor's radio fix-it shop - Rose Radio and Photo on Bay Parkway -- I would mail order from either Lafayette Radio or Lafayette Radio. Then, one day I was told I was old enough to ride the subway by myself. For years I had been sending money orders to Lafayette Radio, 100 6th Avenue, 4th Floor, Manhattan, New York. And so it was that one Saturday morning in 1955 I took the subway -- alone -- to lower Manhattan, walked a few blocks -- took the elevator to the 4th floor -- and was immediately greeted by that wonder smell of properly ageing electronic parts. This was Lafayette Radio. I had made it. Little Billy P. was in radio parts nervana -- living it -- loving it. At that moment, all was good in the world
A few years later I was a ham. And when I built my first transmitter -- a 6 meter transmitter that used a 6BQ6 in the final -- again the parts that could not be garnered from the back room at Rose Radio -- were purchased and carried home in a paper bag from Lafayette. And I recall vividly asking for a 6 meter crystal -- 8400 Kc. (no KHz yet either) and being handed my first "rock" with the name Bliley there-on.
My love affair with Lafayette continued for years. My first "factory built" 6 meter transceiver was a Lafayette HE-35. My first factory made antenna was a Hi-Par Saturn 6 "halo" purchased from Lafayette. My first purchased "4-speed record changer" was a BSR-McDonald with Lafayette's private brand label on it.
Oh. I would also travel by subway to the famed Radio Roe area -- Cortlandt Street and environs. I'd buy my "surplus" parts from Airec and Metro. New parts from Airex. Then walk up to Harrisson Radio to drool over all the new gear I knew I would never affors. But through it all, Lafayette was my home store of choice. Maybe because the folks were so nice to this young teen in search of answers to questions that really had no answers. But the sales staff put up with me -- welcomed me -- and taught me what they could. \
Now, 50 years later -- I still remember the train ride and the elevator ride. I still remembers the first names like Nat, Hymie, Angelo, and the other who put up with me. But most of all I remember the smell. That wonderful oder of "ripening electronics." A sm,ell that is still with me to this day.
Lafayette Radio - Wire - Television., Inc. A dream place bab\ck then for a young kid -- a dream escape for a 65 year old man of topday.
de
WA6ITF
de
WA6ITF
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by N2OBM on August 9, 2007
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Klaus Radio...Peoria, Illinois (Jan. 197?). A CBer friend had given me a printed catalog of stocked parts.
I was in the process of stripping two Stromberg-Carlson audio amps (4-KT66s!)to attempt a circuit in one of the ARRL handbooks. The guy behind the counter greeted me with a smile, an empty styrofoam cup, and
'What's your call young man?'
When I told them I did not have a ticket yet, and showed him the list of parts I wanted for the project (I had brought the 1961 Arrl Handbook)...you could hear a pin drop.
I left with the parts (discounted), five telephone numbers of prospective Elmers, four 'modified circuit diagrams' and a ride to the nearest bus stop (the closest bus stop was over 1/2 mile from the front door).
It wouldn't be till much later that I attained my ticket; an Army Sergeant had to BEAT the code into my head!
Those were the days...Peoria, Illinois
"A Pocket of Prosperity"...and then the workers at CAT went on strike, Pabst Blue Ribbon shut down...
Trent
YI9OBM, in Baghdad and can't transmit!
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by VE3XKD on August 9, 2007
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For me, in the late 60's, it was Randall Paret Electronics on 4th Ave in Vancouver BC. (also known as Headly's) Every Saturday morning a bunch of hams would meet and enjoy eyeball qso's and viewing the displays of the latest radios then go for breakfast. They had all kinds of surplus deals, - I saved my paper route money and bought a complete, never used, No 19 tank radio set, in the original wooden crate, with manuals, spare tubes and antennas for twenty dollars!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W5PJW on August 10, 2007
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Both parents are hams so as a kid in the early 60's I often got to tag along with my Dad to "Ports" run by Bud Ports in Shreveport, LA. Moving to Dallas later, and getting my novice in '68, I bought a used Johnson Ranger at Crabtrees (used it with a SP-600). I was (literally) a kid in a candy store there. I wish I still had Ranger since I'm a boatanchor nut nowadays. Left it on the doorstep of a ham store (I forget which) in Simi Valley, CA in 1990! Arrgh! I just got married and needed the room and who was gonna buy a boatanchor then? Hope someone kept it rather than tossing it in the dumpster- which I couldn't bring myself to do. Bought a Ten-Tec Argonaut in '79 at Electronics Center in Dallas, bringing on a decade of QRP. Now we have only Texas Towers, and I don't think they're open on weekends anymore. I miss the feeling you'd get in those places...
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KL7AJ on August 10, 2007
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Hi Joe:
I remember the LERC club quite well...but for an interesting reason. In 1975-76 I was working for a small communications company called Oremco in Inglewood. We had these emergency call boxes all over Burbank and a few other towns that we maintained. One of these callboxes was right across the street from the LERC clubhouse. I'd have to go out there and swap the batteries on the things about every week. We had these vans fairly bristling with antennas, and an orange light that allowed us to park in fire zones. Some guys at the club must have thought I was the FCC field monitor...I got some real interesting looks...until I walked in and introduced myself.
Interesting memories indeed!
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K5LDB on August 10, 2007
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In the late 60's early 70's in Houston I'd get a ride to Madison Electronics. It was on the outskirts of downtown as I recall. As a barely teenage kid it was an awe inspiring place. It seemed to have every possible electronic item in the universe. I also got to go to the Heathkit store now and then. I'm sure if I could see Madison now it wouldn't be nearly as large and probably not awe inspiring but it would still be a cool place to hang out. We do have Houston Amateur Radio Supply however it is on the far north side of town so it can be a 50-60 mile one way trip depending on where you are. Thank goodness we don't have only RS to rely on.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by K7PEH on August 10, 2007
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Regarding Radio Shack....
Radio Shack is what it is -- today that is. And, around here, I have found the local Radio Shack stores to be a good resource that helps to fill and complete other electronics resources.
I certainly don't go there to ask them technical questions. I don't do that anymore then I would ask our local grocery store clerk on the quality or level and kind of spice of the bottles of Zinfandel that they happen to sell.
But, most of the time that I go looking for something at Radio Shack, I find it. For example, with the plethora of keys and paddles I own, I am forever buying 6 foot phono patch cables for my keys or maybe 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch phone adapters. And, our local RS has a good supply of commonly used transistors (BJT and FET) and diodes (rectifying, RF, pin, etc.). And, when I need an extra PL-259 because my stock just ran out, a 10 minute drive to the local RS meets that need and even though I can get one cheaper by ordering over the net, that does not help when I need it now, as in right away.
There are a lot of other "parts" resources in the greater Seattle area though. We have our own "Fry's Electronics" now which I dearly missed after moving away from the Bay Area in California. And, here on the eastside (in Bellevue) there is a very nice combo surplus and retail electronics store that even has a web site (http://www.vetcosurplus.com).
So, I know that Radio Shack is not what it used to be nor is it anything near what the old ham radio or electronic stores used to be like but it does have value -- I will definitely miss it if it disappears.
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by W3WN on August 10, 2007
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KE3WD,
Well, I'm glad you fondly remember FHO's retail store... I remember when Rob first opened the store, out on Mosside Blvd. in Monroeville, and when he operated strictly out of his home via telephone and internet before then.
But with all due respect, I suspect that you may be a little too optimistic when it comes to opening a mom-and-pop ham store these days.
I first came to Pittsburgh to help build and open Westech Electronics, working for Dave KQ3T for about 2-1/2 years or so. I got to see first-hand how tough it is to make it as a small shop in this business... and that was in the heyday of the 800 number, before Al Gore informed us that he invented the Internet!
Westech tried to make it's money on the accessories... the MFJ items, the Daiwa's, and so forth. We had to; it was just too cut-throat to try and make it on the main radio sales. When one of the big outfits who bought in bulk, like AES, HRO, or EGE, could sell a TS-430S for less than we could buy it on the "grey" market (prior to becoming an authorized Kenwood dealer, which took over a year)... well, you can do the math.
And frankly, it could be very frustrating to spend an hour with a potential buyer, going over the fine points of a Kenwood vs. Yaesu vs. Ten-Tec vs. Azden HT, thinking that you had made the sale when the customer selected one... and then he'd tell you that he was going have to think about it... and then you'd go down to the 7-11 a few storefronts down to find your "customer" on the pay phone (remember, this was pre-cell phone) calling one of the Big Guns on an 800 number and buying the very HT you'd convinced him was the best for his -- to save $10 and sales tax. And never mind that shipping & handling often bumped the net price right back up...
Could a "new" mom-and-pop store survive or even thrive these days? I wonder. I wish one could. I know Dave & Rob both tried. I know Tydings was on it's last legs when I came to town (Cameradio was by then CamRPC and out of the retail business), and was soon shut down by it's owner (South Hills Electronics) as they phased out their retail stores too.
It's not enough to bring in just enough to pay the rent and pay the bills. It's a lot of hard work for a little payoff. It means putting up with a lot of time spent for little or no gain, when someone thinks they're getting a bargain over the phone or over the Internet. It's expensive for a small store to have to provide warranty support (at low reimbursement rates from the manufacturer) to local hams for equipment that they refused to buy from you to save a buck. It's expensive to provide free technical support over the phone for items bought elsewhere. And it's very bad when someone gets a bug up their butt about something and badmouths the store, even when they're in the wrong (like calling a retail store on the repeater autopatcht to ask pricing and availability information, and then getting mad at the guy like me who told them that this was an inappropriate use of the repeater if not a violation of FCC rules at the time).
A store can only suvive if it can bring in enough of a repeater customer base that spends enough money to do more than just break even. And right now, the amateur population in Greater Pittsburgh for one just isn't high enough to reach that critical mass.
That's not pessimism. That's facing a sad reality. Trust me; I've been there.
73, ron w3wn
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N2HBX on August 10, 2007
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<Hirsch's (www.radiomart.com) still is alive and kicking in Buffalo NY I always call in when I go to Buffalo. It has the Henry atmosphere.>
I bought my first 2 meter rig and my first scanner from Jerry Hirsch. I was sorry to hear he became a SK a couple of years ago. He was a great guy.
73,
Larry, N2HBX
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KF6VIY on August 10, 2007
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Thanks for the memories...great reading.
Back in the '60s & '70s, if you lived around L.A. and were into cameras, Frank's in Highland Park was the place to go.
BTW, after reading all the posts, I'm wondering if there is anyone under 50 y.o. who is a ham?
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RE: Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by N7YA on August 11, 2007
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Yep! Im 41, been a ham 24 years...my son is interested in it too and hes 12. but whatever you do, never assume anything about our ranks based on what you see on these online forums.
Fortunately for hams who care, this place is not real ham radio. These sites are akin to some unruly bar where the occasional good conversation happens inbetween the keyboard bloodbaths...again, not real ham radio. But it gives us something to do while we wait for the coming cycle.
It couldnt arrive fast enough!
73...Adam, N7YA
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by KA2DDX on August 11, 2007
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I'll never forget the time I walked into a "radio" (you know who) store and asked for a pl-259 connector and was told they didn't sell them and he never heard of such a thing. All this while he was standing in front of a rack where about 20 pl-259 connectors were hanging.
I had the pleasure of working in the Heathkit store in Amherst, NY (just outside of Buffalo, NY) for over 10 years. The amateur radio display we had was adequate enough to attract hams from all over on a weekend and I met many amateurs from around New York State and Southern Ontario. Of course, Heathkit is long gone.
Now, when I want to see a new piece of gear I have to travel to another state to see it. Or, visit with local hams at a once yearly hamfest. We lost something, like you said. You really have to wonder, don't you?
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by KD5XB on August 11, 2007
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Yep, we lost something all right. And do you know why? Just so we could save a dollar or two by mail order.
Was it worth it?
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by KD7YVV on August 11, 2007
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Phil, K7PEH....
Have you ever been up to ABC Communications?
Jim up there is a real nice person and there's a lot
of stuff all over the place.
I may ride up there again on my bike and just hang out
with him for a day. He enjoys the company and had exactly
what I needed when I called. Naturally he couldn't
believe I rode my bike there from Kirkland, but that
was a fun adventure. It's sad to see local ham places
fade into history, but as Scotty says, when they're
gone, they're gone.
--KD7YVV, Kirkland, WA
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by K7PEH on August 11, 2007
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George, KD7YVV ---
Why are we meeting like this on eham when you live just two blocks away.
However, my first thought when I read your post is that I have never heard of ABC Communications. But, when I googled them to discover where they are located I realize I have been there before, years ago. I think it was about 10 years ago or so that I went to the Door Store just a block away from ABC Communications when we were remodeling our house. I remember stopping at ABC Communications and walking in the store to look around a bit but walked out without thinking too much about the place. However, that was before my interest in ham radio was brought back to life in 2004.
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by WO8L on August 13, 2007
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Jerry from Toledo must be younger than I. We had Hildebrand Electronics there. It was on the West Side of town. They had parts, rigs, stereo stuff, coax, etc.
Also, there was a Heathkit retail store on the South End of town on Byrne Road for a while. They had Heathkits displayed on glass racks. Wish I'd bought one of each rig, never assembled them and could either sell them or build them today.
73s,
Rick
WO8L
North Carolina
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by KB2DHG on August 13, 2007
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Your article about Henry Radio certianly touched me... Living on the East Coast we had lafayette Radio here and i too would go there on a Saturday morning and hang out just the same!
Yes going to Radio Shack is no where close to that atmosphere...
In fact Radio Shack has lost all ties to RADIO!
I wrote an article called going back in time I would reccomend you searching the ARRL page for this article.
Thanks for your article and keeping these memories alive.
lou KB2DHG
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by KB2DHG on August 13, 2007
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Your article about Henry Radio certianly touched me... Living on the East Coast we had lafayette Radio here and i too would go there on a Saturday morning and hang out just the same!
Yes going to Radio Shack is no where close to that atmosphere...
In fact Radio Shack has lost all ties to RADIO!
I wrote an article called going back in time I would reccomend you searching the ARRL page for this article.
Thanks for your article and keeping these memories alive.
lou KB2DHG
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by WD9FUM on August 13, 2007
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Whenever I go into Radio Shack (I avoid it like the plague) and the sales person asks me if I need help, my reply is, "If I can't find it, I'll let you know." If I do end up asking for help, I usually receive a blank stare... very sad indeed.
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by W2DLC on August 14, 2007
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I'd like to open up a shop to sell radio gear and also provide this kind of hangout. If I have free coffee, and some boat anchors set up to operate on the air, will you all stop by?
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by KD5XB on August 14, 2007
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If you would open it in, say -- Shreveport or a little farther west, and have truck parking, I'd stop by every time I was in the area!
7 3
Earl
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by KK6AS on August 14, 2007
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I got licensed in the late 80's. When ever i could get down to HRO in Burbank it was like getting a fix.
It is alwas a rush and I get excited going in there.
Even when the old pocket book is low. Just talking to other hams is like talking to someone from your own country you a bond there. Radio Shack in Lompoc is like going to a morgue a ham works nites. but the rest of employees are blank stares and the look of utter confusion. i could better copertion and help at the local hi colonic enema clinic. So Radio Shack is not what used unless you habla espanol please don't come in.
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by W2RDD on August 14, 2007
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Ouch! I saw your "2" call sign. Was hopeful, but Boca Ratan, I don't think so.
Call signs sure confusin' these days.
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by K2IZ on August 14, 2007
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One thing about Harrison radio in Farmingdale, LI, NY, I remember the sign outside said "Harrison, The House That Ham's Built". They use to have a "Washington's Birthday sale", the parking lot off RT.110 always had lots of us there before the store opened.
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by WB6NVH on August 14, 2007
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K6RQR, sorry to tell you that Quement's in San Jose is long gone and everyone is dead (except me and a couple others). I was on the other side of the counter for a few years back then - - I was the manager of the ham department in the early 1980's. Frank Quement, W6NX, started the place in 1933, and when he died in 1991 his son Barney took over. Barney had no interest in electronics and the place languished until he too died a few years later. The family leased the place to a furniture store and as of a year or so ago, it was bulldozed and there's a vacant lot there now. I always wonder what happened to the 20 brand new Collins KWM-380's I had in the back room which were still unsold when I left in 1985.
If you ask anybody else who worked the counters of these ham stores, I bet they won't have too many happy memories. I enjoyed the fellowship of the ham customers but these jobs invariably featured low pay, no benefits, no future, wage and hour violations, and long hours. I groaned when I read about a store like ours which had Saturday evening hours, because that meant the poor employees couldn't go home to their families that night until late.
Ham stores in states with sales tax suffered because customers used them as a free showroom and then ordered from mail order garage operations in Idaho and the AES stores out of state to save $ 30-40. Ham gear affords very little markup now that it comes from Japan and you can do far better selling TV sets and stereos. The ham gear manufacturers aren't particularly interested in neighborhood ham stores and support just a few very large mail order operations. Quement's survived from the TV-Stereo-Parts business and kept the ham division as a "prestige" item which operated at a net loss. I suspect that even if the store were still alive today, the big box stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy would have taken away our TV-Stereo business and made the whole place a loss.
My memory of a ham store which got me started was Elliott Electronics/ Ham Shack in Tucson, Arizona, a small place with a wall full of used ham gear (1960's.) The thing I remember most is the smell of cigar smoke and the creak of wood floors. That and the cigar smoke of the radio club meetings. When I was 11, I would come home from that place or the club meeting and my mother would accuse me of partaking in a stogie. I don't smoke today but I have fond memories every time I smell a cigar!
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by AC7CW on August 15, 2007
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Did that article stir up memories!! I was only in the Henry store in Los Angeles once. It was when I went to the FCC office to take my general test in 1958. It was quicksand for me for sure. I still recall looking at the gear with no idea what they cost or which was better, they all looked like masterpieces to me.
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by WA9AFM on August 15, 2007
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I grew up just across the Mississippi River from St Louis in Edwardsville, IL. Made frequent Saturday trips to Walter Ashe. Bill DuBord held court from his desk in the middle of the sales floor. Used gear to the left; new to the right; parts counter straight ahead. Our high school ham club (there were 5 of us) would go over to Ashe and 'rub up against' some of the new gear, twiddle knobs and dream of owning one of these RF monsters some day.
I discovered Gateway Electronics my Junior year of high school. It was located on Delmar Blvd at the time; they later moved out to Page Blvd. I still visit Gateway when in St Louis on business.
Walter Ashe was bought out by R/S and Bill left to found Ham Radio Center out on Olive Blvd. I bought my first 'real' HF rig there, a Collins KWM-2A. Bill's health took a bad turn and the Center closed in the late '70's if I recall.
Floyd's in Collinsville, IL was even closer to home. He opened after I had entered the USAF and I would make that a mandatory visit anytime I was home on leave.
Yes, the Internet has made the purchase of amateur radio equipment easier (and cheaper), but to walk into a store and see the rig sitting there in person is something I dearly miss.
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by N0IU on August 15, 2007
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WA9AFM,
You're about 10 years older than me which is why I don't remember going to Walter Ashe, but I do vaguely remember going to the Ham Radio Center on Olive as a youngster. Althought my daily key is a Bencher, I do have a Ham Key iambic set from the Ham Radio Center.
I also remember going down to Olson Electronics with my dad.
Another good place was the Allied store (in the pre-Radio Shack days) in Clayton.
I am sure you know that Gateway moved from their Page location to a new store near Westport Plaza.
So when are you going to be in the area next??
Scott N0IU
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by AF6G on August 16, 2007
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Of course, the Heathkit store on 8 Mile road. I brought a shortwave radio kit there. How did I forget? Must be old age stting in.
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Ye Old Radio Hangout
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by WA6RF on August 21, 2007
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I used to ask for Sy when I went there and I'd been introduced to Ted Henry by a mutual friend, so I too have missed that comradeship. Thanks for bring it back for a moment.
Dick WA6RF
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by W0DLR on August 21, 2007
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Boy did this article bring out the comments. I guess that dates us all.
"They" always talk about the good old days, damn right they were. Well, we have become that "they".
When I was a young Novice and dumb about radio (I still qualify for that award today...dumb) the study guide was a ARRL Handbook. If you thought you knew enough about the test from reading the handbook, you trudged to St. Louis or Kansas City and gave it your best shot. My first study guide/Handbook cost me $3. and I still have it.
Everything I bought came from Bob Henry in Butler, Mo. Remember that kind lady that answered the phone, Doris? Mike McGrath was there for years, a Coffeyville, KS native, and George in the back room. I believe the last deal I made with them was with Bob's nephew, David Henry. He kept the store going a while and then returned to California. The rest is history.
I had little or no money for gas, and we have come full circle, I once again have NO money for gas, I would call Bob, make a deal on the phone, make monthly payments and get the radio at the bus depot.
Now Henry Radio is gone, so is the Continental Trailways Bus, and so is the Bus Depot. I suppose all that is left of that scenario is me so I'll be next.
Its good that we can reflect on the past and our drifters that we owned. They were state of the art at the time, and I loved every drifting minute of them.
Dave W0DLR
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