Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
Web Williams (KR4WM)
on
January 25, 2004
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I realize this is probably a lost cause, but I was truly aghast at the absence of 1N34 germanium diodes at the local Radio Shack. I REALIZE that they're slowing getting out of the parts business. But darn it- the lowly germanium diode has been the "entry level/basic beginner" place to start for thousands of electronics-interested hobbyists since it was "discovered". How do they expect Boy Scouts to build a crystal radio without one? Many commercially manufactured radios depend on the 1N34a as a detector!
(I know about building a galena cat's whisker detector- I'm working on one now as a matter of fact... if you don't think it's worth doing, look at the recent prices of crystal detectors and crystal radios on eBay!!!)
If anyone from Radio Shack reads this, I am PLEADING with you to begin stocking the lowly germanium diode in your stores once again.
If every ham radio operator in the U.S. reading this goes down and buys just one- (do the math) I think we can get them to put them back in the stores. Brother, can you spare a dollar to bring back the germanium diode at "the shack"?
KR4WM
Web Williams in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG4PFO on January 25, 2004
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The shack has been on a downhill spin for a very long time....one day they will only be a memory.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N7UQA on January 25, 2004
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As sad as this is I remember when they used to sell 7 segment florescent tube displays and used to be a real Radio Shack. But most consumers are not interested in building kits and buying electronic parts for experimentation. I used to buy those red and clear perforated project board kits like their short wave receiver and goofy lite kits from the 70s...
73 Craig - N7UQA
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4ZOU on January 25, 2004
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The local Radio Shack is not replacing any of the parts as they sell them. One day you will see whats left of it on clearance sale. I gave up on them months ago. I now order all my parts from www.mouser.com .
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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Radio shack.
There are two types of radio shacks
1)The express stores. They are absolutely useless.
You got questions?, We got batteries!
They just sell low end consumer stereos,batterie, cheap WLan equiment,over priced cell phones and of course batteries.
The only thing tht will pass for electronics are their GMRS/FRS H-T's No parts at all!
2)The so called full service stores, do have the parts rack. However the worker look at the parts as too much work. They have no idea of a NE-555 timer or a diode.
If they run out of a part, they will tend not to reorder it.
Much of the ham equipment is not in stock. It has to be ordered.
A Radio shack in NYC 20 years ago, were electronic Mecca's. My ham friends would meet up at the shack.
The managers had a good enough knowledge of electronics to pass the old 2nd class commercial phone
The 1970's were the tail end of good radio shacks
There was a complain post last year on the Shack. One manager, who was a ham lambasted us on EHAM.
We do not make any money on parts!
ENOUGH SAID!
73 DE MIKE
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by K4JSR on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack is going to be your next Circuit City
Clone. You got questions? They gots a 'Fridge and
a phone!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC0NYK on January 25, 2004
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There are many places to buy parts. Since Radio Shack has abandoned the ham, maybe it is time for the ham community to abandon Radio Shack. Trust me, guys, the folks in the twin towers in Ft. Worth will get the message pretty quick if 700k+ operators and thier families stop using Radio Shack for ANYTHING AT ALL!
There are exceptions to the rule. The independently owned stores, such as the Radio Shack Affiliate Store in Derby, KS, owned and operated by an active ham; carry pretty much anything you can ask for. Oh! yes, Mark ships!!!! The number is in the phone book yellow pages....there are others; but for the corporate owned stores maybe a boycott [using our buying power to good advantage] is the answer.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB1IVU on January 25, 2004
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I love going to RadShak and asking some high school kid for something....they just say "I dunno" then walk away....great customer service...
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4IQT on January 25, 2004
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True, it's been a long time in coming to pass. The only consistently decent quality parts I've ever been able to get at any local RS store, though, have been connectors and hardware. Their electronic components have been overpriced and often pre-zapped ever since they started selling in stores instead of their catalog business (which is still around, just more focused on B2B, like DigiKey).
But you're right - now the kids will just never learn about the fun of homebrewing electronics, unless they hang out at one of the very, very few privately-owned parts houses remaining. I think we've got maybe two in our Tri-Cities area of Tennessee - both stock 1N34's and 2N2222's!
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by LNXAUTHOR on January 25, 2004
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- here are 10 problems with Rat Shack (and RS stores in my area):
1. employees are temporary and view their stint as an 'in-between' job just a tad higher than 'you-want-fries-with-that?' - little incentive to provide good service...
2. many can't speak English, and many stores are run in a similar manner as a 7-11 in an urban area - some local stores have a 'shady' feel with poor stocking, re-bandaged goods put back on shelves (one local store in particular has become a hangout for groups of foreigners - don't get me wrong, i'm not being racist here, but this behavior has a tendency to frighten away other customers)
3. many employees lack rudimentary customer service skills (see #1); most likely due to low hourly pay
4. during the holidays, all electronics parts are taken off the shelves and thrown in boxes in the back room to make room for stacks of cheap Chinese import toys
5. no more catalog
6. poor Web site
7. quality of products varies greatly; even products in a same product run/model number will vary
8. mixing of old and new stock, with old stock originally marked with a lower price rebadged with a higher new price in same product mix on shelf or in drawer
9. poor selection of wire, marketing and sale of really poor soldering stations, over-priced audio connectors and adapters
10. 'hard-sell' tactics on satellite and cellular phone service
- i could go on and on...
- my stints to the stores now consist of scavenging for any of the few remaining 'on-sale' or 'going-out-of-stock' parts and products with acceptable quality and potential use for amateur radio... once they are all gone, RS will see no foot traffic from me...
- i find it hard to believe that Ft. Worth knows all this is going on and is pushing RS in this direction...
- but i doubt there are ANY amateur radio operators in the Ft. Worth corporate ranks...
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB8YMV on January 25, 2004
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Another vote against the shack comes from this ham too. I believe when a company sells ham equipment they have an ethical responsibility to inform the customer about the license requirements even though there is no legal requirement to do so. There have been alot of strange signals on 2 meters around here since radio shack began selling that equipment. I say the sooner they get totally away from ham radio and electronic parts the better.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG8JF on January 25, 2004
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This may date me but I remember the forerunner of Radio Shack. I think it was Allied Radio out of Chicago
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by SSBDX on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack goes back to a single store in Boston from what I can remember. Even when they were considered a parts / electronic store they never had very many parts like the real distributors (Allied, RS electronics, etc.). I don't know how anyone can complain about a store not selling something when they can't sell the stuff you might want to buy but nobody else. I have seen 3 big local distributors go out of business last year. How is Radio Shack supposed to make money from occational $1 box of diode sales? Don't blame Radio Shack, blame yourselves (as a group) for not buying and building
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K5MSW on January 25, 2004
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Yesterday I was talking with the owner of a new affiliate store in our town (Tucumcari, NM). He was telling me that he stocks about 4500 different items. He said that RS carries about 9500 items. When they add new items, they delete older items that have poor sales. While I don't know if the 10,000 is a magic number, but with RS now going exclusively with Dish Network, it seems that they are driven by volume and only keep the "parts" out of tradition. I too, remember Allied Electronics out of Chicago (they are still around and have even a bigger catalog than Mouser. At one time their biggest competitor was Heathkit!
Polluting the airwaves since 1957!
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Get Real!
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by WPE9JRL on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack was always a "popular" consumer electronics store. Their inventory reflects the interest of their customer base.
What we should be asking here is: Where have all the experimenters gone?. They went by way of Popular Electronics magazine: gone!
Why would the Shack stock any parts. Be thankful that
the store stocks any parts at all! The demand is just not there to support the floor space in the store.
Stay flexible, do not resist change. Use the Internet: Mouser, Dan's Small Parts....etc.
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by AG4RQ on January 25, 2004
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If you are looking for 1N34 diodes, you will find them in junk radios (AM broadcast) and junk CBs. You might even find them in junk tape recorders and VCRs. All hams should be collecting junk parts, and should have a collection of junk PC boards and chassis, loaded with parts. I've been collecting junk electronic parts and PC boards from all kinds of junk electronic products that most people would otherwise throw away since 1978. A massive junkbox is a must for the homebrewer. If you want 1N34s new, stock up on them at hamfests. Use Rat Shack only as a last resort for parts. Rat Shack is only an empty shell of what it once was in the 70s and 80s. They've become one big disappointment and a nightmare for the electronic hobbyist.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB5HWS on January 25, 2004
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I say good riddance.
In my area, there are several local stores that offer better prices and selection than RS ever did. The only thing that RS has offered for years is the convenience of being close. Now it's a 15 minute drive instead of a 5 minute drive to get parts.
Here in the Dallas area, you can get parts from places like Tanner's or any one of the three Fry's stores, both are cheaper than RS.
If you live in an area that can't support any more than a RS, well, sorry - guess you're stuck ordering on-line, or starting your own electronics parts store in thousands of small towns, and seeing if it succeeds.
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by AG4RQ on January 25, 2004
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Yeah, I forgot about Dan's Small Parts:
http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB3JJG on January 25, 2004
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As a Shack manager I love these types of threads. As far as the comment about anyone in corp not being a ham I beg to differ, Wayne Wilson is the product development manager for radio comms and his call sign is WR5S. We don't carry all the small parts because poeple DO NOT buy them. Retail space is expensive, 99 cent resistors do not pay the rent, especially when they don't move. I could rant for pages on this topic because you OF's make me laugh. Radio Shack sucks because they don't have some odd-ball transistor or odd value resistor, we are in business to make money, and the small parts just don't make us any money anymore. Enough said
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by DJ8GO on January 25, 2004
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RS is not a charitable institution that supplies experimenters with germanium diodes if they show up once in a blue moon for a penny-purchase. They're a business and have to make a profit. Since few radios still use discrete parts that could be replaced, and few people still have the skills to do so if they did, the only market for parts really is the experimenter. If you can come up with a profitable business plan that is based on more than a plea that each ham should buy a 1N34 they'll jump at it. Another basic rule of business is, of course, that it rarely helps to use derogatory names for a company that you're trying to convince to do something for you ...
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N2ERN on January 25, 2004
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Lets be real here!
Small parts is a retailer's nightmare. A zillion slow-moving, easily pocketable items, each of which costs more to inventory than its profit, taking up space that could be used for something that might SELL!
My local RS has a couple of metal cabinets for small parts, and I can usually find what I need. Last visit I went looking for a solderless BNC connector to fix a GPS suction antenna mount. They had a couple of BNCs that would work for me, and I left happy. My new RS connector is now better than the crappy crimped connector that Garmin supplied. But I'd be nuts to think that RS could pay the rent with customers like me!
This is where the internet comes in, my friends. A perfect garage-based business with next-day delivery available. Or Mouser -- those wonderful people! I can't believe they send me an expensive catalog for my skimpy business!
I have no connection with RS, and I think most of the stuff they sell is generally pretty low-end, although I'd buy one of their scanners.
So let's give it a break. Times change. Radio Row is gone. Heathkit is gone. Knightkits are gone. Eico is gone. But you still expect cheap parts to be stocked?
Time to get real.
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by N8FVJ on January 25, 2004
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I believe Radio Shack started in 1949 with selling Command sets and other gov't surplus. Today, Radio Shack has shifted their focus to general consumer electronics.
Mouser is now the preferred supplier & they not only ship fast, you can use your credit/debit card for same day shipping.
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by K9OHI on January 25, 2004
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KB3JJG has hit the nail on the head.
How many 1N34s, NE555s, and 7-segment fluorescent displays do you figure the average RS would have sold last year? Multiply that by the average cost per item to determine how much revenue these items are going to bring in. Now put yourself in the shoes of the retailer who has limited shelf space. What item is going to bring more dollars in the door--the couple of parts the local experimenter is going to buy or the latest consumer electronic toy?
Contrary to the belief prevalent in this thread, RS is not a charitable organization. They're in the business of making money, and experimenters looking for parts are not a group that is going to do that for them.
That's what it means to live in a capitalist country, folks.
73 de Tom.
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by KE6CSL on January 25, 2004
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Aw, c'mon now guys. Ham radio operators just might possibly represent a hundredth of a percent of Radio Shack's income. They are gonna have to follow the "Sutton Principle", Hi.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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KB3JJG, I have to ask this one! Are you the same radio shack dude that lambasted us el cheapo hams last year?
(HI-HI)
If you are, I smell a conspiracy(Hi-HI)
I just gotz to know!
73 and laughs MIKE
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA5N on January 25, 2004
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It's all part of the Wal-martizing of America. This is the era of the big box store. Haven't you noticed that all stores, from the supermarket to the drugstore to the home repair stores carry the same merchandise? The constant search for the lowest price brings us stuff made in China and the third world. A million hams seeking 1N34's wouldn't make a drop in the bucket.
Allen
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by VE3BEE on January 25, 2004
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At Radio Shack (you have questions we can't answer them)
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by G1YGJ on January 25, 2004
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We lost all our Radio Shack stores ( called Tandy over here )
a few years ago. They were bought out by a Mobile ( Cell ) 'phone retailer. Now it's either wait for a Radio Rally/Show or mail order !.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N6OFY on January 25, 2004
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In my area, they sell mainly cell phones, though over the years, the manager of my nearest RS will order any thing that I need.
He often comments that I know the store better than anyone else.
KG8JF mentioned Allied Radio, I remember them well, and always looked forward to their very large catalog.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG4YJR on January 25, 2004
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You can walk into a Radio Shack store two days in a row and the same people that asked you the day before will say:
Do you need a new cell phone?
No thanks I have one.
What about a satellite dish?
No thanks I already have one.
I want to try and see if I walk in again a half hour later if the same people will repeat the same questions.
73
Dave
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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VE3BEE nice ad. but you have it a little wrong.
At radio shack you have questions......We have batteries!
Or you have questions....we will be real annoyed if you do not buy an overpriced cellphone from us!
73 and laughs MIKE
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K3WVU on January 25, 2004
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I don't waste my time with Radio Shack anymore. In the past, they've had a few decent items such as scanners, but their line of amateur equipment has always been uninspiring and vastly overpriced. The reason that most of their employees know nothing is that they pay a starvation basic salary and the rest is made up from commission. That's why the extra markup on everything they sell. Hams would do well to remember that Radio Shack isn't in business to cater to them, but has become just another consumer electronics outlet. As I recall, they either bought out or merged with Allied Electronics many years ago, and have changed ownership at least once since.
Unless you are fortunate enough to live close to one of the major Ham equipment dealers, your ultimately going to have to rely on the internet or Hamfests for everything you buy.
73
Dwight K3WVU
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by KD7EZE on January 25, 2004
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Check out what past and present RS employees have to say: www.radioshacksucks.com
As for my own personal opinion, RS has been pretty much worthless since they began selling satellite dishes and cellphones. In the 60's and 70's, they were a good source for parts, and some good consumer electronics. For any hams that happen to work for RS, I apologize if I have offended you.
KD7EZE
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by K0IZ on January 25, 2004
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Times change. Yep, Radio Shack sells very few parts, not much money to be made. I buy from www.mouser.com and order on-line. Great same or next day service, huge selection of parts, and only about $5 for shipping. Compared with Radio Shack I find Mouser to be MUCH CHEAPER, more than making up for the $5 shipping. So I suppose I'm helping Radio Shack get out of the parts business by going elsewhere. John.
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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I just checked out www.radioshacksucks.com site.
It is a must read!
Funny,scary, and controversial!!
Ouch!
73 DE MIKE
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by K0XU on January 25, 2004
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"Radio Shack sucks because they don't have some odd-ball transistor or odd value resistor, we are in business to make money, and the small parts just don't make us any money anymore. Enough said "
And the stuff the do make money on is worse crap than you can buy at wal-mart. Unfortunately there is not much choice around here. There is 1 parts house that carries a pretty good selection, but not great. If I get the urge to build, it has usually dissipated before the mail order parts get here!
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by N3QT on January 25, 2004
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Sole source development leads to a fragile effort. I have found several mail order replacements. It may not be as comforting to know one can run to the corner to buy a forgotten item in the midst of a build; however, I am saving so much money now.... hi hi hi.
Mail Order:
*forces better initial planning/design.
*better selection at various levels of quality/price.
*high availability
*shipping fee and lead time for delivery.
*saves money in direct relation to quantity desired.
De Shack:
* if available, ...one item , quality & price
* convienient, if available.
* inconsistant stocking by choice/high demand/process.
* cost of gas and time for travel to store.
* Was great for 1-2 item purchase in a hobbyist effort.
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by VE3WGO on January 25, 2004
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We should probably understand how tough RS's business is getting these days. Profit margins are getting razor thin. Lease costs are getting sky-high, so that shelf space is at a premium, and profits per square foot rule the business. RS has to play by the same rules as all the rest of its competitors.
In my suburb of Ottawa, we have 3 RS stores. Two of them have some small parts, like prototyping perfboard PCBs, 'gator clips, neon lamps, banana plugs, wire, RF conectors, etc, and one even has TV antenna mast sections. The other one is just a computer, cellphone, and stereo store. I buy lots of wire and perfboards, and the RS checkout clerk takes note. Their competition is Best Buy/Futureshop, Wal-mart and other big-box discount stores, and the market is getting more crowded every day it seems.
Lets face it, hams and experimenters are a frugal bunch. We barely buy enough equipment to keep a single Ham Radio store alive in a very large city - where's the nearest one to you? Do you even have one any more? If not, that's your fault - yes it is. Same goes for the electronics parts stores, which have all but disappeared from the retail scene. On the other hand, there are dozens of computer and stereo stores in every neighbourhood.
Anybody ever find a retail store for Mouser or Digi-key? No. That's what I thought. These companies simply can't afford to be in the retail business. It's just mail-order for them - that's all they can afford.
Hard as may be to accept, we have to admit that we just don't buy enough parts and ham radios to keep these retail businesses alive. I can hardly blame RS for getting out of the parts business -- doesn't mean I'm happy about it though -- I just realize my breed is approaching extinction.
If we want to keep the parts and equipment retail businesses alive, we need to buy more stuff. If hams were each to buy the same amount of parts and ham equipment as we buy of computer and stereo/TV stuff, we might get the parts and ham equipment businesses to return to health.
Are we up to it?
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RE: Radio Shack Strikes Out Again!
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by AF4MP on January 25, 2004
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It's our own fault. Ever since hams started buying ready made equipment, the parts business began to decline.
If a dedicated ham radio store (e.g. HRO) doesn't carry parts, how can you expect Radio Shack to do otherwise?
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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Any body get NUTS&VOLTS the magasine? Plenty of kits and parts sources.
If you do not want an over priced cell phone, camcorder,computer,WLAN,Booombox,VCR,crummy Dolby 5.1a home theater, no reason for a RADIO-SHACK!
The sales jerks wil also try to sell you triple the batteries you need for the crap you bought!
The newest scam is that they offer extended warrenties! I bought a $75 digital multimeter from radio schloch. The sales buffon tried to see me on a $20 1 year warrente for the multimeter!
$20 for one year on a $75 meter! What Do they think I smoke Crack!
73 DE MIKE
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by KB9YGD on January 25, 2004
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Well Gentleman I No Longer Go To Radio Shack For ANY Reason Because They dont Have Any Knoledgeable salespersons And Dont Ever Have Anything There That I Need.The ONLY Thing That Radio Shack Wants To Sell Is Cellphones And Audio Equipment.They STINK...73, ``THE REAL HAM``
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by AB7UW-MONTANA on January 25, 2004
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Youve got questions? weve got minumum wage earners! N1XV ex-AB7UW p.s. Oh We have batteries too!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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AB7UW-MONTANA, I am sorry dude. In NYC they would never get a HAM to work for that horribly small amount of money. I am sure you and you friends have many electronic answers. The ones we got in NYC used to work for McDonnalds! They really do not know didly!
I hope it is just s transisional job for you, that leads to electronics and engineering!
73 DE MIKE
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by K9TTT on January 25, 2004
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Ulrich (DJ8GO) is correct and tells it like it is. Good job OM.
de Dale K9TTT
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KE6PKJ on January 25, 2004
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K0XU hit the nail on the head. How can Radio shack expect repeat customers by selling overpriced poorly made junk when you can by cheaper, better made electronics at the big box stores. Since the inception of retail stores, the retailer has known that "lost leaders", or needed products that don't make money, bring the customer repeatedly back into the store. This ensures the opportunity to sell your quality products.....the key here is "quality" product. That can be defined as either a superior product- or a lesser product, at a superior price.
All the grocery stores seemed to have grasped that concept. They waste valuable retail space to place newspapers, gumball machines and 99 cent combs, nail clippers and toys as a convenience. Radio shack complains about selling 12 cent transistors for $1.49 or 1 1/2 cent resistors at 5 pieces for 99 cents, well I just have to laugh at those "non money making" parts.
Just consider it as a lost leader that brings the customer in to buy your more expensive enclosures, knobs, battery packs, etc.
After all, if you don't sell the parts to put INTO those plastic or aluminum enclosures, how many enclosures are you going to sell?
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N2ERN on January 25, 2004
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KE6PKJ has a lot to learn about retailing. He states that "All the grocery stores ... waste valuable retail space to place newspapers, gumball machines and 99 cent combs, nail clippers and toys as a convenience."
My friend, the placement of these little items at the checkout is that they are VERY high profit items, plus, they are IMPULSE purchases. Women pick up those "newspapers" and buy them. Kids whine, and their parents grab a bar of candy. "CONVENIENCE" has nothing to do with it. PROFIT is what it's all about! The space certainly isn't "WASTED" -- it's high profit, and very, very productive.
Putting some transistors or bulbs at a RS cash register makes no sense at all.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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KE6PKJ I do understand the concept of loss leader.
At Radio Shake, I always just go in for alkalines.
T
I do buy the eclosure, knobs,r,c,l's,fuses,chips and other devices,all at this ONE Radio SHACK.
I cannot fault your business model.IT WORKS! I getted suckering all the time!
Wish we had HAMS that worked at Radio Shack in NYC!
Maybe thirty years ago Radio Shack could get real HAMS! No more!
73 DE MIKE
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N9AVY on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack will soon go the way of Allied Radio, Lafayette Radio, Olson, Radio, EDI, and a host of others. Times change and if a retailer doesn't change with them, that retailer is history.
jerry, n9avy
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG7DX on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack has forgotten it's audience, and it's mission. It will fade away, like Allied Radio. And as it should be... if you don't serve the audience, Darwinism takes over. Bye-bye, 'Shack
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W0UCE on January 25, 2004
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All is not lost. There are project builder parts available at:
http://www.oselectronics.com/
73,
W0UCE
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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What the real deal. NYC's only full service radio shack.
The people thet got working there, fahgetabout it!ACE!
They do not know the difference between, ham ,CB rc,
GMRS/FRS, or MR michrophone!! What a waste!If this place had ond REAL HAM to run that place, thier profits would quadrouple! Hey ,Waste of a primo location dude! Like I mean BIG time!
Just one HAM would make the place a good place to shop.
I do not care what lic. class either. I am sure a few
some no code, just good electronics experience are nout there to take the NEW NOVICE EXAM. Just one man.
Just one Ham/wheeler dealer. CARPE DIEM type of men.
Could make that radio shack a mint!The way it is there, they turn off anybody with ANY electronics experience. Hate when they say can I help you! AHHHHHHH! Yeah, you can help me pay my rent chump!
I have a very good vibe this thread. We will see who the real poker players are! This in the scene you what I Bet, not too many real poker players on EHAM!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4JRB on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack has moved away from amateur radio and even parts since the demise of Radio Shack.COM. They push consumer electronics, satellite, and telephone/cell phones.
I have a 1962 catalog from Radio Shack in Boston(the original) and they were a full parts dealer then stocking amateur radio gear. They bought Allied Radio out of Chicage in the mid 1970's. Allied is now part of Hamilton/Avnet.
There are still companies such as Newark, Mouser, and Digi-Key that sell parts and many cities still have commercial electronics stores such as Ack Supply in Atlanta.
Too bad their .com and parts store strategy failed.
Dave K4JRB
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AA8X on January 25, 2004
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I use to stop by a Radio Shack store at least once a week. Since they became a toy, Direct TV and cell phone store, I haven’t gone into one more than once in the last year. Sadly they have become a high price junk store selling cheap Chinese products. They will be history before the end of the decade.
Bob, AA8X
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K9JDK on January 25, 2004
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I remember Allied Radio in Chicago. My brother and I used to travel there many, many years ago. He purchased his amateur radio gear across the street at a place whose name escapes me now.
When Allied Radio became Radio Shack, it was never the same again.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W8QR on January 25, 2004
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Strangely enough, you can build a crystal set without a germanium diode. I built my first crystal set around 1952 or 1953, before germanium diodes were invented. It worked fine and led to my first ham license.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NT4I on January 25, 2004
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I'd be happy if they just shut down. Seems like all they sell is JUNK anyway!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K9JDK on January 25, 2004
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Also forgot to mention in previous note.
Remember Heath Kit? We used to travel there too.
Last article I read about the Heath company was a few years ago in the Chicago Tribune. Last sentence in the article went something like: "When was the last time you ordered something from Heath?"
While always head and shoulders above RS, its been gone for how many years now.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NJ0E on January 25, 2004
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radio shack is in business to turn a profit, just
like any other enterprise.
as others have pointed out, the sales personnel often
don't understand the purpose of the components (if
any) that they sell. if they seem interested, i
try to explain to them what i use the components
for, or why what i need is different than what they
have in stock.
let's face it: those of us who enjoy building
electronic items at the component level are in a
niche category; folks, we are a "fringe". it's
totally pointless to bash radio shack for their
business decisions.
if you don't purchase any components from your local
radio shack, then it's a foregone conclusion that
they cease to carry any components there.
i shop there for items that i need quickly, in small
quantities; when it's in my interest. for larger
purchases, i use mouser, dan's small parts and kits,
smc electronics, whatever. in short, i make business
decisions that are in my interest also.
73,
scott nj0e
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB4QNG on January 25, 2004
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I have found it is best to look for things at R/S on your own. I needed a conector for a radio the other day just to be told that they didn't know where I could find one. I went to the drawers and found it. They said they thought I wanted one with the wires on it. I told them I could wire it myself. As for as Ham equipment. They have gotten out of the business. I don't know of any they sell anymore. They are also out of the car sterio busines too. I think it is a shame. I thought their radio's for the most part were decent.
Terry
WB4QNG
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K7ZOV on January 25, 2004
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The mental midgets at Radio Shack (Corp) can not comprehend the real world. We have two RS near my new QTH in the White Mountains of AZ. The owners are about to pull their hair out. According to them the corp people "know all" and the customers are idiots. It started with them killing a real parts store with real hours in Mesa called RadioShack.com. Then they screwed the catalog up ... now the catalog is gone I believe. They don't accept that not everyone has internet service all the time or at all. So you either have to go to a store and confirm they don't carry what they use to or fire up the computer. Me for one like a real paper book to go through ... a CD rom and internet in that order. Don't beat up on the store poeple. They get paid around minimum wage + commissions which are not great and have no support for helping us. I have talken my business to Mouser electonics and Digi-Key and even though I have to wait a few days I can get a REAL catalog ... a CD and Internet plus they are real nice people to deal with .... Kiss off RS except for toys and junk ... They are not even 1/2 the company that they use to be and I don't think ever will be again.
73's to one and all
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA6KSS on January 25, 2004
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I hate to say it, guys, but Radio$hack is operating like any other retailer. If something doesn't sell, it's dumped in favor of something that might sell a little better. Floor/display space is expensive, and something has to pay the bills.
When it comes to Hams, that compose less than one percent of the total population of the U S, they're not going to keep the doors open. If they did, the stores would look like HRO or AES. The same goes for experimenters. If Radio$hack carried everything that hams and experimenters want, the stores would look a lot differently.
I will agree that it seems like Radio$hack is going out of the electronics business; however, they are trying to keep up with the times, and sell stuff that the majority of people want.
As for salespeople, they are trying to do their job. They have explicit instructions, issued by higher headquarters, or their jobs are in jeopardy. They must offer every customer a cell phone or satellite deal, or they get fired. Granted, it's not the proper way to run a business, but Radio$hack is desperate to build up their cash flow.
As a former Radio$hack salesperson, I am glad that I am not employed there any more. It sucks!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA4KOE on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack...You've got questions, we've got blank stares.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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In the eyes of Radio schlock were are truly THE MERE PROVEBIAL ""chopped liver""!
New ad: Radio Schlock-You got questions....we have batteries.
Only at Radio Schlock were have yesterdays technolgy,
next year.
I liked it when we had Lafayette or Radio shack to choose from. Lafayette had ham gear 20 years before radio shack.
You could order a DRAKE TR-4B/c from Lafayette.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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Order a shoctkey diode's from www.minicircuits.com
They sell all sorts of microwave parts.
If you want a supper high performance crystal radio, use a shtoctkey diode. Its foward bias is .i5V instead of germainiums .25V
They also sell these really cool MMIC's for 99 cents.
ltra simple 4 lead device. GOOD from DC-4ghz. Up to
30db of gain. up to 125mw out.
They have a whole series of these amps that need only 3 external componants.
Use it as a an RF pre-amp. Use it for IF freqs. use one to drive a loud speaker. Use one as a 100mw RF output. You can build an entire rig using MMIC's.
All their stuff is 50/75 ohm. The MMICS are cascadable.
Your troup can build all sorts of TX's, RX's.
They make multioctive VC0's-.5mhz-2ghz. Great for a VFO or local oscillator.
WWW.MINICIRCUITS.COM They sell germainiums too.
If you want to build you own TX/RX units, these are great. almost no external componants. Their catalog has sample circuits. Your troup can build some really nifty devices.
Forget about radio shack.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N1RWC on January 25, 2004
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Gee, What a concept. As a former Radio Shaft Manager, and Disgruntled Stockholder, I was very disgusted as to how they started to do business as of 2000. Their Stock fell drastically in late 1999 when they started thier new philosophy, "You got Questions, We Don't know what you mean". If it didn't have a $ Sign attached , the Corporate Guys didn't care. Their Response to some questions about Inventory of parts, was to mail order, or as I was told by the District Sales manager, "Sell the customer a Wireless Cell Phone and get them to sign up for Long Distance, and don't worry about their needs, as they are coming in for the Cell Phone and long Distance, not parts or VCR's TV's or Computers." Too bad they have this mentality, as they were a great place for parts, now thier like going to Town Hall for a Oil Change on a car, totally useless.
If only they would put the reefer down and listen to their customers, maybe they might be a good company again, but they just don't get it.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA9FLX on January 25, 2004
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Radio Shack: You got questions? We do too!
Sad but true, RS is not even an overpriced emergency parts shop anymore! Like the rest of America's publically owned companies, they have chosen to turn their backs on the people who made them in favor of the people who will fork over the most money. To some degree, you cannot blame them for that. They believe it is good business. Still, you don't have to like it.
All RS really is today, is an overpriced reseller of general consumer electronic junk. Support for the experimentor at any price has long since disappeared.
My suggestion: If you are even a moderate experimentor, take advantage of the mail order parts places. Shop them around because like any vendor, the prices vary.
I would suggest that for the price you paid at RS for your diode (when they did have it), you can buy enough of them to last you the next 10 years.
Adios Radio Shack, and as long as you have abandoned us, would you please stop selling Amateur and GMRS radios to any idiot that walks through the door? ;-)
You "Associates" always forget to mention that a license is required when selling them. You don't have to support the hobby anymore, but please don't dump your trash in our backyard!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N9XK on January 25, 2004
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When I was in my teens in the early 80's I was always building some kit or another out of one of the then many publications that offered schematics for do it yourself kits.
Even then Radio Schlock lacked, low stock, poor selection, lack of willingness to call other area stores to see if they had the part I needed. It was common practice to visit at least 6 stores to get maybe 80% of what you needed, rediculous.
Radio Schlock pretty much disappeared for me when Nutron Computers and Electronics opened up in Lombard, IL. They literally HAD everything and you usually got many more parts for your money there.
Anyone else remember Nutron? It's a family owned business that I think moved to a different state sometime in the late 90's. Wish they did mail order, I miss them.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 25, 2004
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Hmmm.. A store called "Radio Shack" would usually imply that they specialize in "Radio Communication Equipment."
Isn't is rather odd that they sell everything BUT Radio's these days... ?!?
Mobile phones, computers, batteries, TV's, and kids toys hardly qualify as "Radio" in most consumers minds.
Perhaps a newer name reflecting this new line of business would be in order.
Any suggestions?
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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Charles - KC8VWM
1)RADIO-TRASH
2)RADIO SCHLOCK---THAT IS AN OLD ONE
3)RADIO SUX
4)rat SHACK----OLD ONE
5)BOOM BOXES AND MORE
6)RADIO BOOM BOX
7)%^&(*(^$&*^%*%*$*$^*$RADIO-SHACK
8)RADIO &%^%&%(&%%%(&%%$^ SHACK
9)RADIO FLAKE
100)
SCHLOCK SHACK
RADIO CHUMPS
10)INFERIOR ELECTRONICS INC
11)RADIO WHIMPS
12 RADIO-SCAM SHACK
RADIO SHAKE DOWN!
73 de mike
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC9AWS on January 25, 2004
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Every time that I used go to Radio Slack for something, I got the janitor! At the local Radio Slack, I told them not to ask me, "Can I help you." I told them that I would be able to find it myself and if I needed help, I'd ask them to look on their computer to see if they had it. Of course, if their computer said that they had it, they can't find it most of the time. Radio Slack is becoming just another consumer electronics store like Circuit City or Best Buys.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KI4ASK on January 25, 2004
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It is regrettable that Radio Shack is turning into a phone and satellite tv store. I went in today looking for the Science Fair Crystal Radio kit (knowing they probably wouldn't have the germanium diode by itself). The kid at the counter asked me what a crystal radio was. I told him and he said that Radio Shack doesn't carry that stuff anymore. It's unfortunate, as I have fond memories of buying kits like that when I was a kid. I was hoping to put one together with my 8 year old daughter.
It will be interesting to see how RS will compete going forward. Their prices are not cheap and the selection is lousy. The The RS stores around here are all surrounded by bigger consumer electrics stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.
Despite all of what I've just said, I try to buy from RS when I can. In the middle of a project, I can usually get some coax, solder, or a connector or two from them.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N6JSX on January 25, 2004
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Rat Shack has succumb to the Harvard MBA way of business. Only fast sellers stay a live all others get dumped for the big margin and fast movers. Face it - this is a profit driven world - all that matters is making a fast buck for the executives to keep the stock high. By the time the impact is felt they will be at another company purging middle management making all do double duty for single pay.
But it's not just Rat Shack look at our High School and the lack of electronics classes, clubs, or programs. Computers are now "plug-n-play" auto configuring/installing. It is NOT part of the three R's so it's NOT needed in our youths knowledge base. This is directly contributing to the loss of youth in HAMdom.
Look at where is the cheap labor, the lack of promoting electronics, and overall lack of software creation in America over the past decade. We ARE NOW seeing software support/developement going to India, electronics manufacturing going to China, and labourious/hazardous chemical processes with cheap labor and no EPA going to Mexico. I do not think we have one company that makes LCD's in USA. None of the top selling HAM radios are made in USA. NAFTA really worked - agianst USA. So why should Rat Shack be any different? It's only going to get much worse until we close our boarders, attempt to get FAIR trade, and take the "personal" GREED out of USA executives! I remember in the 80's that comapnies still had 20 year plans - in the 90's (under Clinton) they shrunk to 5 year plans and now they are barely 3 year plans - wonder why the world economic base HAS/is imploding?
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 25, 2004
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The last time I went to Radio Shack I was approached by one of these "answer people" and asked him for 65 feet of RG8M cable.
The individual casually walked over to the wall display and starting looking at "bubble packs" to see if 65 feet of cable was located in one of them.
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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Bet that Bubble pack coax works great with a FAN DIPOLE!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N0XAS on January 25, 2004
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WA2JJH -
You missed my old standby, Radio Crap.
We do have one store in our area that carries a lot of parts. Well, "a lot" for RS anyway. Still, I just can't bring myself to pay $3.99 for a flippin' BNC connector, and they don't carry anything other than twist-ons anyway.
Troubling part is, I have been in there several times over the past months to clean out their stock of conductive foam (all two packages, every time) and pick a boc for Yet Another Rock-Mite. In all those visits, I have seen exactly one other individual browsing the parts stock. Makes me feel like the Lone Ranger.
73 de Dale, n0xas
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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more names
1)radio crap TNX OM
2)crab shack
3)international house of schlock or I-hock
4) ex-fast food worker shack!
5)Crap shack
6)Sh-t shack!
7)rip off shack
8)Dreck shack
9)Shack of Sh-t
10)Sh-t of shack!
11)Son of Shack!
12)Schmuck Shack
13 star schlock!
14)salvation army shack
15)Radio rejects
16)repack shack
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 25, 2004
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>>>Bet that Bubble pack coax works great with a FAN DIPOLE! <<<
I thought it was rather amazing that 65 feet of coax cable could fit inside a 5 x 4 inch bubble pack these days.
Funny you should say that... I did ask if they had any FAN DIPOLES in stock.
He told me that they didn't sell any appliance or fan parts (I was quite surprised, they seem to sell everything else!)
He then suggested that Walmart had a great deal on 20" fans and air conditioners as there is a bad winter blizzard occurring outside right now...
These guys at the "answer store" are so smart...
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 25, 2004
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:)IT IS SYMANTICS CHARLES.
Yes radio shack is an*answer store*!
However by law they do not have to give the RIGHT answers
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by V73NS on January 25, 2004
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RadioShaft is a long dead animal. They are just slow in dragging off the bones.
Try to find common resistor values, proper fuses, the right switch. I stopped going in there many years ago.
Get a catalogs from: MCM Electronics, DigiKey, Newark, Future-Active etc.
Sure you can't just run to the corner for a 4.7K resistor any more, but even with RadioShaft you couldn't. Sure, you can get (maybe) two 2.2K's and make it work... or five 1K and try that, or ten 470's, or....
The day they close the doors, no one will care.
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RE: Radio 'Snack' doesn't stock 866s and 807s!!!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 25, 2004
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Huuuuum.
Seems as if someone doesn’t know how to run a retail business?
Could it be the hams complaining? Naaaaw. We know hams complaining are EXPERT business people on Wall Street, in Finance, Accounting, with years of managerial experience, masters in math and stats. along with MBA from top schools—wizzards at inventory control!
RS must be morons for looking at how many times an item turns, it’s gross margin, and labour spent to get it to turn.
Harvard MBAs in retail!? Let alone at radio Shack??? Retail is a dirty word in academia.
Course, every ham that KNOWS they have a better way increase RS stock, should buy tons of RS stock, and take over the company. Or, how about simply writing a better business plan, send it to RS, telling RS to hire you as CEO. If you can make the owners of RS more money than the current CEO, they’ll hire you.
So who is going to start the thread complaining that Drake doesn’t sell replacement parts for all on the TR series rigs, along with parts for B and C-lines?
Here is another BIGGIE to complain about: the sun spot minima. When is the ARRL going to ban the sun spot minima? Surely they can finally do some good for ham radio and get the FCC to insure the sunspot cycle minimum bottoms out around 139. Write you representatives Today. Demand action!
But the real horror is that no one is making the tubes we hams need! No company is making new 807, 813, 866, 845, 6BA6. The sky is falling.
Ham Radio is doomed, RS doesn’t stock tons of small parts (force feed; RS force feeds the small parts into their stores)
Have FUN
Bob
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG4VPV on January 25, 2004
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My favorite quote:
"You've got questions, we've got blank stares!"
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG4YJR on January 25, 2004
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I won't copy and paste all of N6JSX's last post, about everything being made overseas by cheap labor due to NAFTA and corporate greed but I wonder where his computer he typed his post on came from or it's components if it was built personally, as this computer I'm using? If a base computer (nothing fancy) was made 100% here in America, all parts, all labor it would probably cost $3000 or more instead of the average $500 - $600 but who would pay that. It's like small economy cars, everybody wants everybody else to drive one, to make sacrifices but they still want their big cars, SUV's and they especially want their cheap electronics made in a third world sweat shop, but everybody else should pay more and support American industry and American jobs. After all, we live in a nation where people demand $20 an hour plus with benefits to screw things in something or stack boxes. That's if they even show up for work at all anymore but they still demand to be paid even for the days that they don't work. Oh yeah, and take care of them when they retire too. Companies aren't allowed to make money here anymore, just supply paychecks and benefits.
73
Dave
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RE: Radio 'Snack' doesn't stock 866s and 807s!!!
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by KC8VWM on January 25, 2004
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>>>>We know hams complaining are EXPERT business people on Wall Street, in Finance, Accounting, with years of managerial experience, masters in math <<<<
Hi Bob,
Nice to meet you. As a Ham and expert business person in my local community, It sure is nice to have this opportunity to present expert business advice to readers in this forum.
It might be worth mentioning that I was presented with the prestigious "2003 Businessman of the Year" award. This was featured in the April 2003 edition of the Wall Street Journal.
I was also appointed by Congressman Tom Delay in Washington D.C. as Honorary Chair for the State of Ohio Business Advisory Council.
Radio Amateurs can come from all walks of life and may have MBA's, be experts in Finance, Accounting, with years of managerial experience, and even have a masters in math.
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RS2002 on January 25, 2004
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This thread appears every so often, and every so often I will tell you all that you have not shopped in MY RadioShack store. Go ahead, group every store, and every associate together, and condemn us all at once.
It must be the truth, since very important and intelligent hams around the country are saying it on a message board, huh?
While I have no say whatsoever in the products that we sell, I will defend to you how I believe these decisions are made. Since I have over 15 years experience with RadioShack, I might have a bit of a clue. Many on this thread have hit upon some of the reasons. Small component parts are not a big seller for our company any more. They are actually quite profitable, contrary to what many think. Alas, it requires that a lot of those items be sold in order to justify their placement on our salesfloor. Guess what, folks? We have to pay rent. And Utilities. And other expenses. Every product that we (or any other retailer) sells in an actual store (as opposed to an internet site, which has different parameters) has to "earn it's place", by producing a certain amount of sales. Once again, I remind you, that we are in business to make a profit. So is Mouser. So is HRO. So is Ten-Tec. So are any business that YOU frequent. Do not condemn us simply because our company wishes to make a profit.
It has been said many times before, but I'll reiterate it for you. IF more of these parts were sold, more often, we would continue selling those parts. This isn't an exact science, nor a perfect one, but I do not find many requests for individual components that we have stopped carrying over the years. Remember, I've done this for some time now, and am familiar with these parts. Questions concerning them eventually end up with me, as I am the most knowledgable person in my store regarding said parts. So I know of which I speak. We simply don't see the traffic for that sort of part.
I assume that many of you folks are familiar with the fact that in small-town America, you cannot get most electronics repaired. I currently have a 31" TV set in a shop that I don't really want to use, but he is the only game in town, a town of almost 40,000 people. I have found this to be the case regarding many different types of electronics. The only thing you can get fixed locally would be something computer related. And even then, they don't do more than replace boards and such, certainly nothing at the component level. Realize this, folks, the use of small individual electronics components is fast becoming a dying art. I don't wish for it, I'm simply reporting on it. Many of the hams that I know don't do much component level work. Sure, there are regular customers who use these parts, many of them hams, and I provide them, but it is not a high-demand business. There actually isn't much demand at all.
Now then, one more time about RadioShack associates.
they don't know what you are talking about. They never will. They are paid barely above minimum wage, unless they are good SalesPeople. Those are the ones that are trying to sell the cell phones. They are doing what they are told, and they are being paid fairly well for it, if they do it even moderately well. I hate to tell you this, but we make money on cell-phones. It is THE biggest selling consumer electronics item in this country today. You know that someone will ask you to purchase one, when you enter our store. Deal with it. You can handle it. You work 75 meters, don't you? You can certainly handle a salesperson asking you if you'd like to purchase an item. Trying to sell someone an item is not dishonarable, so long as you aren't doing anything illegal or immoral. Sales pitches happen every second of every day. When you go to McDonalds, they will ask you if you want "fries with that?" Do you run to the message boards every time this happens? When you go into FYE (or insert favorite music store) they will ask if you want bland media, or if you want to pre-register for the latest video release, or some such. This happens to you, virtually every day. Yet RadioShack is reviled for it. Absurd.
Our associates are asked to master a large number of procedures, policies and products. It is certainly not easy to know the specifics of cell-phone calling plans (and this isn't done as properly as it should be)
but learing that is far more important than for them to learn ohms law. It is what we do. Our associates have to know a lot about satellite dishes, and their programming packages. They have to know about cordless phones. You wouldn't believe how little the average American knows about products such as these. An answering machine can be a nightmare. A DVD player.....OH MY GOD! And the rf modulator that you need to make it work with your TV set that doesn't have line inputs? What's a line input? This is everyday stuff for our associates. How to reference a button cell battery. A tv coax splitter. Tape recorders. This stuff is old news, and old hat to hams, but to regular Americans, this stuff is terrifying. It is state-of-the-art high-tech stuff. Scary, but true. Customers tell me this every day. And thank me for helping them with this confusing electronic gadetry. And this is what our associates have to be able to do. Do not expect them to learn anything about a 555 chip, or caps, resistors, and the like. It ain't gonna happen. If you don't know about it, don't expect to learn it in our stores. Don't expect our associates to be able to design a circuit for you. If they could do so, they would be working somewhere else, making a lot more money. Do you expect the clerks at the supermarket to be able to tell you how to bake a cake? No. But they probably can help you find the stuff that you ask for. Yes, some of our people don't know how to find some of the components and such. But their managers should be able to, most times. (They count it on their inventories, so I hope at least they can find it.) And by the way, friends, the component parts are in those drawers in the back of the store. Every store. There are either 2 sets or 4 sets, depending on store size. But thats where they are. Don't ask the sales associate where ther are, you already know. Trust me, when you go to those drawers, they won't come near you to bother you about cell-phones. You are the intelligent ones in this world. Our stores are pretty predictable, intentionally so. This is to help you. The drawers are pretty well labelled, too. You really don't need an associate to tell you where the fuses are, they are in the drawers with the light green signs with the 2 inch letters, saying "FUSES".
I'm done with this. Unfortunately, the folks that use this forum expect the world, and allow for nothing less. It's their way or the highway. Whether it is RadioShack changing with the times, the ARRL, Code/No-Code, contesting, or any of a number of other issues, I have begun to see that hams aren't the group to discuss it with. Because as a group, hams are self-serving, arrogant, obnoxious, unforgiving, intolerant, and selfish. As a group. Not as individuals, but as a group. There is that "broad brush", the one that you folks used to describe my place of work, without ever stepping foot in my store. The one with the certificates on the walls for public service in the states ARES group. The store with a large group of regular ham customers, who help each other out, and teach each other, self included, every day of the week. The store where we have ham radio demonstrations, for the public. So look in the mirror, fellow hams, and think about it a liitle bit before weilding that broad brush that you, as a group, seem to delight in using at every opportunity. And try to be a bit more flexible, and tolerant. And friendly. We'll all get along much better then. (Alas, I'm afraid that many of you aren't the least bit interested in "getting along", but that's another thread, and I've exhausted this one already.)
73, sincerely.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K0RGR on January 26, 2004
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I'm pretty happy with our local 'shacks'. Many of their people are hams, and they do stock a fair assortment of the parts. I must buy a lot of PL-259's there every year, and as long as they keep stocking them, I'll keep coming back. They do carry other items that I buy from time to time.
Mail order has been the rule for a long time.
Many years ago, I was in charge of procuring parts for both production and engineering for a company in Silicon Valley. Very few of the parts I needed were purchased in large volumes. It was tough to get them. I usually ended up buying them from specialty companies that sold to amateurs in small quantities, even though it meant paying several dollars for an IC that could be bought in bulk for pennies. I think it's gotten tougher now.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 26, 2004
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Great Charles.
I’ll let you explain market segmentation, product positioning, why retailers look at gross margin per cubic foot, inventory turns (ever wonder why RS whacks the price every month on DQed items until there ain't no more?), financing inventories, activity based accounting, payroll as a percentage of sales.
Locally, I stop into Zia Records to buy used CDs—they don’t have records anymore. Whirlpool (washers) sell dryers, and other appliances. A whirlpool refrigerator never and sense, but Whirlpool selling appliances other than washing machines does make sense.
Bob
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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I get your point Bob... well taken..
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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>>>>Unfortunately, the folks that use this forum expect the world, and allow for nothing less. It's their way or the highway. <<<<
RS2002,
No one is blaming you on a personal level for these apparent shortcomings of the company you work for.
They have simply expressed their observations over the years. There seems to be a lot of people wondering "why?" RS has taken this position of decline and interest in supplying "radio parts" as of recent late.
Perhaps you can answer these questions? Do you have any special insight on these matters that you could share with the rest of us?
"We have questions, but no answers."
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA4KOE on January 26, 2004
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VWM:
Dern, I am impressed to say the least. I know you don't like to brag.
WOW
PAN
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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I can see with the radio shacks managers concerns.
However in NYC a many savvy people get annoyed by
agressive sales tactics. Yes I understand these people are only following orders.
However It seems I buy $30-$100 dollars worth of parts at a time. I still get an attitude because I did not want my time spent talking about a phone. Also saying NO once to a service contract should do!
When I was 16-18, I worked in a few NYC electronics stores. The customers would ask for me because I had the information they wanted. I would then make the sale. I never pushed my self on people!
The HARD sell never works on experieced people.
A good salesperson can read the body lauguage.
First thing I was taught was never approach a customer cold and say....Can I help you? It is a turn off. Wait until you see the customer lookimg around.
Then gently say, is there something I can do?
Works like a charm.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC7MM on January 26, 2004
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I'm not a businessman, but it is pretty obvious why RS doesn't carry ham equipment or parts anymore. Everyone here seems to think that their ham equipment prices are/were too high and their individual parts were junk. So you all went to the internet or the big box stores for your gear. YOU didn't support your local businesses and they went away. Personnally, I think it's great that RS is still around at all.
Hams in general are the cheapest dudes I have ever run into. Like the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for..." and you got exactly what you were willing to pay for. Hello Walmart, goodbye little local businesses. Welcome to the global economy!
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I like RS
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by AE6Y on January 26, 2004
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I rarely comment on these threads, but I have to say I disagree with most of the posters on this one. There are numerous local Radio Shack stores in my area (San Jose, CA), all of which have parts bins and all of which seem to have friendly helpful sales clerks. I don't expect them to help with my projects or have specialized knowledge, and I don't ever get the cell phone hard sell that some have complained of.
Last week I needed parts to build a small box full of relays for a two-radio contest setup. While I could have got the parts from the Radio Shack website (or Mouser for that matter), I ended up going to 3 RS stores and buying out their stocks of small DPDT 12-volt relays (I needed 12). With some hookup wire and RS-supplied RCA jacks, I was in business. I've found that I often have to adapt small projects like this to the available supply of parts, and I am actually quite happy that RS continues to sell as many parts as they do.
I realize they are small stores, and products have to compete for shelf space. Frankly, I'm happy they still exist and continue to sell as many products as they do that are useful to hams.
73, Andy, AE6Y
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KK7WN on January 26, 2004
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Times change and Radio Shack has changed. The problem is , the name has not. RS needs to change its name to represent its new persona. Maybe we, as helpful Hams, can assist them. Suggestions?
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB6KGX on January 26, 2004
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Yes, you are correct. Radio Shack was a merger of two companies... Allied Radio (yes, from Chicago) and Tandy. Not sure when this happened, but up to the late 1970s there was still an Allied Radio store in Chicago.
Used to be THEEE place to go for parts, and there was a time when, believe it or not, you actually could buy a RADIO at "Radio Shack". Not only have they gone out of the ham business, they've also gotten rid of Car Stereos, too. If you're not looking for a cell phone or satellite dish, they're not interested in you.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB6KGX on January 26, 2004
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Hey, you stole MY line! I've been saying that for YEARS!!!!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB6KGX on January 26, 2004
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Oh, no... can't find a real "radio" at "Radio Shack"! They've even dropped car stereos. Still have those overpriced 'Home Theatre' getups and some RCA-labeled receivers.
They should change the name to "Cell Phones and S--T".
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K5XS on January 26, 2004
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RS2002
Thanks for a well thought out response. I had intended to weigh in as one fo the Radio Shack "defenders" but there is no need. You did a great job.
I've been a ham for 34 years, and I agree with your assessment of us as a group. There is arrogance untold in our hobby, but I still like the fun of making radios work.
I have no doubt I would shop in your store if I lived nearby.
Thanks for a great posting.
Bernie Skoch
K5XS
Arkansas
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB8MCZ on January 26, 2004
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This one really fries my @*%^, I was looking to upgrade to extra so I called the Rat Shack for the upgrade book and they said that they had it in stock and it was on sale for $3.00. I drove twenty miles to pick it up but when I got there I looked at it and the question pool was expired, I told the guy and he said that is why it is on sale and that they did not have any of the new ones. Boy was I mad and will never go to a Radio Shack again.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA2UUP on January 26, 2004
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I still can get some generic stuff at Radio Shack. Close to where I work, there is still some people that understand the needs of the homebrewer. However, as another OM said a few months ago in this column, the motto is "You've got questions, we got blank stares."
Not too many people are technically inclined. The worse part of RS is that they now give you a sales pitch while you pay about changing your stupid cell phone. I HATE THAT!!!!
Bert @ KA2UUP
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8WUC on January 26, 2004
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I have been a faithful customer of Radio Shack up until I was legally able to drive (at that time, 16 yo in Ohio). At which point I quickly learned that there were more outlets and opportunities to get the parts I needed to build more sophisticated devices than the Radio Shack op amp organ. As electronics surplus and wholesale operations like Sun Radio and Olsen Electronics folded, I began to return to RS, albeit very reluctantly. As I have grown older, the workforce as gotten younger and more naieve, no, ignorant. When I moved to the town I presently live in, in NE Ohio, the only local electronics outlet where you could pick up a few components within a reasonable drive was RS. Unfortunately, the store (which is company owned) is mismanaged by a 20-something who couldn't explain Ohm's Law if he tried. They are not only not versed in electronics theory, but also not told how to respond to technical questions ("If you don't know, make something up that sounds impressive") and don't know how to insure that future customers return.
Case in point:
On one venture to the store, my wife wanted to purchase a long range directional television antenna for our chimney mounted mast. The manager quickly informed her that it is virtually impossible to get any reception whatsoever because we are in the "ahoning Valley". Well duh, we are in the Mahoning Valley (the Youngstown, OH ADI), but that doesn't mean we're in a ditch. Our house sits in the highest area of Salem, Ohio and with rapid ears on my little 15" Tektronix color monitor and a VCR, I can pick up Cleveland, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh. Why couldn't I get just as good reception, if not better, by placing an antenna with more elements, of better engineering design, higher up? Besides, how does he explain all the houses in Salem with antennae on their roofs?
Another problem with RS: they don't stand behind their warrantees. When ever you purchase something from RS, they immediately ask you if you want an extended warranty. This is probably tattooed on the frontal lobe of everyone that works there from the moment that they start working at RS because I've had offers of warrantees on batteries. I purchased an HT from RS(HTX420)last year after I got my tech license and promptly took them up on the offer for an extended warrantee. I had this radio past their 30 day guarantee(i.e., you may return your purchase at anytime within 30 days of purchase for a complete refund, no questions asked). Well less than a month after that offer expired, the speech processor stopped working. I live less than a block away from my ham club's repeater and was unable to activate it, but could clearly hear it 15 miles away. I returned this to RS for service and was told (by the manager) that it would ship out later that day and would get it back in 7-10 business days. A week and a half went by and I stopped in to see whether or not it had been returned. One of the sales associates told me that the paper work had come back, although the radio had not. He assured me that it had been fixed, although he didn't know when he would get it in. I waited for a few more days before I followed up with a phone call or visit. I was told that it would probably be in later that day, although I didn't return for another week. Still, no answers. I made at least three more visits and several telephone calls to find out what happened to my radio, each time met with bogus answers: 1) It's being repaired by our local electronics repair specialist, he should be in later today; 2) The national repair center (in Bedford, NY) is still trying to find out what's wrong; 3) When did you bring your radio in, we don't have any record of you having brought it here (this from the manager). After a couple of phone calls, I spoke with someone at their repair center in Bedford, NY who informed me that they did send the paperwork back within 7-10 days and informed the manager that my radio could not be repaired (at a reasonable cost) and that he owed me a new radio. When I got home from work (at the time I worked 170 mi from home, so you could imagine that I was ready to string him up by the time I got there), he had the nerve to tell me that he had never spoken to me about the radio (a lie) and that he never received paperwork from the repair center (also a lie). He tried his best to weasel his way out of this one, explaining that he didn't owe me either a refund (because the 30 day guarantee was up) and that he didn't owe me a new radio because it is company policy to send equipment back several times to determine whether or not it truly can or cannot be repaired. This seemed to contradict their claim to be committed to customer satisfaction, common sense, and a desire to keep a customer. It wasn't until my four year old (who was with me) slammed his fist on the counter and told him that was a bunch of crap and demanded either a new radio or my money back that we were able to settle things amicably. So much for customer service.
And people wonder why the Internet is gaining so much ground over bricks and mortar retailers.
73,
Michael
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RS2002 on January 26, 2004
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Respectfully, Charles,KC8VWM, I thought I had given you the answers, or at least my interpretations. (I have no special insight, other than 15 years experience in the field.) You just didn't like the answers that I gave you. RS cannot justify carrying a large assortment of parts, especially when those parts don't "move". RS will carry things that do "move", and will not apologize for the fact that we are trying to sell what the majority of our customers want. Like every other business out there. My opinion is that we stopped selling amateur radio transcievers because
we could only sell them when they were discontinued, and the prices dropped to below our cost. I believe that this occurs primarily due to the ready availablity of low cost rigs from places like HRO, Gigaparts, etc. Why would you pay $150 for a radio from me, with the RadioShack name on it, when you can buy an ICOM or Yeasu from HRO for $100? Makes sense to me, why doesn't it make sense to you folks? Don't tell me to drop my radio to $100, we can't make any money selling it at $150. (Dollar figures are hypothetical, just here for example sake.) I shop HRO, too, gang.
Yes, it is hard to find a radio at RadioShack. But we still have some. A very wide selection of FRS/GMRS radios, standard AM/FM radios, weather radios (finally! they've been out of stock for too long... sigh) police scanners, and home stereos which happen to have "radios". As for the car stereo line, I didn't agree with us dropping that, but thena again, I don't have the benefit of "the numbers" being in front of me. But I would have to say that we had to be losing a lot of money dedicating 6 to 8 feet of retail space to that product line, or they wouldn't have pulled it. I can tell you that a large number of those radio's (and the amps! sheesh, what a nightmare)had to go in for repair, some due to defect, but many, many more due to improper installation. John Q. Public doesn't necessarily know that the black wire needs to be hooked up properly... or any number of other wiring issues. Hams generally understand these issues. But others don't. No, we cannot install them for customers, even for a fee. We don't have the space. So those some of the reasons that led to the product lines demise, I'm sure. Newer autosound systems are getting more and more complex, and if you're in the autosound business, you had better be in the satellite radio business (Sirius and XM) and those probably should be installed, too. Just my guess, mind you... I'm sure that we as a company can better use the 6 to 8 feet, in the long run. (I miss the line at my store, but again, mine isn't the norm)
Yes, some of my "colleagues" don't do as good a job as they should, and some of our sales people are too aggressive. The key word is some. Remember, there are over 5200 company owned stores, and another 2000 or more independently owned franchises/deaerships. There are over 25,000 employees in the field. So there will be some bad examples, and some good examples.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB1IAR on January 26, 2004
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The red and clear plastic Science Fair kits were the absolute best birthday and xmas gift every year. Radio Shack has become an absolute joke for exerimenters. When I was a child (early 70s) a trip to Radio Shack with dad or grampy was a magical trip. It was a thrill to go in to buy parts for a project I'd found in old issues of Boy's Life. The staff was knowledgable and would ask me what I was building, etc...
A few years ago I went in looking for an audio taper for an old AA5 radio I was repairing. Poor kid who dealt with me had no chance. He was so clueless, probably only trained to sell cell phone contracts.
Radio Shack: "You've got questions - we have no clue."
'Tis sad.
James
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KF4VGX on January 26, 2004
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HI WEB ! Good post The RS Stores around here look more like a Toys R Us anymore .
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB9YZL on January 26, 2004
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Seen in an earlier post from a Radio Shack employee:
>>>>”I could rant for pages on this topic because you OF's make me laugh. Radio Shack sucks because they don't have some odd-ball transistor or odd value resistor, we are in business to make money, and the small parts just don't make us any money anymore. Enough said”<<<<
This is typical “Pricepoint Driven” retail thinking…………or maybe thinking is the wrong word for it. You can’t really call it thinking when all your business decisions are made by a spreadsheet program.
The “small parts just don't make us any money anymore” attitude is annoying. It reflects a total disregard for the concept of “Service to Your Customers”. I’m sure that your major supermarket chains do not consider 1 lb boxes of cornstarch as “High Profit Items”, but they are obligated to carry them because their customers expect to find such items in a store that advertises itself as a grocery store.
If Radio Shack changed their name to “Cell Phones and Cheap Chinese Toys” there would be no confusion…………..But as long as they continue to call themselves “Radio Shack….Your Technology Store” they will continue to disappoint people who take them at their word.
“Radio Shack…..You have questions, we have blank stares!”
Kent Carroll
KB9YZL
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AC7KZ on January 26, 2004
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Ask for a pl-259 and they will look at you with a blank stare.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB2AMU on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack has been in decline for more than a decade. I does have some parts that proved handy, particularly when I was on the road and needed a new piece of coax for my mag mount antenna.
However, the help in many of the stores were poorly trained and were very aggressive in greeting you at the entrance but sadly, did not even have an idea of what was in the store.
I went to three stores before I found the standard five foot mast sections that were listed in the catalog.
My XYL and I had a major issue some years ago with the cellphone service provider that Radio Shack teamed up with.
Smaller parts such as fuses and diodes are hit and miss.
Radio Shack is run as poorly as Burger King is these days. The cellphone business is their only money maker.
73
KEN WB2AMU
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by LNXAUTHOR on January 26, 2004
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>> You know that someone will ask you to purchase one,
>> when you enter our store. Deal with it. You can
>> handle it.
- i think a lot of folks are 'dealing with it' by not visiting the stores... (quite an arrogant attitude, IMHO, especially considering one may be a potential customer)... BTW, the 'hard sell' may work for some consumer segments, but repeat customers will be quickly turned off...
- if you want to have a good laugh, check out:
http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/about/history.shtml
- here are a few gems:
"... the company's greatest asset – its knowledgeable sales associates – RadioShack's mission would be to demystify technology in every neighborhood in America."
[knowledgable sales associates???]
"... one company with one vision: To become the most powerful one-stop shop to connect people to the wonders of modern technology."
[i guess amateur radio doesn't count as modern technology]
- i'll predict that Radio Shack will continue its movement to converting as much individual store space to host only those consumer items with a higher profit margin... expect parts and other experimenter items to be relegated to even smaller areas and perhaps eventually disappear...
- perhaps a merger/acquisition of Brookstone, Electronics Boutique, or other such vapid and vacuous emporiums would be a good move?
- my guess is that Radio Shack is also 'hobbled' by its size and number of stores, limiting its ability to market specialized products... one would think that if the company decided to deal in Kenwood, Yaesu, and ICOM amateur radio products it could wipe HRO, Aesham, or Gigaparts off the map - but it can't! too many stores too close together - ala MickeyD's insidious landscape geographic siting (formula/planning used to determine the optimum specific location for a new fast food store)...
- for those fans, employees, and stockholders of Radio Shack (NYSE - RSH): good luck! i certainly hope that the company weathers the latest class-action lawsuit regarding overtime, filed as a result of how low-end employees are treated...
- RSH stockholders are probably quite pleased to know the company has paid millions of dollars for legal fees and settlements over filings about treatment of employees... more than $30 million to settle a case in California a little over two years ago - that's a LOT of cell phones and satellite TV service!
- one of the latest lawsuits concerns how Radio Shack has classified employees as 'managerial,' despite low hourly pay, and maintains that as such, those persons are exempt from overtime entitlements - quite disgusting IMHO...
- yep, this is one company i'd be proud to represent or work for...
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD4FUN on January 26, 2004
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Here in North Carolina we renamed our Radio Shacks to reflect the current trend.....
WELCOME TO PHONE SHACK....you have questions, we have no idea!!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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>>>>Why would you pay $150 for a radio from me, with the RadioShack name on it, when you can buy an ICOM or Yeasu from HRO for $100? Makes sense to me, why doesn't it make sense to you folks? <<<<
Perhaps people are more willing to spend more money when it comes to convenience or specialty items.
Example:
I can do an oil change myself for under $10.00. Why would I rather spend someone else 110% more money for that exact same result or end user product?
What makes sense is the fact that consumers are not always transparent or black and white when it comes to comparative pricing issues. I can cite many examples of how this applies in real world economics.
Many businesses are sometimes caught up in their own pie charts and inventory control graphs to fully realize that a viable and equitable consumer base may well exist in a given market.
Another way to describe this phenomenon would be to indicate that some companies decide to sink the ship when the boat is still full of people.
I believe Radio Shack has made attempts to diversify their product lines to attract new customers in recent years, but this was done by the elimination of their regular and already well established customer base.
They were not successful becuase they are no longer maintaining any new services or products. In fact, they seem to have worked very hard at eliminating product lines all together.
This move torward "expanding" thier product lines by the elimination of certain products throughout store chains does little to serve the interests of attracting new customers.
Clearly, RS is attempting to compete with large consumer electronic chains like Best Buy, Micro Center, and Circuit City.
RS is only further demonstrating that they are not able to actively compete with these larger consumer chains and are losing this battle rather quickly.
They are only currently capable of maintaining smaller "reseller niche" products and services like offering Direct TV, MSN Internet, or Cell Phone Services to customers.
Therefore what I would have to suggest that if RS intend to "specialize" in a specific consumer market that they clearly define what that is to consumers.
The current message to consumers is the elimination of specialty electronic items that are available in thier stores.
Specializing and servicing in the area of the "electronic experimenter" consumer group would further serve to enhance Radio Shacks attempts to provide unique "niche" services that current competitors do not offer.
RS needs to understand that sometimes, standing apart from the competition is better than trying to directly compete with the competition.
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RS2002 on January 26, 2004
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LNX, the parts are the most profitable things in our stores, but it would take the sale of 330 packages of 100ohm resistors to equal the profit of one cell-phone sale. My store actually sells quite a few parts, and I doubt that I will sell 330 packages of all the resistors combined this year. What do you think I should sell?
I also apologize for offending you with the "deal with it" comment. I most certainly don't use that attitude with actual customers, but I thought it was obvious that I wasn't speaking with RadioShack customers on this thread. After all, that comment is much more coarse than anything else anyone here has said, either about RadioShack, or the ARRL, or code/no-code, or whatever. I see that I am way out of line, given the high quality and high calibre of the commentary here. So I'll coddle you a little more, as you moan and groan about something that you all know perfectly well. This is a retail business, and it will be so. It isn't your fathers RadioShack, nor your Grandfathers, and unfortunatley, some of my colleagues don't do their job properly. Nope, it sure ain't the 60's, with the tube-tester out back, and Lafayette, etc. Yup, we're gonna sell cell-phones, because that's the single biggest selling consumer electronics item in the country, and that's how we make profits. We are indeed guilty of trying to make a profit.
If a trip to your local RadioShack, where they tried to sell you a cell-phone when you wanted resistors, is the worst thing that happens to you today, I'd call it good.
73
P.S. If we were to try and sell ICOM, Yeasu or Kenwood, we would have to price it such that it would not be competitive with HRO or Gigaparts. So why would we do that? Trying to make your customers happy is one thing, but to do so for no profit, or worse yet, below profit, would be a bad business practice. I believe you folks know that. It's really basic economics. I'm sorry that the concept aggravates you folks, but we have to be able to make money first, or why open the doors at all? Yes, I realize that not opening our doors would please a lot of you. I'm glad I don't live or think that way. Lighten up, and have some fun.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N5GSR on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack has been going down hill for a very long i was a manager for radio shack i quit them because they quit caring for for the hobbest.they have gotten away from what made them
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA4ET on January 26, 2004
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The RAT Shack is a JOKE. I kind of think of Radio Shack these days as the ultimate example of mediocroty. IT does nothing well, but to manage the bottom line, and that is very questionable.
It is laughable to ask for help, and if it does not have to do with Audio, Video,or a computer it is doubtfull them will know what you want, and even less doubtful they will have it.
Several time a month I trod on over to RS to try and find something I need, only to leave empty handed. I wonder how much money they lose in my buisness every month, and multply that by tens of thousand of would be shoppers that leave with the same empty hands, like myself
I have suggested on a number occasions they rename the store. I think Radio needs to be removed, and toy inserted in its place, as that is about the only things they sell. Adult toys,, and not the one you might think of.
I have become discussed with the place, plain and simple
DAvid
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA4ET on January 26, 2004
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OH,, I forgot this one,, I was there last week on one of my many trips to RS, and commented on how there stock of connectors was pittifully scares. The Sale associated,, to be nice about ask if they could help,, and I said, I didnt think so, as there was no stock on the particular item I was looking for. The reply from the sale associate was,, well you must want something weird, my reply was,, NOPE, all I want was something that worked.
That's about sums up their attitude. WE are weird,, because we dont want what they stock
DAvid Again
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by LNXAUTHOR on January 26, 2004
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>> I also apologize for offending you with the "deal with
>> it" comment.
- no reason to do that! after all, this is eham, right?
:-)
(honestly, no offense taken - i like the 'give and take' of different opinions here)
- and yes, i deal with the pitch quite easily; i ask the querying SA to offer a plan that matches what i pay per month and the features of my cellular service... this usually quickly ends the repartee...
- i think part of the angst here about RS is that a technically adept portion of its older consumer base remembers what the stores used to be, not what RS has become - a corporation doing its part in contributing to the Red China-U.S. trade imbalance...
:-)
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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>>>I trod on over to RS to try and find something I need, only to leave empty handed. I wonder how much money they lose in my buisness every month, and multply that by tens of thousand of would be shoppers that leave with the same empty hands, like myself <<<<
uh.. Bingo!?
Now that's what I call bad economics in business!!
Perhaps they should record the actual number of times a customer does not get what they came for. Send this survey to Fort Worth, TX. compiling a database called:
"What customers actually expect us to sell them."
RS has a serious "Consumer Indentity" problem. No one is quite sure what market they are serving or what products they actually sell anymore.
RS2002 - Radio Shack does not currently sell any single product in thier store any cheaper than I can get somewhere else. This includes Phones, Sattelite TV services, MSN Internet Services. In fact everything in the store is higher priced than the bigger chains.
The arguement that you RS can't and doesn't sell "radios" for more money than other competitors simply isn't true.
It is a well known fact that anyone can buy a Stereo or TV set at Best Buy for much less money than at Radio Shack. Yet, RS still seems to be selling them despite the higher prices. Amateur radio equipment would also fall under this catagory. Heck I can even buy FRS radios at Walmart for at least half the price than RS sell them for?!
Would you kindly explain what products Radio Shack offer at lower prices than I can purchase from any of it's current competitors?
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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The radio shack dude. do I tell you what to keep in stock in your store? Please do not tell me how my nuerochemastry on a synapical level when I buy PARTS.
The KNUCKLEHEADS at this one shack, knows to leave me alone. I spend money. Done deal! They know the drill with me. So there are no problems.
They had a new sales woman that day, That tried to hard sell extra warrentee was taken aside by the manager.
I was in a hurry, she keept up with cell phones, batterys, and insurence. The MANAGER WHO KNOWS I SPEND SOME BUXS, THERE...TOOK HER ASIDE!
I understand you will side the the saleperson, however all of us as human beings have our boundrys!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 26, 2004
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My first job out of high school (1977) was working for Radio Shack. I was required to memorize parts lists for components. I was hired because I knew about lots of electronic parts.
Nowhere close to today. If two high school grads walk in, one never had a job but took electronics all through high school, and the other one knows nothing about electronics but worked at McDonalds before this, they hire the guy who worked at Mickey Dee's of course, because he already has some retail experience!
When some outfit like Radio Shack abandons their former market, someone else will step in and fill in the gap. I've found 4-5 independent electronics parts shops in my area where you CAN find discrete components, connectors, solder, everything you could want.
If I walk into any Radio Shack nowadays they ask if I'm interested in a satellite dish. I say "No." They ask if I'm interested in a cell phone. I say, "I've got one." Oh but maybe we can offer you a better deal through Verizon! "Mine IS through Verizon!"... they won't give it up!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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>>>That tried to hard sell extra warrentee was taken aside by the manager. <<<
This Warantee program doesn't fit the idea of good economics either.
Quite frequently the cost of the warantee is close to -or exceeds the price of the purchased product.
Isn't that like buying the same product twice?
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 26, 2004
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>>>That tried to hard sell extra warrentee was taken aside by the manager. <<<
This Warranty program doesn't fit the idea of good economics either.
Quite frequently the cost of the warranty is close to -or exceeds the actual price of the purchased product.
Isn't that like buying the same product twice?
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA3RFE on January 26, 2004
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It's a given that if I need one specirfic part that is common to electronics, Radio Shack doesn't have it in stock. OTOH, though, I HAVE gotten some items from them that I'm very pleased with. A butane soldering pen I got on impulse has turned out to be a fantastic piece of equipment that I make heavy use of.
The local store here used to have employees who were hams or kids studying eleoctonics in college who had some idea of what I was talking about when I needed something. Nowadays, forget it. I find most of what I am looking for at auto supply stores.
73 Pete KA3RFE
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by ANULLRETENTIVE on January 26, 2004
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I was doing engineering work for a company called Frontier Wireless which had a corporate account at the local Radio Shock. I walked in to buy an item and placed it on the counter, then told the salesman to charge it to Frontier's corporate account. He went to the computers keyboard and asked me how to spell "Frontier"! Incredulous, I said you don't need to know how to spell the word, just type in the first few characters and it will magically pop up onto the screen. This salesman said "well I wasn't good at spelling in high school"!
Wow, how much more incompetent can you be when you can't even sound out a word like frontier? He only had to grasp the first few letters. There is absolutely no defence for this level of ignorance.... and who teaches simple spelling in high school? Isn't that taught in elementary school? But Radio Shock has a place and a paycheck for them.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W0FM on January 26, 2004
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Several posters on this thread have mentioned Allied Electronics in almost a "past tense", as if they were no longer around.
Allied is alive and well. Although they no longer sell ham equipment, they have a huge 1500 page catalog of parts, test equipment and components (I have no affiliation)
www.alliedelec.com
(800) 433-5700
73,
Terry, WØFM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NT4I on January 26, 2004
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And another thing:
The junk that they sell is over priced!
It is JUNK and it is priced 5 times more than it's worth.
If they went out of business it won't affect my life!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB5IAV on January 26, 2004
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I've been a ham for 15 years, and I'd like to add my comments to this thread. I do not work for Radio Shack and never have, but am an occasional customer.
It's unfortunate you couldn't find the part you were looking for, but it's a sign of the market. Like has been said before, there aren't alot of homebrewers or experimenters out there anymore, and the ones who can find better selection and better quality parts, probably at a better price, from either mail order or another local electronics shop, if there are any in the area.
It's also a sign of how far technology has "progressed." I've been told by people of how if a TV quit working, it used to be you could just pull the tubes, take them to a store that had a tube tester, then buy a new tube to replace the bad one, and you were back watching TV. Similar things can be said about other electronics, including ham gear.
With today's solid state, IC technology, it's next to impossible to diagnose a problem without a rack of test equipment costing several thousand $$$ to diagnose it with, far out of the reach of most individuals. This is the price we've paid for all the "bells and whistles" on that new, computerized rig you've just purchased. We have all this great technology, but no way to fix it ourselves if it breaks down.
We have to face it, if there is very little market for an item, any item, stores will not stock it and sell it. Since there isn't much of a homebrew market or do it yourself repair market for electronics anymore, they will not sell items that market would purchase. Face it, they are in business to make money.
During my years as a ham, RS has floated in and out of the ham radio business. I've never purchased one of their rigs, because better quality gear could be found at one of the ham dealers like AES, and I don't want to deal with RS horrible repair department. I've heard too many horror stories about them.
The only products I've bought for ham radio from them include coax(which was not of the best quality), a few egg insulators(which I don't think they sell anymore), the occasional shortwave antenna kit(which includes insulators, wire, etc), and some connectors.
I've purchased PL-259 and SO-239 connectors from them in the past, but won't do that again as they weren't of the best quality i.e., I had to fight them to get them to take solder. There are a few other connectors I've purchased from them, but since they are scaling back on those, I probably won't be going there much for those anymore.
About the only things I've found them good for in the last several years are TV antennas as they seem to be the only place around here that has several to pick from, twinlead(which I've used in both TV and ham antennas), and the occasional adapter, patch cord, video switcher(again, the only local place I could find one priced reasonably), or AC adapters. Alot of other stores don't have much selection of those items.
As for the quality of their salespeople, this is the state of retail in the U.S.A. I can think of other large(non-electronic) stores I frequent that also have poorly trained, rude, and plain not very helpful salespeople. I can think of a few instances in which I can avoid these bigger stores and support a smaller store with good service that will have these items, but sometimes, I have no choice, because these big stores have put alot of the little guys out of business. It's the K-Mart mentality, keep the prices down by cutting service, and it has spread to alot of retailers because alot of customers will forego service for the lower price.
To respond to the comments about changing the name, Radio Shack does still sell radios. In the stores in my area, they have scanners, AM/FM radios, FRS/GMRS, and Grundig portable shortwave receivers, the latter of which are actually sold at prices competitive with mail order radio dealers.
Between the lack of interest in homebrewing and experimenting with electronics, technology that makes do-it-yourself repairs next to impossible, and the lowering of standards in retail, it doesn't surprise me at all Radio Shack is going this way.
Just my opinion.
Jonathan, KB5IAV
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RS2002 on January 26, 2004
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I'll stop. Really. After this one, I'm done.
Yes, you can buy almost anything we sell cheaper somewhere else. Some of it better, some of it not. We are a convenience store, and that is the point. The gallon of milk costs more at 7-11 than at the supermarket.
Where amateur radio is concerned, the number of pieces that we would actually sell, compared to TV's, FRS, wireless, is dramatically different. (We don't actually sell all that many TV's, now that we speak of it. But to be in the A/V biz, ya gotta have some TV's....)
Anyway, the last time we had amateur radio transcievers in stock, about a year ago, we would not sell them, even at sale prices. Yes, I would move the occasional piece, once in a while, but certainly not even once a month. And this is in a ham-friendly store, one that has a pretty good reputation around the state. I would take the stuff to hamfests, aggressively priced (for retail) and still not move but maybe one piece the whole day. But when the products were discontinued, and selling far below cost, I would sell them all, or most all that I had.
Not so back in the day of the HTX 202. Back then, 1993-1994 or so, I would sell up to a dozen HTX 202's at even the small country hamfests that I would go to, in addition to the mobile rigs, and scanners, and the rest. Not so, in the last several years. I truly believe that hams are buying their gear via the internet, either HRO et al, or eBay. Much of it, anyway. To me, that shows the reason why we don't have those types of products in the line. You have to move enough of them to justify purchasing them in the first place, having them taking up inventory dollars, and the space required. I don't believe we are the right source for that kind of product, not anymore. (I still hold out a glimmer of a hope that we might someday have a limited quantity, special purchase HT, perhaps from Kenwood. It's really a flight of fancy, but I've been through so much with RS over the years to not count anything out.)
Its kinda funny, as I've been trying to type this, one of my regular ham-customers came in, bought 2 runs of coax, a coupler and a mounting bracket. It certainly helped me put this whole discussion into perspective. My customer is happy, I'm happy, and I get to talk ham-radio while at work. It's too bad it can't be like this at all of our locations, but it still lives at mine! Take care everyone. And try to be patient with some of our harder cases. They can't be the rule, there has to be more like me out there.
73
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N9SIU on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack should change the name to "Cell Phone Shack" since that seems to be the item they would like you to purchase. It used to be handy if you needed a part or a connector to buy it at Radio Shack but no more. "The times they are a chang'n" as the song goes and we are left to order by mail or on-line for the parts we need. The Shack abandoned our hobby and for me there is not much need to go in their stores anymore. Radio Shack stores sell about the same things in small electronics as "Best Buy" or any other
electronics store. The thing different with the others stores is that their prices are usually much lower.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K7VO on January 26, 2004
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My experiece is a lot like Web's. I used to by all sorts of bits and pieces at Radio Shack. They simply rarely have anything I want or need any more.
Yep, you sell more cell phones and toys than parts and ham gear, I'm sure. Since I'm not a customer for those things Radio Shack has become useless to me. The sales help knows next to nothing about what little they do sell that I might be interested in.
Maybe Radio Shack doesn't need customers like me. They sure act like it.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K7VO on January 26, 2004
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RS2002: Radio Shack is a convenience store? How are they more convenient than Target, Wal Mart, Best Buy, or Circuit City? That's who you are choosing to compete against.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AF4KK on January 26, 2004
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I thought that Radio Shack might be going down for a while but I knew it was a certainty when they discontinued the catalog! All you have to do is go into any "Shack" store and all the employees know about are the DVD players and the cell phones!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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i for one would like to thank RS-2002 for checking in.
Shows that he is a smart manager!
He took pulse from a good cross section of hams
I have a good idea. Ever see those shirts for when you go to JAMIACA. THE shirts says, i do not wany pot,a cab, hairbraiding,rum. or sea shells.
Make up some shirts ,
NO I HAVE A CELL PHONE,PAGER,EX-BOX,STEREO'S and I DO NOT WANT USELESS 3 YEAR WARENTEE!
aND UNLESS YOUR GONNA BE HAPPAY HELPING FIND PARTS. LEAVE ME ALONE!!
73 AND LAUGHS mike
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB2WIK on January 26, 2004
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It's difficult to believe R/S can survive much longer. They offer nothing I can't get anywhere else, and have "help" (at least here in the 3-4 stores local to me) who has absolutely no idea what they have, or what any of it does.
And, unlike 7-11, they're not open 24 hours a day!
(Interestingly, a gallon of milk at 7-11 here in southern California costs exactly what it does in a large (chain) grocery store, to the penny. So does butter, eggs and beer. And coffee, for that matter. But they get you on the potato chips, or paper towels...)
WB2WIK/6
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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I for one would like to thank RS-2002 for checking in.
Shows that he is a smart manager!
He took pulse from a good cross section of hams
I have a good idea. Ever see those shirts for when you go to JAMIACA. THE shirts says, i do not wany pot,a cab, hairbraiding,rum. or sea shells.
Make up some shirts ,
NO I HAVE A CELL PHONE,PAGER,EX-BOX,STEREO'S and I DO NOT WANT USELESS 3 YEAR WARENTEE!
aND UNLESS YOUR GONNA BE HAPPAY HELPING FIND PARTS. LEAVE ME ALONE!!
73 AND LAUGHS mike
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WW8WV on January 26, 2004
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HI HI, I think it's ironic that radioshacksucks.com has a cellphone ad at the bottom!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W2BSA on January 26, 2004
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Cal,
Actually I would go to Circuit City to buy consumer electronics before I would go to Radio Shack. Radio Shack has just gone completely kaputt. The sales personnel barely knows their own products.
73,
Bill Stewart, W2BSA
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 26, 2004
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OK, so we're comparing Radio Shack to a 7-Eleven now?
How would you like it if you walked into a 2-Eleven (or Stop & Rob or whatever they call them in your area) to buy a pack of gum, and not only don't they have the cheapie items like that anymore (because they don't make enough money on them), they just want to sell you prepaid phone cards or lotto tickets?
That's called "no longer serving the needs of those who were once your customers."
Your customers would look for another place for what they need.
I think we all subconsciously expect Radio Shack to still have something we need. We need a big dose of Reality Check and stop walking in there just from force of habit.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NY7Q on January 26, 2004
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Was in another business next door to Radjunk, thought, what the heck lets check out the PL259s. $4.95 plus tax apiece. The clerk, who was following me around like a puppy dog, because he thinks I am a shop lifter I would guess, sticks this cell phone in front of my nose with my picture on it and sez, in broken english, you better buy one of these, the best there is. I show him my exact duplicate of what he is holding in his hand, on my belt and he wants to know where I bought it. I tell him "Walmart" and he just went ballistic, with why dont you support RADJUNK shop. So I told him. He stormed off in a bad mood very quickly. THAT WAS MY VERY LAST VISIT TO THE LOCAL RADJUNK SHOP.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD5HIY on January 26, 2004
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Do you want a cellphone or computer. thats what they are going for. Mr. Tandy's Dream is quickly fading. I spent 3 years there and left without even looking back.
Chris
KD5HIY
73
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W5HTW on January 26, 2004
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Some of my great ham memories came from the Framingham, Mass Radio Shack, which included a glassed-in ham shack, with several operating positions. They sold new ham gear as well as used, took trade-ins, and did their own financing. They also has rows of parts bins. I went there often when I lived in that area to hang out in the "shack" and actually now and then get on the air with one of their stations. That was my beginning with Radio Shack.
Later, living in Los Angeles I visited the Newark Electronics store, with table after table of ham gear, both new and used. A ham's paradise. Allied, too, had such a store there in the late 1950s.
I never worked for any of those. But I managed a Lafayette Radio Associate store and while we sold both ham gear (in stock! I bought my TR4C through the store!) and stereo and CB equipment, we also had a very large inventory of parts, as we catered to the TV/Audio service tech. We also carried the little kits, such as audio amplifiers, VOX kits, sirens, etc., that sold for as little as two bucks. And we stocked TV and audio tubes, plus had our own service center for CB, marine, audio and general consumer electronics with a licensed tech (me) doing the work.
Another time I worked for a Burstein-Applebee store in Denver. While stereo was the main thrust of the store, it was a very well inventoried parts house. TV service techs came in with a laundry list and we went in the back and got the parts, from resistors and capacitors and diodes to flyback transformers, tubes, even picture tubes. There was indeed a profit on parts and we sold large quantities of them.
All of that is gone. BA, Lafayette, Allied with its KnightKit (Allied is still one of the best parts suppliers around, along with Newark) Walter Ashe, etc. And, of course, Radio Shack. I no longer bother going into Radio Shack, but that is not a form of complaint. I just look at all the others that have either disappeared or changed modes to stay in business.
In Albuquerque we are very fortunate. While there are no ham radio dealers, we have several surplus electronics stores, some of them almost incredible gold mines for the fella searching for parts. Plus we have a fairly good new parts store. I recently went in there looking for 1N34A diodes. He had nine of them in inventory and I bought them all at ten cents each.
Times change. Few hams do discrete component building or repair anymore. We have the internet, with Mouser, Surplus Sales, Fair Radio, etc. But mostly we have small boxes that we send back to the dealer if something goes wrong.
The old parts stores will never come back. Radio Shack is just another of the ones biting the dust.
73
Ed
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB2FCV on January 26, 2004
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I, too have a hard time seeing how Radio Shack can stay in business much longer. I don't know their numbers (Profits/Loss), but I have never considered them a primary place to get my consumer electronics (A/V, etc). I've always thought of the stuff they sell as lesser quality stuff. It's marginal, at best. The cell phones they sell are overpriced - you can beat the prices just about anywhere. The other toys/gadgets.. well, they don't appear to move off the shelves. I don't see how they make any money at these stores anymore. Although it's sad, but I can understand why they aren't in the parts business any more. There simply isn't the customer base for it. The cheap crap is all they have left to sell. I still go there to get what remaining parts they have available, but each time it get's harder and harder to find what I need. I have never ordered from mouser.. but last I remember you needed large minumum orders (At least X amount of items or $ spent). If they changed that, great! I'll then peruse their site and order the stuff I need for something I want to build. I don't know, I just don't see Radio Shack staying around..
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by M1RPY on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack (Intertan in the UK)went the route of a retailer of "junk" at high prices .They stopped selling interesting components and concentrated on cheap and cheerful consumer electronics items at prices at least 30% above competitors prices.Staff were trained to a very poor standard and didnt know their products.Intertan went bust in the UK!
The senior management were very removed from what the customer wanted and in consequence customers deserted the in droves.Is this a case of "de jevu" with Radio Shack in the States?
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KF6JZC on January 26, 2004
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I agree with pretty much all of the posts about Radio Shlock. I can understand them not selling parts since it probably is not a money maker. One reason that I can think of is that they were never into it in a big enough way that attracked parts buyers in the first place. The only outlets that can make any money in the parts business are the ones that sell in a large volume. That is why places such as the ones mentioned in these posts are still in the parts business is because they also sell to corporations in a volume that makes it worth while.
But the selling of parts (or the lack thereof) is not my complaint agains RS. I use to buy stereo equipment from them and liked what I bought. In fact I purchased a shortwave radio from them years ago. They use to sell great equipment. I still have a pair of their large bookshelf speakers that I use in my stereo played through a Heathkit AR1500 that I built myself. The problem with RS now is that they push merchandise and not products. That is the problem with most of the retail outlets these days. The people that work at RS or any other outlet like RS are low paid but are paid to push merchandise not products. To them, the products are just boxes to them to be pushed on to the consumer. Where I live, there are many places to buy products such as Radio Shack sells such as Fry's, HRO, Circuit City, GoodGuys, etc. In all cases (except for maybe HRO) the employees know virtually nothing of the products they sell because that is not their priority. Their priority is to sell merchandise.
Lets face it people, "you aren't going to make much money working in retail". The previous quote was told to me at an interview with the Robert Ferrero Sr and Jr (owners of Ham Radio Outlet). This is why you don't find much expertise in selling products at places like Radio Shack, because there is no incentive to learn.
HRO is a little different because the people that work there do so for one or both of the following reasons:
1. They are retired and just need a part time job. Even most store managers are either retired or have their debts paid off.
2. They get to use most of the equipment that HRO sells on a trial bases to become familiar with the products.
Lastly, I would say that the quality of products sold at most of these stores like what is sold at RS is lacking. Most of it is cheap plastic crap made in China. The quality products that we have known and loved in the past have become too expensive for most people to afford. Hey this sounds like to me to be a good reason to get back to building the quality products that we want. Lets get back to home brewing.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB2IMH on January 26, 2004
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Well, Allied Radio out of Chicago was the papa of Radio Shack. I remember as a kid looking at those great catalogs loaded with parts and amateur radio equipment. Anything that I couldn't afford was in those catalogs ... they stocked almost every manufacturer of ham radios and stereo manufacturers (before that just hi-fi). Their leading competitor was Lafayette Radio (any of you guys out there remember them?). I still use my collection of Allied Radio and Lafayette catalogs from the 50's and 60's to check out something that I might see on eBay or on the ham ads. And sometimes I'll just sit and page through a catalog and wonder why as a kid of 13 I couldn't afford to buy that Argonne 57 microphone that only cost $4.95 back in 1962. Wow, things have changed quite a bit.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 26, 2004
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I've tried to correct my 'typos', but eHam is not letting me do so.....hmmmmm
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by DUPANOUS on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack needs to do what Kmart recently did...
REVITIALIZE and CHANGE!
I hadn't been in my local Kmart for many months -
but happened to stop in on Saturday.
Man! what a difference.
Items in stock, brightly lit, friendly sales people, and every item I was looking for. Things sure have changed.
If they can come back from the brink, I'm sure Radio Shack can do it too.
RADIO SHACK... JUST LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMERS!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N3TTN on January 26, 2004
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Radio Shack is a business, they are in business to make money, period. They carry a lot of "stuff" that consumers want, and this is a consumer oriented society, that is the bottom line whether we as hams like it or not. To the average consumer, Radio Shack is convenient, has at least some of the products they want, and the staff "seems" knowledgeable to the average consumer, even if we hams think otherwise. Just an observation from an occasional "Shack" customer.
73, N3TTN
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KG4YJR on January 26, 2004
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A lot of people don't know this but it's even getting too expensive for Japan, like the US to compete in a global economy with high priced, unskilled labor. Sony outsources a majority of it's manufacturing to China now.
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Change the name!
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by VE7VIE on January 26, 2004
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I just wish they would change their name! And just go away and duke it out with Future Shop, etc. Good luck with that!
I treasure the '62 RS catalog I still have. Then they sold Collins, Gonset, Halli, EF Johnstone - the works (as well as guitars. cameras...). Of course those manufacturers are gone now too. I guess we should be grateful that they got a lot of us going back then.
But we have at least 5 electronics parts retailers, and two 100% ham stores here in Vancouver, BC. So we don't need no stinkin' Radio Shacks, especially since they stopped selling ALL ham gear and most parts in Canada years ago.
73, Barry
VE7VIE/KD7IGX
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8YVE on January 26, 2004
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I refuse to buy any large ticket items from radio shack any more. If they cannot even carry the Forrest Mims Books and the parts so build with.
If the cannot take care of the little items, how can I trust them for a Cell Phone, Sattilite dish or laser printer.
My 2 Pennys.
Kit builder since the 1970.
Tracy
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD3JF on January 26, 2004
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After I retired from being a pastor for 45 years I worked at Radio Shack in a mall for a few months between Thanksgiving (2001) and New Years. I went through an extensive training period going through Marketing skills, an assessment test in math and knowing all the product they sell including parts. There were quite a few training books I had to study and take a test over material before I could sell on the floor. Of course being a ham for 42 years was helpful. This was extensive stuff I had to know about all their products.
The problem is to make some serious money you need to work about 50 hours a week. Where the money is made is in selling cell phones and satellite systems. 8% comission on the rest of stuff including parts. Now if you have a slow week and your commissions are not equal to minimum wage, all you get is minimum wage. The managers and the assist managers are the ones who make the money. For me my time at home was worth more to me that what I was making for working 28-32 hours a week. The guys and gals I worked for were not dummies and they knew what they were doing. I bought a lot of ham gear at the time but I guess now they do not market it any more.
I was dumb founded when I read that they are getting out of the parts business.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 26, 2004
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Bloody heck, my whole posting disappeared, 2nd time today.........
Again, as a ham of 40 years, I have to take both sides here. (is that possible?) I just wanted to comment about Wal Mart.... Yes, there is a tie-in to the RS debate.
Several years ago, back in Kentucky, I was in a Wal Mart. I was in a looooong line at the register, when the lady at the Service Desk announced she would take some customers at her register.
When I got there, this 'guy' was in front of me. He was filthy, had long, very dirty hair, beard, ball cap, all the standard issue grooming of that area. ha ha. Anyway, in his incredably filthy hand, he was grasping this beat-up looking car stereo. He was holding it by the power leads, like a dead 'possum. The lady asks:
"May I help you sir?"
"Yeah, this here radio, is busted"
"Do you have the reciept?"
"Nope"
"Do you you have the box?"
"NO!"
The nice lady sighs, "OK sir, just go get another one".
Dude walks back to Automotive.
Rather in shock, I asked the nice Lady: "You're not going to give him ANOTHER radio, are you?"
"Yes sir, it's our policy to please every customer".
"But he could have just ripped it out of a car in the parking lot". Said I. (actually, it looked like he tied it to the bumper of his pick-up and dragged it down a dirt road).
She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. WOW! Unbelieavable! Now, he could have just bought it, and her answers were probably unusual, but contrast nicely to the 'attitudes' you face at RS.
I use the local RS store 'for emergencies only'. Why? You can get a Silver /Teflon PL-259 on-line, for $1. They are 3X that price at RS......
One other comparison. As a person who has traveled all over this wonderful country, I have had my share of fast food. Also, back at the IBM Plant, there were many fast food places nearby, to service the 4000+ employees. The Burger Kings and Micky D places had some customers, but the prefered place was Wendy's. At the 2 former places: first you had to get the attention of the employees, who were too busy BSing to acknowledge your presence. Next, after a few eye-rolls, they take your order. Now you have to go to some 'holding area' while the person in back flattens your sandwich, so it looks like the circus Fat Lady sat on it. Yep, I think this looks like what I ordered, but it sure as hell doesn't look like the picture!
At Wendy's (EVERY one I have ever been in), the people are friendly and God forbid, they know how to smile!!!!
Most of the time, your food is on the counter before you get your wallet put away. Hot, and it actually resembles the picture. Just attitudes from the Manager on down.....
On one trip to Japan, my buddy and I arrived at midnight. Since the McDs was near the hotel and the only thing open, we went there.
WOW! People VERY, VERY friendly. You could have eaten off of the floor and the counters. I ordered a burger of some sort. After we sat down, I opened the styrofoam box and just stared at it..... My buddy said "what's wrong, Ron?". I replied: "I can't eat this". He said "Is there something wrong with it?". To this I replied:
"Hell no! It's too pretty!" Madison avenue could have used this burger for a photo shoot. Absolutely perfect.Top and botton. It looked fake!
"You'll get used to it", my buddy replied... It was difficult. The entire population, actually cares about what they do. I have one more example....At the airport in Narita, the Japanese employees do not walk. They all run from here to there. Polite beyond comprehension. Almost made me feel guilty. Leave a tip in the hotel? Tip the Bellhop? Hell, it's an insult!
We landed at LAX, as we pull up to the gate, a couple of dudes are laying on a baggage tram, sleeping in the sun. They see the plane and it's real (!!) obvious they are upset, because the plane has interupped thier nap! It's culture folks. And you're part of it.
Don't slam the Japanese or Chinese for importing 'cheap stuff'. It's what we want, and they are more than happy to please us.
Let's all have FUN. Remember 100 years from now, it ain't gonna matter. Yep, you beautiful Collins station will be chopped up by some kid who needs 'parts' for his project. I have seen IBM donate a bunch of like new Tek mainframe 'scopes, to a local Trade School, so they could be used for parts. You don't own ANYTHING, you just get to 'play with it for a while'....
By the way, I have an Article about to appear here called "Ham Radio and Electronics, fading away?"
There are some remarkable similarities in there, which parallel this RS thread.
ron
N4UE
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KE2IV on January 26, 2004
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We seem to go through this one about once a year.
Forget RS for anything but the most basic doodads like fuses (even the FULL stores) and solder etc.
RS is an electronic applicance retailer. I think they wasted a lot of time and $ fooling around with the cell phone market - but I live in a big city (NYC).
Perhaps they do provide a good retail presence for that business in smaller localities?
But, whatever, they are NOT the place where you should expect to find components and parts.
We oldtimers just have to "get over it".
They never were all that good - and now they just aren't focused on our needs.
Plain and simple fact.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W3DCG on January 26, 2004
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It's market driven, I wouldn't stock items I'd have to stockpile forever, especially for hobbiest hams.
Radio Shack seems to cater to people who are plug and play. It is a matter of demand and supply. Not the other way around. Atlanta had Radio Shack dot Com just down abit from HRO, stocked all manner of fantastic items from Vectronics kits to shrink tubing all manner of sizes and colors, all kinds of stuff, even MFJ antennas, Alinco HF rigs, books, the place was HUGE, like a warehouse. THEY went out of business, and the ham population of Atlanta is probably at least average for a US Metro area. So I don't think it is Radio Shack's fault that they are changing the merchandise they carry.
After a horrible experience I had getting my roof vertical- well, vertical- I searched for an inexpensive base tilt that would not cost an arm and a leg and also, wouldn't require significant roof modification to install.
WOW- LOOK AT THAT! EUREKA! I found exactly what I was imagining I needed, and guess where? RADIO SHACK dot COM On Line. The kicker? They are out of stock or no longer are carrying the item. BUT NEITHER IS ANYONE ELSE. If anything, RS was the last known bastion that DID have what I needed. To my knowledge.
So, on the positive side, they did add some drawers where I found some resistors I needed. I'll bet if I go back the drawers will all be how I left them last year. So they are taking up all that space for me, and what did I purchase? Less than 3 dollars worth of pin-striped painted carbon. That's crazy, they are going to go broke keeping that up.
I also found a very nice, more like excellent, anodized blue aluminum Solder Sucker for a good price.
When I needed some solder and needed it NOW, the local shack HAD it, 10 minutes drive. When I needed an SWR meter NOW, they had one, and it worked for a year before it started going berserk and giving me completely false readings (drove me nuts- the meter being faulty was the last item I suspected). But, it got me on the air THAT very evening, and lasted around a year before I had to replace it with a REAL 100W meter. For 30 bux, it was completely fair. Had I used it only QRP, I'm sure it would still be working fine today- it does the trick for many QRP operators.
Granted, they also had a faulty jumper that drove me absolutely MAD, until I finally realized my problems at that time were related to that ElCHEAPo jumper.
DON'T BUY JUMPERS there, simple. Plan ahead and order via mail or get it before Sunday at your HRO/AES/Giga equivalent.
Radio Shack is not what it once was. It is not their fault. They are merely in business like any other business. Ham radio is not what it once was either. People using home brew are the exception not the norm.
Fortunately, there are other places like Ack in this town, who make it by catering to commercial RF interests, not the general public/CB market.
But there is hope on the horizon, given the flood of No Code HFers to arrive in droves given ARRL's "proposal" hopefully there will be a re-newed interest in the only section of RS we ever cared about, that section completely at the rear of the store, where we run when we need someting and they are the only game in town that might have it, walk in walk out, not mail order pay shipping and handling and wait a minimum of two days.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KT3K on January 26, 2004
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I also went to Radio Shack to get a 1N34 germanium diode last month, and they didn't have it, and had
no idea if they'd get any more...
John
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB3HON on January 26, 2004
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Take a look on eBay sometime and see how much the QRP business is flourishing. Instead of asking for a supplier to provide all the different small parts for many different radios, I think we need to have a supplier provide kits again. It appears that no matter what, the standards for licensing are becoming lower, which at the least, will hopefully invite more people to the hobby. And if we're still looking for kids, kits are a good option because they teach some of the basics, to a degree. I think that if a company like Heathkit would try to provide a good variety of kits like FOXX or what the QRP clubs used to offer, they would make quite a few sells. Many, many people are still buying QRP radios, but primarily from eBay used as far as I can tell. Offer a prebuilt option and specialize in amateur radio and they would probably do better than Ramsey. Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Have a modern day Heathkit.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB5IAV on January 26, 2004
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<<<<Radio Shack needs to do what Kmart recently did...
REVITIALIZE and CHANGE!
I hadn't been in my local Kmart for many months -
but happened to stop in on Saturday.
Man! what a difference.
Items in stock, brightly lit, friendly sales people, and every item I was looking for. Things sure have changed.
If they can come back from the brink, I'm sure Radio Shack can do it too.
RADIO SHACK... JUST LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMERS!>>>>
I can't comment on that, as our last K-Mart closed during that round of store closings about a year or so ago. When they were open, items were priced wrong, employees didn't know where anything was, alot of what they sold was of low quality, etc.
Look what K-Mart has gone through in the last several years, rounds of store closings along with bankruptcy filing. That is probably what it's going to take to get RS to wake up and take action.
There are so many Radio Shack stores in my city it's not even funny. Going consumer electronics probably isn't a great option, considering we have Best Buy, Circuit, City, and CompUSA all competing for the $$$, not to mention other general merchandise stores that sell consumer electronics.
To be honest, I wonder how they stay around.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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Needed a cheap watt/swr meter. The one in my P.O.S.MFJ antenna tuner was fried.
Whent into a Local Radio Chumps in NYC. Asked for cheap SWR/watt meter. The sales-schmuck starts showing me a digital multimeter. He goes this should work it measures all kinds of electronic signals. I was shaking my head! He goes on, look volts, amps. the squigly thing, and it test batteries.
I finally had to say...remember those meters you used to sell for CB. They look more like that?
OOHHH sorry man we dont sell that SH-t anymore !
aaarrrrrrrrr!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD3JF on January 26, 2004
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Hey guys.... It is not all junk. I am looking at a very nice Linksys router that I bought for my computers from Radio Shack!<g>
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD3JF on January 26, 2004
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Hey guys.... It is not all junk. I am looking at a very nice Linksys router that I bought for my computers from Radio Shack!<g>
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 26, 2004
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Yes hATS OFF to radio-crack for selling all the lyncsys
2.4 ghz routers and wireless cards.
Radio shaft will always remain in business. There are plenty of buffoons that Mistake radio-shmucks for an electronics store.
There will always be people that can be pressured
into buying alkaline battaries in bulk!
There will aways be someone that will buy an outdated compac computer. They think the radio-trash people will give them lots of advice.
There will always be good grandmothers that spoil there grandkids with a toy from radio sham. After all if the toy came from radio shuxs, it must be educational!
You will always have your generation X slackers that think they will be dicovered by Rick Ruben, by working in a NYC or L.A. Radio-shachs!
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RE: Amatuers Strike Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 26, 2004
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Some people doubt force feed (parts) are the most profitable items in the store. Indeed, they have the highest gross margin, but they are labour intensive—it takes just as long to write up a $3.00 sale as it does a $30 or $300 sale.
And, it takes a lot longer to check in a $1,000 shipment of force feed than it does a shipment from a regional warehouse. Same for having to inventory the dam things.
Selling a $360-$1000 one year contract for DishNetwork vrs selling a garbage bag of small parts seems like a “no-brainer” to me.
At the beginning of the month, I took my parts list for the two tube transmitter in the recent QST, and headed to an electronic parts supply store. The first one I went to was closed Sat afternoon, so I went to another, and bought all the parts I lacked there.
I didn’t get on the internet and complain; I just went where I needed to and bought the parts they had in stock. They even had a used four pin socket for the rectifier tube I’ll be using, a #80.
I bought the rectifier, power xformer, 10hy filter choke, and 660 volt, 20 UF caps via the internet. The 2.5mh RF chokes just came in, once again via the internet.
I didn’t go to RS for parts.
I didn’t get on eHam and complain that RS wasn’t catering to my needs—RS doesn’t owe me anything (I’m not in the market segment they target).
I didn’t get on eHam and complain that Antique Electronic Supply wanted too much for the #80, 120 to 360 volt xformer, filter choke, tube socket, and RF chokes.
If you can’t buy parts you want at RS, or any other store, quit complaining—they don’t owe you anything!
If RS doesn’t think they can make enough return on their investment in the small part you wanted to buy, and you think that means RS doesn’t know how to run their company, there is something dramatically wrong somewhere!
(Hint: RS has tons of collective experience from experts to based decisions upon; they really do have more information about what sells than amateur business people, even if you are a ham.)
Bottom line, if you think RS doesn’t know what they are doing, short their stock, or buy stock in the company you think does a better job.
Bob
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RE: Amatuers Strike Out Again!
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by N0WVA on January 27, 2004
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Well, Id say its a bad idea to stop carrying parts. I know I used to patronize the heck out of radio shack, cause they had the "cool stuuf" I needed to build with, and this is what got me into the store. Whenever I neede something else, like batteries, keyboard, vom, or countless other items, Id just go to the shack. Cant really say how many thousands of dollars Ive spent there, just because Id go to get parts, and see all the other stuff available. So when the building parts are gone, so then will be Radio Shacks chance at selling me all their other products. I guess if they cant "rake it in" then they dont want to fool with it.
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RE: Amatuers Strike Out Again!
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by K4JSR on January 27, 2004
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Bob,
The good folks from your home state, Lafayette Radio Electronics, thought they knew it all also.
They thought they had all of the "no-brainers" figured
out after 60+ years in the business. Where are they
now?
How about all of these places that Tandy has opened
and only closed up after a short run. Tandy had a
couple of enterprises in the Atlanta area. One
was a Circuit City rip-off and the other, a little
later was Tech America. Where are they now?
If you just go for the big ticket items and forget
the students, hams, technicians and experimenters
after catering to them, don't complain when they
bitch off in postings like this one. They don't owe
Tandy the sweat off of their naughty parts, either!
And, trust me, we will remember, when we want a
computer, TV dish, or cell phone. If you you are
going to be in the business of electronics, be in
the business. If not, well, there is Walmart.
Their people can be just as surly, their shelves
just as depleted as Radio Shacks, but their prices are
lower, and that appeals to hams like me!
Have a nice day, sir.
Cal Neff K4JSR
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB2IMH on January 27, 2004
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I used to check out all the goodies at the RS in the Mall and they would always have something that I could use for kitbuilding or to just put aside in my parts box. And while I was there I would usually see something else that would get my interest and I'd come home with another toy to add to my toybox. I would even scout around the local Shacks ... there are about a dozen in the immediate area. I remember one October, in their Fall sale flyer, they had a few items that I could use and I drove around to as many Shacks as I could that afternoon looking for the closeouts. I must have spent $500 that day stocking up on stuff that I really didn't need but thought that I did. Now when I go into a RS, which I seldom do anymore, I spend about 5 minutes and usually walk out spending nothing. The guys at the front door peddling cell phones and satellite TV usually turn me off big time. Anyway, since they've cut down on parts and big sales I'm saving a bundle ...
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RE: Amatuers Strike Out Again!
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by K4JSR on January 27, 2004
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I will add that the Radio Shack Store in nearby
Winder, Ga., is a franchise operation that is well
run by a gentleman who does his best to be a good
citizen and run an efficient operation.
He succeeds marvelously. Radio Shack would learn
something about his business model.
I do have a few friends who work for Radio Shack in
company owned stores. They do what they can for the
customer base that Radio Shack had catered to for so
long, but it is a losing battle. The MBAs have taken
over not just Radio Shack, but other enterprises also,
and treat the business as a "test tube" and not as a
a living, breathing creature dealing with other living, breathing creatures--US!
De-humanize the business and maximize the bottom line!
To hell with tomorrow! You go get 'em, MBAs!
Have a nice day!
Cal K4JSR
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W5GD on January 27, 2004
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Radio Shack is no longer a "radio shack". You would be hard pressed to buy a radio there if you even wanted the junk they offer. I refuse to even go in one unless I just haven't got a choice. You are bombarded at the door with questions about your cel-phone service. I just respond to the clerk that they need to change the name of the place to "Telephone Booth", because that's all they sell, not radios.
I live in the Memphis area, where Auto Zone is big. Auto Zone started out as Auto Shack and got sued by Tandy. Another reason to dislike Radio Shack.
I propose that all hams start referring to RS as "Telephone Booth". Let's not call them Radio Shack anymore. Tell all your friends to call them "Telephone Booth". Every time you go there, refer to them by Telephone Booth, especially to the store clerks. If they correct you, just drive "Telephone Booth" home even harder. Everyone on my repeater at home refers to them as "Telephone Booth".
Yea! Telephone Booth, formerly known as Radio Shack. They have changed their business, so the name should change too!!!
W5GD
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KL7IPV on January 27, 2004
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I have been a constant customer to Radio Shack since the days it was Allied. I have watched it go downhill too. I have always said that "it aint a true mall unless it has a pet store and a Radio Shack in it".
Well, there are numerous stores near me and I usually find myself in one of them every two weeks or so. Just for a minor part or something. I have found that now the turnover of people is persistent and the only person who seems to be a constant is the manager. I haven't bought any of their radios because I have found them cheaper at other ham shops; not online shops, but brick and mortar types. At the rate they are going, I would expect them to disappear as did Lafayette and NEWARK. I have catalogs for them all and browse them for hints.
It is getting very hard to find anything I need in the Radio Shack brick and mortar stores now. If I quickly need a part for anything, I still try RS first and then look elsewhere. But is getting so I EXPECT that I wont find the part at RS so I don't go there as often. THAT is the sad part, the expectation of not finding something as we did in the past.
It may not be a manager's choice as to what they carry, but the manager should be able to tell the parent company they are losing customers because they now lack knowledge or/and parts. If the parent doesn't care, it wont be long and it wont HAVE to care. I will miss them. RIP
73
Frank
KL7IPV
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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wHAT WAS THE MOST STUPID THING YOU SAW OR HEARD AT A RADIO-SHACK?
1)very cold day, a radio-shack employee baught two slices of steaming hot pizza.
2)He at 3 bites from each slice.He then applied the hot slices to his ears, to makesome make shift earmuffs.
3) I told young lad worling at RS that he should soak his alkaline batterys in lemon juice, for a full charge.
4)Had a group of RS workers believe that the motorola saber H-T's the police use can sniff out Cannibus.
5) Toldthem I dined with MR TANDY. All we had for dinner was candy.
6) Prevented many assualts at Radio shack. How, simple I would just leave the store!
7)An oldie.....deliberately blew out their tube tester when I was 14 years old. I guess I was a little testy!
PUT DOWN YOUR FUNNIEST RADIO-SHACK EXPERIENCES.....
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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wHAT WAS THE MOST STUPID THING YOU SAW OR HEARD AT A RADIO-SHACK?
1)very cold day, a radio-shack employee baught two slices of steaming hot pizza.
2)He at 3 bites from each slice.He then applied the hot slices to his ears, to makesome make shift earmuffs.
3) I told young lad worling at RS that he should soak his alkaline batterys in lemon juice, for a full charge.
4)Had a group of RS workers believe that the motorola saber H-T's the police use can sniff out Cannibus.
5) Toldthem I dined with MR TANDY. All we had for dinner was candy.
6) Prevented many assualts at Radio shack. How, simple I would just leave the store!
7)An oldie.....deliberately blew out their tube tester when I was 14 years old. I guess I was a little testy!
PUT DOWN YOUR FUNNIEST RADIO-SHACK EXPERIENCES.....
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by JOHNSGOAT on January 27, 2004
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Wow what a jerk! Dont you understand that they dont care! They are just trying to do their job. Wow where do you work? I would go down there just to give you hard time.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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oh, you want to give me a hard time, eh!
LOL ROTFLMAO!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 27, 2004
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I don’t follow Tandy Corp.
But I am interested in knowing how many of the board of directors are MBAs?
Where did the CEO of Tandy get his MBA? Refresh my memory, what company did Tandy hire the CEO away from?
Was Bernie Apple the last CEO that came from within Radio Shack?
What percentage of the Finance and accounting departments have MBAs?
How many MBAs run the regional and national warehouses?
How many buyers in Tandy Corp, and where did they get their MBAs?
What other companies does Tandy Corp own, other than Radio Shack?
When Radio Shack choose RCA as a main supplier, what % of the old store remodeling did RCA pay for?
What is Tandy Corp’s P/E? What is their multiple of stock fully diluted? How does this compare to electronic retailers? How often do they turn inventory a year? What other ratios are you using to gauge how healthy a company is? What is Tandy Corp’s cash flow, excluding taxes?
When RS sold out their computers stores, was it because RS failed, or was their a dramatic change in the market? Did RS fail when they stopped supporting VisiCalc? Was it RS failure when RS stopped making software programs?
Did RS stop selling 10 meter rigs cause they didn’t know how to do it, or because sales dropped, and the Hams at RS know about the sun spot cycle?
How com, at RS, you can’t buy a circuit board with a list of parts so that you can build your own computer? Why doesn’t RS sell software on tapes any more? Why don’t they sell tubes with lifetime warranties any more? Why don’t they sell 8 tracks any more? Why don’t they have tube testers any more—hams buy tubes!
If RS is going to carry “1N34 germanium diodes” how many do they have to order? Nation wide, how many will be in stores, how many in transit, how many in the regional warehouse? How many months ahead of arrival at the regional warehouse do they have to order? How many will they sell per month, and at what price? How many times will they have to turn their investment to break even? During the past 5 years what have been the sales? Last two years? Last year? Forecasted sales of these for the next quarter? Next year?
Why doesn’t RS sell as many TV antennas as they used to?
Why don’t they give free batteries away any more? Hams use batteries!
Chris Craft is still in business. How come they don’t sell boats any more?
What % of new autos are bought without an in dash stereo/CD unit? Out of those, how many buyers can install and wire their own sound system?
Why did Tandy Corp buy Stromberg Carlson? Why did Tandy Corp buy O’Sullivan cabinets? Why did Tandy buy Memorex? Who else does Tandy Wire and Cable make wire for?
What CEO decide to buy ailing chains of store like Incredible Universe and McDuff Electronics? Why did Tandy Corp hang on to RS, but spun off Tandy Electronics?
Inquiring minds want to hear expert opinions, and the REAL inside stories.
Let’s hear from all the business experts on eHam that closely follow Tandy, retail electronics, and the small electronics parts retailing industry.
Bob
PS: why can't I buy Black Jack chewing gum at the candy store any more? Hams chew licorice gum!
PS: why can't I buy Black Jack chewing gum at the candy store any more? Hams chew licorice gum!
Why don’t Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper taste like they used to? Hams drink those, especially during contests, or while they build the HeathKits!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N6AJR on January 27, 2004
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the local shack , now closed, manager, used to greet me and say "what weird part that I don't have do you need to day," or "what do i have that you are ging to use for something else.." like a 1/4 inch phono jack to rca connector, made for stereos but made a great rly keying line for old radios to new amps....
radio shack, you've got questions... We've got questions.....
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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johnsgoat, please elaborate 0n How you would give me as hard time! Give physcial despcrition. You do want in writting, so you do not forget every way you would give me a hard time at some of the institutions I work t. You shouild have it in writting!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by D9AL on January 27, 2004
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I one asked a salesclown about the cordless phones on sale. I said to him they do not say spread speacrum.li
The sales guy goes, you only need to worry about if if you live in a suburban area! He said people being able to listen in on you only happens during the time when most people are sleeping anyway!
I did not press on! I almost felt like saying does the phone come with fries and cole slaw!
I also see the most horrible thing. The way some shack employees treat senior citizens. This poor old lady was badgered into buying a radio! First she said she wanted it. She realised she reaaly could not afford it. The young ladyworking at the shack said,
yo stupid, I had to go all the way to the back to get this radio for you. The elderly lady bought the radio.
The young sales girl said....damn you do not need batteries for it! The elderly lady seemed to be happy to get out of the door!
I know most radio shacks are not this bad.
I am sure the people working their are driven insane.
73's Sal C.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA4ET on January 27, 2004
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As spoken by RS2002, as I recall
A conveinces store,,, and the prices reflect it???
HUmmmm! I find nothing convenent about RS, and unless there are no Walmarts around which would be hard to beleive, which are open 24/7 in alot of locations, which can be extremely convenent, I dont understand this concept. As has already been said, Walmart, Target, K-marts offer far better prices, and a far better selection than RS could ever hope to have.
What Radio Shack has,,,, is a defiant identity problem, and NO market vision. They are at the penicle of mediocrity, they do nothing very well.
SO if this is the case, let me help you.. Why doest Radio Shack sell every type of Connector, cable, wire, and electronic component available, within limits, and ya and for name sake, some REAL RADIOS also . Then they will be a superlative component conveince store worthy of the above comment from RS2002. THe cost of the advice is FREE, and I will promise to visit your store several times a month, and walk out with loads of stuff. Other hams will do the same,, and regular nobody customers will visit also, because they will know of your extensive stock of cables, and connectors for the stereos, VCR, and so on,, and I will not even care if you try and sell me another cell phone, because I will be happy when get there, and even happier when I leave.
PLease forward this comment to your Marketing and Grand vision Departments, as Ithink it will help Radio Shack find there place in the retail world
Regards
DAvid
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W7MD on January 27, 2004
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While 99 cent resistors may not "pay the rent", their presence on the shelf brings hams into the store where they buy the other stuff which does "pay the rent".
Phoenix has Fry's which provides the weekend electronics experimenter with the goodies needed to fix a stereo in one weekend instead of 3 weekends.
What Radio Shack used to provide may eventually be provided by superstores like Fry's. That will not be a good thing for Radio Shack.
Here in Tucson (no Fry's), if you wake up on Sunday morning and find your stereo amp tripping the circuit breaker, you turn on the one eyed monster and look for a seasonal sporting event instead of melting solder.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W9TM on January 27, 2004
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You can tell how profitable it must be to sell electronic parts to hams by the number of entrepreneurs rushing into the business....... Stand back! Don't get in the way of all the construction!
Jim W9TM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N3TTN on January 27, 2004
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Quote: "Phoenix has Fry's which provides the weekend electronics experimenter with the goodies needed to fix a stereo in one weekend instead of 3 weekends.
What Radio Shack used to provide may eventually be provided by superstores like Fry's. That will not be a good thing for Radio Shack.
Here in Tucson (no Fry's), if you wake up on Sunday morning and find your stereo amp tripping the circuit breaker, you turn on the one eyed monster and look for a seasonal sporting event instead of melting solder."
Been there and done that, Man, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I wish we had a Fry's here in the Wash. D.C. area, the last time I visited my family in Scottsdale, my brother and I went to the Fry's in Phoenix, and after about an hour or so roaming around the store, my "bro" finally said, hey, it's time to go now...Well, I guess you have to be a ham to understand what a place like that means to us.
73, N3TTN
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4JSR on January 27, 2004
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Jim, W9TM, Nobody said they expected just a parts store for hams. Take a more holistic view; Even
Mickey Dees learned that a very limited menu was not
profitable. Hams are not the only people who need a
convenient place to get electronic parts. You seem to have forgotten that there is a whole world of people who need small parts. You need to remember experimenters, students at technical schools, technicians and engineers making prototypes, and then
dead last would be hams. There just aren't that many hams in any area to justify your bit of hyperbole.
But, all or the others make up a lot of folks who
will eventually want or need something that is high
ticket. They will remember who helped them when they
needed help and will respond accordingly.
That is also why ham stores carry small accessories.
No store makes a big sale every time just like no
baseball player makes a safe hit every time he goes to bat. If you're going to play the game, play the
*WHOLE* game and not just the high points.
How about trying a macro view of what is
going on instead of a micro view. It may keep us
from going back to the dark ages!
Put that in your MBA pipe and smoke it!
Have a nice day, sir.
Cal K4JSR
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by VE6JJO on January 27, 2004
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Clearly the business model at Radio Shack no longer includes any support of any kind for amateur radio operators. Soon it will just be a low/medium end seller of consumer electronics. End of an era? Certainly. Opportunity? Certainly. Is there a market big enough to support an independent seller of supplies for builders? Who else is offering these supplies? Would appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction with a website or two....
Thanks
73
VE6JJO
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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Like or not radio shack will turn into MR TANDYS HOUSE of Gift's!
Survival guide
1) I have found though out the years that RADIO-SHACKS
will just through out stuff. They will either have a huge clearence, a grab bag, or the stuff is outside with the garbage!
Buy your parts then. Stock up the PARTS BOX!
2)JUNK BOXES ARE NOT NEW. A junk box is a collection of dead equipment, you can pull parts from.
I have found broken CB radio's make for the best junk box part source. You have RFC's. .1 and .01 caps,
electrolytics,Bias resistors, audio transfromers, and
HF QRP finals! Making your own rig? You have the case!
Broken AM/FM radio's are a great source for resistors,capacitors. IF coils, 9volt batt clips. batt holders, and speakers! Use the enclosure too!
THOWN OUT computers are great for the power supplies.
They output 12 and + and -5V. Modify them for your needs.
The Transistors and IC's-Digikey and Mouser
However if you like to build many RF projects, you owe it to your self to see what MINI-Cicuits sell.
MMIC's,(monolythic microwave IC) They are universal amps. They will amplfy from DC-6GHZ! They are class A amps. Use thier 200Mw one as a final or driver for a QRP rig. Use thier small signal one as an RF amp.
They need 4 external parts. Cost 2.00 or less!
Mini circuits also sell multi-octive VCO's, Mixers, filters and HPA's
WWW.minicircuits.com. Get the free RF designer catalog!
Hope this helps! 73 DE MIKE
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 27, 2004
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The name itself, "Radio Shack"
Does anyone know the history and origin of this derived name? Is there any connection to the term we often use, "Ham Shack"?
Inquiring minds want to know...
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 27, 2004
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Answered my own question, looks like "ham" radio was a part of the history when it first opened their doors:
They chose the name, "RadioShack," which was a term for the small, wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment. The Deutschmanns thought the name was appropriate for a store that would supply the needs of radio officers aboard ships, as well as "ham" radio operators.
Beginning in 1921, RadioShack would grow to a handful of stores clustered in the Northeast, and become a leading electronics mail-order distributor to hobbyists.
Also did you know that Radio Shack actually "invented" the Family Radio Service (FRS) radio?
For more information on the history and origin of Radio Shack visit:
http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/about/history.shtml
KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 27, 2004
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Charles, fuuny your brought that up.
Last year we had another anti-radio shack piece.
I mentioned the ham shack connection.
Some snot who claimed he was a ham and managed a radio
shack said this........Radio Shack was named after the Radio room of a ship, not Ham radio!!!!!
What can I say?
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB3JJG on January 27, 2004
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in respose to KB9YZL
Making the connection to a supermarket is stretching it, we do still have the cornstarch, we just don't have all the varieties we did when corn starch was HUGE back in the 70's. Radio Shack spent alot of money to keep some parts and put in the drawers to maximize the ridiculous amount of space it takes to merchandise the small parts. As was stated in so many threads before, they just don't move, even the hundreds of parts sku's that we still stock don't move. RS has not ignored the needs of it's customers, it has simply adjusted to the changing economy and times, resulting in a compromise, albeit one that many hams do not agree with. When you are just getting started and need a few parts to build that simple circuit you got off the net, or want to clip noise from your rc car motor, etc etc then we have the parts. If you need some more elaborate stuff call digikey or jameco, they have them.
To many millions of customers we are a technology store and we answer questions and help people every day, it's one of the reasons I do the job, and I like doing it.
73 joe kb3jjg
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N5WYA on January 28, 2004
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Radio Shaft has not had a hit, much less a home run in YEARS. They are no longer a reliable source for parts, equipment or tech support, unless you need a cell phone or want to buy a satellite subscription. I expect they will either totally overhaul the company and it's image, or go out of business.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AE6IP on January 28, 2004
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Repeat after me "Radio Shack is a consumer electronics product store. Radio Shack competes with The Good Guys, Circuit City, and CompUSA. Radio Shack is not an electronics hobby supply store. Radio Shack does not compete with Mauser, Allied, or even Frys. I will be a much happier person if I quit expecting Radio Shack to be something it is not. I will be a much happier person if I shop for electronics parts at stores that are in the parts business. I will, however, be able to pick up some *very* cool minature r/c cars at the shack."
This is your first step on a 12 step program towards accepting the world as it is.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4JSR on January 28, 2004
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Step 1. I admit that I am powerless over Radio Shack
That it has become unmanageable.
Step 2. Came to believe that a parts supplier greater
than Radio Shack could restore me to sanity.
Step 3. Made a decision to turn my parts needs over
to the care of someone who really cares and
understands me.
Step 4. Made a fearless search for inventory that
would fill my needs.
Step 5. Admitted to all the nature of Radio Shack's
wrongs to myself and others.
Gee Marty, It's working! I am beginning to have a
nice, warm, fuzzy feeling again!
My thanks and apologies to Bill W. and Lois.
:-D 73 Cal K4JSR
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 28, 2004
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Geeez.
What happened?
How come none of the Tandy, Radio Shack, Retail EXPERTS are answering my questions?
How about our MBA EXPERT? Where ja go?
I called you Yaesu today to find out the price of their current twins. They didn’t have any idea what I was asking for. They finally admitted the don’t sell matching xmitters and receivers any more. I told them I wanted to buy one, and since they sell ham radios, and I’m a ham, they should be taking care of me, their customer.
I had questions—they just had dumb answers like there isn’t enough demand for separates any more. That’s why we haven’t sold them for decades.
Turns out, they don’t even sell Nixie tubes any more! Nope! Don’t even sell driver tubes any more! Boy has Yaesu gone down hill! Next thing ya know, they won’t be selling output tubes any more!
Think I’ll head over to Circuit City tomorrow and replace my rotary phone with the nice adjustable volume on the bell. I need a new one. When I dial O, they won’t give me local phone numbers anymore. Plus, some moron said they charge for information now!
Bob
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NH7SR on January 28, 2004
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Web,
I am an active ham (got my first ticket in 1957), homebrewer/kit-builder -and- Radio Shack employee.
I too mourn the passing of the days when you could buy a 1N34 diode at RS... or a 100 pF variable cap or one of those 2" Japanese vernier drives. They have gone the way of all the rest of the parts for which there is no longer enough demand to stock.
There are over 7000 company owned Radio Shack stores in the US plus something in excess of another 2000 franchises. Radio Shack has to buy in incredibly large quantities to keep these stores stocked. Anything that sits in a store's inventory for more than 90 days without being sold incurs a higher cost to the company than what was paid for it. Overhead has to be added to the cost and overhead adds up with each passing day. At any given point in time there is probably several millions of dollars of "dead" inventory out there in the stores which represents a real, hard-money loss to the company.
Inventory must turn over within 90 to a maximum of 180 days if the company is to make a profit from it. This is true of every business in existence from the smallest Mom'n'Pop operation to the largest businesses. It's a simple fact of life.
Radio Shack is not getting out of the parts business. Anyone who tells you they are because "there's no money in parts" doesn't know what they are talking about. Small parts have the highest markups and profit margins of all the items Radio Shack carries... but they have to be sold to realize those profits. Parts have been moved out of the stores that historically have low parts sales volume and re-distributed to those stores that have a high parts sales volume. Although it may seem strange these are the lowly neighborhood small-volume stores rather than the mall stores. Why? Because of their convenience. Radio Shack is the 7-11 of electronic marketing.
The store I work in is a mall store. We have the largest volume of sales in Parts/Batteries/Accessories of any other store in the state but we are not classified as a parts store. We only have about half of the parts inventory that a small neighborhood store less than a mile from us has. Why? Because the parts that people come to our store to buy are TV cables, premade RCA cables, stereo headphone splitters, and the myriad of other things for "hooking stuff up". What they don't buy is discrete components like resistors, capacitors, transistors, IC's and, yes, 1N34's. About the only small parts they buy are fuses, automotive toggle switches, crimp connectors and F type coax connectors. The other 90% of the small parts inventory in the store where I work is "dead" stock that just doesn't move.
This morning I made a trip to one of the oldest and most respected industrial electronics supply houses in Honolulu to buy an MC14060 and three 4066 ICs. Simple need for very common chips. Did they have them? Nope... they don't have enough demand for them to justify stocking them any more. What do they stock? They have 1000' rolls of cable, they have multimeters, they have crimpers, they have installation hardware. In other words... they have what the market demands in a high enough volume to justify stocking.
Yes, things have changed over the years. I look back at the "glory days" in the 50's, 60's and 70's and think about all the parts that I could buy back then. I reminisce about the beautiful ham gear that Heathkit made so readily available to us and I mourn... but only for a moment. Sitting in front of me are three fine pieces of equipment built from Small Wonder Labs transceiver kits with audio frequency annunciators and 10-turn tuning pots (from Mouser Electronics), a freshly finished Oak Hills WM-2 wattmeter, a VE3DNL marker generator, a NorCal Keyer with AZ-Scorpion brass keying paddle and a homebrewed Z-match antenna coupler with parts from Ocean State Electronics and Radio Shack. Right in front of me is the means to obtain virtually any part that I might need... my computer and the internet. There is more available today for the kit-building ham than there ever was before and it's all good stuff, too! Sure you can't buy an SB-104 but you can buy an Elecraft K-2 with 100 watt amp and automatic antenna tuner for about the same amount of money in today's dollars as the SB-104 cost in 70's dollars.
Ayep... times has changed and so has electronics... and the change has been for the better! Might be about time for ham radio to do some changing to keep up with the times before we become just more "dead" inventory!
73
Michael 'Bear' Hebert NH7SR
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 28, 2004
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>>>Repeat after me "Radio Shack is a consumer electronics product store. Radio Shack competes with The Good Guys, Circuit City, and CompUSA.<<<<
As I said before, Radio Shack cannot compete with the big boys in the "consumer electronics" arena.
They are far better off to specialize in "hard to find" electronic parts. This would be a much better "consumer identity" for them.
Profit margins you ask? Well, it would seem that if Radio Shack is not able to sell Cell Phones,A/V equipment etc. cheaper than the guy down the street and be more competitive with the "big boys" then perhaps specializing in a "niche" market would be better than closing the doors.
Closing the doors is what generally happens when you cannot be competitive in a consumer driven market.
Now, was that rocket science?
73
Charles - KC8VWM
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N8XRV on January 28, 2004
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Go into Rat Shack and ask for a diode.
'Welcome to rat shack, Oh please, please, please let me help you, whotcha let me find something for you, please, huh, well, whatdoya need?"
"I need a diode."
"Diode? Would that be with the cell phone accessories?"
"Erm, no, I'll find it myself..."
At check out:
"Would that be all?"
"Yes"
"Would you like this super dooper cell phone, we have a great deal with a 2 million year contract'
"No, thanks"
"How about a wonderful satellite TV system?"
"No, thanks"
"We have this overpriced television set over there"
"No, I just want my diode."
"Diode? I bet that needs some betteries."
"NO!"
"You sure about the cell phone, I can get you a special deal"
....
Anyway, at least they don't ask for all your personal information anymore...
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N0WVA on January 28, 2004
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Yes, it is rather simple. I go where I can get the parts I need. Dont have it? Im going somewhere else. A radio shack with no parts aint no good for much else. Can they compete with with the "mart" stores? Nahh. I dont think so. So good riddance shadio rack. You suck anyways.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K2UXP on January 28, 2004
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For many years now Radio Shack has moved steadily away from a readily accessible source of small parts, kits and related items for radio experimenters---particu-
larly with respect to Ham radio. They need to be reminded of how/why they arrived at their corporate name.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K2WH on January 28, 2004
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Who cares............. Lot's of other places to get parts.
K2WH
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA0DTH on January 28, 2004
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I think Radio Shacks strong point, at least for me is the convenience of buying connectors and small component parts just about everywhere.
Yes there are lots of parts houses, but its nice to just run down to the corner and not have to order it and wait.
I have fixed lots of equipment with transistors, switches, and diodes bought at Radio Shack.
Not to mention the little projects I have built.
I remember the first store in Topeka Kansas in 1970.
The guy running it was from a small town near by and invested a few thousand to get it started.
From the beginning hams and experimenters alike have being back to the shack again and again.
I appeal to Radio Shacks managment to please consider the ham, the experimenter.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA0DTH on January 28, 2004
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I think Radio Shacks strong point, at least for me is the convenience of buying connectors and small component parts just about everywhere.
Yes there are lots of parts houses, but its nice to just run down to the corner and not have to order it and wait.
I have fixed lots of equipment with transistors, switches, and diodes bought at Radio Shack.
Not to mention the little projects I have built.
I remember the first store in Topeka Kansas in 1970.
The guy running it was from a small town near by and invested a few thousand to get it started.
From the beginning hams and experimenters alike have being back to the shack again and again.
I appeal to Radio Shacks managment to please consider the ham, the experimenter.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA0DTH on January 28, 2004
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I think Radio Shacks strong point, at least for me is the convenience of buying connectors and small component parts just about everywhere.
Yes there are lots of parts houses, but its nice to just run down to the corner and not have to order it and wait.
I have fixed lots of equipment with transistors, switches, and diodes bought at Radio Shack.
Not to mention the little projects I have built.
I remember the first store in Topeka Kansas in 1970.
The guy running it was from a small town near by and invested a few thousand to get it started.
From the beginning hams and experimenters alike have being back to the shack again and again.
I appeal to Radio Shacks managment to please consider the ham, the experimenter.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA0DTH on January 28, 2004
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I think Radio Shacks strong point, at least for me is the convenience of buying connectors and small component parts just about everywhere.
Yes there are lots of parts houses, but its nice to just run down to the corner and not have to order it and wait.
I have fixed lots of equipment with transistors, switches, and diodes bought at Radio Shack.
Not to mention the little projects I have built.
I remember the first store in Topeka Kansas in 1970.
The guy running it was from a small town near by and invested a few thousand to get it started.
From the beginning hams and experimenters alike have being back to the shack again and again.
I appeal to Radio Shacks managment to please consider the ham, the experimenter.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA6DLQ on January 28, 2004
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I buy many parts at All Ecectronics. www.allelectronics.com
Check them out!
Vince
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB7PPW on January 28, 2004
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Just a note about the down fall of Radio Shack...
I went to one of the stores in the Mesa Arizona area, I asked the clerk if they had any Ham Radio Operators....the next comment from her was yest they are over there in the counter I know I did not hear that.... in the counter were cb radios it is sad to see what is becoming of Radio Shack they use to be good at one point I recieved a comment from one of the executives in corporate... they said they could not compete with the other comapnies out there.....
I guess it is a death of an era they really need to chenge their name
gary
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by VE3MIG on January 28, 2004
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Radio Shack(crap) here in canada has not been a stor to shop at for your ham needs for menny years now.All they want to sell you is phones and batterys and computer crap.The staff in the two stors here (we had 5)would not know what the + end of a battery looked like from the - end.You ask for a part and they look at you like you are from mars.Just young kids out of school and no clue what the hell they are selling.RADIO CRAP, well i cant think of a better name Oh by the way there is littel to do with radio in ther any more other than there rc toy cars WHAT A JOKE!
RADIO SHACK HAS TURNED IT,S BACK ON US ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THE ALL MIGHTY BUCK!They let there research dummys tell them that there is no market for parts and comunnications equipment any more.You cant even buy a dam cb here any more OH BOY! WHAT A JOKE
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AE6IP on January 28, 2004
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> As I said before, Radio Shack cannot compete with
> the big boys in the "consumer electronics" arena.
and yet, they are. and making money doing so.
> They are far better off to specialize in "hard to
> find" electronic parts. This would be a much
> better "consumer identity" for them.
Outside of the three or four areas where the electronics industry is concentrated there are *maybe* 50,000 people in the entire US who would buy *any* electronics parts.
Inside the areas where the industry is concentrated, one can find dozens of stores that supply electronic parts.
50,000 people who might come in once a year for a "hard to find" part would keep *maybe* 5-10 retail stores in business.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KB3JJG on January 28, 2004
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And for those who asked, I was not the one who lambasted you last year, I just found and joined eham several months ago.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N1RWC on January 28, 2004
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I actually stopped by one today to be told as I walked 3 feet in the door at 5:25 PM. "I'm sorry sir, but you will have to leave as I am on my break, come back in 30 minutes."
And just think I was going to inquire about replacing my PCS Phone.
Oh Well, guess I'll have to stop in the Sprint Store to get my replacement, unless their on their Break.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC8VWM on January 28, 2004
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>>>I just found and joined eham several months ago. <<<
Well, in that case it must be all your fault!
:)
KC8VWM
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD4FTV on January 29, 2004
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They don't even care what your name, address and telephone number is anymore. Asking for this information has always bugged me on cash purchases. They would get upset when I refused to give it.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA3KYY on January 29, 2004
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KB3HON said:
"Have a modern day Heathkit. "
http://www.elecraft.com
Just celebrated their 5 year anniversary and are going strong.
73,
Mike
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 29, 2004
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The story generally goes that Radio Schlock got into a war with Lafayette Electronics back in the early 1970's. In 1977, Lafayette was kind of... gone. That's when I saw their stores close around here. Another competitor, Olsen Electronics, was also history.
Charlie Tandy was looking for new lands to conquer, and surprisingly enough, he found it. Home computers. In September 1977, out came the TRS-80.
A Radio Shack store could get one as a store demo unit only after they sold something like 10 of them first. My manager did something smart... TRS-80 sale #1 was to himself. He put it on the sales floor. He was able to unload a lot of the first TRaSh-80's where other Rat Shacks in the area couldn't, because customers wanted to see it first.
When the official store demo unit arrived, that one he took home, the first one stayed on the sales floor.
By all accounts though, Charlie Tandy was a real SOB. One of the execs got married, then tried to ask for a pay raise because he now had a wife to support. Tandy allegedly said, "Oh, did you get my permission to get married? Did I promise you any raise just because you got married??"
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 29, 2004
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I just remembered... THE FUNNIEST THING THAT HAPPENED AT A RADIO SHACK!
It's for real. It happened at a local shopping mall. I was in the RS store and some lady came in wanting to buy a modular telephone extension cord, to allow her to get the phone several feet over to some other place in the room.
The clerk didn't even bother to look around (Good God, just go to the phone accessories wall and you can't miss it) but he said, "No, we don't have anything like that. But, we do have these special deals on a Wireless Phone!"
Oh the irony of it all.
The previous poster who calls them "Telephone Booth", you're right. It sure fits those guys better than "Radio Shack."
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 29, 2004
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K4JSR said:
> Even Mickey Dees learned that
> a very limited menu was not
> profitable.
McDonalds has tried one thing after another over the years, with varying success. Remember the McDLT? How about the Arch Deluxe? Or their Steak Sandwich? They may still have the Big Breakfast but do you remember the Little Breakfast?
You have to give them credit for consistency though. A McDonalds burger tastes exactly the same no matter what McDonalds you go to. Very little variance.
Now, take a look at a regional burger chain that started in Baldwin Park CA in the 1940s. Their menu has never changed over the years. 3 kinds of burgers, a selection of drinks, coffee, milkshakes, and french fries. They aren't open for breakfast. They've never gone for food fads like the other guys. They have a high quality limited menu, and their employees are competent and above all, FRIENDLY. They only build new locations in carefully considered high traffic locations along major streets or freeways. In recent years they have expanded from Southern California into the rest of the state and now have locations in Nevada and Arizona. They are still family owned and not franchised. The name of this burger place is In-N-Out Burger. Whoever runs it is a genius.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 29, 2004
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At one time, every RS store would mail, daily, every sales ticket to HQ, along with a report that reconciled incoming funds, along with copies of “deposit” for “cash” and charges (known as “cash control; every “cash” sales ticket sent to the store had to be accounted for; each sales ticket had a serial number with the store’s RS store number on it).
Every sales slip would then be “key punched” into a data base, from which, sales fliers were sent to people.
RS would track the percentage of sales tickets that key-punchers could enter into the data base. Store Managers, SMs were sent a monthly report of Names&Addresses. This information was also sent to District and Regional Managers.
Having a “low” percentage of Names&Address was a SURE way for SMs to indicate to DMs they didn’t value being a SM highly.
In turn, the SMs would track each sales person’s Name and Adr percentage.
Hence, a LOT of effort by all sales people to get your name and adr. If the sales person’s “dollars per hour” was low, and their names&adr were also low, along with dollars per ticket, they were history. Employment was (is?) “at will”, NO implied employment contract—terminated without reason.
Bob
PS: the catalogue, that came out in Sept/October was mainly to boost Christmas sales. Sales fliers were mailed to people who had recently purchased form RS, because there was a positive correlation between recent purchase, getting the flier, and making more purchases.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4JSR on January 30, 2004
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AD7DB, David, What killed Lafayette, more than anything, was the death of its founder in the early
70's. The resulting power struggles within the
corporation ruined the careers of many talented and
hard working people. Again, it was greed that seemed
to motivate the remaining upper management and not any real concern for the stock holders, employees or customers, not necessarily in that order. They ruled
with an "IRON WHIM" and the result took a few years
to get them. It was not anything Tandy did. He saw
what was going on and at the most only provided an occasional "nudge".
As for McDonalds, that whole scheme was a Kroc!
Pun intended. Ray Kroc new how to be flexible enough to keep most of his core customers coming back.
McDonalds cosistency is legendary in the annals of
Quality Control. Quality is not really defined by
business as something really great, but something that is consistant. What you got this time is what
you will get next time. The pro side of that is
as you said, you know what you are getting when you go to Mickey Dee's, or Boston Market, or Chapotle's
Mexican joints. (All McD's). I t ain't great
cuisine, but as WA2JJH would say, "You ain't got
Jimmy Hoffa ground up into your food".
Radio Shack is not being consistant with what the
public has come to expect. Maybe they are, judging
from the total discontent you see in this thread.
In any event, it is a shame.
73 Cal Neff K4JSR
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC5GJY on January 30, 2004
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I stopped buying and building,because they stopped stocking and selling.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N0TTW on January 30, 2004
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I used to manage a Radio Shack. I got my license (Novice) in the 80's, for one reason, to understand the 10m rig they had. I've been hooked on amateur radio since.
For the one that was told that the parts are not money makers, they were wrong or ill informed. Those parts were the bread and butter of the company at the time.
Those 1/4 watt resistors the sold for packs of 5 for 39 cents, cost only 9 cents. I could get my parts from Mouser, but if it's a 1N4001 diode, I'll go there for convience. I made my first CW transmitter from RS parts and my receiver was a DX model.
It is unfortunate, we will have to go to mouser for the basic parts. Mouser....the new RS
Chris
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4CMD on January 30, 2004
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The only reason I go to Radio Snack now is when I can buy their $200 10-meter rig for $39, like I did when I got the last one in the store -- the demo HTX-10 --last July. They truly are a joke these days -- heck, you can hardly even find a product in the store with THEIR name on it anymore.
I remember fondly the days (yes, in the 70s -- into the early 80s) when I, as a teenage ham, would go into the Shack at the mall and browse for an hour while my mom was off buying me Toughskins at Sears. (That Radio Shack is now a toy store.) My first "radio" was a Realistic DX-160 receiver, bought for $179.95 with weeks and weeks of paper-route savings. My first set of stereo speakers were Realistics, I had a Realistic cassette recorder (still do, in fact), and my multitester is still the good ol' Archer analog one I've had since 1980.
You guys remember the "Battery a Month" card?
Ah, the good old days.
Meade K4CMD
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4CMD on January 30, 2004
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P.S. Somebody should cut-and-paste this entire forum into an e-mail to Fort Worthless.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on January 30, 2004
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I do a lot less impulse building of circuits. This is because I know my parts RS super store will be out!
When I worked in broadcasting, all the TV stations would run to RAT SHACK for emergency parts and batteries!
Like the poster said before me, someone should cut and paste this whole thing to Radio-HQ! Also tell them that most people use cable in urban area's, not a dish!
In many urban area's there are so many cell phone and beeper shops.
The only things they carry that are unique are WLANs and FRS/GMRS radio's!
Lafayette turned into the WIZ ahhhhhhhhgggggg
I can only imagine what type of crazy eddy RS will
turn into!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 30, 2004
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WoW!! Great replies...Please allow me one additional posting. I won't pick on RS, that's been done to death.
This time, I would like to share 2 stories about my experiences at two different K-Marts (both closed, gee, what a surprise), and the way they treated customers:
1. I bought an enclosed car trailer and wanted a cheap roll-around tool chest, to bolt to the inside. Craftsman was out of the question for this application, so I head to the K-Mart near the house. Bingo, just what I was looking for, and the $ was right. I looked and looked for 'help'. I made 3 trips to the Service Desk and they paged the person in Hardware each time. FINALLY (!!), this VERY hostile lady stomps up to me (obviously, she was in the middle of something 'important' in the back, like a nap!).
"Yeah?" she growls.
"I would like to buy a tool chest like that one"
"I'll go see"
After a VERY long wait, she comes back. "Ain't got no more" (her exact words)
"OK, I'll take that one"
She goes to find the Manager
At least thi
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 30, 2004
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WoW!! Great replies...Please allow me one additional posting. I won't pick on RS, that's been done to death.
This time, I would like to share 2 stories about my experiences at two different K-Marts (both closed, gee, what a surprise), and the way they treated customers:
1. I bought an enclosed car trailer and wanted a cheap roll-around tool chest, to bolt to the inside. Craftsman was out of the question for this application, so I head to the K-Mart near the house. Bingo, just what I was looking for, and the $ was right. I looked and looked for 'help'. I made 3 trips to the Service Desk and they paged the person in Hardware each time. FINALLY (!!), this VERY hostile lady stomps up to me (obviously, she was in the middle of something 'important' in the back, like a nap!).
"Yeah?" she growls.
"I would like to buy a tool chest like that one"
"I'll go see"
After a VERY long wait, she comes back. "Ain't got no more" (her exact words)
"OK, I'll take that one"
She goes to find the Manager
At least thi
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K4CMD on January 30, 2004
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Yep, gone are the days of surprises ...
Like the time I accompanied my dad to the Sears store downtown in the '70s (back when there WAS a Sears store downtown) and I, a 14-year-old with Shortwave on the brain and nothing in my pocket, ambled into the electronics department to find a Yaesu FRG-7 receiver with SEARS' name on it! Man, did I drool.
When's the last time we saw ham equipment at a department store?!?!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 30, 2004
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WoW!! Great replies...Please allow me one additional posting. I won't pick on RS, that's been done to death.
This time, I would like to share 2 stories about my experiences at two different K-Marts (both closed, gee, what a surprise), and the way they treated customers:
1. I bought an enclosed car trailer and wanted a cheap roll-around tool chest, to bolt to the inside. Craftsman was out of the question for this application, so I head to the K-Mart near the house. Bingo, just what I was looking for, and the $ was right. I looked and looked for 'help'. I made 3 trips to the Service Desk and they paged the person in Hardware each time. FINALLY (!!), this VERY hostile lady stomps up to me (obviously, she was in the middle of something 'important' in the back, like a nap!).
"Yeah?" she growls.
"I would like to buy a tool chest like that one"
"I'll go see"
After a VERY long wait, she comes back. "Ain't got no more" (her exact words)
"OK, I'll take that one"
She goes to find the Manager
At least thi
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N5GSR on January 30, 2004
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Check out this palace they have any part you need and ship all over the us
www.ralphselectronics.com
i know i'm the manager
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N4UE on January 30, 2004
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Sorry about the double, truncated postings. Perhaps AOL should change thier name to "ALO", (Automatic Log OFF). It waits until you are near the end of whatever you're writing and 'Goodbye!" I am back to 4.0 from 9.0, and it works better!
Anyway, hopefully I can finish....
At least this lady 'Manager' was not openly hostile. I guess she had her nap earlier....
"What can I do for you, Sir?"
"I want to buy that tool box on display, because it's the last one"
"Oh, we can't sell THAT one! It's dented."
"I don't care"
"NO, it's not for sale"
"OK, order me another"
"We CAN'T order another. The computer only allows us to have one in stock at a time. And since we have ONE, that's all we can have".
I swear to God, that's what I was told!
That was it! I lost it..... They called the STORE Manager over. He calmed me down, and said what the other 2 had told me was BS. He told me he would order one from a nearby store and would have it there the next day. And it was.....
2. I was doing some work out
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on January 30, 2004
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Try writing it offline using a text editor, then jump on and paste it in. I do want to read Part 2...
(Why do people have an Instant Dislike for AOL? Because it saves time that way!)
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AE6IP on January 31, 2004
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You know, it don't matter how many times you call that chicken Bessie, it just ain't gonna give ya no milk.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KF4LVC on January 31, 2004
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I'm not one to bash many places, but Radio Shack has really chafed my hide in the last 10 years. I have been reading some of the posts here and I must agree with anyone who had the experience of enjoying to the Shack to look for parts, kits, or just get some good, knowlegeable advice from the proprieter...who most times was some type of electronics hobbyest himself. Allow me to relate the story of the moment when I found all hope was lost for RS.
About 7 years ago I was laid-off of a job. Since I have an electronics degree and plenty of radio and computer experience, I put in a resume at the local RS. I was called in to an interview a few days later with the REGIONAL manager. Just before the actual meeting, I was asked to fill out an application and take a short test, very light on any electronics/computer info.
The interview was VERY telling of the company and it's goals. The Regional manager talked with me a while and indicated that they were in DIRE need of an assistant manager at a local store. OK, sounded fine to me. He then told me the pay was not much over minimum wage with commission made on large-ticket items and that usually averaged around 9-11 dollars an hour. OK, still sounded fine to me. Then he looked at my resume and told me, in no uncertian terms, that RS prefers NOT to hire anyone with my kind of background, and he declined the job offer to me.
Honestly. I am not making this up.
He told me that RS is interested in selling as many of their items as possible and that some one with such techinical knowledge would only serve to confuse the custormer! I was blown away! He went on to indicate that RS does not want to hire anyone who actually understood anything about electronics or computers because that person would KNOW what goes in to the products and, whith that knowledge, the sales person may potentially sway the customer to another product of higher quality sold by a different store. They just couldn't take the risk.
After that, I said OK, shook the man's hand, and left. That was the very minute I "Spoonerized" Radio Shak and called it "Shady Ole' Rack".
Since then, I go to one of those horrid place only when it is imperitive...and those times are very few and far between, getting fewer and farer.
kf4lvc
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA5SWC on January 31, 2004
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Well, I said it once in another, but similar thread, and NO ONE picked up on it, and the simple fact is that if there was MONEY in it, they would be THERE! WE are too small a market, even for a lowly diode. Sorry guys, and gays. I too enjoyed it, but more folks are going to ready made or having their stuff fixed by someone else. Sad, but true. Now, if you WANT to pay a whole lot more for that diode and make it worth their wild, I'm sure they'll carry it. So be quite and throw your money at them already!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KE2IV on January 31, 2004
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LNXAUTHOR states:
"2. many can't speak English, and many stores are run in a similar manner as a 7-11 in an urban area - some local stores have a 'shady' feel with poor stocking, re-bandaged goods put back on shelves (one local store in particular has become a hangout for groups of foreigners - don't get me wrong, i'm not being racist here, but this behavior has a tendency to frighten away other customers)"
Oh yes, you are not racist and pay no attention to that little postage sized mustache on your upper lip!
To paraphrase: "Shady foreigners frightening away good customers"
Sure smells like a bunch of racist bullsh_t to me!
Well why don't you just stay out there in the far away suburb you crawled to good ol' boy. We sure don't want you racist filth coming back here to the inner city and polluting our diversity!
And don't go by the address on the search engine. Ever heard of having two residences? Think about how 100 miles south of QTH equals the other place with no antenna possibility.
I have no use for RS but sure as heck can smell a self-denying racist when he crawls out of his spider hole!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K7IHC on January 31, 2004
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I'm kinda lucky in that the RS store down the street from me (only RS in my city of 50,000+ people) has a ham as one of the managers. They try to stock most of the ham/CB radio items you don't see at many of the other stores in the region. They have the only PRO-96 scanner (digital capable) in the area. They also had the only mini remote speaker in-stock around here, too.
I'm also fortunate that I live about 15-20 mins away from an HSC Electronic Supply store. They are a large regional (3 stores) electronic and computer supply retailer. Lots of parts, connectors, bulk co-ax (decent JSC Cable stuff), and quite a few kits, too.
I will say that it was a big mistake for RS to eliminate the printed catalog. I still keep two of the last ones (2002?) around for quick reference.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N3JWN on January 31, 2004
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This Radio Shack bashing sounds like the state or area you live in. They are not going out of the parts business. They are cutting back for the inventory of every radio shack store. In Baltimore there are designated PARTS stores that will remain Parts stores in our area as of right now the neighborhood stores the move these small parts chips, diodes, SMA to uhf connectors...They will continue to carry these items, they might not carry as many as the small part designated stores in your area. I don't work for radio shack but they have always been friendly courteous and helpful if you know information they don't know about electronics or parts let them know.. They appreciate the info. Yes, some of the managers and employees don't know everything about every part or adaptor...An SMA What???(sometimes anything)But isn't that about anywhere you go unless they are a specitally shop?? In general I think there to help. they still have a catalog, I needed some egg insulators this summer all the stores I went to were out of stock..... Placed the order in the store from the same catalog I have at home and 3 days later the insulators arrived in the mail.......... What's not to like... It's only common sense if you carry inventory on the shelf and it doesn't move. Your going to put product in the store that moves and cut back or consolidate small parts to bigger stores in the area this is business folks and makes good sense to me. We all know experimentation and building projects and different things. We and other people are just not doing these Day's ..................73's have a good day Dick / n3jwn
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by LNXAUTHOR on January 31, 2004
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KE2IV writes:
>> I have no use for RS but sure as heck can smell a
>> self-denying racist when he crawls out of his spider
>>hole!
after looking over my original comments, i certainly agree that the comments were harsh...
i sincerely apologize for any remarks that may have offended and certainly meant no bad intent...
thank you for pointing out my poor comments and i'll try to keep an open mind in the future...
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 31, 2004
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This thread certainly is entertaining.
I believe the organization follows this: stores have part and full time sales people. Full time sales people may also be manager trainees. Each store has a Sales Manager. Stores are grouped into districts, run by a district manager. Districts are grouped into a region, run by a regional manager. Regions in turn are run by a national manager.
DMs, sometimes SMs of very large stores, interview potential sales people.
Few companies higher over qualified people, especailly for entry level positions. Over qualified people leave for the higher paying jobs they are qualified for. All the time spent training, breaking in a new employee is lost when they leave; and then, one has to hire a train a replacement employee.
Bob
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by RobertKoernerExAE7G on January 31, 2004
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This thread certainly is entertaining.
I believe the organization follows this: stores have part and full time sales people. Full time sales people may also be manager trainees. Each store has a Sales Manager. Stores are grouped into districts, run by a district manager. Districts are grouped into a region, run by a regional manager. Regions in turn are run by a national manager.
DMs, sometimes SMs of very large stores, interview potential sales people.
Few companies higher over qualified people, especailly for entry level positions. Over qualified people leave for the higher paying jobs they are qualified for. All the time spent training, breaking in a new employee is lost when they leave; and then, one has to hire a train a replacement employee.
Bob
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W3RAZ on February 1, 2004
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Funny Radio Shack story....about 8:30 at night I ran over to Radio Shack to putchase a 4 to 6 pin Firwire cable to hook my miniDV Camcorder to my Mac for importing some video. They did not have it. On a hunch, I went next store to a Big Lots. The had the cable surprisingly and it was also 8 bucks! They would have charged me 30 or more at Radio Shack for the same thing. Walked back in to tell them in casse they felt like helping some one and the rat shack guy said well when we have them ours are better cuz they have these golden connectors see here....Rolling my eyes I walked out. They even derided Macs because they did not understand them. My most recent ham purchase was a 50 buck HTX-10 and I love that little radio. My current record on it with a pared down CB whip is 1700 miles....Ohio to California. Pretty good for a whole system that cost less then 60.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA0ZLG on February 1, 2004
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You know the saying "when you buy something you realy like and you go to buy it again and they dont have it" Well I did just that I like to use 300ohm twin leed for antenna feed line and I went to the local RS and they had 2-100 ft. rolls of it. I asked them if they will still keep stocking it and he said he didn't know. they dont sell much of it and he didn't know how long they will keep stokning it. I bought both rolls. I have not been back for about a month or so so I don't know if they have restocked it or nonot. I will have to stop in and see.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD7YOE on February 2, 2004
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Rat Shack has already made their discision based on economics. Their emphesis is only on cell phones, computer games and electronic Toys, not radio equipment of any kind.
Sad days for any Boy Scout, young or old.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AB8RU on February 2, 2004
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I was in the other day and bought 2 bags full of stuff $1.00 per bag, I wanted the Phone jack , but I got the LEDs, and some odds and ends. I guess you look for these odd things whereever you go.
I know in Plainwell Mi. an Associate store he buys old inventory he also sells stereos CB stuff, including some 10M. rigs ( Trucker Specials)
I even one day asked for an F Adaptor they did not have it in stock so I wound up going accross the parking lot to K-Mart and found one there.
Stupid as it sounds I went to a Department store for my part.
otherwise I buy from whomever.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by VE2BQA on February 2, 2004
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Hello,
In Canada, Radio Shack does not sell anymore Hamradio equipment. They do not sell anymore scanner, electronics, antenna, Coax, etc. But they sell TV, DVD and cars radio-controlled.
I must acknowledge you that I am very disappointed of this reversal.
I finish by saying that there are not only the products which decrease at Radio-Shack Canada, but also the competence of the salesmen! One of them try to sell me RG-6 coaxial cable(coaxial for Satellite TV receiver- 75ohms) to replace my RG-8 coaxial (that is 50ohms).
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD5HVO on February 2, 2004
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Hi,
I think I just confirmed the last nail in the coffin. I just went to the RS website and seached for amateur radio equipment. A few antenna parts, cables, coax, and a few accessories. BUT NO MORE AMATEUR RADIOS OF ANY KIND. They listed some FRS, GRMS and a marine VHF, but no others.
It looks like RS won't even be selling re-branded HTs, or VHF/UHF mobiles anymore. I have one of their little 25watt mobiles. No frills, bells or whistiles, but it is a nice little 2m rig that I can throw into any of my vehicles and hit the repeaters that an HT can't.
I agree with most of this thread, but my son (he's got his TECH ticket) just started working at the local RS. Its amazing how well he does, having a little electronics and communications experience. Customers seem to gravitate to him because he really knows some electronics. Luckily, this store is locally owned (the owner also runs a local computer store).
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by AD7DB on February 2, 2004
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Relax. Radio Shack, I mean "Telephone Booth", is leaving their old market.
Others will step in to fill their vacancy if there is sufficient demand. (And I think there is.)
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N1YRK on February 2, 2004
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Yes, they have become crap in the past few years. They've produced some good stuff in the distant past. But it's not profitable any more. 'Part' of the parts problem is that people just don't even think of fixing things any more, they just throw them away and buy another. I can't even think of the last time I saw a TV repair shop here in Boston. Even if you could find the micro-miniature part you need, and had a surgeon's hands to install it, you'd be wasting time and money and miss out on new 'features' because the part would cost you as much if not more than a replacement unit!
You can blame the export of manufacturing jobs overseas, first to Japan, then to Taiwan and now Communist China. U.S. manufacturers can't keep up because of the high cost of labor, and environmental/safety regulations here that do not exist in asia. Now, the typical short sighted businesman bemoans these facts and wants to get rid of them -- hence the continuing destruction of good jobs which has only accelerated under the Bush administration while at the same time they let China walk away with all our manufacturing jobs.
No, the answer is tarriffs. Only countries that meet the standards in labor/safety/environment will be allowed easy access to US markets, and will extend the same privileges to the US. That would consist of Canada, parts of Europe, and hopefully Australia and New Zealand. It is possible that Japan could get its house in order, but it would be a long shot.
Jobs would return to the U.S. We'd have less environmental problems because we'd turn back from the disposable culture to one of reuse and repair. But maybe the $9.99 CD player would no longer be possible. I don't care. Maybe Wal-Mart would no longer be the largest employer in the US, selling cheap chinese crap to U.S. consumers who don't realize they are destroying their country, and their own neighborhood, by first forcing manufacturers to china and now all retail service to wall-mart. Maybe the middle class could be reinvigorated with people proud of making quality products, and being paid enough to afford a house.
Maybe then, there would be a market for replacement parts for everything, and that servicability becomes a selling point for a product. Yes, then that $.19 diode might cost $.25 because it is made in the U.S., but at least you could buy it, and use it, and know that the money spent stays within the US and its friends: the responsible and civlized countries of the world.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N2PET on February 3, 2004
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Rat Shack, You have Questions, We have blank stares!!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WA2JJH on February 3, 2004
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You walk out of the store real fast, we need some answers!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WD0BCX on February 3, 2004
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Well in my town for the last twenty years we have called the Radio Shack store " Radio Shaft" and the "Out House". Why you ask? Because no matter what you went in to purchase it diden't work when you got it home or they diden't have it in the first place !!!!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by D9AL on February 4, 2004
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hey ke2iv, you are a jerk! I have been in Radio Shorts
that the manager would let his gang banger friends hang out in.
LNX has nothing to apolgise for. He just reported what he saw. It was you that saw it as racist!
You are a few french fries short of a happy meal!
What are you, Willium Kunstsler!
If I wanted any sh-- out of you, I would squeeze your head! left winged limp dipped psuedo-intellectual poser!
Bon Journo DE SAL D9AL
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by D9AL on February 4, 2004
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<<<<<<Oh yes, you are not racist and pay no attention to that little postage sized mustache on your upper lip!
To paraphrase: "Shady foreigners frightening away good customers"
Sure smells like a bunch of racist bullsh_t to me!
Well why don't you just stay out there in the far away suburb you crawled to good ol' boy. We sure don't want you racist filth coming back here to the inner city and polluting our diversity!
And don't go by the address on the search engine. Ever heard of having two residences? Think about how 100 miles south of QTH equals the other place with no antenna possibility.
I have no use for RS but sure as heck can smell a self-denying racist when he crawls out of his spider hole!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello pot callin the kettle black!!!!!! Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
HEY KE2IV, you are a jerk and a looser troll baby!
I have been in Radio Shorts that were similar to LNX's!
The manager would let his gang banger friends hang out in there drinking mad dog and night train!
LNX has nothing to apologise for. He just reported what he saw. It was you that saw it as racist! You see every ham as a racist! Stupid New Yorker pinko liberal!
You are a few french fries short of a happy meal!
What are you, Willium Kunstsler! Your a parasite!
If anybody on EHAM wanted any sh-- out of you, all they would have to do is Squeeze your head!
Typical! left winged limp dipped psuedo-intellectual poser!
AND
Bon Journo DE SAL D9AL
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA1LDD on February 4, 2004
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I think a more appropriate name would be Computer Shack or Sprint PCS shack. At least they don't demand a name and address any more to purchase a 9 volt battery.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NN6EE on February 4, 2004
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Ol' Sal has some inferiority issues obviously!!!
Jesus OB give it a break!!!
Besides I bought a pair of small "Book-Shelf" speakers made by RCA a few years ago for our TV/Sound system and they sound Grrrreat!!!
As far as being able to buy individual parts for projects nowadays who gives a RS, everybody is into "Plug'n'Play" anyway!!!
You as a "Politically-Correct Racist" can understand that can't you???
EE
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by D9AL on February 4, 2004
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<<<<<You as a "Politically-Correct Racist" can understand that can't you???>>>>>>
LMAO-ROFL! That certainly is an OXYMORON. A PC racist! Is that like Kosher Ham?!
Not racist at all! Just a like to bother KE2IV, he is a master troll and a pest in general.
Lighten up dude!
73 SAL
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by N2PET on February 7, 2004
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Man, some of you are taking this s-it way too serious! Take a chill pill!!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by WB0CTE on February 11, 2004
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Well after reading all the Radio Shack bashing here, I was in our huge farming town of Roseau Minnesota on the Canadian border so thought I would stop at the local RS and get a couple items.
When I walked in there was a young lady at the counter that looked like a teenager to me. She asks me if she could help, I told her I needed a 4 pin Amphenol mike plug and a pack of 6 amp AGC fuses. She imediatly walked to a cabinet and got the mike plug and then went to a display and got the box of fuses. It did not take her two minits and she never had to ask me another question. She knew exactly what I was talking about.
She did not ask if I needed a cell phone or satalite
or battries, she only asked if I needed anything else.
When I left she wished me a good day.
It is just possible that up here in the wilderness, we have people working in our stores that actually like their jobs and try to do the best they can.
I will go back.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD2E on February 23, 2004
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V73NS has it right.
Forget about Radio Shack...They are already dead!
Lafayette and Radio Shack both died around the same time. The only diff is that the Rat's carcass is still around decaying!
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KD7ZRO on March 5, 2004
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The local Radio Shack here don't even carry ham radios anymore! The closest Radio Shack that sells them is over 20 miles away, and all they have are little 70cm HTs. eBay is the only place I can think of to get good deals on equipment(now thats sad!)
Rod KD7ZRO
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA1BIN on March 30, 2004
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I'd like to thank everyone who posted their comments.
I just spent about an hour reading each any everyone,
I haven't had this much enjoyment in months. I have
witnessed many of the incidents in RS stores that
many others had.
Many of you don't realize that RADIO SHACK changed their name about 5 years ago. There is no such store
or retail operation named RADIO SHACK anymore!
They changed their name to RADIOSHACK (one word-
unpronouncable).
Tandy Corporation/Radio Shack had a long history
during the 1980's-1990's of bullying many small
businesses over trade mark infingement. If anyone
started a business and had the word "Shack" in their
business name, Tandy would threaten a lawsuit
against them, and in a few cases, did go to court
to defend their "trademarked". name
So if a business called themself, "Battery Shack",
Tandy would sue, most cases never went to court
because the business owner would back down, afraid
of the legal costs. The business owner would change
his business name. Now there is nothing wrong with
defending your trademark, but some of these cases
were crazy. Even if the "offending" business had nothing to do with Radio or Electronics, Tandy would
still threaten suit. So "Radio Room", "TV Shack",
even "Record Shack" was considered infringment by them.
Well, in the early 90's, a company called "Video Shack"
was threatened with a lawsuit by Tandy/Radio Shack,
but unlike past cases, Video Shack wasn't going to give
in and change their name. Video Shack called Tandy's bluff, and went to court, I believe the case lasted
about 6 or 7 years, (Tandy, when challenged in court
would try to delay the case forever to finacially crush
the challenger). The outcome of the case was, not only
didn't "Video Shack" infringe upon Radio Shack's trademark, but Radio Shack's trademark name was invalidated. The ruling was that the trademark
"Radio Shack" (when issued in the 1930's) should
have never been allowed because even back then
(in the 30's), the words "Radio Shack" were already
generic and in the public domain, (Radio Shack =
ship's radio room).
So around 1998 or so, the company changed their name to an unpronouncable "RADIOSHACK.
It is also interesting that if you look at their
newer signs that they have used for a few years,
you will see that they also use a "R" enclosed in a circle, but upon closer examination the "R" is not
centered in the circle, it is offset. It looks like
RADIOSHACK is "infringing" upon the common trademark
used for "registered trademark" which is a "R"
centered inside a circle.
In closing, I own a small family business, been around
since 1975. for almost a quarter century, Radio Shack
has been my competitor, they drove 100's if not 1000's
of small family businesses, out of business in the 70's
and 80's. I will never be a retail operation with
1000's of stores nationwide, but I think that you
will in the near future see more and more little companies like mine appear. I ship nationwide, I ship
world wide to many countries, when a person needs a small part and I have it in stock, he/she is able to
buy it at a reasonable price and usually receiveds it
in 2 or 3 days. My business model DOES RELY on how many
pieces of an item is sold per person per year.
The difference between a chain operation and a family
business is "if one person buys one piece" then it
was worth having it in stock". Most small operations
don't worry about "stock rotation". This is how many
small family operations run. The sales put food on the
table and pay the bills.
73
KA1BIN - Steve
www.smcelectronics.com
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by K1CJS on April 4, 2004
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Unfortunately, that is not the trend. One 'Radio Shack" in my area would go out of their way to get what you wanted or needed. That was an "associate" store--the owner CARED. He finally retired in the early nineties, the corporation bought the store out because it was a good producer, and that store also went 'down the drain'.
The few electronics stores that were in business in my area got to be fewer and fewer, the last two closed their doors last year. Now the closest is an hour ride away, and although it stocks almost everything (it is an electronics 'supermarket') it is far easier to go to the web and order parts there. Shipping time is usually one day, the parts are cheaper, and you don't spend the time or the travel costs to get them, either.
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by NJ6F on May 15, 2004
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If you want one of their HF or VHF/UHF units just purchase from Alinco.
I feel you are suffering because you might not have a internet connection, or are up on web surfing. There is more out there than Radio Shack. I miss the radios too but have my high speed internet to fall back on. Some of the old timers rebel when you mention a laptop... no wonder some people are in a funk... they are backing themselves into a corner without excercising their new ....options.
I am tired of the ham stores also.. rather go on line to eham reviews before I do anything. Most know what they want already, and yes some come to just talk.
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by KA4ETR on May 27, 2004
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Man! You got that right! Wish I had an old Allied Radio catalog. They were the greatest! Back in 1963 when I was a Novice, I used to wear the pages out thumbing thru them!LOL The good ole days! I only go to Radio Shack about once or twice a year. 73
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by VE3WGO on May 31, 2004
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Good news for experimenters, at least in my town (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).....
Went to Radio Shack today with my son to pick up some parts for his end of the year high school electronics project, and we bought some perf board, connectors, switches, leds, photo-transistors, and some hardware bits. Also got a package of 1N34 germanium diodes while I was there! (I'm working on an RF detector project).
This is a brand new store that opened about 3 months ago, and it has a pretty good component selection. They have transistors, voltage regulators, caps, resistors, rectifiers, wire, cable, solder, PCBs, lotsa switches, plugs, etc etc. Happy days are here again....
(I was very surprised and happy that we didn't need to drive to the industrial components store that is only open 5 days a week.)
So it seems that Radio Shack is listening to us!
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KA1BIN on June 24, 2004
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The "Radio Shack" stores up in Canada are not
related to the stores in the US, it is a different company that owns them. The company is called InterTan,
which was spun off by Tandy in the mid 1980's, in the
mid 1990's Tandy sold off all interest in Intertan.
Intertan was allowed to use the "Radio Shack" trademark
in their store names. Intertan is now in the process of being purchased by Circuit City, the Radioshack
corporation has informed Intertan that if the sale goes through they will no longer be allowed to use
the name Radioshack anywhere in the business.
The reason why the Canadian stores have parts is because the owner of the Canadian stores has nothing to do with RadioShack in the USA, they can select
any product that they care to carry.
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by W5ZZQ on July 2, 2004
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I agree - it's just a matter of time and bye bye R.S..........I won't miss them at all..
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by G1YHE on August 12, 2004
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In the UK, Radio Shack or Tandy as it was known shut down and sold all of its retail outlets, to a company called "The CarPhone (cellphone) Warehouse".
Just thought it may have been of interest
73
Curly
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RE: Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by KC4SJC on October 6, 2004
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Well then, close the stores! Lease an IMMENSE warehouse in TEXAS and do the I'NET thing. One doesn't need "knowledgeable" people to read an order, scan a UPC and box it! Reodering is easy 'cause the computer tells you to order 102195 @ 1000 units. You don't even need to know what it is, what it does, or anything else, 'cause you don't care. What's more: You don't even care that you don't care, as long as you get paid. Maybe they'll even become competitive with the Super stores! Ckt City and Comp USA usually beat them anyway and have name brands (and cheaper Taiwanese imports for the frugal purchaser). Think about it...Hams and e-techs are probably the few consumers who even think about 'Radio Shaft' for consumer electrinics or simply when they need a SPST slide switch! And maybe they'll pack 'em 01 each insted of threes! These guys are too small and mostly a pain to the bigger super stores...I smell a hostile takeover brewing...
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Radio 'Slack' Strikes Out Again!
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by MORPHEUS_70 on May 18, 2005
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ok well im a radio shack associate and from what i have read you are right for the most part
most associates dont know there ass from a hole in the ground let alone how to spell diode
but its not that we dont order the stuff the company just doesnt send it or worse the totally discontinue the item
at this moment the shack is trying to rebuild its image; but not as a parts store as a customer service store
if you hams want us to carry ur parts please write letters to the home office in fort worth
busness is business the doller will win the stuff we have is the stuff we have because its the stuff we sell the most of if we sold more ham stuff ( or people write enough letters) we will carry more of it
now as far as the asshole associates you run into
sorry
ps would you like some batteries with that
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