OT :Radio Shack
Effenpig1
kits?
I went to get my kid a few for Christmas and they didn't have any, the
guy at the checkout said they don't make them anymore. Maybe too many
kids burnt their houses down with the soldering iron. I was going to
get him one of those battery operated "cold" soldering irons. They did
have a pretty neat kit with a solar panel and a few different projects
for it. No soldering though.
I figured I better start getting him interested in electronics early,
in a few years He'll be old enough to go out on jobs during the
summer.
techie
toys now.
"Effenpig1" <dirtysp...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
Effenpig1
> Why do they even call it Radio shack? the place sells only cell phone and
>
> news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
>
> > When did radio shack stop making those little circuit board project
> > kits?
>
> > I went to get my kid a few for Christmas and they didn't have any, the
> > guy at the checkout said they don't make them anymore. Maybe too many
> > kids burnt their houses down with the soldering iron. I was going to
> > get him one of those battery operated "cold" soldering irons. They did
> > have a pretty neat kit with a solar panel and a few different projects
> > for it. No soldering though.
>
> > I figured I better start getting him interested in electronics early,
> > in a few years He'll be old enough to go out on jobs during the
> > summer.
Its still the closest thing to an "electronics" store most people have
available anymore. I'm lucky to have a true electronics store less
than a block from where I live
CH®IS
> On Dec 20, 11:15 pm, "techie" <nor...@techie.com> wrote:
> > Why do they even call it Radio shack? the place sells only cell phone
> > and
> > toys now."Effenpig1" <dirtyspicev...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> available anymore.
Sad but true.
- Chris
G. Morgan
<dirtysp...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I'm lucky to have a true electronics store less
>than a block from where I live
I'm sure you can get the breadboards and everything else there, much
cheaper than Crap-Shack.
nick markowitz
> On Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:40:58 -0800 (PST), Effenpig1
>
> > I'm lucky to have a true electronics store less
> >than a block from where I live
>
> I'm sure you can get the breadboards and everything else there, much
> cheaper than Crap-Shack.
Radio Shack
Still sells them on line and at some of there bigger stores. Here in
Pittsburgh what they have done is made 4 full stock stores which carry
most stuff and the others nothing but junk.
You have to wonder how Radio shack even stays in buisness with all the
stupid decisions they have been making.
they always made there money in parts but yet this is what they have
gotten away from. I use to be able to go to local radio shack any time
i needed a button or part or switch to keep things running at the
radio station now they have none of it.
Of course I saw a study the other day where the amount of people who
do there own projects or tinker etc has gone way down they would
rather buy it made or hire some one to do it.
Dam shame
I can remember as a kid the Heath Kit , Olsen Electronics and
Cameradio , CRS etc stores all gone now.
Of course we can blame the FCC and Amateur Radio community for this as
well when they put all the radio class levels etc . which discouraged
people from wanting to get involved in radio.
and then the insistence on all the math to learn electronics as
well.When in realty it was not needed.
Yea we really did it to ourselves in this country when it come to
technology and innovation.
Bill
> kits?
>
Probably since people have been unwilling to read books/manuals to learn
things on their own. In my day we would build these things and buy books
which explained things if we did not understand how to put it together or
get it to work. These days they expect someone to tell them step by step how
to do something. I would imagine they go to the store and bug the heck out
of the people working there to tell them how to put something together.
And I had a multimeter at age 12. The 1st thing in the books I read was that
you needed a multimeter and they explained how to use it. These days adults
will try to do electrical work on their cars or do electrical work on their
homes and don't know what a multimeter is, let alone have one! They read
nothing before attempting to do this work!
I guess all you need to do these days is watch one 1/2 hour TV show and you
are then a qualified electrician?
RockyTSquirrel
You might have to rush shipping but they got a few...
"Effenpig1" <dirtysp...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
mleuck
My guess is they weren't selling like they used to, try Amazon.com
mleuck
Radio Shack is one of the biggest cell phone dealers in the world. The
decline of tinkering projects such as what was offered by Heath Kit
has nothing to do with the FCC or Amateur Radio. It's a general
decline in the desire to build those kits mostly due to the
advancement of microprocessors and transistors. People just don't care
for that stuff these days
Same with model rockets, slot cars etc
Bob La Londe
news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
> kits?
American Scientific has a lot of electronics kits. A little late to order
for Christmas, but always a cool project.
My son got one of those 1001 electronic experiments kits several years ago
like they sell at the main stream places and it was pretty lame. A lot of
stuff was intended for somebody whop already knows the stuff to play and
make themselves feel clever. His grampa brought him a crystal radio kit for
Christmas one year and that one was a big success. Of course gramps was the
kind to steal his dad's old razor blades to make his own crystal radions in
ages past.
> I figured I better start getting him interested in electronics early,
> in a few years He'll be old enough to go out on jobs during the
> summer.
My son does make a pretty good attic rat. I had a panic attack this last
year doing a floor crawl. (First time ever.) My son saved the day, and
pulled all the wires.
nick markowitz
> "Effenpig1" <dirtyspicev...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Its our instant satisfaction requirement in this country.
why build it when i can buy it. Why get a ham license when i can chat
on line thru the internet all over the world.
I do not know about you but I feel pretty dam good when I design and
build things.
Couple of the guys I have taught over the years have all said it is
really great to be able to go to your kids or grand kids and say look
at that building I piped it or wired it or built it.
My Great grandfather was an iron worker and I get to see his work
every time I drive thru the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.
There is just something satisfying about working with ones hands that
many in this country have missed out on.
I do not know about you but I come home every day even bad days when
im all creaky with arthritis and still love what i do..
How many people can honestly say that.
mleuck
> On Dec 21, 11:31 am, "Bob La Londe" <nos...@nospam.no> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "Effenpig1" <dirtyspicev...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > When did radio shack stop making those little circuit board project
> > > kits?
>
> > American Scientific has a lot of electronics kits. A little late to order
> > for Christmas, but always a cool project.
>
> > My son got one of those 1001 electronic experiments kits several years ago
> > like they sell at the main stream places and it was pretty lame. A lot of
> > stuff was intended for somebody whop already knows the stuff to play and
> > make themselves feel clever. His grampa brought him a crystal radio kit for
> > Christmas one year and that one was a big success. Of course gramps was the
> > kind to steal his dad's old razor blades to make his own crystal radions in
> > ages past.
>
> > > I figured I better start getting him interested in electronics early,
> > > in a few years He'll be old enough to go out on jobs during the
> > > summer.
>
> > My son does make a pretty good attic rat. I had a panic attack this last
> > year doing a floor crawl. (First time ever.) My son saved the day, and
> > pulled all the wires.
>
> Its our instant satisfaction requirement in this country.
> why build it when i can buy it. Why get a ham license when i can chat
> on line thru the internet all over the world.
I think I'd much rather have the chat over the Internet than an
electronic kit, sure it's nice to put together simple circuits but
It's a little hard to compete with Nintendo, Wii, XBox, computers and
smartphones
Jim
I can, thankfully without the arthritis.
Effenpig1
> I guess all you need to do these days is watch one 1/2 hour TV show and you
> are then a qualified electrician?
Ha, that made me laugh. I saw an episode of "finders-fixers". They
were trying to fix a mold problem. One of the issues they found was
the bath fan was old and not working well. They made a point of saying
they were calling in their "qualified electrical expert" to do the
replacement. They actually showed this guy install the new fan and
stick the wire through the knockout in the fan with no connector.
Nothing, not even one of those crappy plastic ones. I couldn't believe
it.
Effenpig1
I've done the model rockets with my kid, a couple times we filled the
nose cone with gorilla glue and didn't install the parachute. You
should hear the sound they make when they head back towards earth.
Poor kid, he's got no chance.
Effenpig1
> http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/305/Kits/1.html
>
> You might have to rush shipping but they got a few...
>
>
> news:6c8167c7-1208-4d92...@m16g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
>
> > When did radio shack stop making those little circuit board project
> > kits?
>
> > I went to get my kid a few for Christmas and they didn't have any, the
> > guy at the checkout said they don't make them anymore. Maybe too many
> > kids burnt their houses down with the soldering iron. I was going to
> > get him one of those battery operated "cold" soldering irons. They did
> > have a pretty neat kit with a solar panel and a few different projects
> > for it. No soldering though.
>
> > I figured I better start getting him interested in electronics early,
> > in a few years He'll be old enough to go out on jobs during the
> > summer.
I'm going to see how he does with the solder-less kits first. I
actually did find and bookmark a few similar sites last night. There's
a company called Elenco that makes some pretty neat kits. If he does
good with the smaller solder kits I'll probably get him one of the
robot kits.
When I was a kid my Dad and I built little telegraph boards with
buzzers and would sit in the living room talking in morse code. He
also was into ham radio, I still remember all the different antennas
all over the house.
nick markowitz
Theres a company called Ramsey which makes neat kits too
Effenpig1
I was looking at the (weller?) cold heat soldering iron but the guys
at my local electronics shop said it's not a good unit for teaching
"proper" soldering. They recommended a rechargeable unit made by Wahl.
The guys at my local electronics shop crack me up, it's the same 3
guys working as far back as I can remember. They all have pony-tails
and glasses so it's funny when a new customer gets asked who they
talked to about something. The usual reply " uh, it was the guy with
the ponytail and glasses". It's the big "joke" down there. Anyway,
they have everything, and I mean everything, you can possibly imagine.
Even shelf upon shelf of old vacuum tubes. I honestly cannot imagine
what I would do if they weren't around. Luckily, they've been in
business for a long time and have stayed profitable, so I doubt
they're going anywhere. I don't know if any of you guys ever heard of
the band Harpo, but the one guy who works there has been a member
since back when they were still cool.
Oh, yeah, also my garbage man is the bass player from Dirty Looks.
Seriously.
CH®IS
> I was looking at the (weller?) cold heat soldering iron but the guys
> at my local electronics shop said it's not a good unit for teaching
> "proper" soldering. They recommended a rechargeable unit made by Wahl.
>
>
We have a cold heat soldering iron in the office. It gets used less than
the other two real soldering irons we have... which never get used at all.
Basically, they're only good for the tiniest of connections. Perhaps 30
gauge wire? If you can make use of it though, it'll certainly make a
cleaner looked solder than I could ever do with a real iron. I read
somewhere that it simply doesn't produce enough heat.
- Chris
ABLE1
"CH�IS" <s...@dy.ca> wrote in message news:JwiYm.57013$Db2.18325@edtnps83...
I have a friend that bought one just because it wanted to see how it worked.
He gave it to me to try since he had nothing to try it on.
To be perfectly honest...................................
It has got to be the most worthless piece of engineering ever made.
I gave it back with those words ringing in his ears.
My guess is that it is either still in the box or a landfill at this point.
More could be said about my experience with the thing but I would just be
wasting more keystrokes.
Les
Jim
> "CH�IS" <s...@dy.ca> wrote in messagenews:JwiYm.57013$Db2.18325@edtnps83...
Same experience.
Ordered one, to see how it worked. Tried it for about 15 minutes.
Called up to return it to get my money back. They said keep it, and
we'll just send you a refund. And they did. I returned it to them
anyway.
I started out using a 110VAC iron too many years ago and then tried
the Whal for awhile, but the batteries kept wearing out and I got
tired of ordering tips and batteries. And I never thought it was a
good idea to have a butane irorn. So now, since I so seldom need and
iron, I take the time and pull out the extension cord and use the
110Vac old Unger iron.
Effenpig1
My reasoning for wanting the Wahl is that when you release the button
it turns off, seems a bit safer for an 11 year old.
Jim
That's true.
No use starting off the new year with a house fire :-)