New all time low for Radio Shack

[Mike Doyle]

I was in our local Radio Shack a few weeks back and this employee in his late 50's I'd guess ask what I need, and then seemed to brighten up when I said "caps".

He started talking about his career in the electronics industry, some of the stuff he worked on, ect and I'm beginning to think, hmm, finally a Rat Shack guy that's worth his salt.

Then he hit me up for a cell phone, and wouldn't let up about it. Things certainly aren't what they once were.....

 

[thebman80]

Radio Shack: "You've got questions... We've got blank stares."

Yup every time I walk in I get the old "you need help?" Then I give them the blank stare "nope I'm good" then walk away.

The only thing I buy at the shack is solder, solder iron tips, and project boxes and a few small bread boards.

 

[jay]

Back when I was into scanners, shortwave dx,ing and ham radio (5 years ago), I would go in Cell Phone Shack for small parts.

It never failed: "Can I help you find something?" "No! Even if I told you, you wouldn't have a clue" I already know where they are."

At the cash register: "Can I interest you in a cell phone" Holding up my Nextel "Can you beat FREE." "Well ok then how about a satellite sys......Me, pointing at the giant f-ing bucket truck I drove up in, "Again, can you beat FREE!"

Every single time I went in there it was the same speech. If they trained they're people to know and understand what they carry and not selling me shit, they might have been ok.

I went in recently and those "parts" I use to buy no longer exist in The Shack.

I use to love going in there when I was a kid (late 70's early 80's)

 

[mhkohne]

And no doubt that guy votes... time to buy canned food, shotguns and gold people.

You can't eat gold. Go with seeds and land instead. Perhaps some chickens.

 

[thebman80]

You can't eat gold. Go with seeds and land instead. Perhaps some chickens.

LOL funny you said that I got the land And I have been buying a lot of seeds in the last month.

 

[mhkohne]

we have a rotary phone (one of those retro antiques with the HUGE 1940's handset) as our "storm phone" - the phone that works when the electricity is off.

Keep an eye on that guy. Some of the local telcos are cutting off rotary dial service. Make sure yours doesn't do that while you aren't looking. I know a friend of mine's parents got hit by that recently (we got the story over dinner of trying to get them some touch-tone phones) Not a blessed thing wrong with the phones in their house, except that the telco doesn't do rotary dial anymore. Too bad really, there's something satisfying about them...

Of course, the SparkFun guys went and built a cell phone into one. I suppose we could wire one up to dial touch tone, couldn't we?

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=287

 

[D_Harris]

Or Roman Numerals.

I know, what use is that? Lots - it makes one have to think/recall and follow rules for decoding the Roman Numerals. That exercise has many applications in other areas.

Yeah. Most importantly indicating what Super Bowl we're about to watch...

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

 

[MundoMan4]

Keep an eye on that guy. Some of the local telcos are cutting off rotary dial service. Make sure yours doesn't do that while you aren't looking. I know a friend of mine's parents got hit by that recently (we got the story over dinner of trying to get them some touch-tone phones) Not a blessed thing wrong with the phones in their house, except that the telco doesn't do rotary dial anymore. Too bad really, there's something satisfying about them...

Of course, the SparkFun guys went and built a cell phone into one. I suppose we could wire one up to dial touch tone, couldn't we?

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=287

Were they also near Philly? Haven't tried any of my old rotary phones in years...

Also incase you missed it, Northeast area is doing a Meet-up on the 20th at a place called Crab Towne USA the address 1510 Crain Hwy S, Glen Burnie, MD 21061
A bunch of close local people will be there.. Me(as long as I didn't miss a prior commitment) thebman80, orion3311, cueball(would try and make it) as well as many other people in MD, VA, etc. As well as another gathering at RichieKnuckels in March (also the 20th?)
http://forums.klov.com/showthread.php?t=116282

 

[cleverlyj]

the thing that really pisses me off about radio shack is all the shit they try to sell you. my phone and tv isn't free, but i tell them it is everytime i get asked. then they try to sell me batteries. never ends.

 

[delroy666]

666 base 16 = 29A

666 base 8 = 1232

666 base 2 = 1010011010

Maybe I should change my userid to "delroy1010011010". That has a nice ring to it.

Radio Shack (aka "The Source" here) is next to useless now. I don't remember the last time I actually bought anything there. I'm not sure how they stay in business, I guess by selling $50 HDMI cables to unsuspecting customers. Even the 'real' electronics components stores around here barely keep any actual components in stock, although they're pretty good for buying tools. Digi-key is overpriced for some things like tools and wire, but good for components.. although it sucks to pay $8.00 shipping for a $0.20 capacitor if that's all I need. I would love to have a Fry's around here.

 

[brotherhay]

The shack here in Central Wisconsin is the same shit story repeated above. Ive only found volume pots there, and LEDs. Other than that its all junk you can get at wal-mart for half the price.

But, I really wanted to pose this question to the original poster. Ive been through the shack plenty of times, and maybe Im drawing a blank.

Has radio shack ever sold screws or grommets? Seems like the last place I think of for either of those items.

 

[jay]

Keep an eye on that guy. Some of the local telcos are cutting off rotary dial service. Make sure yours doesn't do that while you aren't looking. I know a friend of mine's parents got hit by that recently (we got the story over dinner of trying to get them some touch-tone phones) Not a blessed thing wrong with the phones in their house, except that the telco doesn't do rotary dial anymore. Too bad really, there's something satisfying about them...

Of course, the SparkFun guys went and built a cell phone into one. I suppose we could wire one up to dial touch tone, couldn't we?

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=287

It's called "pulse" dialing and yes it is going/has gone away. I hope none of you have a "1980's" or earlier home alarm system, because that is what it possibly uses to dial.

Few and far between, but I ran into a couple of those a few years ago when I did residential telco.

The company I work for at first did not support it, then did. I hear lately, gonna drop it.

 

[cwilkson]

Has radio shack ever sold screws or grommets? Seems like the last place I think of for either of those items.

Yes. How would you mount the transistor to the heat sink without a 4-40 or a 6-32 screw?(*) And grommets were CRITICAL when Rat Shack used to sell metal project enclosures.

(*) A transistor is the thing that...wait, nevermind. I'm at Radio Shack. [stalks away from the store]

[EDIT]
This is exactly the thing they used to carry. 31-pack of assorted rubber grommets. RS Catalog#: 64-3025

 

[CrazyKongFan]

Guess I'm lucky. Whenever I've went into Radio Shack, they never try to sell me stuff, or even ask. But they rarely have what I'm looking for either. I do have a pretty good electronic parts store near me though, they don't have ROM's or anything, but they have alot of resistors, caps, AMP connectors, etc.

 

[wildwest3163]

Yea, I went into the Radio Shack here last month for one of those 20 cent caps, just to find they didnt have it. After 10 minutes of explaining what it was (and I had the old one with me showing them as well) and finally getting someone who knew something about monitors, his reply was "Oh, those old arcade monitors break all the time, you need to replace it with a new one"

 

[Schusler]

I was talking to my friends recently about RadioShack and their stores sucking ass. Did I miss something; did RS have new ownership or backers or something? I remember going to RS in the late 90's and you're able to find the part. For example, I got my first logic probe at RS. Guess what??? No longer in their inventory!!!! My buddy agrees that they have been downsizing their inventory the past 10 years....

 

[Spunkmeyer]

Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/even_ceo_cant_figure_out_how

 

[Schusler]

Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/even_ceo_cant_figure_out_how

Nice.....I would be stunned if Radio Shack is still around in the next 5 years!

 

[Tornadoboy]

Nice.....I would be stunned if Radio Shack is still around in the next 5 years!

I would be shocked too, I don't know how they stay in business, they must have bought a few politicians and are being propped up with "stimulous" money.

I used to work for them part time like a decade ago to earn some extra $, they absolutely suck to work for too. They pay you squat except for commission which is pretty much impossible to make, and then for good measure slash it around Christmas just in case you might possibly sell enough to earn it.

Die Rat-shack, DIE!!!!

 

[Spunkmeyer]

I used to work for them part time like a decade ago to earn some extra $, they absolutely suck to work for too. They pay you squat except for commission which is pretty much impossible to make, and then for good measure slash it around Christmas just in case you might possibly sell enough to earn it. !

I worked for them in the late 80s while a college student, and even then the emphasis was on sales/commissions, not technical expertise.