Technical Radio Shack closed??

The 3 Radio Shack's within a short drive of me are now closed. They use to have some really good programmable police scanners and I bought one, but that was over 30 years ago. Times have changed. Too bad.

 

Bob Dylan

 

Diode shmiode...I just wire in a small light bulb...does the same damn thing and if the alternator stops charging, the light comes on and stays on. Easy peasy!

 

Our local Radio Shack is still open, but the one at the mall is closed. I read in the paper this morning, part of their "re-structuring", will be to concentrate on BATTERY sales (???). It's odd that they would close the store at the mall, that always seemed to be busy, and not shut down the one closest to me, where they are't very busy at all, and don't seem to have the time to help you out anyways. I guess that says a lot about why they are going down for the count. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I went through the bike repair deal with my kids a few years ago (one Boy, one Girl). They wanted tricked out BMX bikes. New ones ($300-$700) sure were not in my budget so I made a deal with them; We'll pick up a couple well used ones on Craigslist ($50-$75) and together we'll strip them down, repaint and re***emble them. If they stayed through the course of the build and did sanding, paint and wrenching, I'd pay for all new tires, seats, grips, chains, anodized sprockets, etc. They flake out; they pay for the parts. When we picked up tires/parts at the local BMX specialty bike shop one day, a kid and Dad rolled in a BMX with two flat tires. The kid picked out new tires and some new handle grips. Shop owner says "tomorrow ok, and I ***ume you want tubes and a "bike tune-up" too". Yeah, that'll be fine says Dad and they leave. I ask the owner, "what's a bike tune-up"? He says "adjust the chain, brakes, clean things up and wrench everything down". He tells me he's making $5 off the $25 tire I'm buying and making $25 off the same $25 tire being installed on the other kids bike.
Both my Daughters learned to change a tire and jump start a car before I let them drive alone at 16. My Son just turned 16 and learned a hell of a lot about cars rebuilding his truck with me so he had wheels. I told him he doesn't have to do his own brake jobs when he's out on his own in the world, but at least he can talk intelligently and not get hosed for $400 bucks for a set of pads.
It's a disposable society though. Cheap replacement appliances compared to labor costs. People used to pay places like Sears to repair their TV or vacuum, etc.
Manufactureres are not making parts available as they want you to buy the extended warranty or toss the broken machine and buy a replacement. This, according to this Gentleman who closed after 50 years of appliance repair.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/27733569/end-of-an-era-as-vintage-fix-it-shop-closes

 

One town over from me about 2 miles from my house there is (or was) a Radio Shack.
A lady there who must tip the scale at 500 pounds runs the store.
She is so big she has to sit all day on a stool, only walks from her car out front, to her stool, than back to her car at night.
She speaks in a very high pitched and loud annoying voice, usually flinging insults and bogus information as she runs her mouth off.
She is the rudest store manager I've ever met in my life. She is insulting, crude and just not a nice person.
Suffers from severe diarrhea of the mouth.
I will miss the store BUT NOT HER.
She is the type of person that chased the business, they once enjoyed, away.
I've been shopping Radio Shack since my CB days in the early 60's .......end of another era.

 

Traditional hot rods and customs? Am I still on the HAMB...good grief.

 

Our local store is closing as we speak - had no idea they we in trouble.

 

I had one in walking distance, they had a great set of cabinets full of electronics. The new version of building electronics is Raspberry PI. The building part is not dead I guess repairing the old is what is gone now.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

 

every time I went there, I felt I was interrupting...

 

Does this count? Now where did I put my Q-tips and match book wedgey?

 

I repaired my 50" plasma TV last year, using three capacitors that I bought at Radio Shack.

 

Maybe you can find a local little guy. Like here in the DFW area, is Tanner Electronics. Jim, the owner, can answer any question or draw you a picture of any circuit you might need. The quality of the parts will also probably be much higher too.