And don't forget the fact that people today seem (in my opinion) to
experiment and tinker with electronics less and less.
I moonlighted at a Radio Shack for two years, and during that time I sold
maybe three or four electronics kits to people. I was the biggest buyer in
the district of component parts (capacitors, resistors, ICs, and such),
while the only real component sales we had were fuses and lamps.
Signs of the times. We had a Fry's open up near me (Houston, TX), and
walking in there was a real tinkerer's dream. Everything from appliances
and telescopes to computers and electronic components (and a decent
selection of REAL test equipment - not just DVMs!). I'm surprised that they
actually sell electronic components.
I could get lost in that store and not come out until Chapter
11....... : )
- Matt
At 09:46 AM 11/20/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>This is only another sign of the trend. Whereas, some 20+ years back, it
>was no
>problem to go out and buy IC's and passives, which could easily be reworked,
>today's ultra dense and surface mounted technology is so difficult to work by
>hand that board-level repair is very difficult with tools likely to be in the
>hobbyist's kit. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that's
>done to the market.
>
>Consequently, there's little sense in having a worldwide components
>distribution
>network, as Radio Shack has had for >25 years. Today's electronic gadgets
>have
>a hundred+ components per square inch of PCB, and most of them are
>difficult to
>remove/replace without damaging them or the board. For me, it's enough of a
>problem if I just drop one part. Resistors, capcitors, and inductors are the
>size of a pinhead nowadays, and you need not only a microscope to read the
>designators on them, but a vast library to interpret the markings. The retail
>space is too valuable to use for something that no longer serves the public
>interest, or the corporate coffers. What's more, the economy benefits
>more from
>replacement of a PCB than from its repair, though it costs you, the end-user,
>more, and generates more rubbish in the landfill.
>
>Dick
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Chuck McManis" <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
>To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 9:11 AM
>Subject: Re: Radio Shack abandons components
>
>
> > I've seen this coming for a while.
> >
> > At 06:58 AM 11/20/01 -0500, John wrote:
> > > I have seen several posts on other fora bemoaning the fact that our
> > >beloved Radio Shack is rapidly phasing out it's sales of carded
> > >components, resistors, caps, diodes, etc.
> > >
> > > I imagine this to be the case... and another blow to Enginerds and
> > >parts-level hobbyists not lucky enough to be near a Fry's or other
> > >still-functioning small-quantity parts outlet.
> > >
> > > Experimenters: Time to stock up!
> >
> >
> > If you live in the US (sorry John) then Digikey is pretty good at getting
> > many of the parts you need. Between them, Mouser, and a few surplus places
> > I can find everything I need for any given project. However, it is true
> > that "hobbyist" electronics is quickly going to become a lot more
> challenging.
> >
> > --Chuck
> >
> >
> >
Matthew Sell
Programmer
On Time Support, Inc.
www.ontimesupport.com
(281) 296-6066
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Received on Tue Nov 20 2001 - 11:27:34 GMT