[Coco] RadioShack closing 1100 stores

[Gene Heskett]

On Wednesday 05 March 2014 16:25:41 Louis Ciotti did opine:

> As much as I would love to see RS go back to it's roots, unless they are
> willing to match the prices you see on-line for component parts they
> will fail.  When I can go to any number of on-line retailers for
> component parts at low cost, and often with no sales tax (for now) at
> dirt cheap prices I will never use a RS if they keep there current
> price structure on these types of parts.  Even after the 1100 stores
> are shut down at 4000+ locations remaining, it will be  too many stores
> to be "niche" store that only caters to one market.  All of us
> tech/geek type would love to have FPGAs/CPLDs/Microcontrollers etc, but
> 99% of the population were the stores are would not be interested in
> that sort of stuff.  RS is a sinking ship and I have a feeling it has
> taken on too much water to be saved.  It will never be able to compete
> in the consumer electronics market with the likes of best buy and
> walmart, so unless they go all out with a large variety of specialty
> items that caters to multiple "niche" markets, even then it will be a
> huge gamble that it takes off.  Bottom line they need to have quality
> and low cost, which in this world is difficult to find that balance.ï»؟

The only time I am willing to pay their prices is if its a one-off project 
for me, or they have the part to put our local radio station back on the 
air in stock so we're not off the air while the good folks at Digi-Key are 
taking a coffee break for 3 days between the order dept and getting it to 
the USPO.

I was not that lucky the last time and we were down for a bit over a week, 
running the 50 watt nighttime tx during the day so there was at least some 
local noise on the air.  OTOH, I did not expect them to have on the shelf, 
a plate power transformer suitable to running a quad of 5933/807's vacuum 
tubes either.  Its about a 5 lbs (+copper) of modern grain oriented silicon 
steel item today, whereas the OEM part was potted, and about 20 lbs.

Radio Shack used to be great at keeping small town american radio stations 
on the air.  If it was a "transistor", terminology applied loosely here, 
they usually had something that was usable, and usually enough better than 
the OEM part that it might take some redesign to use it, BUT THEY HAD IT.
The rework came about when I replaced a blown driver transistor in a Harris 
MW-1A, 1kw solid state AM transmitter with a $5 bug intended to be a cb 
radio final, 5 watt input.

It was so much better a bug than the failed OEM bug that without 
adjustments, that 1kw transmitter was then making 1400 watts of dead 
carrier, which is how you measure an AM transmitter.  That is also why you 
hear 1/2 to 3/4 second silences in the music, thats the operator, killing 
the modulation so he can read the RF ammeter under dead carrier conditions 
as that is how he has to measure it to log it.

Now you pull open drawers, hoping the stocker even knew which drawer it 
belonged in, read the specs on the bag, and like as not, walk out empty-
handed, past at least $100K worth of cell phones on display. 

Often as not if you are me, muttering about it would be a great location 
for a real radio shack store, hell its even pre-decorated sort of like a 
shack already, all they need is stock on the shelves.

[...]

Cheers, Gene
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