• drcobaltjedi@programming.dev
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    14 days ago

    As a kid I remember wishing radio shack was a more general consumers electronics store. As an adult I really wish I had easy access to the stuff they sold, like I’ve had a lot of projects that need a random transistor or whatever.

    I was too young to appreciate them for what they were and they went out of business before I could.

    • rumba@lemmy.zip
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      14 days ago

      If you dig around, you can find value kits with a few of of each major transistor, cap, resistor, diode, LED, and logic IC’s.

      Radio Shack didn’t really have the breadth of stock you’d want, you were just hoping you could get by.

      Buying a kit every time you need a compoenent, you end up with your own stock super easy.

      • bizarroland@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Yeah, Radio Shack really screwed the pooch by not branching out into the online system earlier.

        If they had set it up so that you could order whatever parts you needed online and then have it shipped to your local store and ready for pickup for you, they’d probably be tech Amazon right now.

    • Kalothar@lemmy.ca
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      14 days ago

      Same here, rip to the RadioShack.

      Also a store for some reason linked to pre-child-predator era Jared Fogle and Subway, they just kind of had the same vibe

    • LiarAmongAll@lemmy.zip
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      14 days ago

      We have one open still near me and it’s incredible for hobby electronics, they have basically any small part you could ever want. Dunno how it still exists, but I’m glad it does.

      • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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        14 days ago

        I have one still in my town as well. Sure they charge $3 for a single 555 chip and I can get a pack of 100 of them for $8 online, but if I’m in a bind and need it today, as long as it’s before they close at 6pm I can hit up the RadioShack (they’re phasing out the RadioShack branding but still) and probably get what I need