Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!faline!thumper!ulysses!allegra!princeton!udel!gatech!hao!oddjob!uwvax!astroatc!philm
From: philm@astroatc.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Radio Shack
Message-ID: <832@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: 10 Feb 88 00:10:59 GMT
References: <5431@burdvax.PRC.Unisys.COM> <6654@sol.ARPA>
Reply-To: philm@astroatc.UUCP (Phil Mason)
Distribution: na
Organization: Astronautics Technology Cntr, Madison, WI
Lines: 41
Posted: Tue Feb  9 19:10:59 1988

In article <6654@sol.ARPA> ray@cs.rochester.edu (Ray Frank) writes:
>As an aside, occasionally I see some Radio Shack bashing going on.  But
>we would all be hard pressed to find all those little odds and ends that
>we gaget and electronics junkies need on occasion.  I don't know of any
>single store in this area that can supply me with these odds and ends 
>like Radio Shack does.  Just go out and try buying a 2.5 ohm 40 watt power
>resistor on the spare of the moment at 8 PM without going to Radio Shack.

One of the *only* good things about the chain are their hours of operation
and their omnipresence.

I have never found a Radio Shack that had in stock the majority of the
parts that I desired from the catalog.  The electronic parts portion of
the store has shrunk year after year to make way for all of the high-priced,
low-quality consumer junk.  

I wouldn't be at all suprised if it were no longer possible to get enough
parts together exclusively from Radio Shack to build even a simple radio.

I find that the parts are often rejects and out of tolerance.  I also find 
the price markup on a number of their goods truly obscene.

It used to be that you could ask a salesperson a question and get an
answer that showed that they at least knew *something* about what they were 
selling.  At best, you *may* get a puzzled look today.  I have heard the most 
stupid and lame recommendations and opinions offered by these so-called 
salespeople to patrons that really need to hear "the voice of experience and 
reason".  The salespeople I have talked with don't know Ohm's Law from 
Newton's Law and have no concept of what any of Radio Shack's products
really do or what they are (or can be) used for.

Sorry Ray, this is not meant as a personal attack or anything.  I have
been burnt too many times by "Radio Shaft" to pass up an opportunity like
this to convince people to use the "Shaft" only as a last resort.


-- 
Kirk  : Bones ?                |  Phil Mason, Astronautics Technology Center
Bones : He's dead Jim.         |  Madison, Wisconsin - "Eat Cheese or Die!"
...seismo-uwvax-astroatc!philm |  I would really like to believe that my
...ihnp4-nicmad/               |  employer shares all my opinions, but . . .