yeah at the cabin there are 2 of them...one in Aitkin that is an office supply shop too and the good one in Brainerd (Sound Communications). I try to hit that one for some good stuff.
Radio Shack prices....OUCH!
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yeah at the cabin there are 2 of them...one in Aitkin that is an office supply shop too and the good one in Brainerd (Sound Communications). I try to hit that one for some good stuff.
I just saw some RG8 when I was in there the other day
I buy the RG6 from Lowes in the 500 foot box. way cheaper
I thought about getting a 10 foot conduit pipe (metal) for the mast but 5 feet will be fine for this project
I just saw some RG8 when I was in there the other day
I went to the Radio Shack on Houston Rd in Florence KY. Thanks...I'll try another RS Store.
shoot now that I look online its RG58 in the 50 foot sections
But I know I saw a big box of RG8 cable.....maybe I'll go check since my loal RS is 2 blocks away
Bill I apologize...went to my local RS and it was a RG58 in the box. RG8 they have a 10 foot section. I asked the manager and he said they discontinued RG8 in the box a while ago
My local Radio Shack is in a hardware store called Martins Hardware, which is a local chain (2 stores, Middlebury and Bristol Vermont) The advantage is they don't carry just Rat Shack, AND they know what they are talking about. Saw the 8-Bay channel master in antenna in the Bristol store the other day for a good price.
You can actually talk to Martin if you go in on the right day.
Small Parts selection ain't bad either, and they will order whatever I need an have it there quick.
You can actually talk to Martin if you go in on the right day.
Small Parts selection ain't bad either, and they will order whatever I need an have it there quick.
RadioShack was a great backup place when you were in a pinch for electronic parts. They recently discontinued so many items, that I don't see how they get enough traffic in their stores to survive. Oh BTW, their wire and cable has always been among the worst quality available.
Thanks for looking. My only other regular source for RG8 is R & L in Hamilton Ohio. However Dayton might yield some good RG8 finds.
Boy, that does show the decline of RS if they don't sell RG8 anymore. I used to buy RG8 there for ham use all the time, even though many of my HAM acquaintances preferred another cable that I can't remember the number. I didn't like it because it used these weird "N" connections that were hard to solder onto the cable, but I did have to buy a short length of it once to use with my ICOM-7000, which only has "N" connections.
But usually, when I'd go into RS to buy RG8, the sales guys would assume that I was doing CB radio stuff, so I guess that they only stocked the RG8 for the CB crowd. Perhaps there aren't any CB'ers anymore??? I don't travel much anymore, and don't know if the truckers still use it or not. I'm guessing that they've all switched to those new little consumer walkie talkie radios, some of which have built in GPSs. But anyway, that's sad that RS doesn't have RG8 anymore, but refreshing that they have apparently given up on CB radio.
But usually, when I'd go into RS to buy RG8, the sales guys would assume that I was doing CB radio stuff, so I guess that they only stocked the RG8 for the CB crowd. Perhaps there aren't any CB'ers anymore??? I don't travel much anymore, and don't know if the truckers still use it or not. I'm guessing that they've all switched to those new little consumer walkie talkie radios, some of which have built in GPSs. But anyway, that's sad that RS doesn't have RG8 anymore, but refreshing that they have apparently given up on CB radio.
Whoa I went in there today and the kid actually was interested in what I was trying to do.
Went in to get a OTA mounted booster to try and pick up a distant VHF channel (as noted in this thread) and the guy (not the mgr) asked me what I was doing. (thinking I was having issues with my local stations)
I explained that I was trying to pick up a station that is 70 miles away from here, Channel 12 in Mankato from my house about 2 blocks from here (the mall). He actually got interested and asked how you go about doing that because he gets the Minneapolis locals fine but has heard about folks getting stations farther away than normal. So we chit chatted about how to try it and what was involved.
I gotta give him credit...at least he was interested in what I was doing and not trying to sell me some crap
Went in to get a OTA mounted booster to try and pick up a distant VHF channel (as noted in this thread) and the guy (not the mgr) asked me what I was doing. (thinking I was having issues with my local stations)
I explained that I was trying to pick up a station that is 70 miles away from here, Channel 12 in Mankato from my house about 2 blocks from here (the mall). He actually got interested and asked how you go about doing that because he gets the Minneapolis locals fine but has heard about folks getting stations farther away than normal. So we chit chatted about how to try it and what was involved.
I gotta give him credit...at least he was interested in what I was doing and not trying to sell me some crap
That's very commendable for salespeople these days. Yeah, it's pretty amazing the number of distant OTA HD channels that can be received, but most are greatly affected by atmospheric conditions, at least in this neck of the woods.Whoa I went in there today and the kid actually was interested in what I was trying to do.
Went in to get a OTA mounted booster to try and pick up a distant VHF channel (as noted in this thread) and the guy (not the mgr) asked me what I was doing. (thinking I was having issues with my local stations)
I explained that I was trying to pick up a station that is 70 miles away from here, Channel 12 in Mankato from my house about 2 blocks from here (the mall). He actually got interested and asked how you go about doing that because he gets the Minneapolis locals fine but has heard about folks getting stations farther away than normal. So we chit chatted about how to try it and what was involved.
I gotta give him credit...at least he was interested in what I was doing and not trying to sell me some crap
Ah, good old KEYC.
Some people will go through extraordinary lengths to get Bandwagon
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwagon_%28TV_series%29"]Bandwagon (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Some people will go through extraordinary lengths to get Bandwagon
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwagon_%28TV_series%29"]Bandwagon (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
The manager at the local store actually thinks outside the box too. I asked about a way to hook up my azbox & Directv to the internet without running new cables some 80 feet. He thought about it and mentioned a plug in ethernet connection that looks like those plug in phone jacks where you plug one into the electrical outlet where a phone jack is and then plug in the other by the box.
He didnt have any in stock but at least he thought outside the box
Yep. And KEYC-DT2 (Fox)
actually I found just raising the antenna as high as I could (legally without the HOA getting pissy) makes it work really goodSome people will go through extraordinary lengths to get Bandwagon
I found that out. Got a VHF Hi only antenna (Winegard YA1713) and it worked better than my existing antenna (HBU33) even on the same mast. Its when I got the antenna on the peak of the roof so instead of being 20 feet off the ground and part of the house in the way I got it 45 feet up and it worked way better
I even learned that if I came further down the roof the signal would go down too
Ahhh, another nostalgic thread for this ol'-timer! My RS (and Allied, Tandy, Lafayette, etc.) experiences go back over 40 years. I too am an ex-RS employee having worked in one of their "SMIA" stores in the early 70s. No need to relive all that here. Like Ice said, we've had several threads on the RS topic. But the theme continues; they lost the identity we all knew and loved (at least some of us DIYers did!).
The so-called "dealers" (franchises) are a subset that still seems to be surviving however. Their business model has changed little over the years. Dealers were/are non-Tandy owned independent retailers who chose to add a portion of the RS line to complement their existing offering, expertise, and customer demands. And that's the difference. A small independent retailer, like "Joe's TV & Appliance and Radio Shack" HAS to have a knowledge of and passion for the business, and that can make all the difference in both customer loyality and long-term survival. For the most part the kids working in the company-owned stores are hired with minimum skills/knowledge, and minimum motivation for the long haul. I don't know whether or not they're paid commission (we were in my days) but there are so few "big ticket" items anymore in the RS stores it's hard to imagine what they have to sell for significant personal gain. Perhaps they get big incentives for pushing the cell phone contracts?
We're down to only 1 company store around here anymore (#4197, the one I worked in at the local mall all those years ago, relocated within that mall several times!) and I think the only local dealer folded years ago. Over the years RS got a ton of my money in almost every product category they sold. We're in a fringe area TV wise, so in the days before DBS and widely-available cable TV, I learned a lot about "TV DXing" working in that store then later solving my own OTA TV situation with mostly RS antennas and parts.
I rarely go into that mall store anymore except for the occasional component where the high price is commensurate with the immediate need and convenience. Hard to imagine how they stay in business that way. As we have discussed elsewhere, perhaps RS has now reached its practical end...
Anyway - another moment for reflection. Still brings a smile to my face...
The so-called "dealers" (franchises) are a subset that still seems to be surviving however. Their business model has changed little over the years. Dealers were/are non-Tandy owned independent retailers who chose to add a portion of the RS line to complement their existing offering, expertise, and customer demands. And that's the difference. A small independent retailer, like "Joe's TV & Appliance and Radio Shack" HAS to have a knowledge of and passion for the business, and that can make all the difference in both customer loyality and long-term survival. For the most part the kids working in the company-owned stores are hired with minimum skills/knowledge, and minimum motivation for the long haul. I don't know whether or not they're paid commission (we were in my days) but there are so few "big ticket" items anymore in the RS stores it's hard to imagine what they have to sell for significant personal gain. Perhaps they get big incentives for pushing the cell phone contracts?
We're down to only 1 company store around here anymore (#4197, the one I worked in at the local mall all those years ago, relocated within that mall several times!) and I think the only local dealer folded years ago. Over the years RS got a ton of my money in almost every product category they sold. We're in a fringe area TV wise, so in the days before DBS and widely-available cable TV, I learned a lot about "TV DXing" working in that store then later solving my own OTA TV situation with mostly RS antennas and parts.
I rarely go into that mall store anymore except for the occasional component where the high price is commensurate with the immediate need and convenience. Hard to imagine how they stay in business that way. As we have discussed elsewhere, perhaps RS has now reached its practical end...
Anyway - another moment for reflection. Still brings a smile to my face...
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bhelms
I still check out that site I posted before on the old catalogs.
The nearest franchise store is about 25 miles away (New Prague, MN) but the corporate stores just exploded. When I worked in Shakopee in 93-96 (store 6148) the nearest stores to us were Burnsville and Eden Prairie (both 20 miles away)....now they have 3 stores in between my local store and those other 2.
I still check out that site I posted before on the old catalogs.
The nearest franchise store is about 25 miles away (New Prague, MN) but the corporate stores just exploded. When I worked in Shakopee in 93-96 (store 6148) the nearest stores to us were Burnsville and Eden Prairie (both 20 miles away)....now they have 3 stores in between my local store and those other 2.
Yeah - I saved that link when you posted it, and spend a bit of time cruising in the 70s catalogs. Still have some of the items that appear therein!
I guess you're in a growth area, explaining the explosion of company stores. We're still growing around here and adding the strip shopping centers. It's a college town, so the kids are constantly coming and going and were always a market for the accessories like splitters and cables, phone stuff, patch cords, etc. But there a few landline phones anymore and they can get the CATV, HT, 'puter, and audio stuff cheaper at Wal*Mart and Best Buy and other places now. So we're down to just that one company store in our local market (3 others closed one-by-one) and not likely to add more as far as I can tell. The nearest others are 30+ miles away...
I guess you're in a growth area, explaining the explosion of company stores. We're still growing around here and adding the strip shopping centers. It's a college town, so the kids are constantly coming and going and were always a market for the accessories like splitters and cables, phone stuff, patch cords, etc. But there a few landline phones anymore and they can get the CATV, HT, 'puter, and audio stuff cheaper at Wal*Mart and Best Buy and other places now. So we're down to just that one company store in our local market (3 others closed one-by-one) and not likely to add more as far as I can tell. The nearest others are 30+ miles away...
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