Is Radio Shack hopeless for this hobby, or is it just mine?

[yuccabrevifolia]

Short story about a local Radio Shack. I'm hooking my C-Band and KU dishes up to a single receiver. I read this could be done using a 22k switch and a combination of USALS and diseqc. So I run down to the local RS. Good sign I think when I see a satellite dish installation sign on the side of the truck out front.

I try to explain what I want to the fellow behind the counter. At first I thought that maybe just telling him I needed a 22k switch for satellite would be enough. First he thinks I want a dip switch. I had to explain that it connected via coax. Then he thought I wanted a splitter. When I explained that it was a switch, he tried to sell me an A/B box. Finally I have to explain 22k tone to him and what I am specifically connecting it to. He tells me that he doesn't carry that sort of thing and that he isn't even sure if I can find something for "old" technology like a C-band dish. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this a pretty common item in installing pizza dish with multiple receivers? I could have sworn I saw a couple in the attic in our last house left over from a previous install.

There was a time 30 years ago when RS was the place to go for almost anything one needed from zener diodes to op amps, and the people there really knew electronics. Ah well, I like supporting local business, but sometimes it is more trouble than it is worth. ;-)

 

[turbosat]

Yes, I think they are! For the other part, yes I believe the pay services still use some variation of a 22khz switch, of course they don't call it that, for Dishnetwork, seems like it used to be called an SW-21. But it may have been a little more complex than that, I just remember reading someplace that you could use an SW21 for the same purpose. RS doesn't know squat these days, in most cases.

 

[Fizbi]

It's not you and it's not Radio Shack. It's the people who work for Radio Shack.
You can still order all the parts you want or need from radio Shack. Just don't expect the sales people to understand what they sell or what you really need.

I'm suprised Radio Shack still sells electronic components in their outlet stores. My guess is that there are just enough electronics technician students, who build lab projects, to justify keeping the parts in stock.

 

[tvropro]

CELL SHACK! That's it now.

 

[Anole]

Yes, as a chain, they are hopeless. -
They don't cater to our (FTAers) needs at all.

I see a satellite dish installation sign on the side of the truck out front.

That guy knows DishNetwork, and he's not a Radio Shack store employee.
Which is to say, nobody in the store knows squat about installing anything satellite related.

Finally I have to explain 22k tone to him and what I am specifically connecting it to.
He tells me that he doesn't carry that sort of thing and that he isn't even sure if I can find something for "old" technology like a C-band dish.

He may have a discontinued 3x4 multiswitch, but not likely anything more serious.
Otherwise, he's right.
He doesn't have any of the Dish Network install hardware nor switches.
Those are on the Dish installer's truck, and no where else.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this a pretty common item in installing pizza dish with multiple receivers?
I could have sworn I saw a couple in the attic in our last house left over from a previous install.

No, not really. Nothing much we can use.

There was a time 30 years ago when RS was the place to go for almost anything one needed from zener diodes to op amps, and the people there really knew electronics.
Ah well, I like supporting local business, but sometimes it is more trouble than it is worth.

30+ years ago, RS ran all the Lafayette stores,the Eico stores, the Heathkit store, the Ham Radio stores, and the independent TV-repair guys . . . out of business.

My local store has a manager of 20+ years, who can actually HELP you!
He's rare, and I've kept him in the family.
AND, he is one of the few stores still maintaining the pull-out parts drawers.
Those are pretty much gone from most store.
I rarely buy anything there, but we go out for lunch about four days a week. -

Anyway, back to the point.
You come here to this forum to find which suppliers have the goodies and deals you want.
There are the Gold Sponsors at the top of every page.
For odd parts, a number of other vendors get mentioned fondly.
Or, to put it another way, we've got the secret handshake. -
Maybe we should have bumper stickers, too. -

 

[FaT Air]

The RS stores here are manned by first yr college students who can Cell U a phone and show you all the features. But to ask for anything part wise, dumb as a brick. They only stick it out a few semesters. There is no reason, nothing to motivate one, to stay any longer than that, so there is no need for any knowledge of the parts.

 

[ikki]

I wouldn't worry about it too much longer. Rumor has it the Best Buy is looking to the buy the Radio Shack carcass and convert them to Best Buy Mobile stores.

 

[Dishman Dan]

First he thinks I want a dip switch.

I think that he is a "dip switch"!!!...

They are hopeless and I no longer stop at Radio Shack. I thought that they would of went "Circuit City" by now!

 

[tvropro]

Years ago I used to buy allot from RS. They even had guys that got in deep with electronics working there. I can count on one hand the times I bought something there in years. I actually was at RS last week and picked up a closeout of Ni Cad's they had for a cordless phone battery pack I needed to make for a phone I acquired. It cost me 97 cents, the guy was like thats all I said yep I did all the research beforehand online, and even found the right part in the store. All the worker had to do is ring me up. Good luck if I would have asked him any specifics about ampere hour etc.

 

[Blindowl1234]

I haven't been to one of their stores in years. They lean more towards cell phones etc...rather than the hobbiest stuff nowadays. Ahhh how I long for the old days...P-Box kits I built as a kid......Blind

 

[JerryVT]

Here in Middlebury we have a small radio shack section of our locally owned hardware store (Martins by the way) As they are a family owned business, the guy in the shack section actually knows what he is talking about. You can still get parts from the part drawers, and they mix in various parts from other manufacturers in the radio shack section. I was in there two days ago, and they have 22 switches. You can still get RG-58 cable for radio setups to. You need a privately owned one these days to get anything good.

 

[Mr Tony]

I agree Jerry the franchise stores are way better. There is one by the lake house that sadly has gone mainly corporate...They use to carry a smattering of RS parts but had other branded stuff there too. Now seems like the only non RS stuff is the car audio (which is what they prided themselves on for years)

As for the corporate stores, sadly they dont cater to the parts guy anymore. Other than cable and ends the only FTA part I've seen is the 3x4 multiswitch that Directv uses. When I go in there I just tell them "I'm looking around. I have some ideas in my head and its too hard for me to explain what I am trying to do"

 

[Mr Tony]

But on a side note, I dont remember Radio Shack ever carrying a diseqc or 22k switch...even when they sold Directv

on a 2nd side note...its been posted before but here is some good memories of Radio Shack through a site that shows the catalogs
Radio Shack Catalogs

 

[Apprentice]

guess we are lucky around here. we have a independant one that carries lots of things that the chain stores do not. Probably cause they are Ham operators

 

[Corrado]

Back a few years ago I was asked to setup a Dish Net system for someone that didn't want a contract and wanted to purchase a new receiver and pay monthly. I went to a local RS that sold receivers and tried to purchase one for cash for like $99. They refused to sell it to me because I wasn't going to be using it myself. They needed proof of address or who was going to be using the equipment or something like that. I had to get the person to get it themselves and I later installed it. A lot of hassle from some kid that was probably employed in the shoe store the previous week.

I never liked giving them my phone number in the past either.

 

[geekt]

Radio Shack has been hopeless for EVERY hobby for years! Even if you can find the parts you want at a local RS, chances are they will be overpriced! They're pretty useless now days for almost everything. Someone should buy them out, but not Best Buy. There needs to be a shop for all the new hobbyists. Now days not only are there the ham radio guys, and the FTA guys, there's wifi hobbyists, personal computer builder are more common than ever. They really need to get on the ball.

 

[jayrey]

Radio Shack has been hopeless for EVERY hobby for years! Even if you can find the parts you want at a local RS, chances are they will be overpriced! They're pretty useless now days for almost everything. Someone should buy them out, but not Best Buy. There needs to be a shop for all the new hobbyists. Now days not only are there the ham radio guys, and the FTA guys, there's wifi hobbyists, personal computer builder are more common than ever. They really need to get on the ball.

The internet is the only one stop shop now. Not the same as poking around sme dusty bins though.

 

[stanleyjohn]

This spring i was looking for a grounding rod for my dish system and both behind the counter said they didnt sell those.Well i asked them to look at the RS web site and i pointed it to them!Many in stock! They went into the back and bought one out and asked if this is what i wanted.

 

[ParaclipseCKu]

If its not a cell phone they usually don't want to be bothered !

 

[Anole]

... I was asked to setup a Dish Net system for someone that didn't want a contract...

In fairness, that's Dish Network being jerks, not Radio Shack.
Six or eight (?) years ago, I purchased a big box with two 301 receivers and a dish from WalMart, but you could get it from RS at that time, too.
Pay cash and out the door. No questions, no problems.
Later, Walmart discontinued the product, and RS acted like you were a threat to the national interest.
Again, that was all Dish!

This spring i was looking for a grounding rod for my dish system ...

Maybe two years ago, I went with my buddy who's a RS manager, to another store in the chain.
There, we picked up 12-18 of those grounding rods.
They were discontinued, and had no value on the books.
I took half a dozen home, and he gave maybe a dozen to the local ham club.
They raffled 'em off to raise funds for the group.

The other silly thing they'll do is flush out an item which is in "the old packaging" for a song...
... then replace it with the same thing, just wrapped differently, back to full price! -
I got a $12 coax stripper a few years ago.
Think it was $3. But now they're back in new blister packs, at the old price.