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I (naively) popped into a Radio Shack about two years ago thinking that they might have some random electrical parts I was looking for. Once I got past the cell
by manyxcxi 10y ago
I (naively) popped into a Radio Shack about two years ago thinking that they might have some random electrical parts I was looking for. Once I got past the cellphones, remote control cars, and junk too cheap to be sold at Sharper Image, I found the four drawers of parts in the back corner, mostly empty. Perf boards were like $6/piece, and they sold an Arduino starter kit for like $200.
I remember the store nearest my house growing up having multiple AISLES of just power adapters and barrel connectors, etc, and it was a tiny store in a strip mall sandwiched between a Baskin Robbins and a Subway.
It was certainly a sad realization.
- cardiffspaceman 10y agoBarnes & Noble probably has more maker stuff nowadays.
- hkmurakami 10y agoCan anyone comment on Fry's component selection these days?
- wcfields 10y agoFairly good, an aisle worth of general caps and resistors.
- manyxcxi 10y agoThe one by my house in Seattle was REALLY good. And had a good selection of misc. robotics parts (even if at ridiculous prices). The one by my house in Portland is lighter in some areas but has more Pi/Arduino/etc. variations in stock. In both stores it was at least three aisles worth of things like components, perf boards, various breakout kits, enclosures, etc.
- cr0sh 10y agoThe also typically have an okay semiconductor parts selection, but you have to cross-ref with an NTE part number (hopefully they'll have the catalog nearby to look up any specific parts).
- bartread 10y agoI could probably say similar things about Maplin Electronics in the UK, in that a large part of the store is given over to selling miscellaneous tat. Although, in fairness to them: - Most of the cabling and audio components are out on the shopfloor, which is handy, - They do tend to (always?) have a component counter at the back, which fronts onto their warehouse/storeroom space, where you can usually get what you need. I guess that stuff is too easily stolen to have out front.