Survey of 'Old-School' Electrical Supply Houses

**ndavies** · November-09-11, 02:27 PM

Canuck, You mean is a great company. Heathkit still exists. They make educational and training products for schools and corporations.

Heathkit recently announced they are getting back into the electronic self build kit business. They are in the process of reviving their line of home assembly electronic products. They have one product available. A garage parking assistant.

http://www.heathkit.com/
http://www.heathkit.com/index.php?op...122&Itemid=236

**jiminnm** · November-09-11, 02:44 PM

Well Gannon, depending on how far you want to wander, there are occasional auctions here of surplus equipment from Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs. You can probably find info online.

**Gannon** · November-09-11, 02:58 PM

That is too cool.

I'd LOVE for them to come out with a simple pre-amp and amp. Heck, if they made it a mono amp, end-users could configure it as they pleased for surround sound...or even double two for twice the power.

A phono pre-amp would be nice, based upon a card that could be inserted into the regular pre-amp.

H-m-m-n-n.

Thanks, N.

**Gannon** · November-09-11, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by jiminnm

Well Gannon, depending on how far you want to wander, there are occasional auctions here of surplus equipment from Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs. You can probably find info online.

Didn't see this, Jiminnm. Too cool. They have to be at least 35 years old, right?

I mean...half-life decay and all...LOL!

Might make some curious night lights...

Cheers

**Meddle** · November-09-11, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

That is too cool.

I'd LOVE for them to come out with a simple pre-amp and amp. Heck, if they made it a mono amp, end-users could configure it as they pleased for surround sound...or even double two for twice the power.

A phono pre-amp would be nice, based upon a card that could be inserted into the regular pre-amp.

H-m-m-n-n.

Thanks, N.

Check out Cana-Kit: http://www.canakit.com/

**jiminnm** · November-09-11, 07:39 PM

Here you go Gannon - http://www.bentleysauction.com/

**canuck** · November-09-11, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

Canuck, You mean is a great company. Heathkit still exists. They make educational and training products for schools and corporations.

Heathkit recently announced they are getting back into the electronic self build kit business. They are in the process of reviving their line of home assembly electronic products. They have one product available. A garage parking assistant.

http://www.heathkit.com/
http://www.heathkit.com/index.php?op...122&Itemid=236

Thanks ndavies, I hadnt heard of them in a long time, it's nice to see a resurgence of that kind of thing, likewise for Canakit; thanks meddle!

**Bigb23** · November-09-11, 10:18 PM

I used to like Olson's electronics back in the day. But they've been closed many, many, years now. Any electronic part anyone ever needed could be found in that store.
Now, all we have is Radio Shack - sigh.

**CLAUDE G** · November-10-11, 03:14 AM

I used to love Radio Shack growing up, but I absolutly hate them now.

I remember going in there as a kid and half the store was dedicated to electronic parts, and whatever you where looking for Radio Shack usually had. Now, their electronics area is pretty much confined to 4 big steel bins with roll out drawers.

Their prices are just insane, and everytime I walk in there I get absolutly no help. Everytime I go in there, their sales people are too busy wasting their time with someone over a battery for their cordless phone, or are trying to sell you a cell phone.

I was there last week because I needed a $6 audio cable. I was going to wait for one of their idiot sales people to help me find it, but he was too busy selling a lady a replacement battery for her cordless phone.

So I started looking on my own, and eventually found what I was looking for. So I go to check out, and the sales rep is still yapping away with his customer over the battery for the cordless phone.

I pull out a $10 bill, and stand at the register with my money in hand...

So eventually the guy sold this lady her battery, and gets her rang up on the register and then trys to start a conversation about why use a cordless phone when cell phones are a better value. I finally got pist off, put the item and my $10 bill on the counter so he could ring me up and I could get out of there.

The lady wasn't intrested either, so she leaves.

So im finally being rang up, and the stupid sales person starts asking for my name and phone number. I told him I was paying cash, and my contact info was not necessary. So now he scans my item, and he is trying to sell me the extended warranty for $1. C'mon, why I would I want to pay $1 for an extended warranty for a 3 foot audio cable, that when the cable gets worn out, I will more than likely throw away, then remember where I bought it from to exchange it.

When I inturrupt the guy through his sales pitch for the extended warranty and say "NO", his lame A$$ excuse is that he is required to try to sell it to me.

So I finally finish checkout, and then im hit up with a sales pitch for a new cell phone.

15 minutes of my time, wasted in a Radio Shack to buy a $6 audio cable.

Granted I could have gone on the internet and found the same cable for $1, but it was better wasting 15 minutes then a few days waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

**CLAUDE G** · November-10-11, 03:16 AM

Anyways, the real bargains for electronics where the swap n shops put on by the Ham Radio clubs. I miss going to those

**JBMcB** · November-10-11, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by CLAUDE G

Granted I could have gone on the internet and found the same cable for $1, but it was better wasting 15 minutes then a few days waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

Monoprice.com for cables. So cheap you can buy two or three at a time and have spares if/when they fail. I've found that, even with overnight shipping, they are still cheaper than Radio Shack and Best Buy.

I wouldn't take your frustrations with Radio Shack out on the sales guy, he's just trying to make a living, and following the rules of working there. Some of the salespeople actually know what they are doing, too. I went to the one in Brighton to buy an antenna mast [[which are hard to find these days) and the guy who helped me not only knew, off of the top of his head, which makes and models they had in stock and could order, but the proper grounding configuration to comply with the NEC. He also told me where I could buy the parts they didn't carry.

Of course, I've also had experiences similar to yours at Radio Shack. I'm just buying a battery for my garage door opener, I don't need a cell phone, thank you.

**Terry May** · November-21-12, 10:26 PM

When I was a kid in the early 80's there was a place on Gratiot in Roseville called Lee's Surplus. I would really like to a find a place like that. It had aisles made of electronic junk. Anyone know of a place like around Detroit that is still open?