You can't really blame Radio Shack. The market fell out from under them. But they do come in handy for more common oddball things like dielectric grease, solder, wires, etc. They have enough stuff to get you out of a jam sometimes.
THIS USER WAS CLUEBYFOURED
You can't really blame Radio Shack. The market fell out from under them. But they do come in handy for more common oddball things like dielectric grease, solder, wires, etc. They have enough stuff to get you out of a jam sometimes.
Senior Member
I miss these kits
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=140133326525
Had this one when I was 6, wouldnt trade what it taught me for the world.
Senior Member
Agree with the Maplin comments. I remember being up to the wee hours building 150w mosfet amplifiers and radio equipment from their kits.
Senior Member
I picked up a book by Forrest Mims III from Radshack years ago that I still have (it's falling apart) but the wealth of circuitry and knowledge that is in that book allowed me to fullfill a huge amount of electronic dreams. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
THIS USER WAS CLUEBYFOURED
Hey, I think I might have actually had that same kit! My dad got it for Christmas when I was in elementary school. I eventually got a 75-in-1 kit and I thought I was cool! I never really understood any of it, though. I just connected everything up and listened to the bird chirping noises or machine gun sounds. haha.
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Radio Shack/Tandy had fallen by the time I first saw one. I remember the LED's though. I missed the first but I saw a few. It was the first laser diode modules that really hooked me. And the first time I found a way to buy stuff with IC's in it. The best of all was a weird thing with 14 LED's in it that were arranged as dice. I couldn't keep my fingers out of the innards for long enough to enjoy it working for two days, but the payoff was cool, I was using a loudspeaker to test for signals, having already learned that calculators could make VERY cool noises on a long wave radio. The speaker probe wire touching various pins could get very interesting noises, not just square waves but interesting composites that hooked me. I spent most of my money for the next 20 years on audio gear on the strength of that experience. And listening to Tangerine Dream, who at their best are still the kings of electronic sound in my world. Punk was cool in its use of synths too, before people got anal about what a punk band should sound like. Another shop I liked hanging around suspiciously in was the local CB shop during the craze. Weird illegal AM sets sold for parts at very low prices (still more than I had) but there was a neat little bucket brigade delay line thinger...Originally Posted by stanwax
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Maplin had stuff like those. Him too I think. But Robert Penfold and especially RM Marston are the names I remember. The Art Of Electronics is a good book but actually hard to find some stuff in. If I want an immediate lookup on how to use an op-amp in some unfamiliar way Marston has a knack of making almost as easy to do as if I were recalling it from a memory I happened not to have. Some things the net has NOT improved on.
Senior Member
Ahh, the analog "echo chamber in a chip" SAD512 or 1024. Had one in my 1st flanger. Hissy as hell but very cool pre-digital stuff. The first alternative to magnetic tape loops. Loved it!neat little bucket brigade delay line thinger...
Senior Member
Yes, it was page after page of how to hook up a 555 timer to do different things as well as BCD chips, op-amps, counters, regulators, you-name-it. It was electronics heaven. I still use the book on occation, although a lot of the chips are obsolete now and hard to find.
Senior Member
Yeh, my dad got it for me for xmas when I was in 2nd grade. I didnt start to understand it till I was in 5th grade but it really helped me growing up. I bought that one on ebay so I may give it to my son if I ever have a boy. Best thing my dad ever did.
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