[aprssig] Radio Shack (NOT)

[Mark Saurman]

On 1/19/06, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> Dont expect to find any parts at a Radio Shack
> anymore (in a mall).  I went to get a simple '1/8"
> stereo miniature jack'  in an emergency...

Your best bet is to find the product yourself in the online catalog
first.  9 times out of 10, their employees don't know anything but
stuff about big ticket items or items in which they get "spiffs" on
like cell phones.  If you approach them with a stock number, then they
should be able to find it, even if they don't know what it is.  Every
store has a Radioshack.com Kiosk so if you run into a parts emergency
while out and about and cannot get to your own internet connection,
you can use the one in the store, provided it's working.  I've used
them before just to make sure my APRS tracker was working, too.

At www.radioshack.com I searched for "3.5mm stereo" and the first two
results are the 1/8" stereo female jacks you were probably looking
for, if it was panel mount you were looking for.  Typing in 'stereo
audio jack' yielded a lot more results, with the second being an
in-line 1/8" stereo jack.  The website will even tell you which stores
have it in stock.

All of the Radio Shacks here in Canada are now The Source by Circuit
City, although the stores are pretty much the same as they were when
they were still Radio Shack except for a different colour scheme, and
Nexxtech brand stuff instead of Realistic.  Luckily, we have a place
here in town called the Electronics Centre where I can pick up all my
pieces parts for cheaper and they have employees that know their
stuff.  Unfortunately, they close around 6pm and if I have a parts
emergency after that or on the weekends, it's Radio Shack/The Source
that I have to go to.

73,
Mark VO1ONE