Radioshack 1/4" jacks

[jball85]

So I tried to use some radioshack 1/4" jacks I had laying around on a build. Short story, short, the retainer clips don't lock on the tips of any of my instrument cables. Warning: Don't use these.

[haveyouseenhim]

That's weird. I use them all the time.  Try reshaping them with some needle nose pliers.

[jball85]

You're right, now I feel bad. The enclosure they were in was the problem. I had the footswitch and jacks placed too close together. My mistake. Buy these jacks if you will. They work fine.

[alanp]

Have you got a photo of 'em? All I know about radioshack is that they are in America and sell electronic parts, and that's about it.

[pickdropper]

Have you got a photo of 'em? All I know about radioshack is that they are in America and sell electronic parts, and that's about it.

Sadly, in the Radio Shacks near me, that's all they know as well.  :-P

But if you need a cell phone, cell phone case or batteries, they will gladly try and sell you them.

[jtn191]

All I know about radioshack is that they are in America and sell electronic parts, and that's about it.

I've heard Radioshack used to be a more liked chain--a solution for diy'ers, hobbyists, and repairmen. Since then, most consumer electronics are made in China and easier to throw away than fix. Now Radioshack sells batteries, phones and overpriced "cheap" components. Almost always empty, it's still the only place to get resistors in a hurry for most people...

[mmlee]

Sounds a lot like a UK Maplins then.

[Justus]

Yeah, I worked at RadioShack while in college back in 2001-2003.  Most of the people I worked with back then were MUCH more knowledgeable than the people working there now.  They made us take certification tests on electronics and consumer products - we had to know how things worked if we were going to be able to give advice on the products.

But also about that time is when the cell phone craze was starting up... and companies wanting us to sell cell phones were offering "spiffs", i.e. cash rewards for selling phones.  While I loved the money, I hated what that did to a lot of the sales staff.  I asked people when they came in if they needed help finding anything, and if they said "no" then I left them alone.  I only asked about phones if they were looking at phones.  You know, treat the customer the way you'd want to be treated.  (Turns out that approach worked, because I out-sold the majority of my store's sales staff despite being part-time)  But then the stores all started redecorating, minimizing the emphasis on components, electronics projects, and radios, and maximizing emphasis on other ready-built consumer electronics.  Product quality suffered.  RadioShack execs tried to keep up with the "Smurfs" (Best Buy) and the "Commies" (Circuit City) as best they could, but the company ended up losing its identity.

Now, if you want that knowledge and support, you go to internet forums to discuss with like-minded, experienced people, and buy components from Mouser and Digikey.  Unless you want something TODAY.  Then you can stop by a RS store and maybe find something close to what you were looking for, if you can stop the sales associate from pouncing on you for spiffs.

That got kinda long, lol.  But it was a trip down memory lane.

[flanagan0718]

I don't like to admit this but they have come through in a pinch. I've used the LED's + Plastic LED Bezzles, 1/4 open frame jacks, 1n914 Diodes, and Some resistors. Also a good store for last min Ferric Chloride. Other than that, kind of useless.

Thought this was fitting for the thread.

[alanp]

I don't like to admit this but they have come through in a pinch. I've used the LED's + Plastic LED Bezzles, 1/4 open frame jacks, 1n914 Diodes, and Some resistors. Also a good store for last min Ferric Chloride. Other than that, kind of useless.

Dick Smith, in NZ and... I dunno, maybe Australia, used to sell electrical componentry, kits, solder, that kind of thing. (Their catalog was bigger than my phonebook, back in the 80s and 90s.)

Now, they sell the same kinda stuff as Noel Leemings and Harvey Norman. They do have soldering irons, but NO solder to use with them. As for diodes, resistors, yeah bloody right.

Jaycar, OTOH, are sticking to their guns with the components. Good on 'em. You can even get B and BB size enclosures there