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Electronics Shops Survey

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Avalanche

Tue Mar 08 2011, 07:22PM

Registered Member #103 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:16PM
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 845

Just out of interest...

How far would you have to travel from where to live, to find a small, privately owned electronics component shop on the high street which you could walk into and ask "have you got any old germanium transistors?" and the guy behind the counter says "yeah!" and pulls out a drawer from behind the counter?

You get the drift, I'm actually expecting most people, if not all people here to not know of any shop like that - I was interested to find out if I'm the only one

My answer would be RF Potts, 7 miles from my house. Below is a google streetview link to the shop front - feel free to do the same if there's anything interesting to see

,+uk&sll=37.0625,- 95.677068&sspn=33.489543,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hne ar=Derby,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.918477,- 1.477318&spn=0.012446,0.043945&z=15&layer=c&cbll=5 2.918567,- 1.477172&panoid=mcwd1C7w0zZfKO0Q1Mx9Lg&cbp=12,275. 1,,1,8.74

RickR

Tue Mar 08 2011, 07:40PM

Registered Member #93 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:11PM
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 64

Here in Houston we've got a couple places that come close to your ideal: Ace Electronics ~ 20 miles away and Electronic Parts Outlet (aka EPO) ~ 30 miles from home.

- Rick

Adam Munich

Tue Mar 08 2011, 11:05PM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

>60 miles. The only things we have here are radioshacks and we all know that they fail hard.

Ash Small

Wed Mar 09 2011, 12:09AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

Avalanche wrote ...

.
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My answer would be RF Potts, 7 miles from my house. Below is a google streetview link to the shop front - feel free to do the same if there's anything interesting to see

That's within spitting distance from that Irish pub next to the church. I think it's called Ryan's (the pub, not the church).

I'll check it out next time I'm in the area.

Turkey9

Wed Mar 09 2011, 03:46AM

Registered Member #1451 Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661

I have a shop called JB Saunders that is pretty close to what you describe. It's about 6 blocks away and they have the best supply of surplus stuff (including 8 boxes full of tubes!) and modern components that I've every seen. Since I moved here, I've spent WAY to much money there!!!

Arcstarter

Wed Mar 09 2011, 04:52AM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

RickR wrote ...

Here in Houston we've got a couple places that come close to your ideal: Ace Electronics ~ 20 miles away and Electronic Parts Outlet (aka EPO) ~ 30 miles from home.

- Rick

Maybe it would be worth checking out if i ever happen to be in Houston. Its a 1 hour drive though... But, if i could find a surplus electronics place or junkyard with anything interesting that would be nice. How are the two stores you mentioned?

ShawnLG

Wed Mar 09 2011, 07:30AM

Registered Member #286 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 04:52AM
Location:
Posts: 399

Where I live, there is no such place.

Adrenaline

Wed Mar 09 2011, 03:17PM

Registered Member #235 Joined: Wed Feb 22 2006, 04:59PM
Location:
Posts: 80

My local shop would be Jaytronics, about 20 minutes from my house.

,+il&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=124+N+Rockton+Ave,+Rockford ,+Winnebago,+Illinois+61103&ll=42.274161,- 89.099167&spn=0,0.002908&z=19&layer=c&cbll=42.2742 94,- 89.099069&panoid=lDKXNVtzYxej3bwSCRoxEA&cbp=12,239 .5,,0,11.23

RickR

Wed Mar 09 2011, 05:01PM

Registered Member #93 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:11PM
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 64

@Arcstarter

Both EPO and Ace have large quantities of components (capacitors, ICs and their sockets, transistors, SCRs, TRIACs, fixed/variable pots, transformers, switches, LEDs, connectors, wire, meters, etc.) plus a fair amount of test equipment, tools, chemicals (for PCB work), soldering equipment, and some surplus equipment. Their component prices are probably slightly higher than what you would pay ordering from a catalog + postage, but you pay for convenience. Ace is open M-F 9-5 while EPO is open M-Sat 9-5. Both are fun to visit, but don't expect to find cheap treasure; they have a pretty good idea of what prices to charge.

-Rick

3l3ctrici7y

Wed Mar 09 2011, 07:18PM

Registered Member #1806 Joined: Sun Nov 09 2008, 04:58AM
Location: USA
Posts: 136

Yea, there's a decently stocked electronics shop about 5-8 min from my place. It is maybe 1200-1800 square feet of showroom and stuff behind the counter. It's quite the little hole in the wall sort of place.

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