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Link maybe?

That's certainly true of the stores, but http://www.radioshack.com might surprise you. They have got a SERIOUSLY good web operation. Check it out if you haven't already.

In the case of the XCam2, the cameras transmit an unscrambled analog radio signal that can be picked up by receivers sold with the cameras. Replacing the receiver's small antenna with a more powerful one and adding a signal amplifier to pick up transmissions over greater distances is a trivial task for anyone who knows his way around a RadioShack and can use a soldering iron.

It looks like the obvious answer is to ban Radio Shack from selling soldering irons. :^)

Didja follow the link? didn't think so, these tapes seem to work fine in my trusty old BMC 220.

While it is true that Sony makes a plethora of products that begin with Beta, I was still referring to Betamax.

ULTIMATE BETAMAX INFORMATION GUIDE

"BETA-Max Videotapes, Inc."

You mean Sony? That would be a great purchase!

FYI, Sony still manufactures Beta cassettes, you can buy them from all sorts of video places, I get mine at the local Radio Shack though. Very nice picture, great for porting over to MPEG2 (it beats those crappy 8mm dealies)

As for goofball buying up Napster, more like him buying into open reel VTR, now thats a dead format!

They would have kept going, and going, and going...

They must'a used these instead...

-RickTheWizKid

Downstream: 54 MHz - 1 GHz [1000 MHz]
Upstream: 5 MHz - 40 MHz

Owner's Manual, Cable Bidirectional Amplifier, Cat. No. 15-1171 [72 KB PDF]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Connections [Faxback Doc. # 57179]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Features [Faxback Doc. # 57178]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Specifications [Faxback Doc. # 57180]

You get the same problem with surge protectors: Most units will do fine if they're only asked to pass the downstream signal, but aren't of high enough quality to pass the upstream signal reliably. We had been using a Panamax surge protector, but when it got blown out by lightning, the replacement units wouldn't pass the upstream signal [I've been through two replacements so far - I guess Panamax has a problem with quality control.] If anyone could recommend a good surge protector, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd be most grateful.

Downstream: 54 MHz - 1 GHz [1000 MHz]
Upstream: 5 MHz - 40 MHz

Owner's Manual, Cable Bidirectional Amplifier, Cat. No. 15-1171 [72 KB PDF]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Connections [Faxback Doc. # 57179]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Features [Faxback Doc. # 57178]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Specifications [Faxback Doc. # 57180]

You get the same problem with surge protectors: Most units will do fine if they're only asked to pass the downstream signal, but aren't of high enough quality to pass the upstream signal reliably. We had been using a Panamax surge protector, but when it got blown out by lightning, the replacement units wouldn't pass the upstream signal [I've been through two replacements so far - I guess Panamax has a problem with quality control.] If anyone could recommend a good surge protector, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd be most grateful.

Downstream: 54 MHz - 1 GHz [1000 MHz]
Upstream: 5 MHz - 40 MHz

Owner's Manual, Cable Bidirectional Amplifier, Cat. No. 15-1171 [72 KB PDF]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Connections [Faxback Doc. # 57179]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Features [Faxback Doc. # 57178]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Specifications [Faxback Doc. # 57180]

You get the same problem with surge protectors: Most units will do fine if they're only asked to pass the downstream signal, but aren't of high enough quality to pass the upstream signal reliably. We had been using a Panamax surge protector, but when it got blown out by lightning, the replacement units wouldn't pass the upstream signal [I've been through two replacements so far - I guess Panamax has a problem with quality control.] If anyone could recommend a good surge protector, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd be most grateful.

Downstream: 54 MHz - 1 GHz [1000 MHz]
Upstream: 5 MHz - 40 MHz

Owner's Manual, Cable Bidirectional Amplifier, Cat. No. 15-1171 [72 KB PDF]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Connections [Faxback Doc. # 57179]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Features [Faxback Doc. # 57178]
Cable Bidirectional Amplifier Specifications [Faxback Doc. # 57180]

You get the same problem with surge protectors: Most units will do fine if they're only asked to pass the downstream signal, but aren't of high enough quality to pass the upstream signal reliably. We had been using a Panamax surge protector, but when it got blown out by lightning, the replacement units wouldn't pass the upstream signal [I've been through two replacements so far - I guess Panamax has a problem with quality control.] If anyone could recommend a good surge protector, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd be most grateful.

1. iPod - $399
2. Waterproof speakers - $120
3. Cable - $20
4. Violating copyright before breakfast - priceless...

1. iPod
2. Waterproof speakers
3. Cable
4. Plastic bag

this is what he was talking about I believe.

Magnetic strips get erased or damaged so commonly that most people won't think twice about it.

Now those 2-D barcodes some states use are another matter. Those take a little working over with a magic marker. Or if you want to be more subtle, the precision application of some sandpaper.

We use antennas and amplifiers from Fleeman Anderson & Bird Corp.

We use antenna masts from Radio Shack.

We've found that the most reliable access points are Cisco Aironets, 340s or 350s. They can cost $1000-1500, though, so go with Linksys/SMC/Netgear if you're not that worried.

Also make sure you tie up cables on masts with something, like guy wire or metal cable ties, that doesn't disentigrate in a couple months. Always tape up the ends of the cables with electrical tape or use that rubbery stuff for protection from the weather.

And have fun!

Can't you use a nose plier and straighten the pins ? That is the manual way to do it. I guess you must be able to get a nose plier from radioshack. And if you can remove the plastic casing you will be able to push the receded pins (pin #11 in your case) out. This happened to me once and I was able to straighten it out with a nose plier, but I didn't have any receded pins :-(.
Good luck, Hope this helps.

{Not a coward, just too lazy to log in)

This isn't exactly like what you described, but Radio Shack sells something kinda similar. I think it works by detecting that 4-second lapse in between switching from the war dialer to the human and sends a disconnect signal to the other end, or something like that.

Radioshack is a ok place to start. I don't mean asking the yahoo's who work there. I mean they used to carry this begginger series on electronics, explained basics of electricity (Ohm's law and such fun things), how to read circit diagrams, how to solder, and how to build basic circuts. There was also a series called like "Engineers Mini-Notebook" or something.

This is where I started when I was a lot younger. I also found that getting a small kit radio that required soldering (not those lame-o snap together ones, but a reall PCB and soldering iron type) helped me better understand what things where and how they went together.

Same AC as above ^_^ I didn't compare on $800 headphones. I did the comparison on Optimus Pro 35 headphones, from Radio Shack. $19.99 is significantly less than $800.

Radio shack

Uhm, what are you talking about? That All-In-One Model you mention, ISN'T a phone at all. It is ONLY a wireless headset that you can connect to a phone.

Well, I'd say search Radioshack.com, often they have a lot of models online that they don't have in their stores.. and different sales, availability, etc.

As far as a corded model, I recently got the 43-2151 or ET-2151 which is a good CORDED model. It's got Caller ID & Call-Waiting ID (for those of you not in the know, a phone or other device has to be capable of Callwaiting ID to receive the caller ID data for the second incoming call, which a lot of devices don't have.), is small, and is just well designed. I was also able to get this on sale for $29.95.

I think it leads to a number of aspects to look at.. the size of the keypad/control on your wireless device, the headset (how particular are you, is there one type you like over another, does it have interchangable headsets - in other words a standard jack, so you can change the headset if you want?), what type of batteries or battery pack does it use?, does it have caller ID/call waiting ID, how durable is it, and of course, what is the price?

First, determine what you want, and need, and then go shopping. Personally, the cordless models for what I want are not yet in a price I wish to pay. I've noticed that you can get some good ones at a decent price, however, they are the lower end 900mhz and such models, and their security isn't as good as I would like it to be.

Uhm, what are you talking about? That All-In-One Model you mention, ISN'T a phone at all. It is ONLY a wireless headset that you can connect to a phone.

Well, I'd say search Radioshack.com, often they have a lot of models online that they don't have in their stores.. and different sales, availability, etc.

As far as a corded model, I recently got the 43-2151 or ET-2151 which is a good CORDED model. It's got Caller ID & Call-Waiting ID (for those of you not in the know, a phone or other device has to be capable of Callwaiting ID to receive the caller ID data for the second incoming call, which a lot of devices don't have.), is small, and is just well designed. I was also able to get this on sale for $29.95.

I think it leads to a number of aspects to look at.. the size of the keypad/control on your wireless device, the headset (how particular are you, is there one type you like over another, does it have interchangable headsets - in other words a standard jack, so you can change the headset if you want?), what type of batteries or battery pack does it use?, does it have caller ID/call waiting ID, how durable is it, and of course, what is the price?

First, determine what you want, and need, and then go shopping. Personally, the cordless models for what I want are not yet in a price I wish to pay. I've noticed that you can get some good ones at a decent price, however, they are the lower end 900mhz and such models, and their security isn't as good as I would like it to be.

You are correct. I have this and do use it on occassion. Its certainly not a tektronix, but its really great for tinkering. A real nice perk with this unit is that although it connects to a serial port, near the connector it transfers the signal optically, so you dont have any ground loop problems to worry about, nor do you have to worry about nuking your mobo - which lets you poke around freely without worrying (except about the board you are poking around on)...
It's really a nice quality geek toy, and it does have a small silly lcd display right on the unit so it does not always require a computer unless you want to look at something other than a semi accurate representation of the waveform.

I think it might be this one. If not, check out this page to see the other options available at Radio Shack.

I think it might be this one. If not, check out this page to see the other options available at Radio Shack.

And if you've ever tried to hold a manual tape recorder up to a phone, you'd know how impractical (and tiring) it is.

Uh, the technology to tape a telephone conversation has been around for quite a while. For $14.99 he could have just bought the RadioShack Recorder-to-phone adapter 43-1237 and done a proper interview.

Personally, I just lug all the appropriate adapters, since I tend to plug everything in at once. But I usually carry a spare "universal" adapter like this with an additional assortment of adapter plugs. I wish they made them with folding prongs. If I have something that uses a NiCD or NIMH pack, I use a rapid charger like this.

I also try pretty hard to buy things that use AA cells so I can use rechargables. It annoys the crap out of me that my digital camera takes a non-rechargable non-AA. I never seem to have a spare when I need it.

Ten-Tec has some decent radio kits. For $24 you can get the 1054 which is a stripped-down regen shortwave receiver. For $69 you can get the 1253 which is a complete regen receiver. Either will provide decent listening to both ham and shortwave broadcast stations.

Ramsey kits are ok, but you need to read carefully. For example, they advertise kits like the SR2 with a photo of it in a case. The case is a $14.95 option and you still don't get a speaker.

As for building ease, I can't really comment. The only recent kit I've built is the Ramsey SR2. It was easy but time-consuming and a bit boring, as I've soldered thousands of components in my time.

Nuts & Volts magazine is a good source of ads for kits.

I'm not sure how much you can learn from one of these kits. They tend to not have much in the way of experimentation. You build the kit, play with it for an hour or two, then stash it on a shelf. If you're going to go the kit route, I would start with a simple blinking LED kit or something to learn soldering, then maybe a decent radio kit that you'll actually be able to use.

If you want to get the kids interested, I would go to Radio Shack and dig around in the back. There you will find some dusty books from the Engineer's Mini-Notebook line ($1.99). They have easy explanations, circuit diagrams, and lots of experiments to try. They don't make it trivial to find the parts and you'll be spending quite a bit of time prowling Radio Shack parts racks, but it's worth it. The kids will get to do some of the design work themselves.

My local Shaque is (still) selling :CueCat holders that stick to your monitor. And RadioShack.com is still selling this lovely keyboard adaptor for your 'Cat.

Afraid the Fresnel lens will degrade the quality of the image from your expensive LCD? Try this Bausch & Lomb lens--it appears to be a non-Fresnel, so it doesn't have the lines that could cause some quality loss. You could end up creating a better quality product than a $4000 LCD if this lens works the way I think it does.

Some video source thoughts:
-- 7-inch 16:9 LCD (I don't know where the 7 inches are--I think they're horizontal) being offered to Playstation/PSX owners
-- good source of variety of LCDs?
-- there are several 5-inch TFT NTSC LCDs available for use with the Playstation/PSX (some better than others)

If I weren't able to get good resolution out of the 16:9 version, I'd rather use a VGA LCD at ~$260-350 any day with the NTSC LCD prices Best Buy and Radio Shack charge.

Final thoughts on the dimness issue.. With an LCD, you should be able to remove the reflective backing (ever so carefully, pack a UV-protectant clear sheet of plastic over the back of the device and pump some flourescent, arc, or other bright lighting through it.
Some problems foreseen:
-- may take some experimentation to find the light that irritates the eyes the least
-- may need two settings for day and night
-- be very cautious as not to create a fire hazard

hat's what I do right now too. What I would really like is a voice mail system at home that a can route calls to different mailboxes depending on the callerID. Anything that shows up as "Unknown" or "Blocked" gets the three toned message. I have searched, but I am yet to find one...

Radium Shackles has one that will allow you to set up **ten** different outgoing messages and mailboxes specific to up to ten different incoming numbers. I threatened my mother-in-law that her number would be answered with "what now? "

Get yourself a Radio Shack 15-1994 6-in-1 Smart A/V Remote, hack it with a JP1 Interface, and for under $50, you've bought yourself an infinitely customizable IR remote (with X10 capability!), and with all nice tactile hard buttons to boot!

If you have the knowhow, Tech-America/Radio Shack have 433 Mhz transmitters and recievers in their catalog. They have about a 200m range, and if I remember from the pinout diagrams, they don't need much more than power and a signal feed. They cost about $20 for a pair, and the two will fit in a film canister. The one is as small as two dimes stacked. I think you could easly grab a pair of DB9 connectors, and a pair of each of these, and throw in a battery or two. End result serial port plugs that work with eachother. Only drawbacks might include power draw on the batteries, getting the two tranceivers and two recievers to run on diffrent frequencies, and finding the limit of data speed through them. You might be able to adjust the RF with a standard police scanner and a test tone, and then adjust the reciever using a speaker and a small amp circut. The units can be found here, and there is no FCC licence requiored. Also they support both analog signals and digital signals, but they us AM instead of FM for the signal type.

The federal laws regarding wiretapping involve recording conversations when neither party has given consent to being recorded. If you record a conversation you are having with another party, you have consented to record your conversation and you are not violating the federal wiretapping laws. Local jurisdictions occasionally expand on what constitutes wiretapping, such as the Massachussetts law being discussed here.

I used to work for a large national chain of retail electronics stores where we sold devices for recording phone conversations. In the state where I live, there are no supplemental laws. Thus, anyone buying a phone recording device to record his/her own conversations was perfectly within their rights. However, anyone who wanted to record a spouse's or child's conversations without their knowledge was plotting to violate federal wiretapping laws and we were forbidden from selling them the equipment for such purposes.

So the moral of the story is: If you're looking to break federal wiretapping laws, don't tell the kid behind the counter at Circuit Hut before he sells you the necessary gear.

look at my fishtank cam , powered by linux, php, mysql & apache

I've also found some white LEDs you can purchase online from Radio Shack for experimentation with your own external lighting devices:

3mm Ultra-Bright White LED
5mm Ulrta-Bright White LED
5mm High-Intensity White LED
5mm White LED

I've also found some white LEDs you can purchase online from Radio Shack for experimentation with your own external lighting devices:

3mm Ultra-Bright White LED
5mm Ulrta-Bright White LED
5mm High-Intensity White LED
5mm White LED

I've also found some white LEDs you can purchase online from Radio Shack for experimentation with your own external lighting devices:

3mm Ultra-Bright White LED
5mm Ulrta-Bright White LED
5mm High-Intensity White LED
5mm White LED

I've also found some white LEDs you can purchase online from Radio Shack for experimentation with your own external lighting devices:

3mm Ultra-Bright White LED
5mm Ulrta-Bright White LED
5mm High-Intensity White LED
5mm White LED

Now, you do need to be close to a transmitter (kind of like with the wireless internet thing) but they are all over the world. Everywhere. It's amazing how this thing has taken off. This guy named Marconi invented the whole thing in his basement, so he should get plenty of Slashdot cred.

Heck, like TCP/IP the protocol is totally open source, and it's easy to build your own transmitter or receiver. Heck, there is even a simple encryption scheme available.

But wait, there's more. With a simple hardware add on, you can enjoy interactive events and IM.

I tell you. This technology is here, and it is here to stay. Give it a chance. You might enjoy it.

If you REALLY want to find out what stores are using this technology, then spend $5.99 @ The Shack and go find out for yourself.

I had one of these in my junkbox (Oops, that just dated me, didn't it?) that I bought years ago, it works.

Infrared Sensor Card

Special coating allows you to see infrared light. Use to check remote controls, security systems, and more. Locates near-infrared radiation from laser or LED sources.

http://www.radioshack.com

Now go on out and report back your findings, so we can know which stores are using this invasive technology.

And as far as sunglasses that block infrared, any "high end" pair should block at least 90% of the infrared spectrum. My prescription Revo's block more than 95%, plus they look sooooo cool.

If you REALLY want to find out what stores are using this technology, then spend $5.99 @ The Shack and go find out for yourself.

I had one of these in my junkbox (Oops, that just dated me, didn't it?) that I bought years ago, it works.

Infrared Sensor Card

Special coating allows you to see infrared light. Use to check remote controls, security systems, and more. Locates near-infrared radiation from laser or LED sources.

http://www.radioshack.com

Now go on out and report back your findings, so we can know which stores are using this invasive technology.

And as far as sunglasses that block infrared, any "high end" pair should block at least 90% of the infrared spectrum. My prescription Revo's block more than 95%, plus they look sooooo cool.

If you REALLY want to find out what stores are using this technology, then spend $5.99 @ The Shack and go find out for yourself.

I had one of these in my junkbox (Oops, that just dated me, didn't it?) that I bought years ago, it works.

Infrared Sensor Card

Special coating allows you to see infrared light. Use to check remote controls, security systems, and more. Locates near-infrared radiation from laser or LED sources.

http://www.radioshack.com

Now go on out and report back your findings, so we can know which stores are using this invasive technology.

And as far as sunglasses that block infrared, any "high end" pair should block at least 90% of the infrared spectrum. My prescription Revo's block more than 95%, plus they look sooooo cool.

Yes, RadioShack. I just ordered a 3650 from them last week. They use a diffrent ordering system, and tend to have them available ALOT of the time. This link is to the 3635, but they do have the 3650 in stock. Call them up and ask them. I've had to order several, and each time I called the Rat Shack it was there.

----------------------------------

I don't think you have it right. The article means traditional vacuum tubes - which are found in old radios and old TV's (pre-transistor electronics). They have not been common for a long time.

They're not common, but they're not too hard to find either. Dozens of businesses cater to the antique/vintage-radio, musical-instrument, and "audiophile" (quite often "audiophoole" would be more appropriate) crowd that would have a use for tubes, either new-old-stock tubes that were last made 30-40 years ago (or even further back) or brand-new tubes produced today in Russia, China, and similar countries. Antique Electronic Supply is one that comes to mind. They usually have specials on slow-moving types that you can snarf up dirt-cheap. Hell, even Radio Shack can still get tubes on a special-order basis, though I suspect their prices run a bit higher for it.

Keep in mind that the quoted article is over 40 years old, so its assumptions about what you're likely to find in the average household are more than likely dated somewhat. (I have a few old radios myself, and a small stash of tubes and related equipment...but I suspect I'm atypical in that regard. :-) )

I would recommend finding one with a real slider for each audio channel. The radio shack one has four line level inputs, each with a slider. Some mixers might have like 6 inputs but they share them between 2 sliders. This won't work all that well for what you want.

Most of these have a headphone level output jack, so you can use headphones instead of speakers, or both. I've been thinking about getting one of the plantronics dual-use headsets which let me use the same headset for phone and computer use.

One word of warning - most computer speakers will require a headphone-level output to work. They won't work on the standard line-level output on the back of these mixers. Actually that's not 100% accurate - they will work but might not be able to get all that loud - which might be exactly what you want.

LED heart!!!

-Daniel

I wouldn't put the CueCat in the same class of hardware as anything as complex as... oh, my alarmclock (granted, it is an X-10 controller, too). After all, the hardware on the CueCat could replicated with a 556 and some other chips from The Smack (minus of course the propritary tracking bits, which we didn't want anyway). Handheld scanners aren't all that hard to implement, though theyare a lot cheaper if you get them free...

The *real* hardware industry (pick a few uProcs, DSPs, comm chips, etc) generally does a really good job with design... The fact that Winmodems are crippled hardware isn't much more than limited requirements, with low cost being the driving factor. Processors, in most cases, can run any number of operating systems, given the right motivation on the part of the programing teams. Most O/Ss need the same basic hooks, so it usually isn't a big stretch (except for those recodes of the asm).

The most important "openness" that hardware companies can provide is full interface specs on their products... register sets, timings, etc... with that information, a person or group could do almost whatever they want with a given chip (even those winmodems).

As for bz2 on modems... software compression is nice, and easily added (of course both phone-link endpoints need to support it). The hardware compression offered by (for example) USR/3Com has been pretty impressive, relatively speaking, since you have a limited block size that you will work with. The adaptive compression used in bz2 may or may not be suited for that task, but that's another debate 8^)

--

Hooking up your control is VERY easy. Here is everything you need:
An I-PAC (it is a keyboard encoder from http://www.spaceinvaders.uk.com/)
some .187" female quick disconnects (you can get these from Radio Shack Online part #910-1775)
some wire (any from 16 up to 22 gauge)
a small flat head screwdriver (for connecting the wire to the I-PAC)
a knife or wire strippers (for stripping the wire)
a pair of pliers (for crimping the quick disconnects on to the wire)

Once connected up, your controls will act like a standard keyboard.

If you have any questions head over to the message board on http://www.arcadecontrols.com and ask. Someone will happily answer them.

When I saw this subject on Ask Slashdot, I thought immediately of Radio Shack. I'll never forget the Christmas that, under the Christmas tree, my Aunt Margaret had sent me a Radio Shack 160 in 1 Electronic Project Kit.

I played with nothing but for the two years between when I got that and when I got my first computer.

Wow. That was one of the best presents anyone ever gave me.

In grade 5 - 9 years old - I built the "High Voltage Power Supply" project they had in there. It was a relay, wired as a vibrator, driving the Audio Output Transformer on the board. There was an electrolytic capacitor across the relay coil to keep the frequency reasonable. It put out a nice solid jolt on your fingers, but posed no safety risk. For my school science fair project that year, I got an old wooden chair, some old belts, and made up some "electrodes", and built probably the single most famous science fair project ever presented at any Ottawa-area elementary school science fair. It was an electric chair. The brave were encouraged to try it out. Not coincidentally, it was also the first time I made the cover of the local newspaper, the Ottawa Citizen.

Actually, this does bring one thing to mind. Back in those days, I was running all my projects on a 9V battery or two AAs. Today's alkaline, NiCd or NiMH batteries - in a Radio Shack kit like that - could be very dangerous. Use the old Eveready Classics ("Cat of 9 Lives") and other cheap carbon-zinc batteries instead. If your kid shorts that out, it's not going to cause a fire the way a new Energizer or Duracell or something would.

Absolutely. That was one of the very few things that could keep me busy for weeks on end.

I found a predecessor to my 160 in 1 - it was a 150 in 1 kit - at a garage sale. It was about 10 years old, but all the components still worked. The two kits were quickly merged into one: the photoelectric switch turned on the three transistor radio. The Morse code practice oscillator was quickly connected to the AM Transmitter.... And then there were my own inventions. When you're 10 years old, two SPDT relays and four transformers can keep you occupied for days at a time. :)

I see the 200 in 1 - the expensive version of my 160 in 1 - lives on! Cool! The photos take me back, too... the familiar little transformers, the pretty little relay...

200 in 1 Project Kit link - working.