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Re:The problem is the sockets are ill-designed. by Megane · 2017-05-28 10:12 · Score: 1 · on Working Theory In Jet Crash: IPhone In Cockpit Is To Blame (appleinsider.com)

the only way to tell is to crack open the airplane's POH

It's too bad you couldn't somehow plug a voltmeter into that outlet.

Re:Not that Radio Shack, the OTHER Radio Shack... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-10-15 05:22 · Score: 0 · on Forrest Mimms Has Done Much More Than Most Engineers Know (hackaday.com)

The Radio Shack that the summary is referring to is your granddaddy's Radio Shack, where overpriced electronic parts, kits and tools were available just around the corner. If you had a battery card, you could pick up a free 9-volt battery every month for your transistor radio.

Radio Shack still sells Mimms' books. They even have some of his stuff available for download. They still have kits and parts too.

Re:Not that Radio Shack, the OTHER Radio Shack... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-10-15 05:22 · Score: 0 · on Forrest Mimms Has Done Much More Than Most Engineers Know (hackaday.com)

The Radio Shack that the summary is referring to is your granddaddy's Radio Shack, where overpriced electronic parts, kits and tools were available just around the corner. If you had a battery card, you could pick up a free 9-volt battery every month for your transistor radio.

Radio Shack still sells Mimms' books. They even have some of his stuff available for download. They still have kits and parts too.

Re:Which is kind of a shame by Eponymous+Coward · 2015-01-15 05:50 · Score: 4, Insightful · on Radio Shack Reported To Be Ready for Bankruptcy Filing

Radio Shack has tried to serve makers. It turns out, makers are among the people most comfortable shopping online.

I was in a RS recently and they had a 3D printer display, had a rack of Arduino kits, robotics stuff, and lots of little circuit toys for kids on display.

http://www.radioshack.com/diy-...

Re:No... by drakaan · 2015-01-07 03:21 · Score: 1 · on DuinoKit Helps Teach Students About Electronics (Video)

Radio shack still sells stuff like this, apparently (at least they do online).

Electric cars are already here and they're cheap by ArcadeMan · 2014-11-24 03:01 · Score: 1 · on Multiple Manufacturers Push Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars, But Can They Catch Tesla?

Right now, you can get a electric Lamborghini Aventador for only $29.99 so don't tell me electric cars are too expensive.

Electronics by Bodhammer · 2014-09-08 08:22 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Robotics or Electronic Kits For Wounded Veterans?

https://www.radioshack.com/pro...
Parallax has a nice kit that works with a Arduino. http://www.parallax.com/robots...

Thank you for your service!

Re:Did Fluke request this? by Urza9814 · 2014-03-19 13:38 · Score: 1 · on $30K Worth of Multimeters Must Be Destroyed Because They're Yellow

Try Radioshack, I searched 'multimeter' and found three with yellow borders and grey faceplates right on the first page of results...none of them from Fluke.

This first one in particular looks a HELL of a lot like a fluke:
http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

Re:Did Fluke request this? by Urza9814 · 2014-03-19 13:38 · Score: 1 · on $30K Worth of Multimeters Must Be Destroyed Because They're Yellow

Try Radioshack, I searched 'multimeter' and found three with yellow borders and grey faceplates right on the first page of results...none of them from Fluke.

This first one in particular looks a HELL of a lot like a fluke:
http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

Re:Did Fluke request this? by Urza9814 · 2014-03-19 13:38 · Score: 1 · on $30K Worth of Multimeters Must Be Destroyed Because They're Yellow

Try Radioshack, I searched 'multimeter' and found three with yellow borders and grey faceplates right on the first page of results...none of them from Fluke.

This first one in particular looks a HELL of a lot like a fluke:
http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

http://www.radioshack.com/prod...

Re:two words by cmdr_tofu · 2014-03-04 11:16 · Score: 2 · on RadioShack To Close 1,100 Stores

I went to radio shack to buy an inverter so I could drive 500 miles while listening to audiobooks on my laptop.
Online they appear to have some reasonable options http://www.radioshack.com/fami...

But in their store there was nothing for less than $60, and that would be for something on the lower end. I knew I could get something better online for cheaper, but I needed something that Sunday afternoon. So I drove 20 minutes to Advance Auto parts and got something better for half the price. It's the same thing with basically *any item* that Radio Shack carries. You can always find it cheaper online or in a different (non RS) brick and mortar shop.

IMHO, RS prices are borderline extortion, and for now, I will go to significant effort to avoid spending money there. I'm not happy they are going out of business. I wish they had a better business model and I'd be happy to do my part to support them.

Re:Mod This Up! by multimediavt · 2013-11-17 07:09 · Score: 2 · on Ask Slashdot: Cheap Second Calculators For Tests?

Thanks. I can obviously read Amazon reviews and such. However, I felt that the /. community probably had tastes more similar to my own, vs a bunch of kids taking algebra in high school/etc.

See, that's where you went horribly wrong. For one thing there are members on here that still swear by slide rules (I am on the fence on that one). Some will point you at calculators that would still be verboten, and then there's guys like me that have enough math to just use something like this because square roots are hard to get right in your head. You should be able to do trig without the SIN, COS and TAN buttons. Remember the Unit Circle? If you came a to geek website to ask for help with trig and conversions from a calculator and didn't expect a good amount of heckling then you should have stuck with Google.

Re:Real Science? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-09 21:20 · Score: 0 · on Arduino Enables a Low-Cost Space Revolution

https://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103804
Seriously, the number one great thing about AVRs (as opposed to many other 8-bit micrcontrollers) is that they've got oscillators etc. inside -- you can literally hook up VCC and ground (this can be a 2- or 3-cell NiMH/NiCd/alkaline pack or single-cell Li-ion with no voltage regulator, subject to certain clock constraints) and the I/O lines to whatever sensors and actuators you're controlling. For desktop fiddling (either as its own toy, ala home computers back in the day, or during the prototype stage of a "real" project), extra stuff the arduino has like pluggable headers and a built-in RS-232 level converter (or USB-serial adapter) are certainly nice, but you won't need those on orbit or in 90% of finished installations on Earth.

Personally, for prototyping stuff, I'm ok with the old STK-500 -- and if I need more portability to test the prototype, I either use a socket on the perfboard, or just throw it up on a tiny protoboard for early testing, and move it to perfboard later. But my brother has a veritable stack of Arduinos, and I've really only one small hardware complaint with the Uno, specifically the goofball pin-spacing between port D and port B -- why they couldn't just put their 2.54mm headers at a multiple of 2.54mm apart is beyond me. It just bugs me when morons want to stick the whole board in their finished project instead of wiring it up on a perfboard. (The arduino software library and java-based development environment are each an entirely different issue, and both are massive crocks heaping full of steaming shit. Fortunately, you can use the hardware without any of that.)

Re:Exploits implementation by Anonymous Coward · 2013-06-27 06:04 · Score: 0 · on Automated Plate Readers Let Police Collect Millions of Records On Drivers

If they're a digital camera, they can already see outside of the visible spectrum. In fact, it's a bit of a weakness.

Take any digital camera. The one on your phone will suffice. Point a TV remote at it while you watch the live preview. Press a button on the remote. See that white dot? It's infrared. Notice that it blots out any other color within the "dot". Also notice that it has a bit of a "bloom" or "flare" to it. This can be used to your advantage.

Buy some of these. Then, buy one of these (your choice, but don't get too attached to the team logo or catchy saying on it). Drill holes in the frame, fasten the LED's into it, wire it up (bonus points if you attach it to your car's 12VDC system and give it an inline dashboard switch), install it on your vehicle, and you have a mostly-invisible-to-digital-camera-sensors license plate.

The trick is that you must get high intensity LED's that "blind" the sensor. License plates are highly reflective, and with that kind of extra light source right next to it, yours will be nearly unreadable to a camera. High contrast only survives a massive light bloom if the low-reflectivity portion of the field is larger or more prominent than the high-reflectivity portion. The more LED's you can pack around that license plate the better. In fact, you might be able to make a mesh of them that overlays the license plate (depending on local laws) that can further blot out the plate's visibility to cameras. To an officer making a traffic stop, it's perfectly visible and readable, and nothing is obstructing his ability to read your plate. To the dash-cam in his patrol car, it's a white license-plate-sized blob. The same goes for automated cameras. This is legal in most US states, since the legal requirement is usually that the officer can read it, not that a camera can.

Re:Colorful Language? by Megane · 2012-11-30 23:44 · Score: 1 · on NASA: Curiosity Has Found Plastic On Mars

That's the warranty period. Spirit and Opportunity only had a 90 day warranty because JPL purchased them at Radio Shack.

Re:Unless you have rabbits. by ArhcAngel · 2012-11-06 09:27 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Extreme Cable Management?

If you have pet rabbits -- or any other critters that chew cables out of instinct -- you need to cover your cables with this stuff. We had one chew through a lamp cord and it dang near cooked the little beast.

Just picked up a boatload of that from King Dollar "Nothing over $1.09"!

Unless you have rabbits. by Jaywalk · 2012-11-06 08:06 · Score: 3, Informative · on Ask Slashdot: Extreme Cable Management?

If you have pet rabbits -- or any other critters that chew cables out of instinct -- you need to cover your cables with this stuff. We had one chew through a lamp cord and it dang near cooked the little beast.

Re:Amazing by BitZtream · 2012-07-08 07:55 · Score: 1 · on Controlling Linux Using an Android Phone As Mouse, Keyboard, and Gamepad

The radio shacks (all 3 within 5 minutes of driving) all carry a full set of general use components as well as Arduino and PIC microcontrollers and a shitload of basic sensors now.

http://www.radioshack.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2032230

Between the 3 stores in my area I can find basically EVERYTHING they sell online with the exception of a damn strobe transformer that they don't seem to carry anymore ... ironic considering they sell the strobe tube in the component racks.

Re:USB Microscope by qubezz · 2012-06-10 07:53 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Advice On Child-Friendly Microscopes?

I have one of these for seeing small things on the recommendation of someone else: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2179604
Good for inspecting how clean the record stylus is, reading the markings on surface mount components, seeing what an iPhone4s pixel looks like. I probably use it once a week for something, knowing I having it. For examining cellular life, you'll need to prepare slides and have a real microscope, but for seeing what common materials like fibers look like up close, the cheapie does fine and is portable.

Re:Raspberry Pi by AmberBlackCat · 2011-12-31 05:16 · Score: 1 · on Doctorow: the Coming War On General-Purpose Computing

Do you have a link? All I'm getting is this.

Zoomback? by SEWilco · 2011-11-19 07:07 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Inexpensive Anti-Theft Vehicle Tracking System?

"Keep track of your valuables with the universal A-GPS locator from Zoombak." $100 plus T-Mobile service fee. Check T-Mobile coverage.

Re:Stand-alone by Muad'Dave · 2011-11-14 02:03 · Score: 1 · on iOS App Acoustically Measures Distances Up To 25 Meters

Radio Shack has Parallax Ping Modules in stores around here. I was absolutely flabbergasted to see them after so many years of RS being useless for the experimenter.

Re:it was authorized by the WAP owners by cdrguru · 2011-07-01 06:44 · Score: 1 · on Judge OKs Wiretap Lawsuit Over Google Wi-Fi Sniffing

Land line telephone lines can be "sniffed" with the use of a pickup coil that you can get for $7.99 at Radio Shack. Wow, they used to be a lot cheaper. Anyway, this will enable the user to receive "broadcast" telephone conversations with just about anything that can be used as an amplifier. It does not require any sort of technical ability and the tools are commonly available.

So it would be legal in your opinion to listen to or record such conversations as long as it was done without actually connecting to the wires but just relying on the information that was being "transmitted"?

Re:Priceless. by Ethanol-fueled · 2011-06-21 12:49 · Score: -1 · on Is the Rise of Wearable Electronics Finally Here?

The cheapest Radio Shack irons come with solder and a few other trinkets, packing 30 scorching watts of metal-melting power. Not bad for 8 bucks!

Re:You mean that cell phone store? by Mike610544 · 2011-05-28 15:03 · Score: 1 · on RadioShack Trying To Return To Its DIY Roots

Last night, I was trying to do JUST THAT, looking for some sort of power supervisor, or even an HC gate package I could use to fashion a reasonable Power-On-Reset circuit ...

ANYWAY, Here is what the Radio Shack website lists under the category Microcontrollers and DIGITAL ICs.

They're trying to help you think more creatively! All three of those products - combined with a motor or electromagnet of some type - could provide the functionality you're looking for with extra Rube Goldbergy style. :)

On topic: That video was pretty bad. What was the point of saying their projects don't involve "LED lights" and capacitors? And then the phrase "maker and DIY consumer" seemed really awkward/wrong. The request for feedback seemed like it was going in the right direction until they made us limit our request to three products. I don't know if I'll need germanium diodes or opto-isolators or tantalum capacitors ahead of time. The whole point of radio shack is that you can go there and overpay to grab that random part when you need it.

Re:You mean that cell phone store? by macs4all · 2011-05-27 23:17 · Score: 4, Insightful · on RadioShack Trying To Return To Its DIY Roots

One thing you can do is check the RS web site, do a search and it can usually tell you whether any of the local stores stock something you can use. That way, you're leveraging their local inventory with the internet, you go to the store that has it and get it locally much sooner

Funny you should mention "leveraging their website".

Last night, I was trying to do JUST THAT, looking for some sort of power supervisor, or even an HC gate package I could use to fashion a reasonable Power-On-Reset circuit for a friend's Buffalo NAS (let's not devolve into a discussion of POR circuits, please! Suffice it to say, I figured out another way, ok?)

ANYWAY, Here is what the Radio Shack website lists under the category Microcontrollers and DIGITAL ICs.

So, tell me: Just HOW does one "leverage" THAT???

Oh, and the "Transistors & Analog ICs" Category is similarly laughable.

I have fond memories of going to Radio Shack to find components for some little project, or components to build some sort of weird audio adapter; but no more. Now, there's no choice but to go to DigiKey and Mouser, and figure out how I'm going to meet their minimum order requirements, when all I wanted was $5 worth of stuff. Actually, unless it has changed in the past couple of years, I have found that Fry's actually has a pretty respectable (by comparison) variety of electronic components. Heck, last I was in there (they are about 25 miles away, on the other side of town), they even sold stuff like soldering stations and (IIRC) and some high-end (Fluke?) multimeters and stuff.

RIP, Tandy Corp. We hardly knew ye!

shut yo' ignoran mouff!! by rubycodez · 2011-05-27 16:59 · Score: 2 · on RadioShack Trying To Return To Its DIY Roots

Most stores DO carry the LM555, the one near me does.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062596

In a hurry, in a pinch, the Radio Shack fixes me up a couple times a month. Not that I like the store, or their prices, but *they there for me, baby!*

Re:I still have... by TavisJohn · 2011-02-21 15:24 · Score: 2 · on The Legend of Zelda Turns 25

I just used basic soldering skills. I de-soldered the old battery, then I purchased a couple of CR2032 (CR1026 will also work) Batt Holders from Radio Shack. I connected them in parallel and soldered them to the circuit board. I used some double sided foam tape to secure them so that they do not bounce about when handling the game. I replaced the security screws with standard phillips head screws.

Here is what they have available now... It might solder straight to the cart, but you will only be able to connect one directly to the cart.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3060977

Only use one batt at a time. Place the new one before removing the old one.

Batteries are cheaper from Amazon.com.

Re:Why isn't there a simple stylus solution? by DMUTPeregrine · 2010-11-03 19:27 · Score: 1 · on Agloves Allow For Touchscreen Use On Cold Days

RadioShack Cat# 63.338 $10. Probably in most Radio Shacks. I don't know of anything more likely to be local to most of the US.

Re:Let me tell you... by PCM2 · 2010-08-04 06:43 · Score: 1 · on Barnes and Noble Bookstore Chain Put In Play

You're an idiot. The Kindle is not only considerably cheaper than a Nook,

Uhhh... like $10 cheaper?

it has the same features you list and then some.

No, it doesn't. Try EPUB support, for one, which means I can buy e-books from multiple stores and even check out books from my local library (something the Kindle will not let me do).

You can browse the web from your Kindle, the Nook has no web browser.

Yes, it does. And the color touchscreen even lets you peek at pages in color, something the Kindle cannot let you do.

The Kindle has over 2 million titles available, the Nook has closer to a half million.

These figures are meaningless. Most of the millions of titles are free, out-of-copyright books that you can get from Google Books or Project Gutenberg anyway. Mainstream commercial publishers are now pricing their books the same on both the Amazon and B&N stores. If you see a book on special sale for 99 cents at Amazon, it's going to be 99 cents at B&N as well.

The Kindle has a battery life of a month, the Nook is lucky to make it a week.

I seriously question the "battery life of a month" claim, but the battery life complaint for the Nook is pretty much true (though your phone performs considerably worse).

Then there's the interface. The Nook uses a crappy touch screen that wastes battery life.

It's actually a quite nice touchscreen, and it only wastes battery when it's backlit. When it's not, you can swipe the screen to turn pages, which is actually very nice compared to clicking a button.

The Kindle has a physical keyboard.

...which is totally ugly and completely useless when all you want to do is read books (unlike the touchscreen, as mentioned above).

Oh, and that "replaceable battery?" It's a proprietary custom battery. Once B&N folds, and the writing's on the wall, even though you can remove it, you won't be able to replace it with anything.

Except an after-market battery, I guess. What about the Kindle's proprietary custom OS and firmware?

But the biggest thing is that with the Kindle, you can read your ebooks on a huge variety of devices other than the Kindle itself. You can download Amazon's reader for your PC and smart phone. For the Nook - not so much.

How so? There are Nook e-reader apps available for iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Mac, and PC.

So enjoy your soon-to-be-useless, overpriced gadget.

And enjoy your trolling, sir! Although you perhaps need a little practice.

Re:LOL DAVID CLARKS FTW by ModernGeek · 2010-06-10 18:38 · Score: 2, Informative · on Best Telephone For Datacenters?

With these three things plus some spare parts, plugs, a variety pack of resistors, transistors, and diodes, and you'll be on your way to owning these people who charge $60 for something that costs $2.50 in parts. Granted, I have all of this stuff for work, but it's a nice hobby to get into.

Re:LOL DAVID CLARKS FTW by ModernGeek · 2010-06-10 18:38 · Score: 2, Informative · on Best Telephone For Datacenters?

With these three things plus some spare parts, plugs, a variety pack of resistors, transistors, and diodes, and you'll be on your way to owning these people who charge $60 for something that costs $2.50 in parts. Granted, I have all of this stuff for work, but it's a nice hobby to get into.

Re:Breadboards! by falconwolf · 2010-04-12 14:24 · Score: 1 · on Where To Start In DIY Electronics?

I have wished for the past two years that I could find my old Radio Shack experimenter kit with the breadboard and spring connectors.

Yea, under my desk I have the Electronics Learning Lab. I've thought about giving it to one of my nieces. Heathkit had some good ones too. Now we have Make Zine and Craft Zine for makers and other Do It Yourselfers.

Falcon

Re:Forrest Mims by falconwolf · 2010-04-12 13:04 · Score: 4, Informative · on Where To Start In DIY Electronics?

Gettng Started in Electronics

If you're going with Forrest Mims, go all the way and get his Electronics Learning Lab. From there check out MakerShed's Intro Electronics. Also check out, and subscribe to, Make Zine. You mention micro-controllers, they have a number of projects that will let you learn them. One I liked and thought about trying was Garduino: Gardening + Arduino. This project uses an Arduino controller to control how much light and water plants get.

Now the OP asked about ham radio and CB, the best thing there is to find a local amateur radio group and ask them about learning. I don't know if things have changed much, but the local groups I knew or heard of were willing to help new people. They even had free classes.

Falcon

Worth a shot... by vtTom · 2010-02-18 07:10 · Score: 1 · on Suggestions For a Coax-To-Ethernet Solution?

What you need is a set of 4 75-Ohm unbalanced to 100-Ohm balance transformers (aka baluns). But as you have found those are pricey. You could instead try a set of these:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062054

Use them in pairs at each end of the coax. Connect the F connector end to the coax and the screw terminals to the appropriate pins of an RJ45 jack.

Re:Recommend? Nice of you to ask. by symbolset · 2010-02-09 17:31 · Score: 1 · on Verizon Blocking 4chan

Cantennas can have a range of over 1 kilometer even if you build one yourself. The engineered commercial model should do better than that. How remote is your area? There should be a friendly person somewhere in that range unless you're way out in the sticks. You do have to spend some time aiming it though. You run the antenna cable through a wall to an exterior mount (grounded!) that holds the cantenna. Scan for networks, turn it a couple degrees and try again and mark the finds on the base. Engineering geeks would of course put the thing on a remote antenna rotator. You can also use an antenna amplifier, a high-gain parabolic directional antenna or high-gain omnidirectional antenna to extend the range to several kilometers. The record is 304 kilometers, but that requires special equipment and cooperation at both ends.

Me, I can get three open WAPs from inside my house with the standard laptop wifi but that's not anonymous enough.

Re:Free Software may help... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-01-31 17:03 · Score: 0 · on Apple's Trend Away From Tinkering

> I've also ordered a 130-in-one electronics kit for my daughter because I remember how much fun I had with mine.
> Alas, Radio Shack no longer sells them... they've given up on tinkerers and hackers too.

Radio Shack of today is not the Radio Shack of our youth but they aren't completely dead yet.
Just search for 'Learning Lab' http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337 or 'Snap-Kit' http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102914 to see what they have available.

Also, IMHO the snap-kits rock. :)

Re:Free Software may help... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-01-31 17:03 · Score: 0 · on Apple's Trend Away From Tinkering

> I've also ordered a 130-in-one electronics kit for my daughter because I remember how much fun I had with mine.
> Alas, Radio Shack no longer sells them... they've given up on tinkerers and hackers too.

Radio Shack of today is not the Radio Shack of our youth but they aren't completely dead yet.
Just search for 'Learning Lab' http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3814337 or 'Snap-Kit' http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102914 to see what they have available.

Also, IMHO the snap-kits rock. :)