Wha?! Radio Shack rebranding - the return of DIY?

[Mark Hammer]

Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. 

Given how intense superbright LEDs can get, with such minimal current, and the pleasing array of colours they come in now (not to mention the possibility of colour blending via the RGB units), somebody has got to whip up a colour organ design for Nuts & Volts or MAKE.  Heck, you wouldn't even need SCRs anymore!

[Jdansti]

Hmmm...don't know about the mixer. I'm totally going for one of these color organs at the bottom of this page: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1979/h136.html . Whatever happened to color organs? They need to get popular again. OK, color organs are going to make a big comeback starting..........now. 

Given how intense superbright LEDs can get, with such minimal current, and the pleasing array of colours they come in now (not to mention the possibility of colour blending via the RGB units), somebody has got to whip up a colour organ design for Nuts & Volts or MAKE.  Heck, you wouldn't even need SCRs anymore!

A bit OT- But I used to play with SCRs many years ago. My understanding is they are suited for voltages higher than we normally use in our stompboxes. It would be nice if we had a single component (semiconductor) equivalent of the SCR that we could use for switching 9VDC or signal paths other than a relay.

[amptramp]

You can use an SCR if you run off 9VAC and allow for the voltage drop (~2 volts) in the SCR.  But if you just want a colour organ, here is an interesting one:

http://www.electronicpeasant.com/projects/ledlamps/ledcolor.html

[Puguglybonehead]

I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine  'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.

[greaser_au]

I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine  'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.

Imagine what you could do with a few hundred RGB LEDs on the front of a guitar body - something like Ace Frehley's 'light-up' LP...   a few stripes? While that was pretty far out in it's day it would be kid stuff these days!   how about entire (lowres) TV images!!!!

david

[Jdansti]

^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ-CAQ64iC8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-AjFMVuT90

This guy accidentally invented a new way to find which frets are buzzing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLA8yxj3hwM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dZumWHkEs

[Mark Hammer]

I remember those colour organs being on display in Radio Shacks around here in the `70s. The idea of a good LED based colour organ circuit should be a thread on this forum. I keep wanting to make a "lightshow" guitar. I was able to find the genuine  'moire' pattern translucent plastic (think `60s Star Trek transporter room) through a link on a Rickenbacker forum. Sadly, what passes for a Radio Shack around here nowadays (The Source) doesn't even carry proper hookup wire, nevermind componentry. Thankfully we do have local shops (Honson Electronics) and online to cover things.

Imagine a circuit using a couple of 4017 counters, whose outputs drive a series of 3mm LEDs, distributed all over the guitar, perhaps wired under a large-ish pickguard.  You'd get a sort of twinkling Christmas-tree effect.  Now, step those counters with a voltage controlled clock tied to an on-board envelope follower, and the twinkle-rate corresponds to your playing.

Take THAT, Matt Bellamy! 

[greaser_au]

Hey John,
those are 'nothing at all like I was talking about'. sounds like another idea I should offer to license....    
david

PS. I'm kidding...

[Jdansti]

$10 off of $20+ purchase coupon through 3/30/13.

I think this only works on a smartphone. Go to http://mobile.chron.com/chron/index.htm?c=1. Click on the RS coupon at the top of the page. You can have the sales person scan your phone screen, type in the coupon #, or you can give them a printout (the easiest way to get it on paper is to email yourself a screen shot). I think the coupon # is unique to your phone, so you can only use it once. Read the fine print, as certain products are excluded (i.e., Bose).

Now's your chance to get that $2.00 capacitor for $1.00!  (If you buy 10 )

[Jdansti]

The Shack's not doing so well...

http://www.chron.com/default/article/RadioShack-1st-qtr-loss-widens-sales-slump-4457138.php

[Electron Tornado]

The Shack's not doing so well...

http://www.chron.com/default/article/RadioShack-1st-qtr-loss-widens-sales-slump-4457138.php

Partly the economy, partly competition, and partly because RS painted themselves into a corner.

I know their prices are higher (hey, it's brick and mortar vs mail order), but if Radio Shack had a better selection of parts and kits, etc for the DIYer, like they did in the late 70s and early 80s, would you shop there more?

[Jdansti]

^ Probably.  I wouldn't stock up on things due to the price, but when you need a particular component and don't want to wait for shipping, it's worth it.

[Thecomedian]

^ Probably.  I wouldn't stock up on things due to the price, but when you need a particular component and don't want to wait for shipping, it's worth it.

exactly. The convenience of a walk-in store is being able to get something immediately, use it, and move on, instead of having to wait and delay a project or other thing. Couple this with a wide array of products that can appeal to even the most unusual things, and you'll always have customers over, say, getting a few customers for the weak selection and high price, just because it's more cost effective in the short term to not order a lot of different parts as Radio Shack.

online is still the only way to go for stocking up on things. Radio shack can carry a big bag of selections of resistors in different Ohm/K/Mohms, which is a decent enough deal. Other than that, their pots, caps, transistors, and all other sorts of things are overpriced.

http://www.taydaelectronics.com/2n3904-npn-general-propose-transistor.html

.02c. That's 200 for 2 dollars. ridiculous compared to radio shacks 1-2 for 2 dollars, depending on the transistor. Even back in the 80's, (15) 2n3904 were $1.98. I'm not sure how online stores make any money through selling so cheap, but that matters less than the fact that radio shack just cant compete if it wants too much mark-up and has too little selection.