Radio Shack Parts... what is the Quality?

[mattpas]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, would you consider the caps, resistors, etc. from Radio Shack good quality or is it better to stick with Small Bear and Mouser?

[AceLuby]

From my limited experience while there are some lower quality items at the shack (5% vs 20% sometimes...), it really comes down to price.  While buying 1 pot for $3 in a pinch is ok, buying 10 at $3 compared to ordering 10 at $1 online seems kind of ridiculous.  This is especially obvious with things like caps, resistors, and electrolyte caps where you can buy 2 of every kind you need for the same price as getting 5 w/ some that you can use in another pedal later. 

[Mark Hammer]

What do you mean by "quality"?  I certainly can't see anything "wrong" with their components (when they actually have some).  The bigger difference is that they make no effort to have a choice of components.  That is, they will have ONE kind/grade of IC socket, ONE kind of electrolytic cap, ONE kind of resistor (thought they do carry 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2W for some values), and only two varieties of a given op-amp chip (e.g., 1458 and TL082).  When it comes to passive components, RS also tends not to have as many different values as a *real* distributor carries.  Finally, they (RS) are a bubble-package retailer, not a parts bin retailer, so you are paying for the individual packaging or parts that must necessarily take up valuable store space (not to mention storage space in the back).

In the grand scheme of things, if someone makes a point of providing a circuit you could build from parts available at RS, I wouldn't have any problem in getting those parts at RS.  And certainly if you only need a few common parts and it is just a matter of trotting over to an RS without having to pay for shipping, go for it.  But if you wanted to save money, or needed "exotic" values (i.e., something in between 10k and 100k), and wanted to be able to get ALL the needed parts in one order, distributors like the ones you mentioned are a better bet.

And, as AceLuby notes, there are volume discounts at other retailers that do NOT occur at RS.

[R.G.]

Radio Shack is what you do when you can't do anything else.

You do it behind closed doors and wash your hands afterwards.

And they probably don't have what you need anyway.

And hide it if they do have it.

[Mark Hammer]

This is going to regrettably elicit a bunch of other posts, but remember brother, it's where we USED TO get our BBDs from "back in the day".

[Dragonfly]

Radio Shack is what you do when you can't do anything else.

You do it behind closed doors and wash your hands afterwards.

And they probably don't have what you need anyway.

And hide it if they do have it.

Back in the old days...the Dark Ages...Radio Shack was cool. They used to have a good selection of parts, people who knew what they were talking about, and salesmen who helped you instead of trying to sell you a cellphone or Dish Network....

Now I feel old...and I'm only 39....

[petemoore]

  I was impressed with the pricing right off the bat, and have never seen any RS components, ever at 'sale' pricing...if you are buying some of their quality green caps for instance, you can get 2x - 4x the number of components perpenny online.
  Some of the lugs are not returnable with attempted solder marks and opened packages the adapter plugs come to mind, and the jacks seem to work find once 'properly' installed, which involves holding the jack together from the inside sleeve lug and body together to prevent sleeve-turn when tightening their 1/4'' jacknuts.
  All the parts data sheets I think are available online, also the packaging has some info.
  If there is a specific quality required ['desired' is more like it] comparing data sheets is the best way to choose these components.
   

[Faber]

In my experiences at Radioshack, I have known more about the components than the employees do.
I've never been thrilled with the prices or selection.
The only good experience I've had is getting 15 assorted transistors for $2.59 ($.17 a piece... not a great price, but good enough).  The package said they were all 2N2222s.  I found 2N3904s, 2N4401s, MPSA13s, and a lot more.

[tommy.genes]

Back in the old days...the Dark Ages...Radio Shack was cool.

Actually, that was the age of enlightenment, when people actually knew how and cared to build things. Now is the dark ages, when all people know how to do is consume.

[Edit] I shouldn't be that cynical, also at the age 39, but not for that much longer. There actually is a resurgence of interest in building things these days, as witnessed by this forum among other things. It's becoming something of a cottage industry (or industries), in fact.

-- T. G. --

[Mark Hammer]

In my experiences at Radioshack, I have known more about the components than the employees do.
I've never been thrilled with the prices or selection.
The only good experience I've had is getting 15 assorted transistors for $2.59 ($.17 a piece... not a great price, but good enough).  The package said they were all 2N2222s.  I found 2N3904s, 2N4401s, MPSA13s, and a lot more.

I've also found some transistor assortments that had a really nice selection.  If you're lucky, the numbers are visible or you can shake the package so that they become visible.  Sometimes, all you can see is the back of the tranny.

[petemoore]

The only good experience I've had is getting 15 assorted transistors for $2.59
  discontinued here...
  2n3904's...RS shows one for 79 cents online, IIRC that's 2.39 in the store.
  Thats still a 3 to 1 ratio online compared to Small Bear.
  Caps...save your cap money and double it anywhere else
  0.1µF 50V 10% PC-Mount Capacitor
  RS online 1.49
  Capacitor, Panasonic ECQ-B .056 mf. - .1 mf.
  Small bear 30 cents.
  That is a 5:1 ratio.
  Their little switches arent bad as little switches go, I just don't like little switches much.
  To get a decent stompbox going you'll need to shop outside RS, so it looks like either 1 effect tomorrow, or 4 effects in a week or two...for some small things like perfboard/solder and a couple booster components, as long as you don't tell anyone "what's the big hurry?" you don't look too stupid...there are a few things in the drawers that are 'ok' deals.
  I had plans with a manager to get special deals on drawer items they were thinking of discontinuing, but the new guy didn't seem to like anything about the old guy, I felt 1/2 lumped into whatever issues that was about...the new kid are pretty cool, one says: 'Hey Pete !..what are you building now?...and informs the other workers "Pete knows how to find what he wants better than you do"...lol.

[m-theory]

Given that the vast majority of components are made by basically one or a tiny handful of companies these days, and they tend to build them in whatever country offers the cheapest labor at a given moment, it's probably safe to say that, for the most part, their component quailty is probably as good as just about anything else these days.  

It's the pathetic selection, ignorant sales clerks, and absurdly ridiculous pricing that turns me off.  

Speaking of cool stuff that they once had, though, up until fairly recently (5 years or so, I believe), they owned the sole rights to distribute the very interesting Crown PZM.  Since Crown took that over again, they've re-designed it, and some apparently much prefer the RS version.  Also, I picked up 2 clip on drum mics there about 4-5 years ago for $19.99 each, after reading online that they were teh Senheissers that sell for a couple hundred.  Hidden gems.  

[tommy.genes]

Well, having been such a cynic earlier, I've just found this website - "powered by" Radio Shack and Make: magazine - that is promoting DIY projects.

http://rsinventionlab.com/

-- T. G. --

[bkanber]

I just checked out RSInventionLab.com, and it's pretty cool to see that a Mark Hammer effect (Chaos) is the most recent build on the website.

http://rsinventionlab.com/archives/68

Here's a quote:
"I made a guitar effects pedal from parts in the drawers at my local RadioShack and a schematic found online made by Mark Hammer.

The pedal worked fantastically, but I left it at school. I am in the process of making a replacement from more parts in the drawers of RadioShack."

I think this is a new level of fame for Mark. Congrats =)

[MikeH]

It's so funny.  If you're in a pinch and need say, a 6 position rotary switch.  You call and ask if they have one and they say "uh... I don't know... hmmm... like a switch to... what is it...?", but if you look it up on the website first and call asking for a "625-113A" or whatever they'll tell you in 5 seconds how many they have in stock and how much it costs.

[Mark Hammer]

I just checked out RSInventionLab.com, and it's pretty cool to see that a Mark Hammer effect (Chaos) is the most recent build on the website.

http://rsinventionlab.com/archives/68

Here's a quote:
"I made a guitar effects pedal from parts in the drawers at my local RadioShack and a schematic found online made by Mark Hammer.

The pedal worked fantastically, but I left it at school. I am in the process of making a replacement from more parts in the drawers of RadioShack."

I think this is a new level of fame for Mark. Congrats =)

I have had a crappy discouraging week pretty much all week (Senior bureaucrats poking their noses into the business of trained professionals, and my appalling Ottawa hockey team...not to mention running out of coffee).  Seeing that on a Radio Shack site made my week.  Freaking amazing.

[m-theory]

Very cool, and congrats for the acknowledgement, Mark! 

I am in the process of making a replacement from more parts in the drawers of RadioShack.

Somebody has to inform this poor lad that there are better places online to source parts!   

[MikeH]

and my appalling Ottawa hockey team...

Here we go again... Go Wings... 

[demonstar]

Just a few comments on the radioshack maplin issue again. I dont mean to sidetrack too much but if I have sorry!

I tell you what when I stopped into a couple of radioshacks on holiday I noticed that radioshack is way better value than maplin (Even if £1=$1) on what I purchased. You guys get a good deal compared to us in the U.K. on WHAT THEY HAVE. Unfortunately they didn't seem to have very much. So although in my opinion we have a much wider variety on offer over here at maplin, you guys get much better value. I didn't like the way everything was individually wrapped but it was nice to be able to pick out your own order instead of someone else doing it and screwing in up like in maplin. (Hey,  the other day for the first time ever in maplin they gave me everything that I asked for and ended up wth some extra they hadn't billed me for.)

I know everyone slags off maplin and radioshack but I think we shouldn't too much because at the end of the day they're still really handy for that odd component that you need to finish off here and there extra bit of stripboard. Also for you guys in the U.S. take some pleasure in the fact that from what I can see you guys get better value for money.

For anyone thats interested my best score in radioshack was their pack of hookup wire (much more than maplin, much better quality and cheaper.

[DougH]

I've got news for you "good old days" guys. Even back in the early-mid 70's RS had a poor reputation with respect to parts quality. In my high school electronics class people laughed about the Shack and called it "Radio Shaft", etc. It was *always* a last resort for buying parts. Now pound for pound, a carbon resistor is a carbon resistor and a cheap low grade ceramic cap is a cheap low grade ceramic cap, as is an Alpha pot. But at RS you will pay much more for those items than you will anywhere else. And the jacks, wire, "tools" and other stuff are absolutely horrendous. Avoid as much as possible...