{"id":1100,"date":"2011-04-29T03:05:23","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T03:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2011-04-29T03:05:23","modified_gmt":"2011-04-29T03:05:23","slug":"radio-shack-promises-to-go-back-to-its-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/04\/radio-shack-promises-to-go-back-to-its-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Shack promises to go back to its roots"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Wow. Thank you to Make Magazine<\/a> for pointing out the fact that, in an ad, RadioShack<\/a> has recently re-committed to serve electronics hobbyists.<\/p>\n

I remember, as a child, when I used to travel with my family on vacation–we would pass through a town and I would declare that it was “livable” when I verified that it had a Radio Shack. It was an ongoing family joke, but of course, there was some truth in there.<\/p>\n

I lived for the new releases of the RS catalog each year.\u00a0 I would plan my purchases and was eager to see when highly sought after radios and accessories would go on sale each month. My first pocket AM transistor radio was a Realistic (the RS brand name on their radios at the time). My first crystal radio kit came from RS. My first digital shortwave radio was purchased at Radio Shack. The local store manager knew me by name.<\/p>\n

Most of all, though, Radio Shack\u00a0 had an extensive collection of small electronic parts\/components that I would use to build projects or repair my electronics. Long before the internet, RS was my lifeline.\u00a0 Where else would I find a 2 cell AA battery holder, small incandescent bulb or tiny servo in my small rural town? Those were the days.<\/p>\n

Times changed, though. In the past few years, RS has focused more on consumer electronics–especially mobile phones, computers and TV\/Satellite services. I noticed that in corporate stores (not as much in locally-controlled franchise stores), the electronic components sections were getting smaller and smaller.<\/p>\n

So, I believe we can thank the Maker community<\/a> for RS’ new commitment to carry components for the hobbyist.<\/p>\n

Okay, Radio Shack, let’s see you go back to your roots. Perhaps my home town will become “livable” once again? One can certainly hope.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wow. Thank you to Make Magazine for pointing out the fact that, in an ad, RadioShack has recently re-committed to serve electronics hobbyists. I remember, as a child, when I used to travel with my family on vacation–we would pass through a town and I would declare that it was “livable” when I verified that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[386,385,384,381,383,382,380],"class_list":["post-1100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-maker-community","tag-maker-mag","tag-makezine","tag-radio-shack","tag-radio-shack-for-makers","tag-radio-shack-news","tag-radioshack"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-hK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8729,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/radioshack-to-close-500-retail-stores\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":0},"title":"RadioShack to close 500 retail stores","author":"Thomas","date":"February 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"After serving up a comical, self-effacing Super Bowl ad\u00a0on Sunday, RadioShack's stock momentarily surged, only to plummet after RadioShack announced yesterday that they are to close about 500 of their 4,500 retail stores in the coming months. RadioShack admitted through its ad that the retailer's mindset had been \"stuck in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RadioShackAdClip","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/RadioShackAdClip-300x170.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12356,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/chris-retro-review-of-the-radio-shack-dx-397-sangean-sg-622\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":1},"title":"Chris’ Retro Review of the Radio Shack DX-397 (Sangean SG-622)","author":"Thomas","date":"February 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"SWLing Post reader, Chris Freitas, has sent me a link to a recent review he made of the RadioShack DX-397. I know many of us have had one of these little analog radios (branded as RadioShack or the original Sangean SG-622) at some point. Chris has fond memories of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SangeanSG-622","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/SangeanSG-622.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":46604,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/radioshack-has-a-new-owner-who-wants-to-make-it-cool-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":2},"title":"RadioShack has a new owner who wants to make it “cool again”","author":"Thomas","date":"November 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don (W7SSB), who shares the following story from Forbes.com: Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), the retail acquisition company that bought Pier 1 and Modell\u2019s Sporting Goods out of bankruptcy and snapped up the Dressbarn brand after it liquidated, has a new rescue mission: Radio Shack.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/RadioShack-StoreClosing-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/RadioShack-StoreClosing-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/RadioShack-StoreClosing-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10354,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/grab-a-radio-shack-dx-402-for-24-and-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":3},"title":"Grab a Radio Shack DX-402 for $24 and change","author":"Thomas","date":"July 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I just noticed that Blinq.com has the\u00a0RadioShack DX-402 (Sangean ATS-505 re-badge) for $27.09 shipped. \u00a0If you use the offer code WEEKEND10 it will take an additional 10% off at checkout for a total of $24.62 shipped. This is an excellent price, even for an open box deal. Last time the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RadioShack-Shortwave","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/RadioShack-Shortwave.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15755,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/guest-post-trip-down-shortwave-memory-lane-via-vintage-radioshack-catalogs\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":4},"title":"Guest post: Trip Down Shortwave Memory Lane via Vintage RadioShack Catalogs","author":"Thomas","date":"November 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario\u00a0Filippi (N2HUN), for the\u00a0following guest post: Trip Down Shortwave Memory Lane via Vintage RS Catalogs -Mario Filippi (N2HUN) Attached is a wonderful website containing archived Radio Shack catalogs and sales flyers going back to 1939, surely of interest to SWLs, hams, and other electronics\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RadioShack-Catalog","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/RadioShack-Catalog.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/RadioShack-Catalog.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/RadioShack-Catalog.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10231,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/great-deal-27-radioshack-shortwave-portable\/","url_meta":{"origin":1100,"position":5},"title":"Great deal: $27 RadioShack shortwave portable with SSB","author":"Thomas","date":"July 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"SWLing Post reader, Paul, spotted a deal on the RadioShack 20-629; the lowest price I've ever seen on a shortwave portable with single sideband (SSB). Paul\u00a0writes: Great deal on a radio: Blinq has the RadioShack 20-629, an upgraded re-issue of the previously discontinued Sangean [ATS-505], for sale for only $27\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RadioShack-Shortwave","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/RadioShack-Shortwave.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}