How I miss Radio Shack

[Hookup1]

I used Radio Shack since I was a kid. They were such a great resource for all kinds of electrical odds and ends. Simple stuff like connectors and switches. Some components. I would walk in and go straight to the bins in the back. It was great to be able to look at something before you bought it. Today I have to order everything in and pay the shipping charges.

 

[DennisG01]

100% agree! Although I question how they stayed in business as long as they did when I was only buying 79 cents of connectors at a time

Near the end, I think the writing was on the wall when you would ask an employee (who was now 19 years old instead of 49) where the diodes or resistors were and you got the classic deer in headlights stare back at you.

 

[Hookup1]

I started to swap out my compass, which I had done before, with a new Helmsman. Apparently I cut, spliced, soldered and heat shrunk to leads for the compass light. Would be nice to have a connector there when I need to take it out (paint job continues in '23). Simple5-minuite job turns into a project.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Amazon

 

[DennisG01]

I started to swap out my compass, which I had done before, with a new Helmsman. Apparently I cut, spliced, soldered and heat shrunk to leads for the compass light. Would be nice to have a connector there when I need to take it out (paint job continues in '23). Simple5-minuite job turns into a project.

Yeah, sometimes we "think" we're doing the best job possible at the time, not taking into account the future. Been there, done that.

Side note: Actually, soldering isn't always the best. Unless it's physically supported on either side of the solder joint, the "regulating" forces of boat building say that a crimp connector is better. This is due to vibration and that the end of the solder joint becomes a muchmore concentrated flex point than the wire simply coming out of the connector. Over time, that concentrated flexing (from vibration) weakens the wire and the wire can break. If it's physically supported then the flexing doesn't happen. Heat shrink, like you did, would (in my mind) counter that issue, as well. But the regulating forces would say otherwise

 

[Hookup1]

Yeah, sometimes we "think" we're doing the best job possible at the time, not taking into account the future. Been there, done that.

Side note: Actually, soldering isn't always the best. Unless it's physically supported on either side of the solder joint, the "regulating" forces of boat building say that a crimp connector is better. This is due to vibration and that the end of the solder joint becomes a muchmore concentrated flex point than the wire simply coming out of the connector. Over time, that concentrated flexing (from vibration) weakens the wire and the wire can break. If it's physically supported then the flexing doesn't happen. Heat shrink, like you did, would (in my mind) counter that issue, as well. But the regulating forces would say otherwise

I've been soldering electrical components since I was 10. I get it! The trick is to not pile it on and wick it up into the stranded wire. And yes they are shrunk to stiffen the wire as well. I put the spreader light back up yesterday. The connections has to be pushed back into a 1/2" hole in the tower. You could never get butt splices back in there.

I have seen a lot more problems with crimps. Few people realize that there are different crimpers for the Ancor terminals. Every time I go the West Marine or other marine shops you will usually only find one crimper on the rack. Anchor sells two but there are others out there. Nowhere on the packaging does Ancor say this. And their customers service department didn't either.

There is a crimper for single crimp insulated terminals with no strain relief.
There is a crimper for double crimp insulated terminals with wire strain relief.

If you use the wrong crimper with their connectors it's likely the crimp will fall off before you finish your project.

I have 3 crimpers in my bag. Ancor double crimp for insulated terminals. A Klein double crimp for uninsulated terminals. And a no-name crimper (my favorite one) single racheting crimper. This crimps Ancor insulated heat shrink connectors and the cheap insulated terminals you get at HD or Lowes.

 

[Fishtales]

X2 for Amazon if you have or know someone with prime.

 

[seasick]

Here in the NY are, we had a chain of stores call Lafayette Electronics. They carried all kinds of electrical components in addition to consumer electronics. I clearly remember going to one for a demonstration of a new thing called surround sound. It was 4 channel that was broadcast by 2 FM radio stations, each station broadcasting two of the four channels! Not very practical but quite exciting for the times.

 

[DennisG01]

Here in the NY are, we had a chain of stores call Lafayette Electronics. They carried all kinds of electrical components in addition to consumer electronics. I clearly remember going to one for a demonstration of a new thing called surround sound. It was 4 channel that was broadcast by 2 FM radio stations, each station broadcasting two of the four channels! Not very practical but quite exciting for the times.

I read old stories about that being all the rage back in the 30's. Must have been pretty cool that you got to see it before it was made available to the public

 

[seasick]

I read old stories about that being all the rage back in the 30's. Must have been pretty cool that you got to see it before it was made available to the public

I guess I wasn't one of the first. 30s????
Heck, Im a baby boomer

 

[DennisG01]

I guess I wasn't one of the first. 30s????
Heck, Im a baby boomer

No, I was just making a joke. I picked the "30's" at random to make a joke about your age

 

[enfish]

100% agree! Although I question how they stayed in business as long as they did when I was only buying 79 cents of connectors at a time

That's why they sold [insert item here] in packs of 3 when you needed 2 or 4 of said item...