atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General Telecom News Monster cables

Monster Cables are the Cisco Callmanager of the A/V world. The sales geeks at Radio Shack, Best Buy etc push everyone to buy them, when they are total overkill and over priced.
https://consumerist.com/353938/monster-cables-monster-ripoff-80-markups

I've found everything I can get that has to do with communication has a huge mark up at Radio Shack.

But Bill, you're paying for the convenience of fighting your way thru the mob at the mall, the fun of getting that stupid blister pack open, and realizing that the device is a POS, and I don't mean point of sale! Oh, and don't forget the credit card bill, complete with errors, double charges and all those great offers included in the envelope with it! (Whaddaya mean "Crabby Old Geezer"?) John C. (Not Garand)

True, but where else will you be able to buy a one amp full wave bridge on a Sunday afternoon? We are paying through the nose for a convenience. That overpriced retail stuff just pays to operate the store. The electronic components are just a side line for them anymore.

They barely sell any components/connectors anymore...they stopped selling electronics books a while ago, the list goes on.

The Archer components they sold were total junk anyway.

At one time they had some decent audio (home stereo) equipment. Wonder what the hot items are nowadays...?

THX (Burbank, CA) has been a customer of mine for years. One audio engineer in particular (whose name begins with D) has confided that--despite the money-making THX brand endorsement--that these cables are highly overrated and unnecessary for a superior sounding home audio system.

When i worked for Telecom Equipment (Later Tel-Plus) we very often got the beta versions of the NEC switches. We used to joke that you could only install a NEAX within 2 blocks of a Radio Shack because we were always running there to buy components to modify some card or another.

You have to really hunt around to even find components in most of the Radio Shacks these days. If they have them at all, they're buried in the back somewhere.

Sam

I'm in Fort Worth, the land of Radio Shack, and I am shocked at their high prices. You'd at least think they'd be competitive in their own back yard.

But hey, people are willing to pay those prices....

The President of Radio Shack ruined the company by turning it into a retail electronics store. They used to have electroic parts, stuff for the builder and ham radio operator.

Would be nice if they returned to their roots.

They used to have electronic parts, stuff for the builder and ham radio operator.

Yup, but unfortunately electronic hobbyists and ham radio operators were the geeks of the 50's and 60's. They actually knew and learned something. Todays geeks salivate over computers and owning high tech gadgets like Blackberry camera phones and iPods. Changing the focus of Radio Shack was the only way to stay in business.

-Hal

Ah, the 'good old days'. McGee Radio and Burstein-Applebee in Kansas City. Some big excess inventory and other electronic stuff outfit in Ohio.(Olson Electronics?) Lafayette Electronics (NJ I think) Allied radio in Chicago. Now the only one I know of that comes close is Electronic Express, and I have no idea where they are, I order on the 'net! Remember when you could by radio/ tape player/ record player chassis that were overuns. Put 'em in a box and hook up power. I guess you can still do it, only now they're called computers and you build em from pieces you order here, there, and everywhere. John C. (Not Garand)

Electronic Surplus in Cleveland has been around for over 60 years and is without a doubt one of the best places I have ever found for parts.
Even though Allied Radio is not around, Allied Electronics is a spin off of the original company.
MCM, Newark, Mouser, and Digi-Key also are good suppliers for components.
John, is this who you were talking about?
https://www.elexp.com/

Monster cable vs. coat hangers

https://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/audiophiles-cant-tell-the-difference-between-monster-cable-and/

As I was reading the latest on monster cables, and actually reread most of the previous posts, I remember reading this one from Ed. I completely understood what Ed was saying and moved on not giving it any more thought. It occurred to me as I re-read it that many on the board may not know what Ed was taking about! Although no one asked about it and some may have googled it, I believe an explanation may be in order!
Sorry for the hi-jack!!

Jim, I was just implying that there is a Radio Shack store or a dealer in/near just about every town. I think of those times where my kids ripped out the 9 volt battery clip in their favorite toy the day after Christmas. For a dollar, I was able to fix it and save the day. How about that strange adapter that allows them to connect their video game to our incompatible TV that wasn't included in the package? There aren't many retailers out there that afford us such a convenience. I'm willing to pay 300% markup for that.

Ed...you mean to say you don't have all that stuff in your warehouse already? I once needed a single battery clip, went to RatShack, and had to buy a pack of like ten...so I gave the rest to my electronics teacher.

In 1993 I walked into a RS in Charlotte, NC.
The salesperson promptly greeted me and asked me if he could help me find anything.
I told him I was looking for an inductor for a project I was working on.
He said "One minute please" and began to walk up and down every aisle.
When he couldn't find one he cam back and asked "What's an inductor?"

This goes back to Ed's remark concerning a full wave bridge. Knowledge as to what these component parts are coupled with the skills required to find and troubleshoot them are abilities that are, for the most part, a dying skill set. Technicians of today are board replacement techs. This is, in part, due to the engineering of the product that allows a faster repair time. No need to train to the component level as built in "BITE" can do most of the work for you! The hobbyist of today is more than likely a CG or phreaker or ham operators!

I miss the old Radio Shack catalogs.

I sort of remember Radio Shack catalogs

Radio Shack doesn't even sell a simple solid state relay junction anymore.

I concur with most of ya....

I'm an electronics technology grad, and had the opportunity to do a two year co-op working on 12000 and 9000 series Cisco routers as a Failure Analyst. Essentially when they came off the test bench not functioning, I fixed em.

Just to clarify, I'm a phone/network geek now.

Here's the problem, it took me a year to learn how to reliably repair a device that complex at the component level on the first crack. You can't honestly expect some electronics hack to be able to figure out the cell phone that he just broke. Truth is, the technology that was used to solder down half those chips uses machines worth millions and the BGAs on the boards can't even be inspected with the naked eye. (you would need 3d xray imaging equipment worth millions more)

Sure, the guy in the cell phone stall can solder new LEDs into your teenager's cell phone to make it look pretty, and I can put a cap across a switch and debounce it with the best of em. But in reality most technology has gone WAY too far for anybody to work on the complex stuff.

The Furbie dolls (talking children's toy/doll) of a couple years past had many magnitudes more processing power than a mid 80's computer. They don't use vacuum tubes either.

After a quick Visual Inspection of a board, most of us are toast, even if we are in the know.

I don't carry my oscilloscope or logic analyzers in my service truck for a reason; electronics are seldom built in a manner that allows a lowly tech to work on them in the field. Our disposable mannerisms have bred disposable products.

Jason

And getting back to the topic at hand, up in Canada RS was bought out by "The Source by Circuit City". I recently found 5 pallets of their electronics parts, as well as a bunch of RS branded keystone and biscuit jacks, at a local liquidation store. Needless to say I spent a good deal of time and money sifting through the loose contents that day.

I think the days of finding the resistor you need just around the corner are over. They just can't hire staff that has a clue, so are probably giving up. They don't even carry the headphone amps I used to use for music on hold anymore.

If you are in Ontario and need parts, try NuTEC (St. Catherins/Hamilton) or Sonnam Computer (Toronto) or that other computer store on Bloor just down from CPC if you know the area. My favorite still is Active Surplus (Also in Toronto).

Jason

I still spend hours at a local place called PhilCap

They have everything that you can't find else where, kind like to think of it as "Ed's Place" and a lot like "Sandman" place too!
If it ever closes, which will happen someday I guess, I want to be long gone or well stocked up.

I have heard of Philcap but have not made it out there yet...