14 Jun
2009
14 Jun
'09
3:21 a.m.
On Jun 13, 2009, at 9:43 PM, Brian Lanning wrote:
Yes. I've found some wonderful antique books at thrift stores,
and a few modern ones.
Thrift stores
rock. I scored a NEC PC-8201 a few years ago, and
I've
gotten a few nice HP calculators, and countless good technical
books. That
might sound pretty thin, but classic computers are quite rare in
Florida...I
still make regular rounds of the thrift stores. :)
I forgot about technical books. They had a huge book selection there.
I'll have to peruse that next time I go. I can't remember where Port Charlotte is. But the
next time you're in
Orlando, you have to go to SkyCraft. It's on Fairbanks next to I-4.
It's the building with the UFO on the roof. I haven't been to Orlando
in years, so I hope it's still there. But I wish I had a similar
store close to me in chicago.
Oh yes, I was there about a month ago, it's definitely still
there. :) It's about 2.5hrs from me. Port Charlotte is just south
of Sarasota, on the Gulf coast. Figure two hours south of Tampa.
For those of you not familiar, it's a surplus
electronics store. Most
of us would spend hours there. They buy up large surplus stocks of
various electronic components and test equipment. LED displays, ICs,
transistors, capacitors, stepper motors... everything. They had
complete boards you could cannibalize, and also working controller
boards of all kids. They also had a large selection of oscilloscopes
there, and a collection of 19" racks outside. I haven't been there in
15 years. Next time I visit family, I'll have to stop there.
It's a fun place, but their prices are up in the stratosphere.
They do have, however, just about the best selection of LEDs that I
have ever seen. It is a must-visit for anyone heading to the Orlando
area.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL