Radio Shack

FARCE is about it and I've pulled even big HV tubes from Tv sets with no shock unless the anode cap was still on it, so I get nailed by the CRT capacitance - I've met this same type myself but soon put them cautiously in their place - I was in charge as the instructor and had professional manuals and military tech data to rub all over their faces. 8 wonderful years playing games with people's heads, I miss that. => -----Original Message----- => From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org => [mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of John Chris Wren => Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 8:20 AM => To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org => Subject: RE: Radio Shack => => => I generally prefer to order from Digikey, but sometimes you => need a part => right *now*. And, if you're really lucky, RS may even carry it => (we used to => have a RadioShack.com about 20 miles away, but they've folded. => Ever since => they went from being Tech America to RadioShack.com, they "consumerfied" => their stock, and started hiring idiots, then went out of business. But I => digress). => => So assuming RS carries this part, I'm forced to go down to => my local store. => Now I usually have nothing personal against the actual employees on an => individual basis, but mostly as a class of sales people (just => like you may => know one honest used car dealer, but slam them as a whole). => However, we've => got "Frank". Frank is the manager of the store. There's nothing Frank => doesn't know. Frank knows things he doesn't even know he knows => about. Why, => with what all Frank knows, I can't figure out why he doesn't have a cold => fusion research grant, instead of managing a mere Radio Shack => store. Frank => is a genius, I tell you! => => A few weeks ago I went into Franks Amazing Radioshack => Consumer Extravaganza => (FARCE), and said "Ah, you've rearranged the store. Where might => the modular => handset plug crimping tools have been moved to, my good man?" => What ensued => was being informed that the cord between the wall and the => telephone was not => a handset sized plug but a RJ-11 or RJ-12, and that I didn't => really want a => handset crimper (which, it turns out, they don't carry), but a RJ-12 => crimper. I explained that "No, I really *do* want a handset => plug crimper, => which would be known under the USOC, or Universal Service Order => Codes, as a => RJ-10, or 'Registered Jack #10', because I AM NOT CONNECTING A DAMN PHONE => WITH IT!". => => Another time I was regaled with a story of how he and his => buddies used to => use the high voltage section from an old TV to charge "tubes" which they => would throw at each other, counting on the "catch" reflex to => catch them, and => then laugh as their friend got a good shock. I enquired as to whether he => meant a "capacitor", because tubes (with the exception of picture tubes, => which would be a little difficult to toss across the room) don't hold a => charge. He was *sure* he meant tubes. This was early on in my visits to => the store, before I realized how smart Frank was. => => Most recently, I went in to grab a few 10uf 16V capacitors. => Frank enquired => as to what I was building, so I thought I would probe the range of his => remarkable intellect, and explained I was building a Flux => Capacitor. Frank => then told me how the 16V rating on the capacitors was entirely => inadequate, => and that I most likely should use a capacitor with a minimum => rating of 250V. => I nodded my head, and said "Why, it could be you're entirely right, but => since these are but a few cents, and I *really* need to get this running => tonight, and his fine store didn't carry anove 250V rated => capacitors, I'll => give these a try.". I didn't mention that the Flux Capacitor would be => installed in my DeLorean time machine, figuring I wouldn't have => time for the => lengthy but accurate explanation of why 88 MPH wouldn't be => enough to trigger => the time circuits, and that a Monteverdi might be a better choice than a => DeLorean, since the Swiss know more about time, and make such damn fine => watches. => => Frank has the most amazing ability to service 3 or 4 => customers at once, => also. He may be in the process of ringing up your sale, and => suddenly, using => his Amazing Frank Hearing, he may overhear another employee making a => suggestion to a customer. Immediately, Frank will loudly => interject a better => suggestion to both employee and customer. For Frank is never => wrong, and a => Frank suggestion is the best thing you could use that day. => => I hate that store. It's the only around for 8 miles, though. => => --John =>