Radio Shack Resistors - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 12:11:56 am
content: I believe these are from the early 70's

author: AlbertL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 12:29:42 am
content: Do they include unlimited talk and text? I mean, this is Radio Shack, right?

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 12:36:20 am
content: Quote from: AlbertL on December 14, 2021, 12:29:42 amThese are from before the cell phone era.I'm not sure if these were good, better, or best.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 01:49:03 am
content: Most Radio Shack electronic components were from Taiwan, some were from Japan. Quality varied a lot e.g. low end electrolytics, rebadged semiconductors through to high quality parts from Japan like jumper leads, Murata/TDK etc.I would say the metal film resistors are fine, may even have copper leads (not steel) unlike modern parts. Some eBay sellers are asking silly high prices for Rip Shack parts.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 01:54:55 am
content: In the 1960s the components were primarily surplus and old US made parts. In the 1970s they started to come from Japan. I stopped buying components from them in the early 1970s.I found this package in a box in my mother's garage. I put them up here because they remind me of when I was just learning electronics.There is no reason these should be worth more now. Given they were stored in a damp sea air environment they should be close to worthless.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 02:21:49 am
content: I remember the parts ended up super expensive if you bought an Archer Project PC board and tried to build the kit. Prices were really high.Radio Shack's model for profit in the 1970's seemed to be like many other businesses today - import low cost parts/products from Asia, markup the price a lot, sell for good profit.I really miss their jumper leads, I tracked down the Japanese company making them and wanted to buy a bunch but the do not speak English and $60 DHL shipping and I got cold feet.The chinese ones are absolute crap, always a poor connection crimping copper to the alligator clip, the plastic goes rock hard, skinny wire etc.Radio Shack wasn't all that bad.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 03:14:22 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on December 14, 2021, 02:21:49 amBuy someMueller alligator clips and insulators and make some. The quality of the Mueller clips far exceeds those made by others.For jumper cables my favorite clips are either theseNickel plated steel onesorGold plated steel ones.I have Mueller clips that I have been using for 40 years.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:12:17 am
content: Good you mentioned Mueller Electric, I just noticed they offeralligator test lead setssuch as BU-00285 18". Not sure what clips they are using, I thought they're different from their main lineup of clips.BU-30alligator clips I dislike, jaw too small only 2 teeth on the side, and it's overall too short and the boots are shaped wrong, like 1970's disco jeans. They've been around since1940!and great for tube amplifiers but things are a bit more refined 81 years later. I have lots of them and the build quality is good. The 70 series clip ad 1957 is funny, spring goes 60MPH !Starting the DeLorean and going back to Radio Shack, the superior alligator test leads are made byTokyo Teishin Electric (T.SIN)they have a longer jaw 5 teeth, tight crimp connection, boots that are better shaped, ~20". I think they (medium size) are TLA-2 or TLA-82.Test Lead Catalogueincluding some metrology-grade on their website but alas no sign of distributors outside of Japan.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:45:37 am
content: Quote from: graybeard on December 14, 2021, 12:11:56 amI am doubtful about that time. In the early 70's there were no such luxurious offerings here in Australia.In their 1981 catalogue, Tandy (as we had here) was selling these RadioShack resistors...I see carbon composition and carbon film resistors here.Metal film was MUCH later to Australia ... and I'm not sure I ever saw metal film in a Tandy store. IIRC, they got out of components long before they were bought out.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:53:36 am
content: I couldn't find metal film 1% in '77' or '80. Don't cry too muchhttps://www.radioshackcatalogs.com

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 08:58:29 am
content: Mueller Alligator Clip Jumpers

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 04:52:02 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on December 14, 2021, 06:12:17 amThe next time you're in Tokyo, head down to Akihabara. There's probably a vendor there selling nothing but alligator clips, including ones from T.SIN.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 05:32:20 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on December 14, 2021, 02:21:49 amI concur with graybeard: make your own using quality clips and quality test lead wire.Mueller clips are great quality.I really like the SKS/Hirschmann MA 1 series, which comes in a few styles (crimp, 2mm socket, etc). I actually just bought a few recently to make some new leads.What I really like about them is that the jaws actually have two sections with different size teeth, one of which is for thinner wire. They’re way better than ordinary clips IMHO.

author: bob91343
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 07:20:21 pm
content: The catalog shows 'as low as 79¢' but those were the most expensive in the list.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 08:26:44 pm
content: I think best to start another thread about quality jumper test leads, not to slide this oneOP I could not find your resistor pack, late 70's they did offer 1% metal film then they vanished from the catalogues. They are likely made in Japan as nobody in Asia was doing better than 5-10% carbon film back then. I'd still use the parts breadboarding, metal film/epoxy does good and the leads are not tarnished.Archer-Pak is different, just reselling Poly-Paks surplus rejects.Radio Shack was all over the place, so many items and either surplus rejects or good quality. Prices were always too high as I recall.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2021, 12:18:28 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on December 14, 2021, 08:26:44 pmIt says “custom manufactured in Japan for radio shack” right on the package, visible in the first photo…

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2021, 12:50:47 am
content: Oh, I didn't read the whole package. Still good stuff.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2021, 05:19:49 pm
content: I think 80s not 70s. They were in the 1988 cathttps://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-50-piece-1-4-watt-metal-film-resistor-assortmentThe good news is that you can still get them from Radio Shackhttps://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-50-piece-1-4-watt-metal-film-resistor-assortmentalthough the advert does not say where they were made

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2021, 09:07:30 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on December 14, 2021, 06:45:37 amYou folks from the first world were so lucky... At the end of the 80's and early 90's we could not find 1% anywhere in Brasil... It was a sea of carbon (both comp and film) everywhere and rather expensive (50 resistors for 2.49? Only in a dream...)