Dick Smith?

"Grant" <o...@grrr.id.au> wrote in message

news:03nq76hc5i0mf58bqmb9etuq4dv908lb0i_at_4ax.com...

I miss McGraths in Little Lonsdale  Back when I lived in Melbourne..

Too right, and the staff actually knew what they were selling!
It was a bygone age though, doesn't seem the kids learn how to use a
soldering iron any more.

MrT.

On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:57:20 +1000, keithr<keith_at_nowhere.com.au> wrote:

Mark Harriss wrote:
Ian Macmillan wrote:
Because it was handy, I wandered into Dick Smith today to get some 0.5A
glass fuses. The fellow looked me up and down, and said "We don't sell
fuses
any more".

So what do they sell that would not be better bought at Harvey Norman
etc?
Closure imminent.

All the best
Ian Macmillan




It seems to vary from store to store almost as if they are running an
experiment in natural selection. The main website OTOH offers specials
for components where one component is left in stock at one store only:
CMOS 555 being an example. I'm betting they have a hotshot MBA running
the show who figures the technical stuff just isn't profitable enough.

Other electronics retailers are inching their prices up already, Jaycar
want $3.45 for a LM7555 which I can buy in Australia from Futurlec for
$0.52

A couple of months ago I bought some stuff on sale at our local DSE. I
asked the guy if they were going out of the component/tool business, he
reckoned that such items were not going to be stocked locally any more
but would be available online.

It was official last summer, they're getting out of the component business,
what's left is just clearing the decks, more money selling the toys, no
interest is electronics -- slowly been happening since BigW bought them.

I made the mistake of trying to buy some resistors off them (online), some
values not available, some they cannot supply as advertised (5% remarked as
1%), and it took several attempts to try completing the order, the have
an odd way of telling one to leave them alone. Thanks, but no thanks.

All the decent specials are gone, and they wont order between stores :(

Just as well that Jaycar have opened up locally.

Jaycar selling a lot of crap too, but it must be expensive to hold stock
of all those components.

Grant.

Radio Parts up on Spencer St was also a 'must visit' when in town,
back in the 70's. Kitsets Aust. was another common haunt.

At least I now have Jaycar, Altronics and Rockby within 20mins of
where I live.

I don't really care if farting ashtrays as long as the continue to sell
the stuff that I want. The problem with living outside the city is the
lack of choice if you want something right away. For me even Jaycar is a
45 km drive away and that adds considerably to the cost if you are only
buying a couple of cheap components.

You may find an Altronics dealer is closer.

On 2010-09-01, keithr<keith_at_nowhere.com.au> wrote:

I don't really care if farting ashtrays as long as the continue to sell
the stuff that I want. The problem with living outside the city is the
lack of choice if you want something right away. For me even Jaycar is a
45 km drive away and that adds considerably to the cost if you are only
buying a couple of cheap components.

You may find an Altronics dealer is closer.

On 1/09/2010 5:48 AM, Grant wrote:

I miss McGraths in Little Lonsdale Back when I lived in Melbourne.

Grant.

If you remember McGraths, then you may remember the surplus electronic gear shop right opposite also.

Anyone remember the name of the man that ran the surplus shop, and what happened to him?

On 1/09/2010 5:47 AM, Grant wrote:
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:57:20 +1000, keithr<keith_at_nowhere.com.au> wrote:

Mark Harriss wrote:
Ian Macmillan wrote:
Because it was handy, I wandered into Dick Smith today to get some 0.5A
glass fuses. The fellow looked me up and down, and said "We don't sell
fuses
any more".

So what do they sell that would not be better bought at Harvey Norman
etc?
Closure imminent.

All the best
Ian Macmillan




It seems to vary from store to store almost as if they are running an
experiment in natural selection. The main website OTOH offers specials
for components where one component is left in stock at one store only:
CMOS 555 being an example. I'm betting they have a hotshot MBA running
the show who figures the technical stuff just isn't profitable enough.

Other electronics retailers are inching their prices up already, Jaycar
want $3.45 for a LM7555 which I can buy in Australia from Futurlec for
$0.52

A couple of months ago I bought some stuff on sale at our local DSE. I
asked the guy if they were going out of the component/tool business, he
reckoned that such items were not going to be stocked locally any more
but would be available online.

It was official last summer, they're getting out of the component business,
what's left is just clearing the decks, more money selling the toys, no
interest is electronics -- slowly been happening since BigW bought them.

I made the mistake of trying to buy some resistors off them (online), some
values not available, some they cannot supply as advertised (5% remarked as
1%), and it took several attempts to try completing the order, the have
an odd way of telling one to leave them alone. Thanks, but no thanks.

All the decent specials are gone, and they wont order between stores :(

Just as well that Jaycar have opened up locally.

Jaycar selling a lot of crap too, but it must be expensive to hold stock
of all those components.

Grant.

I don't really care if farting ashtrays as long as the continue to sell
the stuff that I want. The problem with living outside the city is the
lack of choice if you want something right away. For me even Jaycar is a
45 km drive away and that adds considerably to the cost if you are only
buying a couple of cheap components.

On Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:15:23 +1000, Don McKenzie<5V_at_2.5A> wrote:

On 1/09/2010 5:48 AM, Grant wrote:

I miss McGraths in Little Lonsdale Back when I lived in Melbourne.

Grant.

If you remember McGraths, then you may remember the surplus electronic gear shop right opposite also.

Opposite, or was there another one further down the street, or both?

And there was another shop around the area with a little mechanical
man banging on the window with a toy hammer, to get one's attention.


Anyone remember the name of the man that ran the surplus shop, and what happened to him?

Can't remember the name, I bought some copper plated carbon rods from
there (I imagine carbon arc lamp electrodes) when I was 16 or so, so
much stuff in those little shops :)

Grant.

On 3/09/2010 1:47 PM, Grant wrote:
On Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:15:23 +1000, Don McKenzie<5V_at_2.5A> wrote:

On 1/09/2010 5:48 AM, Grant wrote:

I miss McGraths in Little Lonsdale Back when I lived in Melbourne.

Grant.

If you remember McGraths, then you may remember the surplus
electronic gear shop right opposite also.

Opposite, or was there another one further down the street, or both?

And there was another shop around the area with a little mechanical
man banging on the window with a toy hammer, to get one's attention.


Anyone remember the name of the man that ran the surplus shop, and
what happened to him?

Can't remember the name, I bought some copper plated carbon rods from
there (I imagine carbon arc lamp electrodes) when I was 16 or so, so
much stuff in those little shops :)

Grant.

It was Jock Ellis.
He had a whole heap of Army surplus radio and other similar gear,
typical of WWII era, and later.

In later years, he then moved into Lonsale St, and became Ellistronics.
Had a big warehouse in Springvale Rd, and even started up a branch in NZ.

He was a lot older than me, so I dare say he has gone to heaven by now.
His shop is now Tecs PCs I believe.

I haven't been in the city for 10+ years, so I have lost track of all of
them.

Cheers Don...

=============

I used to love those surplus shops as a kid, my room was full of bits of old aeroplanes and WWII army radio gear. The
thing that I really wanted though was a Lancaster bombsight computer. It was a box full of beautiful little motors,
shafts, and gears, but they cost 2 quid and my parents wouldn't give me the money for one no matter how much I showed
off

On 3/09/2010 3:29 PM, keithr wrote:

I used to love those surplus shops as a kid, my room was full of bits
of old aeroplanes and WWII army radio gear. The
thing that I really wanted though was a Lancaster bombsight computer.
It was a box full of beautiful little motors,
shafts, and gears, but they cost 2 quid and my parents wouldn't give
me the money for one no matter how much I showed
off :(

Australia ended up with the later variant Lincoln bomber in the RAAF
just after WWII. I had a ride in one just before they scrapped them. So
I'll almost bet it was a Lincoln bombsite labeled as a Lancaster. The
average Joe didn't know the difference. Very fancy for their time. My
wage was 3 and a half quid in those days, so two quid was a fair chunk
of cash for mum and dad to find. :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lincoln

Cheers Don...

It was Jock Ellis.
He had a whole heap of Army surplus radio and other similar gear,
typical of WWII era, and later.

In later years, he then moved into Lonsale St, and became Ellistronics.
Had a big warehouse in Springvale Rd, and even started up a branch in NZ.

He was a lot older than me, so I dare say he has gone to heaven by now.
His shop is now Tecs PCs I believe.

I haven't been in the city for 10+ years, so I have lost track of all of
them.

Cheers Don...

=============

No this was in the UK, they scrapped several thousand Lancs after the war. There was a street in London, Tottenham Court
Road that was lined with surplus shops. The best was Henrys it was just an empty shop with tea chests of stuff scattered
around, you just fossicked through and took your finds to Mr Henry who made up a price on the spot (subject to some
bargaining). You never knew what you'd find. Last time I saw the place it was a HiFi shop, no where near as interesting.

I saw one of the two last flying Lancs at a museum in Canada a few years ago, they fired it up while we were there and
flew it off to the beautiful sound of 4 Merlins. If you ever visit Toronto, go down to Hamilton on the way to Niagara
you won't regret it.

You Beat me to it Old Fella....

I thought I was the only bugger left alive that remebered him and his little shop..

My favourite was the 2n5088 a direct replacement transistor to the BC108 but in a TO92 case instead of the metal can..
about 1/10 the price.

I really miss the old Jock Ellis shop.. Used to catch the train in just the browse around there.. If I couldnt get what
I wanted I would then have to go to McGraths to pay a lot more for what I needed.