topic Re: I Miss Radio Shack in Community Chat

I Miss Radio Shack

On It — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:21:11 GMT

Many years ago I purchased my police scanner from the local Radio Shack. They programmed it for me, and we used it whenever there was an emergency situation. I monitored the recent fires and subsequent floods as the events unfolded. Last week it stopped working. Radio Shack is gone. If they were here, they could sell me another and program it. I can find nowhere that offers service. They only want to make sales, and they are not local businesses.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

SoCal Bred — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:34:46 GMT

I remember Radio Shack and used to go there for all my electronic needs, miss them!

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Kachina624 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:38:28 GMT

@On It I miss it too as there's virtually no alternative that I know of. There's always Amazon but sometimes if you need a part or connector, it's a guessing game. There's nobody to give advice or to help you.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Susan345 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:41:05 GMT

@On It

My Uncle had tons of radios and scanners from Radio Shack.

These days I listen to my local fire dispatch on my computer at Broadcastify .com

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Shelbelle — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:43:59 GMT

My DH was in there all the time, always needed something!!!

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Happy2BHere — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:24:44 GMT

@Susan345 wrote:
@On It
My Uncle had tons of radios and scanners from Radio Shack.

These days I listen to my local fire dispatch on my computer at Broadcastify .com

Another vote for Broadcastify from an old Radio Shack scanner user (my DH). During hurricane conditions my DH uses it for local PD/Fire/EMS/Emergency Operations on his iPad or laptop - it's a great service. 7000+ live audio scanner streams from across the country.

Choose your area/zip and choose which you want to hear from the list that comes up then click on Listen to start.

It's free unless you want the Premium (ability to listen to archives, no ads, etc.). BTW ad-wise when it connects there is only a short blurb about something, but that's it, and since he doesn't want to go back and listen to a call again, he says Free is fine for him.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Puppy Lips — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:35:46 GMT

I have a second job in a small gift shop that is located where our Radio Shack used to be, years ago. The location was empty for a long time. I have no idea what the rent is -- would love to know. But if things don't pick up sales wise, the gift shop won't be there much longer.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Cakers3 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:38:26 GMT

Radio Shack was the best. There are still a few hundred independent stores around but their website is still available.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:39:47 GMT

@On It wrote:
Many years ago I purchased my police scanner from the local Radio Shack. They programmed it for me, and we used it whenever there was an emergency situation. I monitored the recent fires and subsequent floods as the events unfolded. Last week it stopped working. Radio Shack is gone. If they were here, they could sell me another and program it. I can find nowhere that offers service. They only want to make sales, and they are not local businesses.

@On It

Best Buy is still around.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Bookplate — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:40:05 GMT

Agree. The only close type of establishment is the hardware store, and they are disappearing too. We used to have three within a five block radius, now none.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

SharkE — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:01:40 GMT

me too. So many good stores have went belly up

Hate that. Amarillo, lost that popular kitchen store, but, we're getting a HomeGoods store soon. So, I'm looking forward to that.

All Amarillo is , is gas stations and banks on every

corner. Can't stand in the kitchen and twirl a cat without hitting a gas station.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

They CallMe MRWILKES — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:06:36 GMT

Working in downtown Manhattan, I purchased most of my electronics at J&R on Park Row near City Hall.

Occasionally some things from Crazy Eddie.

Those were the days!

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

On It — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:08:01 GMT

@Susan345 @Happy2BHere I tried Broadcastify. It offers the county service and the village fire department, but it does not have the police. Police is our most important source of information.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Bookplate — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:18:05 GMT

@SharkE wrote:
me too. So many good stores have went belly up
Hate that. Amarillo, lost that popular kitchen store, but, we're getting a HomeGoods store soon. So, I'm looking forward to that.

All Amarillo is , is gas stations and banks on every
corner. Can't stand in the kitchen and twirl a cat without hitting a gas station.

That's funny! In NYC its nail salons and banks on every block.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Desertdi — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:36:49 GMT

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Carmie — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:59:11 GMT

A lot of police and medical emergency departments are now using encryption especially since the 9/11 attacks for safety and privacy.

You cannot buy a scanners to hear those calls. In time, all callers will be encrypted. ( some radio nuts have figured out the key codes, though)

Scanners are still available for non encrypted calls. I don't think they are difficult to hook up.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Susan345 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 22:48:25 GMT

@Happy2BHere wrote:
@Susan345 wrote:
@On It
My Uncle had tons of radios and scanners from Radio Shack.

These days I listen to my local fire dispatch on my computer at Broadcastify .com

Another vote for Broadcastify from an old Radio Shack scanner user (my DH). During hurricane conditions my DH uses it for local PD/Fire/EMS/Emergency Operations on his iPad or laptop - it's a great service. 7000+ live audio scanner streams from across the country.

Choose your area/zip and choose which you want to hear from the list that comes up then click on Listen to start.

It's free unless you want the Premium (ability to listen to archives, no ads, etc.). BTW ad-wise when it connects there is only a short blurb about something, but that's it, and since he doesn't want to go back and listen to a call again, he says Free is fine for him.

I pay for the Premium because I don't like ads on anything. When I first started listening there wew no ads.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

On It — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:41:55 GMT

@Susan345 We are struggling because we must have access to the police. We heard all agencies until our scanner quit working. The village fire coverage offered by Broadcastify is not enough, but it may be all we have in the short term. The emphasis of Broadcastify is on our county services which do not typically respond inside the village and are mostly irrelevant. The county is huge and widespread.

What I miss is the service that was provided by Radio Shack. They had everything working when I left the building.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

Susan345 — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:25:38 GMT

@On It

Most Police depts here have gone stealth. But there are some that still let you listen. Broadcastify does have some Police Depts. in different area of the country.

Re: I Miss Radio Shack

timeless — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:42:50 GMT

Try Scanner Master. Their website has a button near the top that says "Programming" and if you click on it, it takes you to options that include sending it in or getting help doing it yourself from home.

My family has a HAM radio background and I recall going to Radio Shack with my dad in the 1970's and 1980's.

As an electronics engineer, he'd visit them for parts to make his own radios and that department slowly dwindled to nothing.

He said the store went to hell in a handbasket when they started selling radio-controlled cars and cell phones!