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usonian

(25,302 posts)

10. Some of us had a higher risk tolerance (just kidding)

Reply to LiberalArkie (Original post)

Sun Mar 29, 2026, 10:52 AM

Sunday

Never had one. I was so jealous.

My first real kit. Lafayette KT-135 "Explor-Air". (not mine)

I miss "The Shack". (later Fry's Electronics) I was visiting my daughter's place when I found the heater constantly running. There was a loose wire in the thermostat, so I headed over to RS and grabbed the cheapest soldering iron and some solder and fixed it. I suppose that these days, you order a new thermostat online and have it delivered, or maybe a new apartment instead.

I don't recall one of those "do it all" kits, but I remember the Rocket Radio.

Crystal set inside, with a slug inside the tuning coil that you adjusted with the "nose cone".

Speaking of Radio Shack, I got this kit at Tandy Leather, pre Radio Shack?
Still have it. The slide rules have their own cases.

But this one fits the leather pencil case.

Tandy Leather and RadioShack survive online.

https://tandyleather.com/

https://www.radioshack.com/

Surviving Stores? (403)

https://www.store-locator.info/radio-shack/store-list

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Highlight:

(AI Created voice and images): What Happened To Radioshack's Science Fair Kit? The Toy That Built America's Engineers [View all] LiberalArkie Sunday OP

I had a crystal radio kit, probably around 1950. 3Hotdogs Sunday #1

So, I had pretty much every version from their catalog. OldBaldy1701E Sunday #2

Back in the day. It's a wonder we lived through it. paleotn Sunday #5

Famous Chevy Nova. Named to appeal to Latinos. No Va. Doesn't Go. usonian Sunday #17

I had heard about how it was one of the worse selling cars in Hispanic America for that reason. OldBaldy1701E Monday #25

A 350 in that little car was just amazing. usonian Monday #28

Lots of stuff like that back in the day. Feels like there's less emphasis on such things today. paleotn Sunday #3

Makers Maninacan Sunday #4

AI slop. Please edit your title to reflect this is AI slop, or better yet, pull the entire thing. TIA Celerity Sunday #6

It literally says AI Generated content right on the screen. LiberalArkie Sunday #7

IMHO you should disclose that this is AI slop in your OP title. Celerity Sunday #8

Many kids and teens today build their own gaming rigs Prairie Gates Sunday #9

My first IBM Clone was from a defective motherboard I bought from Jameco as I could not afford a new one LiberalArkie Sunday #20

Some of us had a higher risk tolerance (just kidding) usonian Sunday #10

I have the transistor version of that tube radio. hunter Sunday #13

I never saw one. usonian Sunday #14

Yeah, it is curious that there were not more injuries. Disaffected Sunday #18

There's a lot of ways to electrocute yourself with that. hunter Sunday #19

Wow, that takes me back. Disaffected Sunday #16

Radio Shack was far from the only company that made such kits. MineralMan Sunday #11

I had a montgomery wards type of electronic kit about 1970 BlueWaveNeverEnd Monday #27

Why do people keep hammering this site with AI slop? If it is not inaccurate, it is unethical on account of how it . . . xocetaceans Sunday #12

I didn't watch the video. I rarely do. hunter Sunday #15

It was good. LiberalArkie Sunday #21

I can imagine that the scribes felt the same way when the Gutenberg press came out. And all readers that would read LiberalArkie Sunday #22

The problem with that comment is that your analogy is faulty. 'AI' is not a means of transmission of ideas: it has . . . xocetaceans Sunday #23

Same here because generally it is a waste of time to interact with 'AI' content. Take for example this video from . . . xocetaceans Sunday #24

More AI slop, with the script probably AI-written as well. Possibly from a foreign content farm. highplainsdem Monday #26