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- Andy Wood
May 29, 2007, 9:35 pm

In Sydney, the section of York street opposite QVB has been home to
electronics stores for a very long time. In the last few years there
have been four of them there - DSE, Tandy, Jaycar and David Reid.
Some people may say that was only three different stores since Tandy
joined DSE in the Woolies stable, but now the Tandy store there has
been closed and David Reid appears to have disappeared into the ether.
Jaycar has moved into the now combined space where Tandy and David
Reid used to be.
... and then there were two.
Andy Wood
snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
"Andy Wood"

** Was in Jaycar York Street yesterday - seems to be the exact same store
Tandy was in to me. A major improvement for Jaycar from the pokey shop they
used to occupy.
The nearby DSE store has almost given up on supplying small components -
ie bins for 16mm pots were all empty. So staffer " Chris " phoned the Mid
City store for me and confirmed they had good stocks of what I was after.
I was told the new DSE Pitt Street store carries no small components.
....... Phil

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.

The new Jaycar entrance, with the stairs going down, is exactly where
the Tandy entrance was, but the new store is much wider than Tandy
was. It extends right across under Adelong Computers, which is where
David Reid was. The old David Reid entrance is closed off and that and
the old display window are covered with a Jaycar sign. When I was in
the new store a pegboard panel behind the displays of loudspeakers in
that corner of the store was down, and the old stairs that used to
lead into the David Reid store were visible.

pokey shop they

Andy Wood
snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
"Bob Parker"

** Never forget a face like that, now would I ??

** LOL !
That store disappeared *very soon* after opening.
BTW:
Did a lot of business with Barry Sheridan at his hobby shop in the late
1980s - as result of my being mildly addicted to building RC racing boats
powered by 2 and 4 stroke glow plug engines.
That pastime soon got me into some very deep water
- pun absolutely intended.
........ Phil

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
I remember Radio Dispatch in Railway Square near Central with fondness - I
bought from them from a side alley shop before they moved to a street front
shop. When they closed one of the staff opened a components shop out in the
suburbs but I don't think it was open long.
Regards Malcolm


Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.

Going WAY back, as a very young kid I remember my father taking me
to RDS when they were in some kind of arcade under the Marcus Clark
building (I think), before they moved down Broadway to the place Phil's
referring to. Only guessing, but it might have been around 1960 or a bit
earlier.
It was "Wood for Chips" as I recall.
And Bill Edge also had his own shop for a while. Edge Electronics?
I'm open to corrections here ... it was all a long time ago.
Bob

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
"Bob Parker"

** On my single day working at RDS, Norm Edge showed me the basement
"dungeon" - filled with dusty old stuff that looked like it was right
out of the 1940s.

** Edge Electrics in Burwood Road - I worked there for the first half of
1973.
Later it turned into " Bill Edge's Electronic Agencies " in Parramatta Road,
Concord - then Gary Johnson bought the business ( including staffer Bruce
Routely) and the shop became the main Jaycar store.
....... Phil

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
The arcade wasn't far from their later shop (a few minutes walk at most ) -
I recollect there being an ice skating rink behind and the Marcus Clarke
building sounds right. Their shop was a counter about 2M wide and I can't
rember there being any shelves in sight - they went behind the scenes to get
bits.
Before that there was Prices Radio in Angel Place (I think) near the GPO and
there as all those disposal places selling war surplus (wwII) gear.
Malcolm


Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.
"Bob Parker"

** LOL !!
I remember buying five nickel iron ( Ni-Fe ) cells at Dietch Bros in
the mid 70s - WW2 vintage of course.
In pale green in steel boxes about 5 x 5 x 3/4 inch with a screw plug to
allow more KOH to be added.
Made a neat 6 volt pack for my bicycle's head lamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel-iron_battery
....... Phil

Re: Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.

How about that .... I bought some of them too, probably a few years
before that. Never found a practical use for them though.
There was another disposals shop on Oxford St back towards the city
from Deitch Bros. Run by an old bloke - I think his name was Joe Keeps.
It was a dimly-lit emporium of old gear, valves, instruments &
everything, like entering some ancient tomb. I bought some 1944 vintage
807s (I think they were 75 cents each) & lots of other stuff there.
Them were the days. :-)
Bob
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