Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.

It is the sign of the times and of the hobby/trade generally. :(

"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

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

That was always inevitable. I have fond memories of spending many hours in "Silicon Alley" as a kid, which of course would be followed by a detour to Sheriden Electronics.

Dave.

Ah, the memories. But do you remember what preceded Sheridan Electronics?

might give you a clue. :)

Bob

** 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

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

Geoff Wood, Lane Cove. "Geoff for chips"

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

"Malcolm Smith"

** RDS was always in Broadway near the corner with Harris Street. There was a long counter that began from just inside the door - with no self serve stock at all. I worked behind the counter there for just one day in 973 - while on secondment from Bill Edge's electronics store in Burwood.

After the original owner died, his two ( middle aged) daughters took over, immediately sacked the long time manager and engaged new staff to replace the others who, except for one, all left in disgust.

The daughters changed the shop around to allow for some self service.

One of the new staffers told me the place was being run by " mad women" and he didn't know how much longer he could tolerate it. The business closed within a year.

** The was Geoff Wood, store manager for many years.

BTW:

Does anyone remember Julie, the office girl who sometimes took a turn serving customers ??

...... Phil

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

"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

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 >> "Malcolm Smith" wrote:

Ah, of course. That would make more sense.

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

I remember them! They did a lot of mail order sales and advertised in RTV&H. Then there was ACE Radio in Marrickville and more places flogging WW2 stuff in Oxford St, like Deitch Bros. These young blokes don't know what they missed. :)

"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.

....... Phil

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

There was the main Tandy (Intertan) Electronics warehouse at Mount Druitt as well. The shop front there had a "back room" that contained all sorts of odd's and end's - evaluation products Tandy were looking at stocking (or rejected), junked parts and boards from the repair workshop etc. Went there every weekend when I was a kid to see what new stuff they had in.

Dave.

Applied Technology in Waitara (the funny little building is still there) used to do microprocessor stuff (SC/MP, 2650 and then the Z80).

Diggerman Electronics for cheap mail-order passives.