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Bill[_12_]

wrote:
On Tue, 17 Oct 2017 07:12:57 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 10/16/2017 11:55 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 16 Oct 2017 20:04:39 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

... is causing the brick and mortar stores to close their doors.

I needed a HDMI coupler to extend a HDMI cable. Went on Amazon and they
had several, some for under $2. I opted for one that was a little more
expensive at $3.45 because it had gold plated contacts. Submitted the
order and it will be here in two days.

Then, I happened to be out running an errand and stopped in at a Best
Buy, deciding that since the couplers are so cheap, I'll pick one up
there so I could finish the project I am working on today rather than
having to wait for two days.

Found the coupler but the package had no price on it. Took it up to the
register thinking it was probably 5 or 6 bucks, tops.

Girl scans it and the price was $29.09.

I told her that must be a mistake, so she manually entered the number on
the package. Yup. $29.09.

Told her I changed my mind. I'll wait until Wednesday. That's absurd.

Those electronics stores are all living on life support. Ebay has
become the new Radio Shack except much better, even when Radio Shack
actually sold electronics parts.
If you want small lots of components (anything from resistors to ICs)
check out Ebay. They are buying this stuff in big lots and breaking it
up into small lots. Since most of this stuff will ship with a 1st
class stamp, shipping is free and fast.

Before they finally closed their doors for good I occasionally visited
Radio Shack to pick up some electronic components for a guitar amp or
something I was repairing. The selection of components rated for vacuum
tube devices was pretty bare and what they had you could tell had been
there for a long time. Hard to even find a resistor in anything more
than an eighth watt.

Radio Shack sucked for getting components by the 80s. Fortunately we
had one real electronics store here until around 96-97 that served the
hams and what few electronics repair guys who were still around but it
was on life support for years before it closed and pretty expensive.
If I could wait, I used MCM. (and still do on some stuff).
Now I look at Ebay first. My collection of common components like
resistors capacitors and general use transistors is actually growing
again since the Ebay guys usually sell in lots of at least 10 for
pennies a unit. One thing I have built a lot of recently is a LM317
based pass regulator in 3VDC, trying to eliminate a bunch of AA
battery use for things that don't really move. The 5v stuff is easy.
The good old LM309K is still around for about a dime each.
I am starting to think Edison may have been on to something with his
DC power distribution but these days it would be 12v and 5v, using the
5.5mm coax and USB A socket. Unfortunately in a whole house system you
might need 10 or 8 ga wire to keep the voltage drop reasonable. Even
then you would want the power supply centrally located and star wired
from there.
Then the question is whether one big switcher supply is more efficient
than few dozen wall warts plugged in around the house that are unused
most of the time.
That might be another "science fair" project for me, comparing a bunch
of wall warts to a PC supply, unloaded and loaded with a given load.
A "Kill a watt" would be the right tool I suppose.

Got a couple outlets that have a duplex receptacle, and dual 2 amp USB
charge ports.