The final kiss of death for me was when there never was any sales person who
had a clue what a resister or capacitor is, nor the different types of wire
(like RG8U vs. RG59 or 16 AWG stranded vs. solid), etc. The hired help
makes money on commission sales only and push the toys and stereos and
computers and so on. No reason for them to know any basic electronic
components or waste time stocking bits and pieces.

I do like Mouser and Allied Electronics. I go to Mouser for low quality and
low prices when it will suffice, then Allied for better quality. Most of my
buying in the last 5 years has been from Allied.

"Leanne" wrote in message
...

"Greg" wrote in message
...
I agree. I used to make almost daily trips to the Shack for
parts and
components......now I go for years without going in one. Why
bother? Lots
of other stores selling the same junk, and usually for less.
Now I just
order the stuff online and miss the browsing.
Sigh,

Greg,

Mostly it is a waste of time unless you are facinated at looking
at all of those
empty hooks where the stock should have been.

Leanne






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The final kiss of death for me was when there never was any sales person who
had a clue what a resister or capacitor is, nor the different types of wire
(like RG8U vs. RG59 or 16 AWG stranded vs. solid), etc. The hired help
makes money on commission sales only and push the toys and stereos and
computers and so on. No reason for them to know any basic electronic
components or waste time stocking bits and pieces.

I do like Mouser and Allied Electronics. I go to Mouser for low quality and
low prices when it will suffice, then Allied for better quality. Most of my
buying in the last 5 years has been from Allied.

"Leanne" wrote in message
...

"Greg" wrote in message
...
I agree. I used to make almost daily trips to the Shack for
parts and
components......now I go for years without going in one. Why
bother? Lots
of other stores selling the same junk, and usually for less.
Now I just
order the stuff online and miss the browsing.
Sigh,

Greg,

Mostly it is a waste of time unless you are facinated at looking
at all of those
empty hooks where the stock should have been.

Leanne






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"Greg" wrote in message
...
I agree. I used to make almost daily trips to the Shack for
parts and
components......now I go for years without going in one. Why
bother? Lots
of other stores selling the same junk, and usually for less.
Now I just
order the stuff online and miss the browsing.
Sigh,

Greg,

Mostly it is a waste of time unless you are facinated at looking
at all of those
empty hooks where the stock should have been.

Leanne

I agree. I used to make almost daily trips to the Shack for parts and
components......now I go for years without going in one. Why bother? Lots
of other stores selling the same junk, and usually for less. Now I just
order the stuff online and miss the browsing.
Sigh,
Greg.

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 03:41:50 GMT, (Larry W4CSC) wrote:


Of all places, RADIO SHACK has these thermal fuses in those new parts
drawers in what's left of the parts department. A buck or two....buy
two and have a spare you can't ever find again.

What the hell has happened to Radio Shack, anyway? Half the time I
can't find spade connectors and dipole antennas...I end up going to a
surplus place with filthy metal shelves and plenty of attitude...and a
highly skilled staff I wouldn't trade for the world.

Now, if I want a crappy boom box and a strip of AA batts, the Shack is
convenient. But it's a pale shadow of the place I half-lived in as a
teenager. The more I sail, the more I hate the throwaway society I was
raised in and the more I prefer to fix stuff myself...but a man needs
parts and does not live by solder alone!

Rant over, good night.

R.




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Larry W4CSC wrote:
Does it look like a little silver bullet with axial leads and one end
is plugged with a white ceramic something?

No, it looks like a light aluminum housing seated on a plastic plug with
two leads coming out. The aluminum case is open on top and there a metal
plate floating around inside the open top. If depressed it's kind of like a
clicker, i.e. it's convex to the opening. Any idea?

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 03:41:50 GMT, (Larry W4CSC) wrote:


Of all places, RADIO SHACK has these thermal fuses in those new parts
drawers in what's left of the parts department. A buck or two....buy
two and have a spare you can't ever find again.

What the hell has happened to Radio Shack, anyway? Half the time I
can't find spade connectors and dipole antennas...I end up going to a
surplus place with filthy metal shelves and plenty of attitude...and a
highly skilled staff I wouldn't trade for the world.

Now, if I want a crappy boom box and a strip of AA batts, the Shack is
convenient. But it's a pale shadow of the place I half-lived in as a
teenager. The more I sail, the more I hate the throwaway society I was
raised in and the more I prefer to fix stuff myself...but a man needs
parts and does not live by solder alone!

Rant over, good night.

R.

I don't see a happy ending to this.

Jeffrey P. Vasquez wrote:

Hi all,

Okay, granted this is a $59 heater and not worth its weight in bubble
gum, but the darn thing quit working and it was easy to take apart. So...

I have isolated the part that has failed, however, I can't identify it
(other than as the overheat protector). I think it's some kind of
thermistor; it doesn't look like a fuse. I'm no electronics whiz -- it
could be damn near anything.

However, if I could replace this part, I'm certain I'd have a working
heater again (at least for maybe another month).

The number stamped on the part is: A56 50N3510 8A98 C

Web searches yielded zilch. There is no information to be found anywhere
on the heater, unsurprisingly.

Any information anyone could provide would be infinitely appreciated.
TIA!

Regards,

Does it look like a little silver bullet with axial leads and one end
is plugged with a white ceramic something?

If so, it IS a thermal fuse, designed to open the current when the
device gets too hot, usually 350F or something like that. It's a
one-shot affair, usually melted because the fan bound up and didn't
blow the heat out of the box or you covered the air intake. Whatever
overheated it needs to be corrected, obviously.

Of all places, RADIO SHACK has these thermal fuses in those new parts
drawers in what's left of the parts department. A buck or two....buy
two and have a spare you can't ever find again.

It's not a thermistor, it's just a soft metal element inside the
bullet that melts and opens the circuit, forever.



On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 02:30:28 GMT, "Jeffrey P. Vasquez"
wrote:

Hi all,

Okay, granted this is a $59 heater and not worth its weight in bubble
gum, but the darn thing quit working and it was easy to take apart. So...

I have isolated the part that has failed, however, I can't identify it
(other than as the overheat protector). I think it's some kind of
thermistor; it doesn't look like a fuse. I'm no electronics whiz -- it
could be damn near anything.

However, if I could replace this part, I'm certain I'd have a working
heater again (at least for maybe another month).

The number stamped on the part is: A56 50N3510 8A98 C

Web searches yielded zilch. There is no information to be found anywhere
on the heater, unsurprisingly.

Any information anyone could provide would be infinitely appreciated.
TIA!

Regards,

Larry W4CSC

Is it just me or did the US and UK just capture 1/3
of the world's sweetest oil supply? What idiot wants to
GIVE IT BACK?!!
Let's do what Europeans have been doing for centuries.
DIVIDE UP THE SPOILS OF OUR CONQUEST! Gas will be
$US0.50/US gallon again, STUPIDS!

I don't see a happy ending to this.

Jeffrey P. Vasquez wrote:

Hi all,

Okay, granted this is a $59 heater and not worth its weight in bubble
gum, but the darn thing quit working and it was easy to take apart. So...

I have isolated the part that has failed, however, I can't identify it
(other than as the overheat protector). I think it's some kind of
thermistor; it doesn't look like a fuse. I'm no electronics whiz -- it
could be damn near anything.

However, if I could replace this part, I'm certain I'd have a working
heater again (at least for maybe another month).

The number stamped on the part is: A56 50N3510 8A98 C

Web searches yielded zilch. There is no information to be found anywhere
on the heater, unsurprisingly.

Any information anyone could provide would be infinitely appreciated.
TIA!

Regards,

Jeffery,
From the part number it is some sort of temperature cuttoff fuse, maybe
tripping at 98C. For example the ones used in coffee makers usually trip
anywhere from 110C to 191C depending on the model and brand. It is a safety
device to protect from runaway heating. If yours tripped, you may well have
a dangerous problem which caused it to do its designed function and protect
you. That is also why they are not auto reset devices. Be very careful
about replacing it.
Greg Luckett

"Jeffrey P. Vasquez" wrote in
message . 77...
Hi all,

Okay, granted this is a $59 heater and not worth its weight in bubble
gum, but the darn thing quit working and it was easy to take apart. So...

I have isolated the part that has failed, however, I can't identify it
(other than as the overheat protector). I think it's some kind of
thermistor; it doesn't look like a fuse. I'm no electronics whiz -- it
could be damn near anything.

However, if I could replace this part, I'm certain I'd have a working
heater again (at least for maybe another month).

The number stamped on the part is: A56 50N3510 8A98 C

Web searches yielded zilch. There is no information to be found anywhere
on the heater, unsurprisingly.

Any information anyone could provide would be infinitely appreciated.
TIA!

Regards,




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