this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2025
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Buy it for Life

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Yes, apparently it was made in China, but I've had this thing for at least 15 years, and it still works just fine ๐Ÿ‘

And yes I do still have the test leads LOL!

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[โ€“] Juice@midwest.social 1 points 19 hours ago

I bought one right before they went out of business. Hardly know how to use it, but it works and is nice to have when needed, saves a bunch of money and time on easy diagnostics

[โ€“] ObsidianZed@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

I worked at one of the few franchise stores when they went through their big remodel. That store did close but there's still another open here in my town.

[โ€“] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Radio Shack is still around.

[โ€“] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Yes, round indeed is a shape.

[โ€“] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago (2 children)

"Anyone remember radioshack?"

Is that where we are now? Ugh. Hello grey hair. Hello back pain. Hello depressing reminders that I'm no longer 20.....

Yes. I remember RadioShack. I even remember "The Shack". I also remember "Blockbuster Video".

[โ€“] David_Eight@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

If we wanted to watch a movie at home, we had to go to the movie store and pick it up Timmy. The fucking movie store Timmy, it was the highlight of our Friday night lol.

[โ€“] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There was still a Radioshack sign up in a plaza in the town I moved to a couple of years ago. I got excited that somehow this one Radioshack had survived. No such luck though, they just never bothered to remove the sign.

[โ€“] tal@lemmy.today 5 points 1 week ago

They're out there. A lot less common than they once were, but some still forge on.

https://www.radioshack.com/locations

[โ€“] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I still have mine in my bin! I don't use it much anymore (I got a Fluke for free), but when someone asks to borrow its that one that goes in their hands.

Because I'm not letting people borrow my Fluke.

[โ€“] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I don't blame you, even when I worked at a supply house and could get one at cost i couldn't afford it lol. When I do get one nobody will ever touch it but me.

...and now im considering a small business loan again, it would help...

This is actually the 2nd one, first one got a warranty replacement after a coworker (who I expected better of) borrowed it.

Thats what started the radio shack only loaner program lol

I'd rather help them by using the fluke myself than risk this one dying through mishandling again.

[โ€“] tal@lemmy.today 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

And yes I do still have the test leads LOL!

I keep my analog multimeter in an old padded Kodak camera case with belt clip that outlived its camera, along with the test probes, so that I don't lose them.

One of these things:

1000009246

Mine is absolutely nothing special, a customer donated it to me. Still, never hurts to have a backup for my trusty Klein (too broke for a Fluke, I got the Klein through trade school like 8yrs ago)

[โ€“] EvilEdgelord@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I remember Radio Shack always asking for my fucking address and phone number, interrupting what should be a quick, simple purchase.

[โ€“] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

But what if you need warranty support on that four pack of AA batteries?

I swear to GOD this actually happened to me, but it was some other minor purchase like a cable of some sort ๐Ÿ˜‚

[โ€“] PunnyName@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

And now look where they are. Take note big corpos, you're โ€“ eventually โ€“ next!

*shakes fist*

[โ€“] BertramDitore@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago

There was one in the town I grew up in, and I used to go and just browse for hours. Iโ€™d sometimes buy a few cheap little bits and bobs so I didnโ€™t piss off the clerk.

Believe it or not, I used to go to RadioShack to check out the latest cell phone technology when phones were just starting to catch on. I distinctly remember marveling over this super super thin bar-style phone and being completely amazed they made it so thin. It was one of those candybar phones with a 1 inch dot matrix screen (and an extendable antenna, of course). And it was silver, which I remember thinking was awesome. They were still selling Motorola StarTacs, to give you a sense of the time, and I thought โ€œwow, tech is going to get awesome if they can make something like this.โ€

[โ€“] Nougat@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

We used to go to Radio Shack to buy those suction cup phone microphones that you could stick to the back of a corded handset, so that we could record prank calls. CB radio stuff sometimes, too. I think one of my K40 antennas came from there. I had a Realistic portable CB radio that ran on 9 AA batteries, and coax/adapter/antenna mirror mount to use it with a 102" whip on my bicycle.

I also drank New Coke. Suck it.

[โ€“] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 4 points 1 week ago

In close reach I have a RadioShack 50 Piece Precision Screwdriver Set. It gets frequent use, of course.

[โ€“] fubarx@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I have a little one-piece digital one from Radioshack. The leads are attached and wrap inside the folding lid so no way to misplace them. It's my favorite go-to tool, especially when checking outlets, appliances, or even batteries. They're still sold under a different Chinese brand.

Much easier than dragging out the Fluke.

[โ€“] miked@piefed.social 1 points 11 hours ago

I still have one of these but the hinge broke. It's small size caused issues when doing car stuff so I also have Klein. bought

[โ€“] ProfThadBach@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

There are two Radio Shacks near me in WNC

[โ€“] seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

https://files.catbox.moe/6j3u2w.jpg

Look below the kitty and you'll see some Radio Shack Realistic Minimus 7s I got in the 90's. Still sound great.

[โ€“] PunnyName@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Sorry, what? Was distracted by cat.

[โ€“] aeiou_ckr@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

There is still a RadioShack up and running in Bozeman, MT. Blew my mind when I saw it.

Funny, the last Radio Shack I visited and bought something from was in Livingston.

[โ€“] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

Does it still have electronic components or is it just a glorified mall phone kiosk?

[โ€“] expatriado@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

My local Radio Shacks closed on 2015 - 2017, which isn't crazy long ago. I think I made some purchases on their website after that, which is still going.

[โ€“] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I think ours closed back around 2013 or so โ˜น๏ธ

But wait, they're still up and running online? Hell, it never even crossed my mind to check online after their stores closed, thanks for letting me know!

[โ€“] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago

I still have one like that from when I was a teen except mine was just some yellow generic model. It still works though.

The Tandys (a family who owned RadioShack at one time and are the namesake of their 80s computer line) are from where I live and still use the same or similar font for their name in their local philanthropic ventures. So I still see the Tandy logo all over the place.

[โ€“] Willy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I still have and use my digital one from ~1994! it has a pc serial interface with special software, on a 3.5 inch floppy. I'd share a pic but I'm not at home.

[โ€“] seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 week ago

I've got the updated version from 98-2000 that got a USB upgrade.

https://files.catbox.moe/cmtyxw.jpg

You can see it's had a rough life but it still gets used nearly daily in a repair shop.

[โ€“] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Cool!

If you haven't done so already, you should make a backup of the software, both as a full disk image and also the extracted files put in a zip file or something.

[โ€“] Willy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

if I ever see a floppy drive again I will :)

[โ€“] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Haha, I hear ya there. Thankfully my old IBM USB floppy drive still works ๐Ÿ‘