Another one bites the dust

I just noticed that a long time source for electrical and electronic parts for myself and probably others, Allelectronics, is going out of business, closing their doors by the end of this August

I never heard of them, but that is still sad news.

I have used Digikey for most of my electrical/electronic needs, but anymore, Amazon makes it easier.

-Kevin

Allelectronics.com

Everything is on clearance… relays, switches, resistors, mult-pin connectors w/leads etc

I do agree that Amazon does make it easier, but unfortunate for the smaller companies

I think I’ve ordered from them in the past. I was happy with the service, price and the products. As I recall, they advertised in MR. Sorry to see them go.

My local electronics store also closed about a year or so ago. It was a small family owned store where the owner would help you with anything electronic. He was truely an electronic master. I would much rather buy from him than a big corperation. I only order online when I can’t buy it locally because I want it immeadatly.

This is a pretty big one. I know lots of people who have nothing to do with model trains or models or anything like that that sourced their parts from AllElectronics. Like, I know of cubesats that used parts ordered from them.

It was a sale at All Electronics that got me going on video CCTV monitoring of my staging yards many years ago. They had Panasonic color cameras for $15 each and I picked up four of them then wired them to a cheap 13" monitor and selected each camera with a Radio Shack RF selector switch.

I placed some decent-sized orders with them over the years. Always enjoyed paging through their pulp-newsprint catalogs and finding neat ‘stuff’ that I had to have.

I don’t think there are as many ‘tinkerers’ as there were a few years ago. Sad to see them go.

Regards, Ed

I’m really sad. Every bit of the hookup wire under my layout came from them, along with a variety of connectors, switches and electronic components. Bummer!

Greg

I understand, almost all of my miniature toggle switches, 12 V ice cube relays, numerous values of resistors, diodes And a few power supplies, to mention a few things, came from them

I have known of Mouser and Digi-Key for years, but I feel like I first heard of All Electronics only recently.

Looking at my current model railroad, there are very few electrical components and no electronics. Only a couple of switches to shut off power to sidings for locomotive storage, and a few connectors. Bus wire is left over 12 gauge I got from an electrician friend, feeder wire is from a supply I’ve had for years. Spool of solder has lasted as long as the feeder wire. My exposure to real railroads has always been in the daytime, so I’ve never felt the need to add lighting to the layout.

People are still tinkering, but the focus has shifted. For example, in the second half of this year there are expected to be around one million Raspberry Pi devices sold each month.

I believe many in this world do not know what a tinkerer is, let alone being one. Another personage of the population can’t figure out what Gender they are. Add to that the world is dying…not the hobby!

Take Care, All,[swg]

Frank

Sad when local stores go belly up, esp. when they are owned by very knowledgeable and helpful folks.

Shoot. They were my go-to for a long time. Dan

Where I live those places went belly up long ago along with hobby shops and local craft stores. We still have craft stores but they are all chains and most of their stuff is RTR also in the form of decorations, you can always add your own touches but it used to be you had to make the whole thing. Food has changed too, like who has a cheese grater anymore when you can buy it already grated.

Running put of all sorts of local stores quickly down here. Our local electronic store went away over a decade ago.

-Kevin

That’s too bad. Used them many times.

Pete.

What a bummer. They’re actually local to me – I wasn’t a frequent shopper but I have been in their shop to pick up 14v bolbs for my DCC conversions. Guess I’d better go in and grab what they have left!

Sad to see yet another independent business go down the tubes.

Aaron

Back in the old days, when I tool metal fabrication in high school we were told that a tinker was a person who made things out of metal and no to be confused with a Blacksmith or a person who tinkers with things to improve or get something to run when I would not.

I used to order constant voltage directional lighting kits from them. Does anyone know where else I can get them?

well there is a newer radioshack on pine island rd if that counts for anything