[Coco] Radio Shack CEO Resigns

[Gene Heskett]

On Tuesday 21 February 2006 23:42, RJRTTY at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 2/21/06 11:28:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>
>random_rodder at yahoo.com writes:
>>High priced definately the fact at RS. I went
>> in there to buy a new soldering station
>>and a Coco compatible tape recorder. The recorder
>> was $40 and didn't even come
>>with an A/C power cord. I put everything back
>>and purchased the recorder from eBay
>>for $9+s/h...
>>
>>Will not go back to R/S  anytime soon.
>
>DO NOT buy any soldering irons at the Shack.  I bought
>one to use as a backup and when I fired it up the tips lasted
>about a half day of heavy use.  THe tips on my Weller
>and Xytonic irons last over a year!!!   What a difference.
>
>Roy

I have an original xytonic(sp?) thats about 17 or 18 years old that may 
have the original tip still in its ditty bag. The handle went south 6 
months ago when I was up in MI and plugged it into a drop cord that was 
obviously misswired as the instant I touched it to the nearly grounded 
point I was going to solder, all hell broke loose, blowing a small 
resistor and the triac on the internal pcb to smithereens along with 
the thermocouple in the handle.  Lit up the whole room rather well.

The drop cord wasn't mine, but nobody objected when I unplugged it, and 
cut the obviously tampered with female end off it while swearing loudly 
at the color blind person who put it on back in the mists of time.  For 
all I know, it might have been one of the 2 so-called 'engineers' 
standing there observing me at the time.  And in Iron Mountain MI, 
there was not the slightest chance I could find enough parts to fix it.
But its back in business now, and I'm a little wiser.

Yes, those iron plated tips for the xytonics/gc iron are made of good 
stuff.  I may have bought more in a different style, but I have yet to 
trashcan one of them.  That iron has probably got the equ of 10 years 
of 8 hrs a day use on it now.

Weller dropped the ball IMO.  I have an original WTCP that has at least 
that much time on it, still running on the orginal heater allthough the 
si rubber coated handle cordage is in pretty bad shape.  I bought 
several of the newer, blue models at the tv station but got tired of 
heater failures in 4-6 months & coopers lassez faire attitude over 
shiping replacements in a timely manner.  After buying them an xytonic, 
it ran so well that over the years I bought the tv station 2 more of 
them, and all 3, AFAIK, still work today.  And I bought myself one 2 
weeks after buying the station the first one all those years ago.  I 
can recognize a good tool when I see it.  And its a good tool.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
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Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.