Tandy is Back - Internet Only!

[Yorkie]

Tandy shops, which came to the UK in 1973, have long since disappeared, but have recently set up an online trading facility (no shops). You can read about it here:

http://www.tandyonline.co.uk/about-tandy

Very limited range of items at present, but the good news is that there's no minimum order value and whatever the value of the order, P&P is just a nominal £1.00. I rather like Spiratronics - again, a limited range of items, but good service at reasonable prices. Also, Savoy Hill, who - in a small way - try to cater or vintage radio enthusiasts

Hope that's of interest.

[Joe]

Some bargains on there. Well spotted, young David.

- Joe

[Yorkie]

I well remember Tandy opening in Grimsby, where we lived in 1973. I'd just collected a new car - a Vauxhall Viva in metallic gold. I was induced to go to Tandy's, in a shopping precinct in town as they were offering free torches - a long one which took about five D cells. I duly got my free torch, bought a few bits and bobs, and was quite impressed with some of the kits and bits they sold. Went back to my car and someone in the car park must have reversed into it and bashed the drivers' door and rear passenger door in. I was not best pleased. Back then, metallic paint was a fairly new innovation, and despite the repairers having two attempts, they never did quite get the colour to match. I only kept it two years, by which time the trade in value was just 30% of the new price.

The best buy I had from Tandy was an FET Analogue Multimeter, which I bought in 1975. I'd recently completed the Radio Amateurs Exam course, during which I learned of the serious limitations and misleading results on meters such as the AVO8 with low input impedances of just 20,000 OPV. Tandy had an offer on for this multimeter. It had been £25.00 but was on offer for £10.00 - actually a sizeable sum back in 1975 (equal to £85.00 today), but was the same price as the AVO Multiminor, with all the usual limitations of AVOs on the low Voltage ranges. In contrast to AVOs, this FET meter had an input impedance of 10 Meg Ohm per volt. (On the 1,000V range, it's 32 Meg Ohms/Volt). The ranges are excellent - on the resistance ranges the scale is expanded, so that on the 0-1k range, centre scale is 10 Ohms, and 100 Ohms is 80% of scale, and for the rest of the scale, you just go up to the 10K scale and read that from the first 80% of the scale. Voltage is up to 1000V DC/AC and the AC frequency response from 45Hz - 1kHz is 1% accuracy up to 30V. AC/DC current up to 10Amps. Useful ranges too - 1V, 3V, 10V, 30V, 100V, 300 - 100V. Decibels -20 - +62 in five ranges.

I haven't used it much - I mostly use a digital meter, but it's excellent for peaking up RF circuits, alignment etc, when it's better to see the needle rise and fall rather than numerals in a digital meter ramping up and down. Only when I read about Tandy starting up again yesterday did it remind me that I hadn’t checked the batteries in this Micronta jobby, so I removed the back with trepidation, hoping they hadn’t leaked. Luckily, they hadn’t and in fact the battery test on the meter said ‘Battery OK’. I still replaced them – their expiry date was 1992, 20 years ago!

All in all, a very nice bit of kit. Thanks Tandy.

Interesting to read the comments on Tandy UK's website:

Quote:

Recently there has been a strong resurgence of interest in hobby electronics and general hobby construction. With the Internet making it easier than ever for people to find interesting projects and to collaborate with others who share the same interests. With the maker scene expanding and the number of open community development tools growing daily it the possibilities are almost endless.

Our products range from simple components like resistors and LEDs to ready-to-build kits and development boards. We search out and select the most useful components you may need, making it easier for you to create awesome projects at affordable prices. We follow carefully the latest developments in electronics and technology and are continually adding to our range so we can bring you the items you want.

End quote.

Let's hope it's a success - I'm still mourning the passing of Electrovalue, Bonex and Cirkit. Further back, Home Radio and Electroniques.

[Aerodyne]

Well spotted, David. Of course there's a limited range of items on offer at present but it is worth keeping an eye on them as they expand their ranges. The £1 postal charge is straightforward and seems very reasonable (unless the products are overpriced to compensate or its impermanent bait to attract folk).
I too miss the old suppliers, especially Home Radio. Loved their catalogues and bought capacitors and Jackson tuning components from them from time to time.
On the other topic you raise, Avo inaccuracies, its worth bearing in mind when servicing valve radios and TVs that most service data voltage figures were taken with either an Avo 7 or an 8 for the later stuff, so a no-load meter can at times give you a different and higher reading than the figures quoted. Like you I use digital meters - I have two - but I still use the Avos for restoration work, and the digitals for out-of-circuit component testing for tolerance etc. Like you, David, I much prefer the swing of an analogue needle when aligning and peaking tuning circuits. But then - I'm 'old school' so despite all their drawbacks, I love Avometers. Got two of Avo 8's as well, plus Avo sig gen and LCR meter.
I really should get out more!
Tony

[bobhowe]

Thanks David Nic to see an old name back regards Bob

[Mike Watterson]

Tandy was a brand of RadioShack, I believe now gone. So who is this?

[ppppenguin]

Here's the Companies House info: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04457730
They appear to be trading from a private house in Oxford: http://www.tandyonline.co.uk/customer-service

I have no evidence either way as to whether they are related to the US Tandy company which was, and still is, a supplier of leather materials and tools: https://www.tandyleather.com/en/ It was the parent compnay of the original Tnday electronics, a compnay that was subsequently sold and latterly closed down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Electronics

[Mark Hennessy]

Read all about it here - straight from the man himself: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/histor...#msg658755

[Mike Watterson]

Radio Shack by 2011 found itself in difficulties and realised that there could be no realistic prospect of new international growth opportunities. We entered into negotiations with Radio Shack to buy the Tandy brand and other assets from them. The purchase was completed in 2012 and Tandy in the UK was once again a reality.

I can't see how it can compete with established online sellers or Asians on ebay & Amazon. It's only Tandy in the sense that Bush exists as a brand.

I'm baffled why anyone would re-launch Tandy brand in UK.

Maplin seems to be going through the same death throes as the Radio Shack US stores had. The new owner claimed he'd revamp it and improve Electronics. It's got worse, more "big boys toys", less electronics and Chinese stuff rebranded with a x5 to x20 mark up. (€114 for a 3m  HDMI cable, €120 approx for a box of Cat5 cable, prices yesterday, in store.).

[Sparks]

In my location, Preston, Maplin moved out ages ago to a trading estate two or three miles away.   When it was in town, I often visited for items I wanted quickly.   But now it is miles away, I find it easier and cheaper to get things online from places like Rapid, who usually manage to deliver even small items overnight.     I did use Tandy when they had a shop here, but don't really think a small mail-order firm will survive very long.    Once-up-a-time, there were quite a few radio and electronics shops in Preston, but now, they are all gone!     When compared to mail order, they are a bit on the expensive side!
Bob