Dick Smith Kits

[[email protected]]

Is tricky dicky getting out of the kit business?

All kits are half price this month!

- Rob.

 

[Bob Parker]

Is tricky dicky getting out of the kit business?

All kits are half price this month!

- Rob.

A growing number of people are speculating about that....

Bob

 

[Mr.T]

Not so, some are not reduced, some are less than half price. See their web
site for exact figures.

A growing number of people are speculating about that....

Seems pretty obvious they are reducing their inventory at least. The
Powerhouses got out of kit's already, so it's only a matter of time.
Looks like they may keep some of the beginner kits though, and drop the
magazine projects altogether.

MrT.

 

[atec]

Not so, some are not reduced, some are less than half price. See their web
site for exact figures.


Seems pretty obvious they are reducing their inventory at least. The
Powerhouses got out of kit's already, so it's only a matter of time.
Looks like they may keep some of the beginner kits though, and drop the
magazine projects altogether.

MrT.

Wait for the microwaves to go on sale

 

[Moo Cow]

walked into a dick smith at penrith earlier today, and was looking for some
resistors and some green caps, 7 members of staff were in eye sight busy
talking amongst themselves and not one came up and asked me if i needed any
help, when i finally got the shits and asked a guy he had no friggin idea
what a resistor actually was. not one of them would have been over 20 and
they sure dont know much these days, i remember when u walked into a store
and people actually knew what the hell you were talking about, seems like
all they want to do now is sell "gadgets"

btw does anyone know someone who sells perlos 96 way euroconnectors? looking
for some for a wire wrapping project.

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

btw does anyone know someone who sells perlos 96 way euroconnectors?
looking for some for a wire wrapping project.

Is this the type of thing you are looking for? Unfortunately the term
"euroconnector" describes a host of goodies from the 21 pin SCART to these
things. :-(
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=P4896

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Mark Harriss]

btw does anyone know someone who sells perlos 96 way euroconnectors? looking
for some for a wire wrapping project.

I bought a stack from Rockby years ago they may still have some left.
These had about an inch of square wire wrap pin length on them.

 

[Wayne Reid]

Wait for the microwaves to go on sale

Checked any of their shops or catalogs recently? They even sell vacuum
cleaners.

 

[Bob Parker]

Checked any of their shops or catalogs recently? They even sell vacuum
cleaners.

I thought it was interesting that on page 234 of their catalog, it says:

"Dick Smith Electronics kits aren't toys, they're used in many of
the world's elite scientific research institutions including The Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory, NASA and major aerospace manufacturers."

Fairly remote from vacuum cleaners, but DSE's (= Woolworths)
management knows what's important and what isn't.

 

[Two Bob]

walked into a dick smith at penrith earlier today, and was looking for

some resistors and some green caps, 7 members of staff were in eye sight
busy talking amongst themselves and not one came up and asked me if i
needed any help, when i finally got the shits and asked a guy he had no
friggin idea what a resistor actually was. not one of them would have been
over 20 and they sure dont know much these days, i remember when u walked
into a store and people actually knew what the hell you were talking
about, seems like all they want to do now is sell "gadgets"

What do you expect from Woolworths toy stores?

 

[David L. Jones]

A growing number of people are speculating about that....

Bob

They have your ESR meter kit for $25:
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/45c4813001749e342740c0a87f9c072c/Product/View/K7204

Dave

 

[Bob Parker]

They have your ESR meter kit for $25:
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/45c4813001749e342740c0a87f9c072c/Product/View/K7204

Dave

That's the original 1996 version of the kit. They're also selling the
2004 version for the same price, see...
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/45c4813001749e342740c0a87f9c072c/Product/View/K7214

It raises two questions:
(1) Why are they flogging these kits at a price which must be well below
the cost of producing them?
(2) What are they doing with stocks of the kit which was superceded
about 3 years ago?

DSE's become quite strange since Woolies took over and turned the
chain into a consumer-electronics-oriented version of Big W.

Bob

 

[Mark Harriss]

It raises two questions:
(1) Why are they flogging these kits at a price which must be well below
the cost of producing them?
(2) What are they doing with stocks of the kit which was superceded
about 3 years ago?

DSE's become quite strange since Woolies took over and turned the
chain into a consumer-electronics-oriented version of Big W.

Bob

Who knows, they are motivated by profit and now kits are no longer
profitable due to lack of demand. Hobbyists have long since ceased
to be significant for them, I'd say they'll get out of kits apart
from imported ones if you are lucky.

FWIW I built a MKII this arvo and it worked fine, the kit is a very
good one and it's hard to go wrong with it: a good design and a good
implementation of the design.

 

[Bob Parker]

Who knows, they are motivated by profit and now kits are no longer
profitable due to lack of demand. Hobbyists have long since ceased
to be significant for them, I'd say they'll get out of kits apart
from imported ones if you are lucky.

FWIW I built a MKII this arvo and it worked fine, the kit is a very
good one and it's hard to go wrong with it: a good design and a good
implementation of the design.

Thanks for your positive feedback.

Bob

 

[David L. Jones]

That's the original 1996 version of the kit. They're also selling the
2004 version for the same price, see...http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/45c4813001749e342740c0a8...

It raises two questions:
(1) Why are they flogging these kits at a price which must be well below
the cost of producing them?
(2) What are they doing with stocks of the kit which was superceded
about 3 years ago?

DSE's become quite strange since Woolies took over and turned the
chain into a consumer-electronics-oriented version of Big W.

Bob

Thanks Bob
I went in and nabbed an ESR Mk2 and a power supply kit (several models
available very cheaply), the last ones in-store at Blacktown.
Haven't bought a kit in at least a decade I think, quite nostalgic!
Can't believe the IC's in the ESR kit are still stuck in the al-foil
covered styrofoam!
Interestingly, the sales lady used to work in the kit department and
said that almost the entire kit department has been shut down and the
employees moved to other roles (no retrenchments apparently), only a
couple of people remain, presumably to mop up, or handle the non-
magazine kits.

Dave

 

[dmm]

walked into a dick smith at penrith earlier today, and was looking for some
resistors and some green caps, 7 members of staff were in eye sight busy
talking amongst themselves and not one came up and asked me if i needed any
help, when i finally got the shits and asked a guy he had no friggin idea
what a resistor actually was. not one of them would have been over 20 and
they sure dont know much these days, i remember when u walked into a store
and people actually knew what the hell you were talking about, seems like
all they want to do now is sell "gadgets"

Don't go to DSE for electronic components. That's a lesson that everyone on this ng
should have learnt ages ago. Consequently you're not going to get any sympathy.

Jaycar's a good alternative for what you wanted.
Penrith
199 High Street 2750
Ph: 02 4721 8337
Fax: 02 4721 8935
Mon-Fri: 9.00 - 5.30, Thu: 9.00 - 8.30, Sat: 9.00 - 4.00, Sun: 10.00 - 4.00

btw does anyone know someone who sells perlos 96 way euroconnectors? looking
for some for a wire wrapping project.

Rockby may have some wire wrap ones in their surplus inventory. Their phone number is
03 9562 8559

http://www.rockby.com.au

 

[Bob Parker]

Thanks Bob
I went in and nabbed an ESR Mk2 and a power supply kit (several models
available very cheaply), the last ones in-store at Blacktown.
Haven't bought a kit in at least a decade I think, quite nostalgic!
Can't believe the IC's in the ESR kit are still stuck in the al-foil
covered styrofoam!

Some things never change!

Interestingly, the sales lady used to work in the kit department and
said that almost the entire kit department has been shut down and the
employees moved to other roles (no retrenchments apparently), only a
couple of people remain, presumably to mop up, or handle the non-
magazine kits.

That seems to confirm the speculation. Thanks to the 'wisdom' of
Woolies management, DSE kits are gunna be a thing of the past. We can
expect them to completely cease selling components next.
Gary Johnstone (Jaycar) must be wringing his hands with glee (unless
DSE gets into the 'Choke-A-Chicken'/Coughing Ashtray market next!).


Cheers
Bob

 

[[email protected]]

Not so, some are not reduced, some are less than half price. See their web
site for exact figures.


Seems pretty obvious they are reducing their inventory at least. The
Powerhouses got out of kit's already, so it's only a matter of time.
Looks like they may keep some of the beginner kits though, and drop the
magazine projects altogether.

MrT.

Well the Silicon Chip ad says all kits %50 off.

"Limited Stock" *

* Which will not be renewed
The end is nigh for another chapter in Aus Electronics hobbying ;-)

- Rob.

 

[Mr.T]

Well the Silicon Chip ad says all kits %50 off.

It's wrong then, I'm quite happy some are *more* than 50% off though.
(some are less too if the web site is to be believed, and everything I
bought corresponded exactly, despite some not being marked down on the
shelf)

"Limited Stock" *

* Which will not be renewed
The end is nigh for another chapter in Aus Electronics hobbying ;-)

It's been happening at DSE for years, and frankly I don't think it's much
loss.
Looks like Jaycar and Altronics will still be doing kits, for now at least.
In fact, if it means the end of DSE developed kits taking up space in SC,
then it's probably a good thing
(although there has been far less of that in recent years too, presumably as
they reduced their whole kit department)

MrT.

 

[Bob Parker]

Does the grinnig Dick have no say anymore ?

geoff

According to the Wikipedia thing at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_Electronics :


Ultimately owned by Woolworths Limited

Key people Alvin Ng (General Manager)
Dick Smith (until 1982)


Which seems to mean that the answer to your question is "Not since
1982". :-(


Bob