"Dave Heil" wrote:

I disagree, Mike. Radio Shack had its roots in selling amateur equipment
when it was a Boston firm decades back.
[...]
If Radio decided to sell a wide variety of amateur radio equipment of
assorted brands and it gave adequate sales training to
its staff, it'd be a big player.

I honestly doubt it.

Ham gear is such a niche market, it isn't cost effective for Radio Shack to
offer it at the individual store level. The per-capita number of hams simply
doesn't make it viable. There's little reason to carry a $1000+ product
(say, a decent HF radio) when you *might* sell 1 a year, if you're lucky.

Sure, in some markets, where there is a densely populated ham concentration,
Radio Shack may do good. Or, perhaps offering products mail-order they might
do okay.

Would they be able to compete with Yaesu, Kenwood, et al with their own
product line? Again, I doubt it. Will they be able to compete price-wise
with the large mail-order discount places? Again, I seriously doubt it, due
to the overhead requirements of each store.


It is my honest opinion that ham gear at the retail level is all but
extinct.

73
kh6hz