Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Changing face of Sydney's Silicon Alley.

A

Andy Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
In Sydney, the section of York street opposite QVB has been home to
electronics stores for a very long time. In the last few years there
have been four of them there - DSE, Tandy, Jaycar and David Reid.

Some people may say that was only three different stores since Tandy
joined DSE in the Woolies stable, but now the Tandy store there has
been closed and David Reid appears to have disappeared into the ether.

Jaycar has moved into the now combined space where Tandy and David
Reid used to be.

.... and then there were two.

Andy Wood
[email protected]
 
K

kreed

Jan 1, 1970
0
In Sydney, the section of York street opposite QVB has been home to
electronics stores for a very long time. In the last few years there
have been four of them there - DSE, Tandy, Jaycar and David Reid.

Some people may say that was only three different stores since Tandy
joined DSE in the Woolies stable, but now the Tandy store there has
been closed and David Reid appears to have disappeared into the ether.

Jaycar has moved into the now combined space where Tandy and David
Reid used to be.

... and then there were two.

Andy Wood
[email protected]

It is the sign of the times and of the hobby/trade generally. :(
 
A

Andy Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
Phil Allison said:
"Andy Wood"


** Was in Jaycar York Street yesterday - seems to be the exact same store
Tandy was in to me.

The new Jaycar entrance, with the stairs going down, is exactly where
the Tandy entrance was, but the new store is much wider than Tandy
was. It extends right across under Adelong Computers, which is where
David Reid was. The old David Reid entrance is closed off and that and
the old display window are covered with a Jaycar sign. When I was in
the new store a pegboard panel behind the displays of loudspeakers in
that corner of the store was down, and the old stairs that used to
lead into the David Reid store were visible.

A major improvement for Jaycar from the pokey shop they
used to occupy.

The nearby DSE store has almost given up on supplying small components -
ie bins for 16mm pots were all empty. So staffer " Chris " phoned the Mid
City store for me and confirmed they had good stocks of what I was after.

I was told the new DSE Pitt Street store carries no small components.



....... Phil

Andy Wood
[email protected]
 
D

David L. Jones

Jan 1, 1970
0
In Sydney, the section of York street opposite QVB has been home to
electronics stores for a very long time. In the last few years there
have been four of them there - DSE, Tandy, Jaycar and David Reid.

Some people may say that was only three different stores since Tandy
joined DSE in the Woolies stable, but now the Tandy store there has
been closed and David Reid appears to have disappeared into the ether.

Jaycar has moved into the now combined space where Tandy and David
Reid used to be.

... and then there were two.

Andy Wood
[email protected]

That was always inevitable.
I have fond memories of spending many hours in "Silicon Alley" as a
kid, which of course would be followed by a detour to Sheriden
Electronics.

Dave.
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Bob Parker"
Ah, the memories. But do you remember what preceded Sheridan Electronics?


** Pre-Pak Electronics.

Originally set up in Regent Street, Redfern - then after partners Mike
Sheridan an Ian Ralph parted ways, it was re-established by Ian in
Parramatta Road, Croydon.

Mike moved his half of the business round the corner into Redfern Street and
created Sheridan Electronics. His son, Barry, later set up a RC model shop
across the road in the 1980s, called Sheridan Hobbies.

The split would have been in 1972.

I worked for Pre-Pak in Croydon in mid 1973, for a few months, serving
cuntomers, doing fucked-up kit repairs and producing and de-bugging the
"famous" Vortex cassette deck kit prototype.

Purest misery.



...... Phil
 
B

Bob Parker

Jan 1, 1970
0
** Pre-Pak Electronics.

Originally set up in Regent Street, Redfern - then after partners Mike
Sheridan an Ian Ralph parted ways, it was re-established by Ian in
Parramatta Road, Croydon.

Mike moved his half of the business round the corner into Redfern Street and
created Sheridan Electronics. His son, Barry, later set up a RC model shop
across the road in the 1980s, called Sheridan Hobbies.

The split would have been in 1972.

I worked for Pre-Pak in Croydon in mid 1973, for a few months, serving
cuntomers, doing fucked-up kit repairs and producing and de-bugging the
"famous" Vortex cassette deck kit prototype.

Purest misery.


..... Phil

The vague memories are slowly returning. I used to occasionally
visit Pre-Pak in Croydon, probably around the time you were there.
As for the Sheridans, did you ever visit grandson(?) Darren's shop
near Central after the demise of Sheridan's in Redfern St?
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Bob Parker"
Phil said:
The vague memories are slowly returning. I used to occasionally visit
Pre-Pak in Croydon, probably around the time you were there.


** If you saw a thin, 21 year old guy with shoulder length hair and "John
Lennon" spectacles - that was me.

As for the Sheridans, did you ever visit grandson(?) Darren's shop near
Central after the demise of Sheridan's in Redfern St?


** Don't remind me !!!

Darren had latched himself up to a young Asian lady with a major "attitude
problem".

Best customer scare crow I ever met.




....... Phil
 
B

Bob Parker

Jan 1, 1970
0
** If you saw a thin, 21 year old guy with shoulder length hair and "John
Lennon" spectacles - that was me.

Too long ago to remember clearly. I was the same age, with a bright
orange full-face motorcycle helmet...


Darren had latched himself up to a young Asian lady with a major "attitude
problem".

Now that I *do* remember!



Bob
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Bob Parker"
Phil said:
Too long ago to remember clearly. I was the same age, with a bright
orange full-face motorcycle helmet...

** Never forget a face like that, now would I ??

Now that I *do* remember!


** LOL !

That store disappeared *very soon* after opening.

BTW:

Did a lot of business with Barry Sheridan at his hobby shop in the late
1980s - as result of my being mildly addicted to building RC racing boats
powered by 2 and 4 stroke glow plug engines.

That pastime soon got me into some very deep water

- pun absolutely intended.



........ Phil
 
M

Malcolm Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
I remember Radio Dispatch in Railway Square near Central with fondness - I
bought from them from a side alley shop before they moved to a street front
shop. When they closed one of the staff opened a components shop out in the
suburbs but I don't think it was open long.

Regards Malcolm
 
A

Andy Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm Smith said:
I remember Radio Dispatch in Railway Square near Central with fondness - I
bought from them from a side alley shop before they moved to a street front
shop. When they closed one of the staff opened a components shop out in the
suburbs but I don't think it was open long.

Geoff Wood, Lane Cove. "Geoff for chips"


Andy Wood
[email protected]
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Malcolm Smith"
I remember Radio Dispatch in Railway Square near Central with fondness - I
bought from them from a side alley shop before they moved to a street front
shop.


** RDS was always in Broadway near the corner with Harris Street. There was
a long counter that began from just inside the door - with no self serve
stock at all. I worked behind the counter there for just one day in
973 - while on secondment from Bill Edge's electronics store in Burwood.

After the original owner died, his two ( middle aged) daughters took over,
immediately sacked the long time manager and engaged new staff to replace
the others who, except for one, all left in disgust.

The daughters changed the shop around to allow for some self service.

One of the new staffers told me the place was being run by " mad women" and
he didn't know how much longer he could tolerate it. The business closed
within a year.

When they closed one of the staff opened a components shop out in the
suburbs but I don't think it was open long.


** The was Geoff Wood, store manager for many years.

BTW:

Does anyone remember Julie, the office girl who sometimes took a turn
serving customers ??



....... Phil
 
B

Bob Parker

Jan 1, 1970
0
Geoff Wood, Lane Cove. "Geoff for chips"


Andy Wood
[email protected]

Going WAY back, as a very young kid I remember my father taking me
to RDS when they were in some kind of arcade under the Marcus Clark
building (I think), before they moved down Broadway to the place Phil's
referring to. Only guessing, but it might have been around 1960 or a bit
earlier.
It was "Wood for Chips" as I recall.
And Bill Edge also had his own shop for a while. Edge Electronics?
I'm open to corrections here ... it was all a long time ago.

Bob
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Bob Parker"
Going WAY back, as a very young kid I remember my father taking me to
RDS when they were in some kind of arcade under the Marcus Clark building
(I think), before they moved down Broadway to the place Phil's referring
to. Only guessing, but it might have been around 1960 or a bit earlier.


** On my single day working at RDS, Norm Edge showed me the basement
"dungeon" - filled with dusty old stuff that looked like it was right
out of the 1940s.

And Bill Edge also had his own shop for a while. Edge Electronics?


** Edge Electrics in Burwood Road - I worked there for the first half of
1973.

Later it turned into " Bill Edge's Electronic Agencies " in Parramatta Road,
Concord - then Gary Johnson bought the business ( including staffer Bruce
Routely) and the shop became the main Jaycar store.




........ Phil
 
M

Malcolm Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
The arcade wasn't far from their later shop (a few minutes walk at most ) -
I recollect there being an ice skating rink behind and the Marcus Clarke
building sounds right. Their shop was a counter about 2M wide and I can't
rember there being any shelves in sight - they went behind the scenes to get
bits.

Before that there was Prices Radio in Angel Place (I think) near the GPO and
there as all those disposal places selling war surplus (wwII) gear.

Malcolm
 
A

Andy Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bob Parker said:
Going WAY back, as a very young kid I remember my father taking me
to RDS when they were in some kind of arcade under the Marcus Clark
building (I think), before they moved down Broadway to the place Phil's
referring to. Only guessing, but it might have been around 1960 or a bit
earlier.
It was "Wood for Chips" as I recall.

Ah, of course. That would make more sense.


Andy Wood
[email protected]
 
B

Bob Parker

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm said:
Before that there was Prices Radio in Angel Place (I think) near the GPO and
there as all those disposal places selling war surplus (wwII) gear.

I remember them! They did a lot of mail order sales and advertised
in RTV&H.
Then there was ACE Radio in Marrickville and more places flogging
WW2 stuff in Oxford St, like Deitch Bros.
These young blokes don't know what they missed. :)
 
P

Phil Allison

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Bob Parker"
Then there was ACE Radio in Marrickville and more places flogging WW2
stuff in Oxford St, like Deitch Bros.


** LOL !!

I remember buying five nickel iron ( Ni-Fe ) cells at Dietch Bros in

the mid 70s - WW2 vintage of course.

In pale green in steel boxes about 5 x 5 x 3/4 inch with a screw plug to
allow more KOH to be added.

Made a neat 6 volt pack for my bicycle's head lamp.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel-iron_battery



........ Phil
 
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