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99-486: Hit Stix is a toy electronic musical instrument manufactured by Nasta and Radio Shack in the 1980s. A set of Hit Stix consists of 2 drum sticks which are tethered to a small amplifier by audio cables. When the drum sticks are thrust forward in mid air, mimicking actual drum playing, a snare drum sound effect is produced. A rapid succession of thrusts produces a drum roll . It is a common misconception that Hit Stix are meant to be hit against another surface. In fact,

198-466: A call sign on the air to legally identify the operator or station. In some countries, the call sign assigned to the station must always be used, whereas in other countries, the call sign of either the operator or the station may be used. In certain jurisdictions, an operator may also select a "vanity" call sign although these must also conform to the issuing government's allocation and structure used for Amateur Radio call signs. Some jurisdictions require

297-456: A US citizen may operate under reciprocal agreements in Canada, but not a non-US citizen holding a US license. Many people start their involvement in amateur radio on social media or by finding a local club. Clubs often provide information about licensing, local operating practices, and technical advice. Newcomers also often study independently by purchasing books or other materials, sometimes with

396-441: A club or organization for a period of time before a higher class of license can be acquired. A reciprocal licensing agreement between two countries allows bearers of an amateur radio license in one country under certain conditions to legally operate an amateur radio station in the other country without having to obtain an amateur radio license from the country being visited, or the bearer of a valid license in one country can receive

495-464: A club or organization generally requires that an individual with a current and valid amateur radio license who is in good standing with the telecommunications authority assumes responsibility for any operations conducted under the club license or club call sign. A few countries may issue special licenses to novices or beginners that do not assign the individual a call sign but instead require the newly licensed individual to operate from stations licensed to

594-619: A fee to obtain such a vanity call sign; in others, such as the UK, a fee is not required and the vanity call sign may be selected when the license is applied for. The FCC in the U.S. discontinued its fee for vanity call sign applications in September 2015, but replaced it as $ 35 in 2022. Call sign structure as prescribed by the ITU consists of three parts which break down as follows, using the call sign ZS1NAT as an example: Many countries do not follow

693-561: A given period of time. In addition to contests, a number of amateur radio operating award schemes exist, sometimes suffixed with "on the Air", such as Summits on the Air , Islands on the Air, Worked All States and Jamboree on the Air . Amateur radio operators may also act as citizen scientists for propagation research and atmospheric science . Radio transmission permits are closely controlled by nations' governments because radio waves propagate beyond national boundaries, and therefore radio

792-550: A lack of economies of scale led Radio Shack to exit the computer-manufacturing market in the 1990s after losing much of the desktop PC market to newer, price-competitive rivals like Dell . Tandy acquired the Computer City chain in 1991, and sold the stores to CompUSA in 1998. In 1994, RadioShack began selling IBM 's Aptiva line of home computers. This partnership would last until 1998, when RadioShack partnered with Compaq and created 'The Creative Learning Center' as

891-441: A minority. In mid-December 2008, RadioShack opened three concept stores under the name "PointMobl" to sell wireless phones and service, netbooks , iPod and GPS navigation devices . The three Texas stores ( Dallas , Highland Village and Allen ) were furnished with white fixtures like those in the remodelled wireless departments of individual RadioShack stores, but there was no communicated relationship to RadioShack itself. Had

990-520: A national licensing process and may instead require prospective amateur radio operators to take the licensing examinations of a foreign country. In countries with the largest numbers of amateur radio licensees, such as Japan, the United States, Thailand, Canada, and most of the countries in Europe, there are frequent license examinations opportunities in major cities. Granting a separate license to

1089-432: A nuisance. The use of "ham" meaning "amateurish or unskilled" survives today sparsely in other disciplines (e.g. "ham actor"). The amateur radio community subsequently began to reclaim the word as a label of pride, and by the mid-20th century it had lost its pejorative meaning. Although not an acronym or initialism, it is often written as "HAM" in capital letters. The many facets of amateur radio attract practitioners with

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1188-472: A number after to indicate the political region; prefix CY indicates geographic islands. Prefix VA1 or VE1 is Nova Scotia , VA2 / VE2 is Quebec , VA3 / VE3 is Ontario , VA4 / VE4 is Manitoba , VA5 / VE5 is Saskatchewan , VA6 / VE6 is Alberta , VA7 / VE7 is British Columbia , VE8 is the Northwest Territories , VE9 is New Brunswick , VY0

1287-647: A period of long decline for the chain, which was slow to respond to key trends— such as e-commerce , the entry of competitors like Best Buy and Amazon.com , and the growth of the maker movement . By 2011, smartphone sales, rather than general electronics, accounted for half of the chain's revenue. The traditional RadioShack clientele of do-it-yourself tinkerers were increasingly sidelined. Electronic parts formerly stocked in stores were now mostly only available through on-line special order. Store employees concentrated efforts selling profitable mobile contracts, while other customers seeking assistance were neglected and left

1386-409: A pool of at least 350. To pass, 26 of the 35 questions must be answered correctly. The Extra Class exam has 50 multiple choice questions (drawn randomly from a pool of at least 500), 37 of which must be answered correctly. The tests cover regulations, customs, and technical knowledge, such as FCC provisions, operating practices, advanced electronics theory, radio equipment design, and safety. Morse Code

1485-666: A profit. Its six profitable stores were sold to Fry's Electronics in 1996; the others were closed. Other rebranding attempts included the launch or acquisition of chains including McDuff, Video Concepts and the Edge in Electronics; these were larger stores which carried TVs, appliances and other lines. Tandy closed the McDuff stores and abandoned Incredible Universe in 1996, but continued to add new RadioShack stores. By 1996, industrial parts suppliers were deploying e-commerce to sell

1584-436: A separate license and a call sign in another country, both of which have a mutually-agreed reciprocal licensing approvals. Reciprocal licensing requirements vary from country to country. Some countries have bilateral or multilateral reciprocal operating agreements allowing hams to operate within their borders with a single set of requirements. Some countries lack reciprocal licensing systems. Others use international bodies such as

1683-401: A slow and gradual shift away from electronic parts and customer service and toward promotion of wireless sales and add-ons; the pressure to sell gradually increased, while the focus on training and product knowledge decreased. Morale was abysmal; longtime employees who were paid bonus and retirement in stock options saw the value of these instruments fade away. In 1998, RadioShack called itself

1782-470: A store-within-a-store to promote desktop PCs. Similar promotions were tried with 'The Sprint Store at RadioShack' (mobile telephones), ' RCA Digital Entertainment Center' (home audio and video products), and 'PowerZone' (RadioShack's line of battery products, power supplies, and surge protectors). In the mid-1990s, the company attempted to move out of small components and into more mainstream consumer markets, focusing on marketing wireless phones. This placed

1881-581: A wide range of components online; it would be another decade before RadioShack would sell parts from its website, with a selection so limited that it was no rival to established industrial vendors with million-item specialised, centralised inventories. In 1994, the company introduced a service known as "The Repair Shop at Radio Shack", through which it provided inexpensive out-of-warranty repairs for more than 45 different brands of electronic equipment. The company already had over one million parts in its extensive parts warehouses and 128 service centers throughout

1980-551: A wide range of interests. Many amateurs begin with a fascination with radio communication and then combine other personal interests to make pursuit of the hobby rewarding. Some of the focal areas amateurs pursue include radio contesting , radio propagation study, public service communication , technical experimentation , and computer networking . Hobbyist radio enthusiasts employ a variety of transmission methods for interaction . The primary modes for vocal communications are frequency modulation (FM) and single sideband (SSB). FM

2079-717: A year in the national capital and can be inordinately bureaucratic (for example in India) or challenging because some amateurs must undergo difficult security approval (as in Iran ). Currently, only Yemen and North Korea do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens. Some developing countries, especially those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America , require the payment of annual license fees that can be prohibitively expensive for most of their citizens. A few small countries may not have

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2178-555: Is Hit Keys . Hit Keys features two halves of a keyboard , tethered again by audio cables to an amplifier worn on the hip. Each half of the remote keyboard is strapped to a different hand and played separately with one key for each finger and thumb. Hit Keys provides a choice of either piano or organ sounds. The amplifier requires one 9-volt battery and features a wheel for volume control. Collectively, Hit Stix, Hit Stix 2 and Hit Keys toys are known as Hitstruments . Radio Shack RadioShack (formerly written as Radio Shack )

2277-411: Is Nunavut , VY1 is Yukon , VY2 is Prince Edward Island , VO1 is Newfoundland , and VO2 is Labrador . CY is for amateurs operating from Sable Island (CY0) or St. Paul Island (CY9). Special permission is required to access either of these: from Parks Canada for Sable and Coast Guard for St. Paul. The last two or three letters of the call signs are typically the operator's choice (upon completing

2376-403: Is an American electronics retailer , which was established in 1921 as an amateur radio mail-order business. Its original parent company, Radio Shack Corporation, was purchased by Tandy Corporation in 1962, shifting its focus from radio equipment to hobbyist electronic components. At its peak in 1999, Tandy operated over 8,000 RadioShack stores in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and under

2475-644: Is established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through the Radio Regulations . National governments regulate technical and operational characteristics of transmissions and issue individual station licenses with a unique identifying call sign , which must be used in all transmissions. Amateur operators must hold an amateur radio license which is obtained by passing a government test demonstrating adequate technical radio knowledge and legal knowledge of

2574-604: Is in the Turks and Caicos Islands, VP6xxx is on Pitcairn Island, VP8xxx is in the Falklands, and VP9xxx is in Bermuda. Online callbooks or call sign databases can be browsed or searched to find out who holds a specific call sign. An example of an online callbook is QRZ.com . Non-exhaustive lists of famous people who hold or have held amateur radio call signs have also been compiled and published. Many jurisdictions (but not in

2673-520: Is no longer tested in the U.S. Once the exam is passed, the FCC issues an Amateur Radio license which is valid for ten years. Studying for the exam is made easier because the entire question pools for all license classes are posted in advance. The question pools are updated every four years by the National Conference of VECs. Prospective amateur radio operators are examined on understanding of

2772-466: Is of international concern. Both the requirements for and privileges granted to a licensee vary from country to country, but generally follow the international regulations and standards established by the International Telecommunication Union and World Radio Conferences . All countries that license citizens to use amateur radio require operators to display knowledge and understanding of key concepts, usually by passing an exam. The licenses grant hams

2871-522: Is recognized for its superior audio quality, whereas SSB is more efficient for long-range communication under limited bandwidth conditions. Radiotelegraphy using Morse code , also known as "CW" from " continuous wave ", is the wireless extension of landline (wired) telegraphy developed by Samuel Morse and dates to the earliest days of radio. Although computer-based (digital) modes and methods have largely replaced CW for commercial and military applications, many amateur radio operators still enjoy using

2970-419: Is similar to Voice over IP (VoIP), but augments two-way radio communications rather than telephone calls. EchoLink using VoIP technology has enabled amateurs to communicate through local Internet-connected repeaters and radio nodes, while IRLP has allowed the linking of repeaters to provide greater coverage area. Automatic link establishment (ALE) has enabled continuous amateur radio networks to operate on

3069-692: Is the Wireless Institute of Australia , formed in 1910; other notable societies are the Radio Society of Great Britain , the American Radio Relay League , Radio Amateurs of Canada , Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication , the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters and South African Radio League . ( See Category:Amateur radio organizations ) An amateur radio operator uses

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3168-684: Is typically found in the 70 cm (420–450 MHz) wavelength range, though there is also limited use on 33 cm (902–928 MHz), 23 cm (1240–1300 MHz) and shorter. These requirements also effectively limit the signal range to between 20 and 60 miles (30–100 km). Linked repeater systems, however, can allow transmissions of VHF and higher frequencies across hundreds of miles. Repeaters are usually located on heights of land or on tall structures, and allow operators to communicate over hundreds of miles using hand-held or mobile transceivers . Repeaters can also be linked together by using other amateur radio bands , landline , or

3267-619: Is valid only in the country where it is issued or in another country that has a reciprocal licensing agreement with the issuing country. In some countries, an amateur radio license is necessary in order to purchase or possess amateur radio equipment. Amateur radio licensing in the United States exemplifies the way in which some countries award different levels of amateur radio licenses based on technical knowledge: three sequential levels of licensing exams (Technician Class, General Class, and Amateur Extra Class) are currently offered, which allow operators who pass them access to larger portions of

3366-724: The Internet . Amateur radio satellites can be accessed, some using a hand-held transceiver ( HT ), even, at times, using the factory "rubber duck" antenna. Hams also use the moon , the aurora borealis , and the ionized trails of meteors as reflectors of radio waves. Hams can also contact the International Space Station (ISS) because many astronauts are licensed as amateur radio operators. Amateur radio operators use their amateur radio station to make contacts with individual hams as well as participate in round-table discussion groups or "rag chew sessions" on

3465-548: The Internet . Amateur radio is officially represented and coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which is organized in three regions and has as its members the national amateur radio societies which exist in most countries. According to an estimate made in 2011 by the American Radio Relay League (the American national amateur radio society), two million people throughout

3564-481: The Memorex consumer recording trademarks to a Hong Kong firm, and divested most of its manufacturing divisions. House-brand products, which Radio Shack had long marked up heavily, were replaced with third-party brands already readily available from competitors. This reduced profit margins. In 1992, Tandy attempted to launch big-box electronics retailer Incredible Universe ; most of the seventeen stores never turned

3663-623: The Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (1982–1991), a comic-book duo of teen calculator enthusiasts who teamed up with the likes of Archie and Superman. Radio Shack's computer stores offered lessons to pre-teens as "Radio Shack Computer Camp" in the early 1980s. By September 1982, the company had more than 4,300 stores, and more than 2,000 independent franchises in towns not large enough for a company-owned store. The latter also sold third-party hardware and software for Tandy computers, but company-owned stores did not sell or even acknowledge

3762-766: The breakup of the Bell System encouraged subscribers to own their own telephones instead of renting them from local phone companies; Radio Shack offered twenty models of home phones. Much of the Radio Shack line was manufactured in the company's own factories. By 1990/1991, Tandy was the world's biggest manufacturer of personal computers; its OEM manufacturing capacity was building hardware for Digital Equipment Corporation, GRiD, Olivetti, AST Computer, Panasonic, and others. The company manufactured everything from store fixtures to computer software to wire and cable, TV antennas, audio and videotape. At one point, Radio Shack

3861-482: The high frequency bands with global coverage. Other modes, such as FSK441 using software such as WSJT , are used for weak signal modes including meteor scatter and moonbounce communications. Fast scan amateur television has gained popularity as hobbyists adapt inexpensive consumer video electronics like camcorders and video cards in PCs . Because of the wide bandwidth and stable signals required, amateur television

3960-618: The "Verizon Wireless Store" within a store. 2005 under the leadership of Jim Hamilton, marked a banner year for wireless. RadioShack sold more mobile phones than Walmart, Circuit City and Best Buy combined. RadioShack had not made products under the Realistic name since the early 1990s. Support for many of Radio Shack's traditional product lines, including amateur radio, had ended by 2006. A handful of small-town franchise dealers used their ability to carry non-RadioShack merchandise to bring in parts from outside sources, but these represented

4059-686: The Amateur Radio spectrum and more desirable (shorter) call signs. An exam, authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is required for all levels of the Amateur Radio license. These exams are administered by Volunteer Examiners, accredited by the FCC-recognized Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) system. The Technician Class and General Class exams consist of 35 multiple-choice questions, drawn randomly from

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4158-524: The CW mode—particularly on the shortwave bands and for experimental work, such as Earth–Moon–Earth communication , because of its inherent signal-to-noise ratio advantages. Morse, using internationally agreed message encodings such as the Q code , enables communication between amateurs who speak different languages. It is also popular with homebrewers and in particular with "QRP" or very-low-power enthusiasts, as CW-only transmitters are simpler to construct, and

4257-527: The Flavoradio the longest production run in radio history. It was originally released in five colors in the 1972 catalog: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, avocado, and plum. For 1973, vanilla and chocolate were dropped (and thus are rare today ) and replaced by lemon and orange. At some point two-tone models with white backs were offered but never appeared in catalogs; these are extremely rare today. The original design had five transistors (model 166). A sixth

4356-513: The Flavoradio was dropped from the catalog in 2001, it was the last AM-only radio on the market. The chain profited from the mass popularity of citizens band radio in the mid-1970s which, at its peak, represented nearly 30% of the chain's revenue. In 1977, two years after the MITS Altair 8800 , Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 , one of the first mass-produced personal computers . This

4455-653: The ITU convention for the numeral. In the United Kingdom the original calls G0xxx, G2xxx, G3xxx, G4xxx, were Full (A) License holders along with the last M0xxx full call signs issued by the City & Guilds examination authority in December 2003. Additional Full Licenses were originally granted to (B) Licenses with G1xxx, G6xxx, G7xxx, G8xxx and 1991 onward with M1xxx call signs. The newer three-level Intermediate License holders are assigned 2E0xxx and 2E1xxx, and

4554-503: The Isle of Man, "GJ" & "MJ" are Jersey and "GU" & "MU" are Guernsey. Intermediate licence call signs are slightly different. They begin 2#0 and 2#1 where the # is replaced with the country letters as above. For example "2M0" and "2M1" are Scotland, "2W0" and "2W1" are Wales and so on. The exception however is for England. The letter "E" is used, but only in intermediate-level call signs. For example "2E0" & "2E1" are used whereas

4653-461: The Organization of American States to facilitate licensing reciprocity. When traveling abroad, visiting amateur operators must follow the rules of the country in which they wish to operate. Some countries have reciprocal international operating agreements allowing hams from other countries to operate within their borders with just their home country license. Other host countries require that

4752-581: The RF spectrum, usually allowing choice of an effective frequency for communications across a local, regional, or worldwide path. The shortwave bands, or HF , are suitable for worldwide communication, and the VHF and UHF bands normally provide local or regional communication, while the microwave bands have enough space, or bandwidth , for amateur television transmissions and high-speed computer networks . In most countries, an amateur radio license grants permission to

4851-603: The Tandy name in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The 21st century proved to be a period of long decline. In February 2015, after years of management crises, poor worker relations, diminished revenue, and 11 consecutive quarterly losses, RadioShack was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . In May 2015,

4950-428: The UK & Europe) may issue specialty vehicle registration plates to licensed amateur radio operators. The fees for application and renewal are usually less than the standard rate for specialty plates. In most administrations, unlike other RF spectrum users, radio amateurs may build or modify transmitting equipment for their own use within the amateur spectrum without the need to obtain government certification of

5049-481: The US and Canada; it hoped to leverage these to build customer relationships and increase store traffic. Len Roberts, president of the Radio Shack division since 1993, estimated that the new repair business could generate $ 500 million per year by 1999. "America's technology store" was abandoned for the "you've got questions, we've got answers" slogan in 1994. In early summer 1995, the company changed its logo; "Radio Shack"

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5148-552: The United Kingdom and Australia, have begun requiring a practical assessment in addition to the written exams in order to obtain a beginner's license, which they call a Foundation License. In most countries, an operator will be assigned a call sign with their license. In some countries, a separate "station license" is required for any station used by an amateur radio operator. Amateur radio licenses may also be granted to organizations or clubs. In some countries, hams were allowed to operate only club stations. An amateur radio license

5247-763: The air. Some join in regularly scheduled on-air meetings with other amateur radio operators, called " nets " (as in "networks"), which are moderated by a station referred to as "Net Control". Nets can allow operators to learn procedures for emergencies, be an informal round table, or cover specific interests shared by a group. Amateur radio operators, using battery- or generator-powered equipment, often provide essential communications services when regular channels are unavailable due to natural disaster or other disruptive events . Many amateur radio operators participate in radio contests, during which an individual or team of operators typically seek to contact and exchange information with as many other amateur radio stations as possible in

5346-513: The basic Foundation License holders are granted call signs M3xxx, M6xxx or M7xxx. Instead of using numbers, in the UK the second letter after the initial 'G' or 'M' identifies the station's location; for example, a call sign G7OOE becomes GM7OOE and M0RDM becomes MM0RDM when that license holder is operating a station in Scotland. Prefix "GM" & "MM" are Scotland, "GW" & "MW" are Wales, "GI" & "MI" are Northern Ireland, "GD" & "MD" are

5445-459: The brand name to Realistic after being sued by Stereo Realist . During the period the chain was based in Boston, it was commonly referred to disparagingly by its customers as "Nagasaki Hardware", as much of the merchandise was sourced from Japan, then perceived as a source of low-quality, inexpensive parts. In 1959, the store moved its headquarters to 730 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston (across

5544-446: The call signs beginning G or M for foundation and full licenses never use the "E". In the United States, for non-vanity licenses, the numeral indicates the geographical district the holder resided in when the license was first issued. Prior to 1978, US hams were required to obtain a new call sign if they moved out of their geographic district. In Canada, call signs start with VA, VE, VY, VO, and CY. Call signs starting with 'V' end with

5643-485: The chain, long accustomed to charging wide margins on specialized products not readily available from other local retailers, into direct competition against vendors such as Best Buy and Walmart . In May 2000, the company dropped the Tandy name altogether, becoming RadioShack Corporation. The leather operating assets were sold to The Leather Factory on November 30, 2000; that business remains profitable. House brands Realistic and Optimus were discontinued. In 1999,

5742-501: The classroom to teach English, map skills, geography, math, science, and computer skills. The term "ham" was first a pejorative term used in professional wired telegraphy during the 19th century, to mock operators with poor Morse code -sending skills (" ham-fisted "). This term continued to be used after the invention of radio and the proliferation of amateur experimentation with wireless telegraphy; among land- and sea-based professional radio operators, "ham" amateurs were considered

5841-646: The company agreed to carry RCA products in a five-year agreement for a "RCA Digital Entertainment Center" store-within-a-store. When the RCA contract ended, RadioShack introduced its own Presidian and Accurian brands, reviving the Optimus brand in 2005 for some low-end products. Enercell , a house brand for dry cell batteries, remained in use until approximately 2014. Most of the RadioShack house brands had been dropped when Tandy divested its manufacturing facilities in

5940-511: The company in 1962 for US$ 300,000. At the time of the Tandy Radio Shack & Leather 1962 acquisition, the Radio Shack chain was nearly bankrupt. Tandy's strategy was to appeal to hobbyists. It created small stores that were staffed by people who knew electronics, and sold mainly private brands. Tandy closed Radio Shack's unprofitable mail-order business, ended credit purchases and eliminated many top management positions, keeping

6039-482: The company sold off the few remaining Allied retail stores and resumed using the Radio Shack name. Allied Electronics , the firm's industrial component operation, continued as a Tandy division until it was sold to Spartan Manufacturing in 1981. The longest-running product for Radio Shack was the AM-only Realistic Flavoradio, sold from 1972 to 2000, 28 years in three designs. This also made

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6138-503: The company's assets, including the RadioShack brand name and related intellectual property , were purchased by General Wireless, a subsidiary of Standard General , for US$ 26.2 million. In March 2017, General Wireless and subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy, claiming that a store-within-a-store partnership with Sprint was not as profitable as expected. As a result, RadioShack shuttered several company-owned stores and announced plans to shift its business primarily online. RadioShack

6237-701: The early 1990s; the original list included: Realistic (stereo, hi-fi and radio), Archer (antenna rotors and boosters), Micronta (test equipment), Tandy (computers), TRS-80 (proprietary computer), ScienceFair (kits), DuoFone (landline telephony), Concertmate (music synthesizer), Enercell (cells and batteries), Road Patrol (radar detectors, bicycle radios), Patrolman (Realistic radio scanner ), Deskmate (software), KitchenMate , Stereo Shack , Supertape (recording tape), Mach One , Optimus (speakers and turntables), Flavoradio (pocket AM radios in various colours), Weatheradio , Portavision (small televisions) and Minimus (speakers). In 2000, RadioShack

6336-764: The early 20th century. The First Annual Official Wireless Blue Book of the Wireless Association of America , produced in 1909, contains a list of amateur radio stations. This radio callbook lists wireless telegraph stations in Canada and the United States, including 89 amateur radio stations. As with radio in general, amateur radio was associated with various amateur experimenters and hobbyists. Amateur radio enthusiasts have significantly contributed to science , engineering , industry, and social services . Research by amateur operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency. Ham radio can also be used in

6435-408: The equipment. Licensed amateurs can also use any frequency in their bands (rather than being allocated fixed frequencies or channels) and can operate medium-to-high-powered equipment on a wide range of frequencies so long as they meet certain technical parameters including occupied bandwidth, power, and prevention of spurious emission . Radio amateurs have access to frequency allocations throughout

6534-405: The existence of non-Tandy products. In the mid-1980s, Radio Shack began a transition from its proprietary 8-bit computers to its proprietary IBM PC compatible Tandy computers , removing the "Radio Shack" name from the product in an attempt to shake off the long-running nicknames "Radio Scrap" and "Trash 80" to make the product appeal to business users. Poor compatibility, shrinking margins and

6633-401: The expense of its core components business. RadioShack aggressively promoted Dish Network subscriptions. In November 2012, RadioShack introduced Amazon Locker parcel pick-up services at its stores, only to dump the program in September 2013. In 2013, the chain made token attempts to regain the do it yourself market, including a new "Do It Together" slogan. Long-time staff observed

6732-425: The former RadioShack mail-order business determined where Tandy would locate new stores. As an incentive for them to work long hours and remain profitable, store managers were required to take an ownership stake in their stores. In markets too small to support a company-owned Radio Shack store, the chain relied on independent dealers who carried the products as a sideline. Charles D. Tandy said "We’re not looking for

6831-402: The free vacuum tube testing offered in-store in the early 1970s, this small loss leader drew foot traffic . The cards also served as generic business cards for the salespeople. In 1970, Tandy Corporation bought Allied Radio Corporation (both retail and industrial divisions), merging the brands into Allied Radio Shack and closing duplicate locations. After a 1973 federal government review,

6930-499: The guy who wants to spend his entire paycheck on a sound system", instead seeking customers "looking to save money by buying cheaper goods and improving them through modifications and accessorizing", making it common among "nerds" and "kids aiming to excel at their science fairs". Charles D. Tandy , who had guided the firm through a period of growth in the 1960s and 1970s, died of a heart attack at age 60 in November 1978. In 1982,

7029-423: The help of a mentor, teacher, or friend. In North America, established amateurs who help newcomers are often referred to as "Elmers", as coined by Rodney Newkirk, W9BRD, within the ham community. In addition, many countries have national amateur radio societies which encourage newcomers and work with government communications regulation authorities for the benefit of all radio amateurs. The oldest of these societies

7128-598: The host government's radio regulations. Radio amateurs are limited to a specific set of frequency bands, the amateur radio bands, allocated throughout the radio spectrum , but within these bands are allowed to transmit on any frequency using a variety of voice, text, image, and data communications modes. This enables communication across a city, region, country, continent, the world, or even into space. In many countries, amateur radio operators may also send, receive, or relay radio communications between computers or transceivers connected to secure virtual private networks on

7227-822: The human ear-brain signal processing system can pull weak CW signals out of the noise where voice signals would be totally inaudible. A similar "legacy" mode popular with home constructors is amplitude modulation (AM), pursued by many vintage amateur radio enthusiasts and aficionados of vacuum tube technology. Demonstrating a proficiency in Morse code was for many years a requirement to obtain an amateur license to transmit on frequencies below 30 MHz. Following changes in international regulations in 2003, countries are no longer required to demand proficiency. The United States Federal Communications Commission , for example, phased out this requirement for all license classes on 23 February 2007. Modern personal computers have encouraged

7326-570: The key concepts of electronics, radio equipment, antennas, radio propagation , RF safety, and the radio regulations of the government granting the license. These examinations are sets of questions typically posed in either a short answer or multiple-choice format. Examinations can be administered by bureaucrats , non-paid certified examiners, or previously licensed amateur radio operators. The ease with which an individual can acquire an amateur radio license varies from country to country. In some countries, examinations may be offered only once or twice

7425-417: The license holder to own, modify, and operate equipment that is not certified by a governmental regulatory agency. This encourages amateur radio operators to experiment with home-constructed or modified equipment. The use of such equipment must still satisfy national and international standards on spurious emissions . Amateur radio operators are encouraged both by regulations and tradition of respectful use of

7524-585: The licensing test, the ham writes three most-preferred options). Two-letter call sign suffixes require a ham to have already been licensed for 5 years. Call signs in Canada can be requested with a fee. Also, for smaller geopolitical entities, the numeral may be part of the country identification. For example, VP2xxx is in the British West Indies, which is subdivided into VP2Exx Anguilla, VP2Mxx Montserrat, and VP2Vxx British Virgin Islands. VP5xxx

7623-406: The name and address of purchasers so they could be added to mailing lists. Name and mailing address were requested for special orders (RadioShack Unlimited parts and accessories, Direc2U items not stocked locally), returns, check payments, RadioShack Answers Plus credit card applications, service plan purchases and carrier activations of cellular telephones. On December 20, 2005, RadioShack announced

7722-482: The name came from an employee, Bill Halligan, who went on to form the Hallicrafters company. The term was already in use — and is to this day — by hams when referring to the location of their stations. The company issued its first catalog in 1939 as it entered the high-fidelity music market. In 1954, Radio Shack began selling its own private-label products under the brand name Realist, changing

7821-484: The new field of amateur radio (also known as ham radio ). The brothers opened a one-store retail and mail-order operation in the heart of downtown Boston at 46 Brattle Street . They chose the name " Radio Shack ", which was the term for a small, wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment. The Deutschmanns thought the name was appropriate for a store that would supply the needs of radio officers aboard ships, as well as hams (amateur radio operators). The idea for

7920-892: The privilege to operate in larger segments of the radio frequency spectrum, with a wider variety of communication techniques, and with higher power levels relative to unlicensed personal radio services (such as CB radio , FRS , and PMR446 ), which require type-approved equipment restricted in mode, range, and power. Amateur licensing is a routine civil administrative matter in many countries. Amateurs therein must pass an examination to demonstrate technical knowledge, operating competence, and awareness of legal and regulatory requirements, in order to avoid interfering with other amateurs and other radio services. A series of exams are often available, each progressively more challenging and granting more privileges: greater frequency availability, higher power output, permitted experimentation, and, in some countries, distinctive call signs. Some countries, such as

8019-665: The sale of its newly built riverfront Fort Worth, Texas headquarters building to German-based KanAm Grund; the property was leased back to RadioShack for 20 years. In 2008, RadioShack assigned this lease to the Tarrant County College District (TCC), remaining in 400,000 square feet (37,000 m ) of the space as its headquarters. In 2005, RadioShack parted with Verizon for a 10-year agreement with Cingular (later AT&T) and renegotiated its 11-year agreement with Sprint. In July 2011, RadioShack ended its wireless partnership with T-Mobile , replacing it with

8118-597: The salespeople, merchandisers and advertisers. The number of items carried was cut from 40,000 to 2,500, as Tandy sought to "identify the 20% that represents 80% of the sales" and replace Radio Shack's handful of large stores with many "little holes in the wall", large numbers of rented locations which were easier to close and re-open elsewhere if one location didn't work out. Private-label brands from lower-cost manufacturers displaced name brands to raise Radio Shack profit margins; non-electronic lines from go-carts to musical instruments were abandoned entirely. Customer data from

8217-577: The single largest seller of consumer telecommunications products in the world; its stock reached its peak a year later. InterTAN , a former Tandy subsidiary, sold the Tandy UK stores in 1999 and the Australian stores in 2001. InterTAN was sold (with its Canadian stores) to rival Circuit City in 2004. The RadioShack brand remained in use in the United States , but the 21st century proved

8316-426: The sounds are produced simply by the motion of drumming and do not need to come in contact with any surface in order to produce a sound. The Nasta company went public in 1987, and Hit Stix was its first television-advertised product. The Hit Stix instrument retailed for around $ 20 in 1987. Hit Stix was succeeded by Hit Stix 2 , which incorporates sound selection via sliders on each drum stick. The left stick adjusts

8415-497: The spectrum to use as little power as possible to accomplish the communication. This is to minimise interference or EMC to any other device. Although allowable power levels are moderate by commercial standards, they are sufficient to enable global communication. Lower license classes usually have lower power limits; for example, the lowest license class in the UK (Foundation licence) has a limit of 10 W. Power limits vary from country to country and between license classes within

8514-601: The stores in frustration. Demand for consumer electronics was also increasingly being weakened by consumers buying the items online . In early 2004, RadioShack introduced Fix 1500 , a sweeping program to "correct" inventory and profitability issues company-wide. The program put the 1,500 lowest-graded store managers, of over 5,000, on notice of the need to improve. Managers were graded not on tangible store and personnel data but on one-on-one interviews with district management. Amateur radio The amateur radio service ( amateur service and amateur-satellite service )

8613-450: The street from Boston University's Marsh Chapel ), with ambitious plans for further expansion. After expanding to nine stores plus an extensive mail-order business, the company fell on hard times in the early 1960s. Tandy Corporation, a leather goods corporation, was looking for other hobbyist-related businesses into which it could expand. Charles D. Tandy saw the potential of Radio Shack and retail consumer electronics, purchasing

8712-532: The test proved successful, RadioShack could have moved to convert existing RadioShack locations into PointMobl stores in certain markets. While some PointMobl products, such as car power adapters and phone cases, were carried as store-brand products in RadioShack stores, the stand-alone PointMobl stores were closed and the concept abandoned in March 2011. In August 2009, RadioShack rebranded itself as "The Shack". The campaign increased sales of mobile products, but at

8811-454: The tone while the right selects either snare, tom , bass drum or phaser. The latter instrument was capable of producing 44 different percussive sounds. Both incarnations feature a yellow and orange color scheme and a belt clip which allows the drummer to wear the amplifier on his or her hip. The amplifier requires one 9-volt battery and has a wheel for volume control. A third, much rarer and less popular, toy, manufactured by Nasta in 1989,

8910-442: The use of digital modes such as radioteletype (RTTY) which previously required cumbersome mechanical equipment. Hams led the development of packet radio in the 1970s, which has employed protocols such as AX.25 and TCP/IP . Specialized digital modes such as PSK31 allow real-time, low-power communications on the shortwave bands but have been losing favor in place of newer digital modes such as FT8 . Radio over IP , or RoIP,

9009-461: The visiting ham apply for a formal permit, or even a new host country-issued license, in advance. The reciprocal recognition of licenses frequently not only depends on the involved licensing authorities, but also on the nationality of the bearer. As an example, in the US, foreign licenses are recognized only if the bearer does not have US citizenship and holds no US license (which may differ in terms of operating privileges and restrictions). Conversely,

9108-645: The world are regularly involved with amateur radio. About 830,000 amateur radio stations are located in IARU Region 2 (the Americas) followed by IARU Region 3 (South and East Asia and the Pacific Ocean) with about 750,000 stations. A significantly smaller number, about 400,000, are located in IARU Region 1 (Europe, Middle East, CIS , Africa). The origins of amateur radio can be traced to the late 19th century, but amateur radio as practised today began in

9207-702: The worldwide RadioShack franchise. Unicomer is based in El Salvador and is one of the largest franchisors of RadioShack, with stores in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It had purchased its first RadioShack franchise (in El Salvador) in January 1998. The company was started as Radio Shack in 1921 by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted to provide equipment for

9306-504: Was a complete pre-assembled system at a time when many microcomputers were built from kits, backed by a nationwide retail chain when computer stores were in their infancy. Sales of the initial, primitive US$ 600 (equal to $ 3,017 today) TRS-80 exceeded all expectations despite its limited capabilities and high price. This was followed by the TRS-80 Color Computer in 1980, designed to attach to a television. Tandy also inspired

9405-476: Was acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures, a holding company owned by Alex Mehr and self-help influencer Tai Lopez, in November 2020. RadioShack operated primarily as an e-commerce website with a network of independently owned and franchised RadioShack stores, as well as a supplier of parts for HobbyTown USA . On March 2, 2023, Retail Ecommerce Ventures announced that it was mulling a possible bankruptcy filing. In May 2023, Unicomer Group acquired control of

9504-525: Was added in 1980 (model 166a). The case was redesigned for 1987, making it taller and thinner, and it came in red, blue, and black. The final model, 201a, came in 1996 and was designed around an integrated circuit. They were first made in Korea then Hong Kong and finally the Philippines. The Flavoradio carried the Realistic name until about 1996, when it switched to "Radio Shack", then finally "Optimus". When

9603-466: Was one of multiple backers of the CueCat barcode reader, which soon turned out to be a marketing failure. The company had invested US$ 35 million in the concept, including printing the barcodes throughout its catalogs, and distributing CueCat devices to customers at no charge. The last annual RadioShack printed catalogs were distributed to the public in 2003. Until 2004, RadioShack routinely asked for

9702-595: Was spelled in camel case as "RadioShack". In 1996, RadioShack successfully petitioned the US Federal Communications Commission to allocate frequencies for the Family Radio Service , a short-range walkie-talkie system that proved popular. From the 1960s until the early 1990s, Radio Shack promoted a "battery of the month" club; a free wallet -sized cardboard card offered one free Enercell per month in-store. Like

9801-427: Was the world's largest electronics chain. In June 1991, Tandy closed or restructured its 200 Radio Shack Computer Centers, acquired Computer City , and attempted to shift its emphasis away from components and cables, toward mainstream consumer electronics. Tandy sold its computer manufacturing to AST Research in 1993, including the laptop computer Grid Systems Corporation which it had purchased in 1988. It sold

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