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Dick Smith Kits

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EEVblog:
Dick Smith and I judged a display of vintage Tandy, Radio Shack, and Dick Smith kits and other vintage things at the Manly-Warringah Radio Society

Dick Smith talking about his round-the-world adventures:   

 • Dick Smith - Amat... 

00:00 - Vintage kits on display
02:59 - Roger Hynes's vintage receiver
05:40 - VK2BT Vintage Dick Smith kits
07:21 - Jim Rowe signal generator kit and Heathkit stuff
12:25 - VK2ZWD International 422 amplifier kit
16:19 - VK2EAH Hornet SSB CB radio
16:49 - EA Power Supply Kit
17:49 - DSE High Power Linear Amplifier kits and sailing story
20:51 - Gary Cratt VK2YBX and countless Dick Smith amateur radio kits he designed!
22:22 - Malcolm Faed VK2TMF Dick Smith Funway and Colin Mitchell's Talking Electronics
24:06 - Gav The Mechatronics Guy KIM-1 6502 kit
www.tinkerings.org
27:08 - Carmel VK2CAR Dick Smith advertising and vintage marketing artwork
34:41 - That time Dave tried to buy rights to the Dick Head!
39:39 - It took 55 years, but Dick Smith finally relents! (or has he won?)

Ed.Kloonk:
Is Jim Rowe still around?

EEVblog:

--- Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on April 05, 2023, 01:45:23 am ---Is Jim Rowe still around?

--- End quote ---

Yep, Dick mentioned him near the end of the video.
Dick wanted me to interview him and phoned him and tried to set it up, but unfortunately he declined. He's rather reclusive.

floobydust:
I just saw Jim Rowe's name on 2023 Practical Electronics projects (and John Clarke) so the electrons are still flowing  :)

I get mixed feelings about the video. Dick Smith kits did not make it to Canada that I know of despite us having our version of ETI International magazine up here. Might be the 15,500km trip.

On the one hand, a huge legacy and amazing DIY electronics in Australia, so many stores and products. Truly a legendary achievement that shapes a nation in a good way.
On the other hand, you see financial sharks, short sellers targeting big box retailers and sinking the ship in order to make huge profit. Maplin Electronics is another story of that.

The plan short sellers do - scoop up stock, borrow as much money as possible, then ruin the ship by fabricating doomsday press articles, opening new stores en mass, squandering cash etc.
Blame it all on the economy, weather, management failure, didn't adjust to changing market conditions blah blah when it was really the point all along- sabotage. I can't help wonder it's intentional on a larger scale.

We are left with ordering little pre-assembled boards from china that are too cheap for their own good, no documentation/instructions, unreliable poor designs.
What is the point of DIY electronics descending to that level? Nobody is learning much other than to post "whaaaa why doesn't it work?"

The only Dick Smith items I've seen were bushels of alkaline batteries, from the order of a 12 year supply yeah that wasn't intentionally steering towards an iceburg.

Did anything come of the Australian Senate Inquiry into the downfall?

EEVblog:

--- Quote from: floobydust on April 05, 2023, 07:26:46 pm ---Did anything come of the Australian Senate Inquiry into the downfall?

--- End quote ---

Didn't know there was one.
Someone made bank though:
https://www.dicksmithfairgo.com.au/dick-smith-greatest-private-equity-heist-time/

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