Radio Shack was truly the best, despite their 70s name.
The logo looks very 70s, but the name is a reference to the HAM radio enthusiasts that built a shack to house the radio equipment as to avoid disturbing their family with all the noise during the evening and nights. Many of the things they needed were not built as components you could readily buy (or buy inexpensively) so many built their accessory components and the radio itself from kits.
When something failed they had all the solid state components right there an ready to solder in. (Many of which were desoldered from other salvaged televisions and radios. To fill in any gaps in their parts they would order by mail additional resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, rheostats, you name it even various vacuum tubes)
Then along came Radio Shack and the electronics hobbyist was in heaven, and the stores were stocked with everything you would ever need and staffed with employees that were often hobbyists as well so that you didn't need to explain yourself. Seems like a lifetime ago now.
Anyway, here is diagram of a radio shack
Not to be confused with other types of shacks.
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