[XCSSA] ATEX going out of business, electronics kits

[xcssa@xcssa.org]

On Tuesday 11 July 2006 21:51, xcssa-admin@xcssa.org wrote:
> Tweeks,
>
> A long. Long, long time ago (1981-82 +/-), way before I met you, I stumbled
> on this tiny treasure trove of electronic wonder, ALTEX Electronics. It was
> a 15x40 foot space in the larger building at the corner of Sunset Road &
> Jones Maltsberger. 

Wow!  What a great SA history lesson!  Thanx Matt!  That was Wikipedia worthy! 
hehe



> Rheinert (the eccentric semi-conductor wizard from germany), 
> > I had a, um, nice lecture from Rheinert about DIN connectors one  
> > time.  "You know zat stands for Deutsch Industrie Norm, zat means zat  
> > it comes from Germany..."

Hehe.. yeah.. I once had a lecture from him on how in Nazi Germany (must have 
been post-Nazi Germany I imagine) he worked on TV transmitters that they used 
to re-socialize the people -- and that TV is the government's tool for 
brainwashing the masses and keeping them in line, so he refuses to own one.  
Wow.. pretty interesting perspective!  Plus yeah... Rheinert "schooled me" a 
couple of times on the advantages of open collector TTL design.. hehe..

> clear for years that business could be better, then they down-sized and
> moved to Broadway. It's sad to see them go. It was a great ride, with a
> great bunch of folks, and I'll miss them all.

Crap... yeah.. really.  I would go for specific parts.. but find myself 
browsing for hours if I was not careful.. checking out all the cool military 
and aircraft surplus parts.. transformers and power supplies.  Cool stuff.  
You could learn just by browsing! Very cool place.


> For components anymore, I rely on my Mouser catalog sitting on my bench. If
> I need anything I just call, order, and they deliver in short order. 

Still though.. Mail order can never compete with taking a strange connector or 
plug down to ATex and fiddling with what they have there in their long 
cardboard bins... ahh memories.. I never thought they would actually be 
gone.. bummer.

> Yeah, old school; didn't know me from Adam, sent me stuff, then sent me a
> bill. In the mail! Like it was 1954 all over again. For that alone I buy
> almost everything from them.

Cool.. I'll keep that in mind.. I've been a digikey man up to now.. But I see 
that mouser's catalog had really grown.  I'll give them another shot next 
time.


> If you need stuff locally your best bet is InterTex Electronics. Remember
> Mike from Mexico & Mimi from above? These ALTEX alumni split off 6-7 years
> ago and started InterTex Electronics, currently located in the old
> ELECTROTEX location (see above) Capitalizing on their fluency in the
> Spanish language they specialize on international orders to Mexico and
> South America, but do maintain a showroom and a fairly large local
> inventory of new & surplus semiconductors, IC's, etc (now certainly the
> best in SA). 

Cool!  This them then?
	http://tinyurl.com/ok7t9
	http://www.intertexelectronics.com/

Cool!  Looks promising!



> I haven't been there in a year or so, hope they're still in 
> business.

Me too!  Thanks for all the great info (and memories) Matt. :)

Tweeks