Berwyn Talk Forum

Community Chat => Local Area Business => Topic started by: scungili on November 18, 2010, 07:01:46 AM

Title: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: scungili on November 18, 2010, 07:01:46 AM
Anybody know a place around here to buy switches - pots - resistors - etc etc ?

Radio Shack carries more phone & gadget stock than electronic parts these days and I know there's Fry's in Downers, but I'm wondering if there's still a small Electronic Repair/Supply shop in this Berwyn-Cicero-OP-Stickney area where I could buy a few things.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: HKay on November 18, 2010, 10:27:28 AM
Start calling: http://bit.ly/b6U2Gr If Newark has it local you can do a will call. PM Me with what you are looking for. I might have some of it on hand.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: Phil on November 18, 2010, 10:46:38 AM
Anyone remember BB&W Electronics? I think they were around Cermak and Oak Park?  They were a great electronics part store. My favorite was Spectronics in Oak Park. It was a Ham Radio/ Shortwave Radio Shop. I would spend hours in there. Sadly both closed in the mid 80's.  :'( :'( :'(

You might want to also try this place. http://www.mdmradio.com. They had a shop on Roosevelt Rd around Harlem  a few years ago.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: dualref on February 13, 2013, 04:07:29 AM
 Yes, I remember BB&W electronics. I think they were on Euclid, one/quarter block north of Cermak.  I don't know how they crammed in all the stuff they had in that little building. I used to buy radio parts there and when my parents got their first color TV we bought a Winegard antenna from BB&W.

I looked the place up on Google maps earlier and it looks like the building it was in is gone. They now have parking behind the shops on Cermak like they do in Cicero. It looks like a few apt buildings were demolished while creating this parking strip.  What year was that done?
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: OakParkSpartan on February 13, 2013, 09:33:07 AM
That strip (the Vacin Fairway) is where the old El used to run.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: dualref on February 13, 2013, 01:18:36 PM
The CTA "L" train stopped at 54th in Cicero. I don't believe it ever went as far as Berwyn.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: dualref on February 13, 2013, 01:24:55 PM
The CTA "L" train stopped at 54th in Cicero. I don't believe it ever went as far as Berwyn.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: dukesdad on February 13, 2013, 02:07:11 PM
The "el" ran to Oak Park Ave.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: berwyn senator on February 13, 2013, 04:53:08 PM
When I was a kid the tracks remained along with the brick streets,I don't believe they removed anything just paved over the brick and tracks. That area became very controversial maybe 60's when I believe the government was looking for land to build low income housing in Berwyn and Cicero.The Towns purchased the properties  resulting in what is there today,I really don't recall all the specifics.
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: berwynson on February 13, 2013, 06:41:46 PM
Quote from: dukesdad on February 13, 2013, 02:07:11 PM
The "el" ran to Oak Park Ave.

This is true. When I was very small, our street (Harvey), had a shack at the El track crossing, and an old guy watched over the pedestrians.  I don't recall gates, but there surely had to be some there. A station stop was still located on Lombard then. This was maybe when I was 4 or 5; within a few years, the route was terminated at, I think, Laramie. We had to take a bus there to get on the El to go downtown.

The "third rail" was obviously visible at all the crossings, it stopped perhaps 30 or 40 feet short of the crossing sidewalk. I never heard of any kid or adult injured or killed by the third rail, though I knew for sure it was a lethal encounter for living things to touch it! Some had seen dogs killed by it. Our neighbor, Mrs. Conrad, had a brother who lived with them, worked for the El, conductor, I think, was killed when he fell off a platfporm, or car, onto the third rail. I believe they used 600 Volts D.C. In winter, icy or wet conditions caused lots of brilliant sparks as the contact "shoes" ran over them, a display certain to get a kid's attention!   berwynson
Title: Re: Electronic Parts store?
Post by: berwyn senator on February 14, 2013, 12:16:37 PM
Which were the tracks that ran into Riverside along Desplains Ave. to Woodside?