AES going under.

[w2amr]

http://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com/2016/07/amateur-electronic-supply-aes-going-out.html?spref=tw&m=1

[N8YX]

They'll join a number of other equipment distributors which are no longer with us.

Used to buy from them a lot...but the later iterations of their website made that process difficult.

[W2NAP]

i mainly buy from R+L down in Hamilton,OH. they seem to have the lowest prices for the most part

[n6hcm]

i've been licensed for more than ten years and i've never been in a retail store that specialized in ham equipment.

more annoying: i was in orlando earlier in the week and i could have taken an hour to see such a thing ...

[KC2UGV]

Nothing on AES's site. Not buying it.

[W3WN]

I did a little checking last night. It appears that the CQ Newsdesk item comes from someone's post on one of the VHF forums. There is also a single post on one of the eHam threads under the Company Review forums, from KD8MJR, that alleges that a call was made to a store (which one? when?) and the story confirmed by one employee (who?), who said that he thought the current owner was "tired" of being in the Amateur Radio business.

( Considering who made the post, it's conceivable that he called Wickliffe. That is mere SPECULATION on my part, though, not fact )

As of 10 AM EDT, still nothing on the AES website. HOWEVER, the "Upcoming Events" calendar does not progress past July 2016.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it plausible? Yes. Is it true? [ insert sound of crickets chirping ]

Now you'd think by now that the stores would be fielding calls from hams asking that same question, and that some of those hams would have posted, somewhere, what they were told. Nothing beyond the one eHam post yesterday.

[W3WN]

Looks like it's official...

http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-electronic-supply-closing-after-59-years-in-business

[XE1/N5AL]

I hope they will stick around for awhile. I remember an Atlanta area furniture store that had a "Going Out of Business" sale which lasted for decades.

[W3WN]

There was a swimsuit/t-shirt chain in OCMD, a few years back, that had signs in all their windows...

GOING OUT
for
BUSINESS

The fonts were more exaggerated. of course, but you get the idea.

No, I have a feeling that AES isn't going to last that long.

I have mixed feelings about it. I hate to see any long-time retailer go. OTOH...

I still remember the first new rig I bought from them... a Regency HR-2B crystal controlled 2 meter FM rig. I called Wickliffe to make sure they were in stock (don't recall now if they were on "special" or "closeout" ) and that the crystals I wanted were in stock. Was assured that they were, and once funds were received, I'd have everything the next day. Sent them a check (no, I didn't have a credit card then) for the full amount. Rig came over 2 weeks later. From Milwaukee. With a handful of crystals (and no pairs for any active repeaters) and a bunch of crystal certificates to send in to Bowmar in NJ. So the rig was essentially useless until the crystals came, which wasn't until something like 6 months later. I called Wickliffe to complain and try and get my money back for the certificates (obviously before I sent them in), store manager at the time agreed that I'd been lied to and promises were broken, but... all sales final. Sorry kid.

Several years later, I needed to replace my 40 meter hamstick -- I'd driven back to NJ to visit my Dad for Father's Day, and some kids who were "playing" in the parking lot got curious, and snapped it off at the base (I saw it happen, Dad saw it, the kids father denied that they were near my van... nothing I could do at the time). Called Wickliffe the following Monday, had them ship it to my workplace so that I'd have it in time to run mobile during FD. Antenna never arrived. They claimed that work had returned it as undeliverable. Work mail room said that they never got a delivery for me, and why would they return it?

OTOH, the TS-120 that I ran mobile in that van came from AES Wickliffe. Good price, good rig. Lasted through two vans and the breakup of my first marriage. Only sold it when it was sitting for too long and I had no plans for HF mobile in the future... for what I paid for it. I'd also been in the store a couple of times. Very strange building; it looked like an old A&P that they'd cordoned the bulk of off for a warehouse, with a small walk-in area up front. Nice people, face to face. Never had an issue, but they always did seem more interested in the telephone orders than the customers at their counter.

[w2amr]

I bought a few used rigs from them over the years. They always stood behind everything they sold.

[n0km]

My first rig that I purchased from them was a used Heath HW-16 (1974) . Bought from them several times through the years, had good support from the Milwaukee and Las Vegas stores.

[koØm]

i mainly buy from R+L down in Hamilton,OH. they seem to have the lowest prices for the most part

Haven't seen Rita in quite a while, next time you are in the store, tell Larry I said, "Hello".

.

[W3WN]

Well, I guess you all heard or read the latest by now, but in case you didn't...

HRO is hiring many soon-to-be-ex AES employees, some of whom will be relocated. They're taking over the AES web site and 800 numbers as of the closing, and will honor existing warranties. AND, the AES Milwuakee location will be remodeled and become a new HRO location.

While the news release (on HRO's site, link to it from the ARRL's news blurb, sorry I don't have the link handy at the moment) doesn't explicitly mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if HRO buys up the remaining AES inventory as well.

[KG4CGC]

Well, I guess you all heard or read the latest by now, but in case you didn't...

HRO is hiring many soon-to-be-ex AES employees, some of whom will be relocated. They're taking over the AES web site and 800 numbers as of the closing, and will honor existing warranties. AND, the AES Milwuakee location will be remodeled and become a new HRO location.

While the news release (on HRO's site, link to it from the ARRL's news blurb, sorry I don't have the link handy at the moment) doesn't explicitly mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if HRO buys up the remaining AES inventory as well.

I was thinking this would be a perfect business arrangement. Now let's move on to the conspiracy theories.

[NQ6U]

I was thinking this would be a perfect business arrangement. Now let's move on to the conspiracy theories.

Obama gonna take our radios!

[KG4CGC]

I was thinking more along the lines of, who's got dirt on whom?

[WZ7U]

Or pictures of someone with a goat.....

[KD8TUT]

Well, I guess you all heard or read the latest by now, but in case you didn't...

HRO is hiring many soon-to-be-ex AES employees, some of whom will be relocated. They're taking over the AES web site and 800 numbers as of the closing, and will honor existing warranties. AND, the AES Milwuakee location will be remodeled and become a new HRO location.

While the news release (on HRO's site, link to it from the ARRL's news blurb, sorry I don't have the link handy at the moment) doesn't explicitly mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if HRO buys up the remaining AES inventory as well.

I wish it had been HRO going under and AES acquiring them.

Had a hard time with HRO- stopped doing business with them.

[kb2vxa]

Once upon a time the HRO franchise in Newark, DE where I went to avoid sales tax was owned and operated by hams, each and every one of them. One day I discovered that had all changed, but having done my homework and had a specific item in mind I was unaffected by what had become Radio Shack, "At HRO you have questions, we have blank stares."
"...stopped doing business with them."
I did too only because a paper ham has no need for antennas or radios. @#$%^&!!!

[NQ6U]

Or pictures of someone with a goat.....

What?? Eddie doesn't work for AES…

[WZ7U]

Where IS that damn "like" button when you need it?

[kb2vxa]

What is it you like, Eddie or the goat?

[WZ7U]

The button. It's always about the button.

[kb2vxa]

Which button?

[WZ7U]

Take both for $200 Alex

[WØTKX]

I wish it had been HRO going under and AES acquiring them.

Had a hard time with HRO- stopped doing business with them.

They have been OK with me personally, but I've witnessed some "you're too stupid" behavior to newbs in the past.

Meh, I'm known locally as a "flaming librul". I dig the hobby, but I'm sick and tired of the mean spirited shit.

[KD8TUT]

They have been OK with me personally, but I've witnessed some "you're too stupid" behavior to newbs in the past.

Meh, I'm known locally as a "flaming librul". I dig the hobby, but I'm sick and tired of the mean spirited shit.

They tried to screw me on an order and took over a year to get me a back ordered item. While the guys who worked at AES were usually in a coma and sat like petrified wood- they never tried to screw me.

So for me- it's a net loss... or maybe a big nothing that HRO is picking up parts of them. I stopped doing business with AES and HRO early in my ham career and moved my business to Gigaparts and DX Engineering.

Though I agree with you about "mean spirited shit". Pretty tired of it. Thankfully I've not seem it on the air because I spin the dial when I hear it. Or work exotic digi modes that lids can figure out.

[kb2vxa]

As far as the mean spirited shit goes, until I became a paper ham I listened to HF for more years than I can count and in 1999-2000 operated at K2PG never having any problem with it, that's what a VFO is for. Besides the CW crowd the other one that hasn't a mean spirit in their ghostly forms are the AM Gangstas. Not only that, they're not only a very cool bunch, but many are engineers and every one really knows his stuff. They're on the extreme opposite end of the scale from those plug n' play hams that can't fathom 496/f(MHz).

That having been said, there are those digi modes the lids can't figure out in movie soundtracks too. I'm sure that you like I have been hearing RTTY for many years, but there are two new kids on the block, have you heard Olivia or Piccolo yet?

[KD8TUT]

As far as the mean spirited shit goes, until I became a paper ham I listened to HF for more years than I can count and in 1999-2000 operated at K2PG never having any problem with it, that's what a VFO is for. Besides the CW crowd the other one that hasn't a mean spirit in their ghostly forms are the AM Gangstas. Not only that, they're not only a very cool bunch, but many are engineers and every one really knows his stuff. They're on the extreme opposite end of the scale from those plug n' play hams that can't fathom 496/f(MHz).

That having been said, there are those digi modes the lids can't figure out in movie soundtracks too. I'm sure that you like I have been hearing RTTY for many years, but there are two new kids on the block, have you heard Olivia or Piccolo yet?

I run weak signal Olivia almost exclusively. Made two NZ contacts in the last 12 months with 25w.

Running a very exotic audio chain with adaptive predistortion with multiple softwares for encode/decode.

Could care less about RTTY.

[WØTKX]

Olivia seems to be popular with folks that like to have a conversation. Same with the SKCC CW folks.

And AM, hell yea. I get lots of compliments on my presumed "plate modulated audio".

Then I tell 'em I'm running a Flex 3000. Lulz.

[KD8TUT]

Olivia seems to be popular with folks that like to have a conversation. Same with the SKCC CW folks.

And AM, hell yea. I get lots of compliments on my presumed "plate modulated audio".

Then I tell 'em I'm running a Flex 3000. Lulz.

Yes it is a conversational mode. Also, Olivia is one of those modes that you have to want to use- not a massive amount of activity.

The lid factor seems lower as well. I like it.

[KG4NEL]

I'd like to get more into AM, but fer f's sake...I swear some of those guys starting talking in 1972 and haven't stopped since.

[KG4CGC]

I'd like to get more into AM, but fer f's sake...I swear some of those guys starting talking in 1972 and haven't stopped since.

The hotter the tubes get, the more warm glow they get out of their modulation. I've heard guys talk non stop upwards of 20 minutes for exactly the reason I stated.

[K7SGJ]

What?? Eddie doesn't work for AES…


I don't get it. I even burned the negative.

[WX7P]

Olivia seems to be popular with folks that like to have a conversation. Same with the SKCC CW folks.

And AM, hell yea. I get lots of compliments on my presumed "plate modulated audio".

Then I tell 'em I'm running a Flex 3000. Lulz.

What's Olivia?

[WZ7U]

What's Olivia?

Perhaps this will help?

http://www.oliviamode.com

In all fairness, I haven't tried it yet due to too much other stuff going on, but it is on my to do list for 2016.

[WØTKX]

What's Olivia?

YADM, Yet Another Digital Mode.

A hell of a lot faster than the slow "JT" modes, so it's more conversational.

[NQ6U]

I never saw the point of Olivia. It's true that it's faster than PSK-31, but the latter is as fast as I can type anyhow and uses less bandwidth.

[KD8TUT]

I never saw the point of Olivia. It's true that it's faster than PSK-31, but the latter is as fast as I can type anyhow and uses less bandwidth.

Error correction.

Olivia can decode signals 13db below the noise level.

[W3WN]

What's Olivia?Olive Oyl's formal first name.

[N8YX]

The hotter the tubes get, the more warm glow they get out of their modulation. I've heard guys talk non stop upwards of 20 minutes for exactly the reason I stated.

See my sig line. :lol:

My current station layout is an interesting mix of old toob hybrids for working SSB and AM, and later-model Ten Tec gear (computer controllable) for all of the digi-modes, including CW. The Paragons need a bit of work (meter light replacement, one won't receive below 2MHz) and the purchase of N4PY software plus another sound-card interface before they're fully integrated. When done, I can work KB modes from my office desk via remote control - can't very well do that with 'fone.

[kb2vxa]

Part of AM Gangsta shit is the old buzzard transmission with a purpose. High power glass transmitting toobz have a getter coating on the anode that needs to glow hot in order to operate. Unless they get that warm glow they go gassy and you know what that means, "Since I blew my final, I found a new place to dwell, down at the end of Yellowy Street at Piss Weak Hotel." That's Piss Weak Hotel with music by The Jordanares and lyrics by Steve "The Huz Man" WB3HUZ.

Gassy, that sounds like me.

[WZ7U]

Poot