AES going under.

[w2amr]

http://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com/2016/...l?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

[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".

.

[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-ele...rs-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.