# Risky Components and Hardware Innovation - Slipshod Shack Shutdown

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2014-08-06
- Length: 1h 12m
- Episode: 210
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/210-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown/

## Summary

Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the high cost and long lead times of sourcing precision resistors for Jones's EEVblog microcurrent source, highlighting the risk mitigation value of buying tested components. They analyze the shutdown of Radio Shack and the failure of brick-and-mortar electronics retailers in the online era, while also touching on Tesla's partnership with Panasonic for battery manufacturing. The conversation concludes with a technical deep dive into TI's FlyBuck isolated power topology and a debate on the lack of standardized schematic drawing conventions.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=0) Introduction and Podcast Anniversary
- [4:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=257) Sourcing Risks and Resistor Lead Times
- [7:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=450) Hardware Innovation Trends and PCB Services
- [17:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=1032) Simulation Tools and Spice Limitations
- [33:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=2027) Radio Shack Shutdown and Retail Decline
- [40:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=2421) Tesla, Panasonic, and Battery Scale
- [48:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=2884) PCB Printers vs. Professional Manufacturing
- [52:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=3168) TI FlyBuck Isolated Power Topology
- [1:00:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown#t=3648) Schematic Standards and Legacy Notation

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- DigiKey (company)
- Radio Shack (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Panasonic (company)
- TI (company)
- LM5017 (chip)
- LTSpice (tool)
- KiCad (tool)
- Osh Park (company)
- Breadboardkiller (company)
- Heathkit (company)
- IBM (company)
- Samsung (company)
- Cartesian Co. (company)
- SparkFun (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [For Want of a Resistor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-09-16-for-want-of-a-resistor) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Passing Storm or New Normal? How Should We Think of Today's Electronics Supply Chain?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-11-22-passing-storm-or-new-normal-how-should-we-think-of-todays-electronics-supply-cha) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Ep013: Naked Components, Shocking Power Supplies, Eye-Popping Clock, And The Hackaday Prize](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-04-05-ep013-naked-components-shocking-power-supplies-eye-popping-clock-and-the-hackada) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [360: Cats Love It!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-01-29-360-cats-love-it) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-10-14-the-spark-gap-episode-41) (The Spark Gap)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-08-06-risky-components-and-hardware-innovation-slipshod-shack-shutdown. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.