Sorry but Fakebook would be the last source I'd ever trust for information. :lol: 73, n9zas
Another one bites the dust...AES closing...
- Thread starter K2KOH
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KC4RAF
Member
Man, this is sad news.
I've bought from the AES store in Orlando many times. They were always great to do business with. RIP AES.
I've bought from the AES store in Orlando many times. They were always great to do business with. RIP AES.
kg7ka
Newbie
AES closing
Stop the rumor. It ain't true!!!!!!!
Stop the rumor. It ain't true!!!!!!!
Well then, the ARRL is contributing to the rumor.
Amateur Electronic Supply Closing after 59 Years in Business
Bill WB4WTN
Amateur Electronic Supply Closing after 59 Years in Business
Bill WB4WTN
There's the credible source. Damn
kg7ka
Newbie
AES closing
When called on the phone an employee denied it. Guess he lied or did not know he is losing his job. Thanks for qouting the source. Hope it's not a hoax.
When called on the phone an employee denied it. Guess he lied or did not know he is losing his job. Thanks for qouting the source. Hope it's not a hoax.
902
Member
Well... there goes my reason to ever go into Orlando.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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I would expect that the sales of these cheap throw away radios have put a huge dent in the Yaesu/Icom/Kenwood VHF/UHF FM sales. There are also some cheap HF radios being marketed. There are so many additional negative forces at work that it would seem the Ham radio biz is under a lot of strain. I am surprised they didn't keep the Milwaukee operation and mail order going and simply close the satellite stores. This may mean the owners were running in the red and hoping for some time. This will cost QST a lot of advertising cash. Maybe they can fill the pages with more construction articles!
RFI-EMI-GUY
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I made the journey from Hammond, Indiana to Milwaukee, Wisconsin four times over a period of about six years. Each time I spent more than I planned on, but when you can touch and fondle it (er, I mean try it out)... 
The trip up and back was exhausting since the shortest route is right through downtown Chicago, and I always managed to hit rush hour on the way back, turning what should have been a 2.5 hour trip into a four to five hour ordeal!
I ordered a bunch of antennas and assorted odds-and-ends from them over the years, but honestly they had become way overpriced on many things. Actually, they couldn't afford to price match other sources such as Amazon or HRO for many things because of their overhead expenses of four brick-and-mortar stores, salaries, insurance, etc.
The trip up and back was exhausting since the shortest route is right through downtown Chicago, and I always managed to hit rush hour on the way back, turning what should have been a 2.5 hour trip into a four to five hour ordeal!
I ordered a bunch of antennas and assorted odds-and-ends from them over the years, but honestly they had become way overpriced on many things. Actually, they couldn't afford to price match other sources such as Amazon or HRO for many things because of their overhead expenses of four brick-and-mortar stores, salaries, insurance, etc.
I made the journey from Hammond, Indiana to Milwaukee, Wisconsin four times over a period of about six years. Each time I spent more than I planned on, but when you can touch and fondle it (er, I mean try it out)...
That's nuthun, I used to hold up the AES catalog with one hand.....
prcguy
prcguy
I made the journey from Hammond, Indiana to Milwaukee, Wisconsin four times over a period of about six years. Each time I spent more than I planned on, but when you can touch and fondle it (er, I mean try it out)...
Not sure I follow your logic. HRO has 13 brick and mortar stores, yet they are able to price their goods competitively with other legitimate on-line resellers.
This is a singular observation: During Dayton Hamvention weekend, I price-shopped a few amateur radio items among seven on-line resellers plus Amazon.com. AES's prices were competitive. Not always the lowest, but not always the highest.
I don't want to speculate as to why AES is closing. However, we have seen many cases where a successful business is started by energetic and passionate people only to suffer and eventually close when the founders retire or die and the business ends up in the hands of less energetic and passionate people. AES was founded by Terry Sterman in 1957. In 1998, Sterman, who was in poor health, sold the business. AES was then led by Ray Grenier who retired in 2013. Now, three years later, the business is closing. You can draw your own conclusions.
The article on the ARRL web site has a little more background and detail than the CQ article:
Amateur Electronic Supply Closing after 59 Years in Business
AES Closing
I did business with them for over thirty years that was until they changed their website with no advance notice to their customers. I spent hours the weekend before putting together a laundry list of very specific equipment, antennas and accessories only to wake up to an email that announced that our ID's and history were wiped off the online site and that we'd have to re-register. I lost all that work and on top of it they didn't even care that they wiped out their customer's ID's. I called them twice and left messages and then wrote them an email - no response. Thirty year customer and zip zero response from their management.
Well, we do have choices and, despite taking on the sales tax I moved all my business to HRO and never looked back.
It's very sad that they are out of business but I look to their management for why they are in the position of closing at this point.
I feel terrible for the many wonderful AES employees.
I did business with them for over thirty years that was until they changed their website with no advance notice to their customers. I spent hours the weekend before putting together a laundry list of very specific equipment, antennas and accessories only to wake up to an email that announced that our ID's and history were wiped off the online site and that we'd have to re-register. I lost all that work and on top of it they didn't even care that they wiped out their customer's ID's. I called them twice and left messages and then wrote them an email - no response. Thirty year customer and zip zero response from their management.
Well, we do have choices and, despite taking on the sales tax I moved all my business to HRO and never looked back.
It's very sad that they are out of business but I look to their management for why they are in the position of closing at this point.
I feel terrible for the many wonderful AES employees.
902
Member
I loath the drive down I-4, but I was hoping the wife and kids would have some kind of near-by cultural event and I could take Sun Rail in (I don't really know where it stops) and then walk a few blocks over to AES and play. I've made a few impulse buys there. Mostly antennas and books that I would not have bought had I not seen them on the shelf. But if I had to buy equipment, I'd buy it online from a place that wasn't going to add on various charges. Being a brick and mortar store front is a disadvantage that way.
It was pretty nice to be able to say to my older son, "There's nothing to do today, let's take a ride!" then end up there, and maybe Skycraft on the way back. At least Skyjunk is still there.
I'm searching for a squirrel cage blower for my furnace/air conditioner air handler. It went at about 4 AM this morning. Planet Surplus doesn't have any, so I may end up at Skycraft sometime this weekend hoping they have a high-CFM blower assembly somewhere in there.
Very, very sad indeed. I live in Georgia, not too far from HRO. I go there to look and play, but more often than not bought from AES in Orlando. Usually better price than HRO, always shipped the same day, shipping expenses were very reasonable, no tax. In the many years I purchased from AES, I never had a single problem with any transaction from them. It's very sad to see them go. That leaves only one big box store, HRO. Can you pronounce monopoly? Let's see what happens with HRO's prices now.
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