Re: Radio Shack?


"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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Karl Uppiano wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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Alison wrote:

Paul Bunion <Roddy9@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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I can't believe the looks I get lately when I want an electronic
part
from Radio Shack.

You try going into PC-World and asking for a DB9 female to female
gender
changer. I'm surprised the twat who I asked didn't call the police.
Now
if
I'd asked for a big shiny laptop I'm sure they'd have been all over me
whilst drooling at their mouths and making snorting heavy breathing
noises.


There is no such thing. The proper name is DE-9:

"D" is the connector type.
"E" is the shell size.
"9" is the number of positions for pins, no matter how many are
installed.

People ASS U ME that if the 25 pin is a DB connector, so is the 9
pin.


The SVGA monitor most people use has a HDE-15 connector

"H" is "High Density Connector"
"D" is the connector type.
"E" is the shell size.
"15" is the number of positions for pins, no matter how many are
installed.

Yes, there are idiots selling both of these under the wrong name, but
if you contact any manufacture or OEM distributor it will show that you
don't know what you're doing.

Ok, but DB9 is the "common" name for a nine-pin D-shell type connector. I
used to be an engineer at an electronics manufacturer that used lots of
DE-9
connectors. I suppose we all knew the proper name for it, but I don't
recall
anyone ever calling someone on the carpet for calling it a DB9. Even our
warehouse manager knew what we were talking about. If I ask for
"Kleenex",
most people know I need facial tissue.

The problem with sales people at most retailers is that they only know
how
to look in a book. If they don't find "DB9", they (and you) are screwed.
Perhaps the books should list common names, or do what Google and
Wikipedia
do when there isn't an exact match, and ask "did you mean... DE-9?"


Our stock room only knew the part by the company stock number. The
computer system listed it under the OEM part number and description,
which could be found on the BOM for any component, from any build
level. All subassemblies were in the XXX-XXX format, so anyone that had
been there a week or more could pull a BOM on a terminal and look up the
stock number.

As far as Wickis, they should try to teach the proper names and
descriptions. I have had Google suggest an alternate name or spelling,
with a lot more hits, even though I had the right name and spelling.
Just for fun, do a search for SCSI as "Small computer SERIAL interface"
and see just how many bad web pages describe a high speed parallel data
buss as a serial interface. Some are on university servers.

Wikipedia is very good about disambiguation. When I did a Wikipedia search
on "DB9 connector", I got this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DB9

DB9 or DB-9 may refer to:

Aston Martin DB9 British sports car.
DE-9 connector, a common type of D-subminiature electrical connector
(often mistakenly called DB-9).

I think that is *exactly* the correct response. That is how salespeople at
high tech outlets should be trained to respond.

Tell me the truth. If you had several people applying for a job. One
knew the proper names of a pile of components spread out on the table,
wouldn't you think they knew more of what they were doing, and that they
could be taught new things easier than the vague type who says "Its a
got a couple thingamajigs, and fourteen doohickeys?"

I'm not a terminology nazi. I would not disqualify a candidate if they
called a DE-9 a DB9, if on balance, they knew their stuff. They get extra
points if they say "It's a DE-9, often mistakenly called DB-9".

Any day you don't learn SOMETHING, was wasted.

I have no problem with that.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Radio Shack?
    ... When I did a Wikipedia search ... DB9 or DB-9 may refer to: ... DE-9 connector, a common type of D-subminiature electrical connector ... (often mistakenly called DB-9). ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: Radio Shack?
    ... You try going into PC-World and asking for a DB9 female to female gender ... The proper name is DE-9: ... People ASS U ME that if the 25 pin is a DB connector, ... "15" is the number of positions for pins, ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: Radio Shack?
    ... DB9 or DB-9 may refer to: ... DE-9 connector, a common type of D-subminiature electrical connector ... (often mistakenly called DB-9). ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: Radio Shack?
    ... Wikipedia is very good about disambiguation. ... DB9 or DB-9 may refer to: ... DE-9 connector, a common type of D-subminiature electrical connector ... (often mistakenly called DB-9). ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: Radio Shack?
    ... You try going into PC-World and asking for a DB9 female to female gender ... People ASS U ME that if the 25 pin is a DB connector, ... "15" is the number of positions for pins, ...
    (sci.electronics)