Barry Electronics

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Dec 242008
 



Check out this little gem: a ham radio store in the heart of New York City! It’s called Barry Electronics, and you’ll be forgiven if you’ve never heard of it, since they don’t have a website, or a sign, and as far as I know they don’t advertise anywhere. What they do have is an ample stock of Yaesu and Icom radios, various aftermarket antennas, several shelves of radio books, and a bunch of other ham equipment. According to the proprietor (appropriately named Jonathan), most of their business is in commercial Motorola VHF/UHF radios, but most of their showroom is dedicated to ham equipment because the corporate customers aren’t interested in window shopping. If you want to visit, they’re at 224 W. 35th St. (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Suite 408.

  • http://www.johnsmetaldetectors.com Wirechief

    I am glad to see the Resistors promoting Ham Radio. I have heard of this shop before and I am in West Texas. I have been a Ham almost 26 years. I love HF operating with CW. Also building QRP rigs and putting them on the air is really rewarding! It’s a cool hobby. Thanks Resistors, wish I were there. Be safe everyone.

    John the Wirechief, CET,KA5QYR

    • Bill

      I worked at Barrys in the early 1980's alongside Jack and Kitty. They had a TON of surplus Radio Equipment, Microwave galore
      We specialized in Ham Radio ONLY!! Cellular was just a dream. But before iI left Kitty started with cellular .

      How is Kitty

  • http://brepettis.com bre

    Wow, I used to live really close to there for a while and never knew about this spot!

  • Tyler

    Well this is exactly what I needed, BUT I don’t live in new york or the east for that matter. without a website I have no way of getting anything shipped im sure. UHGGG well any way Happy Holidays NYCR!

  • http://www.parmet.net/pr David Parmet

    I love this store – I didn’t realize they had moved from their 2nd ave location.

    Ham radio is the shiznits. Glad to see some love from the NYC Resistors

  • http://wwward.typepad.com William Ward

    Ok, this is the icing on the cake – I already live next to B&H Photo Video. Looks like I’ll be dropping by soon. Thanks for pointing this out!

    Bill

  • thetypist

    I used to shop at Barry Electronics when they were on Broadway in NOHO. Back in the day, there were several bona fide ham radio stores in NYC: incl. Harrison Radio, Arrow and Barry. Nice to see Barry’s still around! (As a kid ham, I recall speaking to the eponymous Barry on-the-air; I think he died tragically in a boating accident.)

    There’s something preternaturally comforting about ham radio/electronics stores. Fortunately, my wife feels the same way.

    • wwward

      Barry’s needs a website.

  • http://www.bartizan.com Lou Leonard

    It amazes me that Barry Electronics still exists in some incarnation. I remember, as a new ham operator in 1970, visiting “Barry” on Broadway and meeting Barry Gensler, himself. The store was filled with
    all kinds of great surplus – some dating back to WW2.
    The place was packed “to the gills” and Barry had to
    crawl through layers of stuff just to find what I
    wanted. Along with him were Kitty, his wife and her
    father, an old navy codger who liked to tell tall
    tales about everything(nothing believable!). In 1974,
    Barry was killed in a boating accident. Kitty moved the store up a couple of blocks and got rid of the
    surplus that Barry seemed to treasure. After that, the
    store was strictly new amateur and commercial radio
    equipment. Barry used to advertise regularly to the
    radio trade when I was a young. It’s too bad they are
    now so low-profile. Nice to know they still exist
    after the electronics centers of Radio Row, Canal
    Street and 45th Street have long since disappeared.

  • Pierre F. Lherisson-KC2JWF

    Barry Electronics [ B/E ]manages to stay in business despite the progressive decline in radio amateur that started in the 1990′s.

    The store had > 10 employees during the 1980′s and numerous customers. Last week,I visited B/E at its new location: 224 West 35th St,Rm # 408, NYC; I discovered that B/E has one employee. Nevertheless, B/E perennial courteousness and high standard remains unflinching.

    I believe that the emergence of the Cellular telephone and the internet are the contributing factors to the dwindling interest in radio amateur.

    People failed to realize that if the power grid is disrupted by natural disaster or by man made mischief, most of the cell phones and the internet would be inoperative. Amateur radio operators usually provides the emergency back up during calamity. Consequently,privates and public institutions should foster and promote radio amateur hobby in the the interest of the public.

  • Roger Elowitz

    I was employed as a counter salesman at Barry over the summer of 1968. For me, it culminated a long string of counter sales jobs at Airex Radio, Arrow Electronics, Terminal Hudson Electronics and Harrison Radio. Those were fun days working in the Radio Row area. Barry Electronics was a very special place. It was a “junkies” paradise and you could always get better buys at Barry’s than you could get elsewhere. BTW… Kitty’s dad’s name was Sam.

    K2JAS

    • drmarkl

      Kitty's father's name was Jack.

  • Roger Elowitz

    I forgot to mention above that Barry’s original location was at 512 Broadway,NYC 12, NY- one flight up. His old phone number was WAtkins 5-7000. No! I didn’t remember this information… I just looked up my old records.

    K2JAS

  • Auxil Benevosoc

    I made one trip to Barry’s on August 7, 1992 and bought a big paperback national directory of public service radio frequencies and several regional volumes. I still have the business card, Barry Electronics Corp., 512 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012 Telex 12-7670 We Ship Worldwide.
    Does Barry’s still exist and where is it?

  • Bob

    I had visited Barry's a few times when they were on B'way. They were way overpriced with lousy service. The sales reps were horrible and moving toward commercial radios is to the hams' advantage. I try to patronize local stores but they made that idea foolish unless you're a sucker who likes to be neglected by the sales person.

  • http://www.galaxyhandbags.com/ gucci bag

    Motorola VHF/UHF radios, but most of their showroom is dedicated to ham equipment because the corporate customers aren’t interested in window shopping. If you want to visit, they’re at 224 W. 35th St. (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Suite 408.

  • http://www.galaxyhandbags.com/ gucci bag

    Motorola VHF/UHF radios, but most of their showroom is dedicated to ham equipment because the corporate customers aren’t interested in window shopping. If you want to visit, they’re at 224 W. 35th St. (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Suite 408.

  • drmarkl

    I worked at Barry Electronics when they were at 512 Broadway from 1971 – 74 while I was in High School. We had the largest stock of electronic tubes in the country. Barry was still alive, Rene ran shipping, Jack and I worked the counter. Barry was one of the most miserable people I've ever known. Long live the Barry Green Sheet.

  • mauricehoudou

    Boy, Reading Lou Leonard's Comments Below, about Barry Electronic, Harrisson Radio, Arrow Electronic, Lafayette Radio near Sunyside Queen and a few that I forgot, Lou brought me back to my Youth when I was Twenty Eight, brand new in the USA with an unvalid French Ham License FA9RZ … could not get my US Ham license :( you had to be five years in the country and Citizen to get it) Barely speacking English but hanging out in Radio Raw the mouth open… I was destroyed when they build the Twin Towels ” WTC ” in the spot… Hey, things changes, but is it for the best?
    –… …– WB2IAH

  • Fred

    Hello , I must be really getting old ,but what happen to Barry Electronics store in 512 broadway . I remember talking to Barry the owner and his wife Kitty and sorry to say that Barry died in a boating accident and kitty took over the Store however I just never knew what happen and wonder if their children took over in their place. if you can shed light it would be nice . Fred .
    KB2ELH Thankyou

  • Magouyeur

    Shop for your radio stuff online because it is cheaper than at this current store at West 35th Street in Manhattan. They overcharge for everything. The current owner lack honesty.

  • Juul – ham: Pe0gjg

    Hi There, I was at the store long time ago……….in 1976 when I was in NY. I bought the Bird 43 meter at the store. He’s still working!

    greetings from The Netherlands

    Juul – my HAM licence PE0GJG

  • Tao2k4

    I got my Novice ticket at Barry Radio, I’ll never forget it.  Three of us used to travel together from our neighborhood in Upper Manhattan down to Barry’s every Saturday morning- this was when they were still at the old Lower B’way location- walk up the creaky old stairs to the store on the second floor, and then up an inner staircase to a hidden “supply” room, where we sat around a big plywood table for a couple hours early Saturday mornings, learning radio theory and the code.  I’ll never forget the supposed “practice” session, where we were copying code, and then were told we had passed the cw portion!  Those were the days…

  • Dan

    I worked at Barry Electronics on weekends while I was in High School in 1969.  Barry was still alive. Along with Kitty, I remember Jack, her father and Liam, Frank, and there was  Rene, a french carpenter who built furniture for Kitty and Barry, and a German guy who ran the lab. Jack was an ex-caterer and before that a longshoreman and Navy veteran.
    Kitty had a little yappy dog she carried around in her arm.