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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. You can even shop online with an ebay coupon. If you want to visit, they’re at 224 W. 35th St. (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Suite 408.

  38 Responses to “Barry Electronics”

Comments (38)
  1. 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

    • 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

      • This is Peter from Barry electronics KC2MMA With any luck I will be re-opening the store
        KB2RVSk is no longer with us Kitty is no longer with us but Barry’s will live on I hope everybody’s doing well after China has released a deadly disease unless it is 12:12 AM Wednesday, August 26, 2020 73

        • I still have a Yaesu FT-101ZD MK III with a receipt from Barry Electronics dated February 1983! When did Kitty pass? Did not know her age. I remember the small ad that Barry did in CQ MAGAZINE showing Kitty at the shop. My time flies. What is your phone number?

          Thanks,
          Rick K0HE

        • Peter,
          Did you ever get Barry Electronics opened again? I have a Yaesu FT-101D MK III with the original sales receipt from Barry Electronics written by Kitty dated February 1982! It still works great 40 years later. My time sure flies fast.

          Rick K0HE

        • Hi Peter,
          Any luck reopening Barry Electronics?
          I keep my fingers crossed that this will eventually work out.
          However according to google still permanently closed.
          I bought my IC-7000 and a Kenwood TH-D72A in 2012 at Barry Electronics. I was surprised that the service manuals were available at the shop. I was in port of Newark with a vessel and went to New York to buy these items only. Super service. So sad to hear that they also passed away! vy73 de Chris, DF5KX | OZ1KX

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

  3. 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!

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

    • Actually, Ham Radio is thriving. Today there are more than 700,000 hams. When I was licensed back in the 1960’s, there were only 250,000. I recall Barry and the Radio Row crowd. I went to boarding school in NJ and rode the train to NYC to buy parts at the store.

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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?

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. 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.

  19. 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

  20. 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…

  21. 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. 

  22. My dad bought me my first new Amateur Transceiver at Barry Electronics on W. Broadway back in 1978. It was a Yaesu FT-101EX. I loved going there as a kid and ogling radios.

    • I am intrigued, coming across this site that remembers Barry Electronics! Ken, my dad also bought me my first ever new rig when I was 16 (having passed my General Class) as well (from Kitty)! The same as you, a Yaesu FT-101EX, around 1977! I had a Heath HW-16 with matching VFO, but was ‘lusting’ for a better radio. Both my high school ham friends had purchased Henry Radio Tempo Ones, and I wanted a better rig like them. I only had about 400 dollars saved up from working as a busboy at a local restaurant in North Jersey, and one Sunday morning my dad woke me up early and informed me we would be going to NYC to buy my Ham Radio! And he paid in full, and told me to keep my money. My dad passed in 2015, but I will forever remember his kind surprise, and the countless years of joy that Yaesu gave me! Cheers!

  23. Barry Electronics was at 512 Broadway. I worked there for a couple of years while in high school. 1972 -74. Hired by Barry’s father in law Jack. Rene was the shipping guy who died, as did Barry, in a Boating incident. Kitty found them by hired helo when the Coast Guard did not.

  24. My dad, Seymour Harris, W2NDR started Barry Electronics with Barry after the war. My dad set up test benches to test the military transmit tubes that were rebranded with the Barry logo. They met in the Signal Corp together. My dad would have turned 100 today, January 8, 2021.

    Today, I have his call and still live in NY. There is still a Cy Harris W4MAQ memorial flea in Ft. Lauderdale every year, although not in 2020 due to covid.

  25. I worked at Barry Electronics on Saturdays while I was an art student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. This was 1967 and 1968. Barry had me roam around in his many warehouses and storerooms near 512 Broadway. I crawled all over Barry Gensler’s years accumulation of military surplus and retired broadcast gear. My directions were to find stuff to put in the “Green Sheets”. Find a few dozen power chokes or transformers and take measurements and write up a description. I always volunteered to do drawings but Barry would yell at me and tell me not to waste my time drawing.
    “I can get guys to do the drawings but you know what this stuff is and can describe it.” I never got to do the drawings in the “Green Sheets” no matter how I tried. Barry was a rough, miserable man and his wife Kitty creeped me out a bit. She was very flirtatious around me and I kept my distance from her. I could not figure her motives. She dressed and acted like a much younger woman and had a small yappy dog on her hip all the time.
    A few years after I left working at 512 Broadway, I heard that Barry had died during a hurricane when his boat was swamped. Kitty was in communication with her husband who was in severe weather. She contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for a helicopter to search but they supposedly refused because the wind velocity was too high for their copter. Kitty then contacted a private pilot who agreed to go scout for a fee of five thousand dollars. Barry Gensler, W2LNI perished in the storm. Kitty continued to run the business in ensuing years.

  26. Does anyone remember Mike Diamond who used to teach the novice class at Barry’s
    Call sign? Passed my novice exam there with him.
    Ken N2FBV. 73

    • The Ham who taught my Novice class at Barrys was Arnie, a Dental Tech from Queens – WB2, something something, I wish I could recall. Class was every Saturday morning. I think there were 10 or 12 0f us to start, only around 6 or 7 lasted the whole class and got their Novice ticket. Two of the others from my neighborhood were Mort Schlein KB2DFE and Peter Nowicki, N2HQT. My initial call was KB2DFD, now KG9MG. Any other info about that time at Barry’s (this was at the the 512 Broadway location in the late 70’s/early 80’s) would be greatly appreciated. I recall Barry’s as being a busy place on those Sarurday mornings!

  27. Hi, I have a RF signal I can’t seem to get the frequency that it’s transmitting but think it would be cool to try with a pro. Is there a time that’s best to come to your store and check out what you have?

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