[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by greg544

Will a guy at Radio Shack know about any of this stuff?

I don't mean to generalize but, no. Last time I bought a transistor at Radio Shack, the cashier said "we sell this?" which wasn't really as bad as when I bought a potentiometer and I got the "what the heck does this do?" look. I always love it when they ask me "can I help you find anything" and I reply "no thanks, I've got it" and then you know they're thinking "whew. I only know about the cell phones." If your Radio Shacks are anything like my Radio Shacks, you're better off here with us, unless perhaps you're looking for a new cell phone or toy-grade RC car.

For just getting started in robot building, a really great book is Robot Builder's Bonanza. See if you can find it at a local bookstore (Barnes and Noble for example) or perhaps order it online.