Electronic hobbiests black hole
<rant>
Some of you may remember that I move to Regina Saskatchewan from big city Ontario about three years ago, things here have been relly busy and I haven't had much time for my hobby until recently. I have discovered that I live in and electronics black hole, we have one part store B&E Electronics and they don't stock anything!
For instance I went in to day for an op-amp, a few trimmer pots, an audio pot, a battery and a few other things but came away empty handed, why? NO STOCK that's why! OK so here is what I wanted, you be the judge... LF353, 5K and 50K single turn trimmer, 1 meg pot and a BR 1/2A. OK so the battery may be a little obscure but they had none of this stuff, NONE, I have been to this store 6 times and only once did they have a couple of the things I wanted.
DAMN
I am sick and tired of having to buy everything I need online, it would be nice to be able to just do some spur of the moment projects without waiting 3 weeks for all the parts to show up.
So I decided to take a trip to Toronto and go to Active Surplus with $1000 and buy as much common stuff as I can think of so that I'll finally have some stock around here, the only thing I'll have to buy as I need them are electrolytics because it troubles me to have them go bad sitting on a shelve.
</rant>
Thanks for listening...
Don
<rant>
Some of you may remember that I move to Regina Saskatchewan from big city Ontario about three years ago, things here have been relly busy and I haven't had much time for my hobby until recently. I have discovered that I live in and electronics black hole, we have one part store B&E Electronics and they don't stock anything!
For instance I went in to day for an op-amp, a few trimmer pots, an audio pot, a battery and a few other things but came away empty handed, why? NO STOCK that's why! OK so here is what I wanted, you be the judge... LF353, 5K and 50K single turn trimmer, 1 meg pot and a BR 1/2A. OK so the battery may be a little obscure but they had none of this stuff, NONE, I have been to this store 6 times and only once did they have a couple of the things I wanted.
DAMN
I am sick and tired of having to buy everything I need online, it would be nice to be able to just do some spur of the moment projects without waiting 3 weeks for all the parts to show up.
So I decided to take a trip to Toronto and go to Active Surplus with $1000 and buy as much common stuff as I can think of so that I'll finally have some stock around here, the only thing I'll have to buy as I need them are electrolytics because it troubles me to have them go bad sitting on a shelve.
</rant>
Thanks for listening...
Don
imix500 said:
yep, they're great - they happily fill my orders for a few bucks worth of bits and pieces that I didn't realize I needed last time I was there to pick up a few bucks worth of bits and pieces, and have it ready at the will call counter for a drive-by DIY fix. Now if they would just put in a drive thru....
Re: Electronic hobbiests black hole
It is getting this way in the UK.
Most of the small component shops have closed.
Radio Shack / Tandy went consumer/mobile phone before selling out to a phone company.
Maplins still have many stores but the bias is going away from components.
Which leaves the mail order stores, most of which are trade orientated.
Whenever I go past a garage sale, if there is a box of components at a reasonable price, I will buy it (much to HER displeasure- funny how women do not understand!)
Another source is Ebay - again for boxes of parts.
If only......
Andy
Frazzled said:
It is getting this way in the UK.
Most of the small component shops have closed.
Radio Shack / Tandy went consumer/mobile phone before selling out to a phone company.
Maplins still have many stores but the bias is going away from components.
Which leaves the mail order stores, most of which are trade orientated.
Whenever I go past a garage sale, if there is a box of components at a reasonable price, I will buy it (much to HER displeasure- funny how women do not understand!)
Another source is Ebay - again for boxes of parts.
What you need is a trip to Japan.
Ahkihabara is the cure for what ails you.
If only......
Andy
Oh man, I hear you guys.
Fortunately I can do a 1-1/2 hour drive to Vancouver if I need something right quick. But what IS available locally is so overpriced it isn't funny
Buy in bulk off Ebay from reputable folks. dpi4parts, westfloridacomponents and a very few others are great people who are honest and don't pad their shipping fees (If they say $6, the stamp on the box will actually be $6).
Cheers!
Fortunately I can do a 1-1/2 hour drive to Vancouver if I need something right quick. But what IS available locally is so overpriced it isn't funny
Buy in bulk off Ebay from reputable folks. dpi4parts, westfloridacomponents and a very few others are great people who are honest and don't pad their shipping fees (If they say $6, the stamp on the box will actually be $6).
Cheers!
Here I am, living near the high tech capitol of the world, and I have to spend this morning driving nearly two hours each way to buy some resistors and perf board. Radio Shack is useless- the ones around here have nearly zero parts in stock, they really only sell cell phones and batteries- and the independent electronics shops have all gone belly up.
Electronics construction is a rapidly dying avocation.
Electronics construction is a rapidly dying avocation.
pieces parts
That's why I like trips to Dayton, home of Mendlesohns', they buy truckloads of cast off supplies from Wright Patterson, NCR, etc. etc. (everything from the smallest ic's to power plant transformers)... only problem is the wife gets bored while I'm hunting thru the 4 factory floors of bins of stuff
Actually, the basement/1st floor of Mendlesohn's is where partsexpress started in the early '80s... I remember staring at rows and rows of speakers there...
too bad it's a 3 hour drive now...
..and then there's HamVention.. ultimate home of the propellerhead...
That's why I like trips to Dayton, home of Mendlesohns', they buy truckloads of cast off supplies from Wright Patterson, NCR, etc. etc. (everything from the smallest ic's to power plant transformers)... only problem is the wife gets bored while I'm hunting thru the 4 factory floors of bins of stuff
Actually, the basement/1st floor of Mendlesohn's is where partsexpress started in the early '80s... I remember staring at rows and rows of speakers there...
too bad it's a 3 hour drive now...
..and then there's HamVention.. ultimate home of the propellerhead...
roddyama said:What you need is a trip to Japan.
Ahkihabara is the cure for what ails you.
When I did investment banking I would pull the Japan trips around a weekend so I could visit the Ahkihabara -- and the department stores in Japan have wonderful children's departments so there was always something nice for the kids and wife.
A real true black hole for electronics enthusiasts is the Dayton HamVention in May --
Geek said:Oh man, I hear you guys.
Fortunately I can do a 1-1/2 hour drive to Vancouver if I need something right quick. But what IS available locally is so overpriced it isn't funny
Buy in bulk off Ebay from reputable folks. dpi4parts, westfloridacomponents and a very few others are great people who are honest and don't pad their shipping fees (If they say $6, the stamp on the box will actually be $6).
Cheers!
Just went and purchased a bunch of stuff from these guys... I was almost giddy with the prospect of their selection... credit card is probably gonna get bruised this weekend!
THANKS!
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