good electronics store?

[HyperActive]

I went to my local radio shack hoping to pickup a pair of dual logarithmic potentiometers but their selection was very limited and they didn't have any :-(. I was actually quite disappointed by their selection for DIY electronic components.

I was wondering if you guys know of any stores with a big selection of DIY electronics? An actual walk-in store would be the best but if you know of any good online stores that'd be cool too. I live in Windsor, ON in Canada which is basically a suburb of Detroit. Thanks for the help guys!

-Mike

[Cal Weldon]

Windsor: One of the few places in Canada where you head north into the US. Sorry can't help with stores but I'm a wealth of useless trivia.

[Geek]

Nice walk-in electronic parts stores with DIY goodies have practically died out

Main Electronics in Vancouver have dual log Alpha Taiwan pots and mailorder:

http://www.mainelectronics.com/

Good luck!

[gain]

please mail order / order online and do your part to put those idiots at Radio Shack out of business. they turned their backs on DIYers years ago.

[HyperActive]

You're right, they did turn their backs to us, and I don't understand why. They should adopt a model like Home Depot and I'm sure it would get them a lot of business.

Anyway, that mainelectronics.com store was ok but I was looking for something with even more selection (specifically a sliding dual logarithmic potentiometer). Also I want better pictures of what they have to offer. Plus cool recommended buys like breadboards or a beginners kit or stuff like that. Any better on-line stores out there?

-Mike

[whitelabrat]

Fun for every occasion:

Mouser.com
Digikey.com
newark.com
hndme.com
partsconnexion.com (Canadian)
ebay (really!)
tubesandmore.com

[mightydub]

www.mouser.com - my favorite for selection and website ease of use

www.digikey.com - not quite as good as mouser, but comprehensive

www.newark.com - haven't tried yet, but have the catalog. Looks comparable to mouser and digikey.

www.jameco.com - I can do local pickup, perfect if I need/want parts NOW. Not quite as complete as mouser or digikey

www.partsexpress.com - the site that got me started on this habit. Drivers, kits, DIY speaker parts, and more

www.madisound.com - similar to parts express

These are all USA companies - shipping to the Great White North may make them not cost-effective.

Mouser, Digikey, and Newark all have huge print catalogs and will send you one free if you ask.

I agree with the comments about Radio Shack - I remember from my single digit years when they had a huge store and great selection of parts. Now it is all cell phones, a/v cables, cheap r/c toys, and a few resistors.

[Geek]

Advice for Canadian buyers:

Originally posted by mightydub
www.mouser.com - my favorite for selection and website ease of use

They use FedEx exclusively and you could find yourself hit with brokerage worth twice as much as the shipment. I personally avoid them.

www.digikey.com - not quite as good as mouser, but comprehensive

Use Digikey.ca instead.

www.newark.com - haven't tried yet, but have the catalog. Looks comparable to mouser and digikey.

Has a Canadian warehouse. Insist they use it.

www.jameco.com - I can do local pickup, perfect if I need/want parts NOW. Not quite as complete as mouser or digikey

Stupidly expensive compared to many Canadian suppliers.
(Thanks for the gracious local pickup offer!)

www.partsexpress.com - the site that got me started on this habit. Drivers, kits, DIY speaker parts, and more

Great people. Make sure you specify in 50 places, USPS Mail, otherwise you'll get a courier brokerage bill

www.madisound.com - similar to parts express

Same advice as above.

Cheers!

[dangus]

Lee's Electronics on Main in Vancouver is like a little bit of transplanted Akiba, except there aren't any maid cafes on Main Street. I haven't used their mail-order service, though.

Lee's Electronic Components

Aren't there some good shops in Toronto around College/Spadina/Queen St? I only visited that area once, but I remember at least one cool electronics place that had parts and kits. Oh, and an awful lot of black squirrels.

Other Canadian sources I've used:
Solen buying crossover caps was cheaper there than from Parts Express (once shipping was figured in). Good range of high-quality speakers and things.
Q-Components Wide selection of speakers, particularly pro-audio, and accessories.
Creative Sound Much smaller selection of better speakers.

Oh yeah, and another vote for Digikey. Shipping is usually faster and cheaper than any other supplier. Beware of the printed catalogs if you have a small mailbox.

[dangus]

After some more searching, it looks like the only geek store left in that area is Active Surplus Electronics Too bad; when I visited, that seemed like the coolest neighbourhood ever, and made Toronto seem like someplace I might actually want to live.

Since you don't have Active Components nearby, there at least has to be some place that carries a bit of everything: NTE replacement components, gel-cell batteries, all the capacitor values you don't need, switches and connectors, Hammond cases and transformers, obscure replacement record-player needles. Look in the Yellow pages under electronic components. They aren't strictly wholesale, but they may not be open weekends.