| richie00boy |
ApexJr in the US has dead cheap prices for LM3886T chip amps and 10,000uF 63V caps. The chips are about £2.20 and the caps are about £0.84 at today's exchange rate. Postage is likely to be around £15-£20 for the whole lot to be shipped to the UK.
I am posting this as a potential group buy that I will run. I would have the parts shipped to me, then I would have to distribute out at additional cost. The benefit to me is that I get to share the postage cost and help fellow UK DIYers :)
If interest is shown within a week or so of this post, then order date and postage costs can be firmed up. Please reply here or send me an email using the button below if you want any more details. |
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| sek |
Hi Richie,
do you plan on limiting your distribution to the UK only?
Sure, the thread title says it, but I thought I would ask ;) |
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| richie00boy |
sek,
I had thought this would be UK only, but I see no reason why I cannot send on to another country. However, I do not think you will save any money by doing it this way than if you ordered direct from ApexJr. There is no price break as far as I'm aware and I would imagine that shipping from the US is a similar price to Germany as it is to the UK. Then again I suppose the minimum shipping charge from the US to Europe could be high, so maybe this way will be cheaper. I'll leave it for you to work out :)
Nisbeth,
Thanks for the datasheet. |
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| psychosteve |
| if im not too late, im interested in 4 chips and 8 caps. which should work out at approx. £20 for bits then £20 for postage? let me know how you want paying and the final cost. where in the UK are you coz i could pick them up and save the uk postage. talk 2 you later, steve.. .. |
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| richie00boy |
The cutoff date for this order is 30 September, so you are not too late :)
The postage for you will not be £20, that is about what the whole order will be. The amount will be split between participants based on their proportion of the total order value. I will advise the exact costs to get the stuff into the UK a few days after 30 September when I can get the information from ApexJr. When I receive the stuff I will package it up per person and advise final total costs.
You can pay either by direct bank transfer (internet/phone banking) or PayPal. Cheques are not accepted due to immense difficulty in paying them in for me. In the case of bank transfer, I insist on allowing the funds to clear before I ship on. PayPal will incur fees at whatever the current rate is.
I live between Bath and Salisbury just off the A36 & A350. If you pass by that way you are welcome to pick up. |
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| SimontY |
Hi Rich,
Thanks for offering this opportunity. Me and a friend are almost certainly interested... just need to get him to look at this thread first, then I can commit to an exact number :)
We keep saying we need to try this Gainclone thing, and when the chips are ~£2 bought like this, or £5+ at Farnell... this could be the kick in the **** required.
I guess it'd be at least 6 chips between us, which should save considerable cash. |
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| psychosteve |
| i'll have them then, 4 chips and 8 caps, email me ur pay pal details, ill email you my contact details so you can get in touch if you need 2. cheers bud, steve.. .. |
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| Stuart Easson |
Richie,
I sent you an email using hte icon at the bottom of the original post, did you get it?
Stuart |
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| richie00boy |
psychosteve,
I will not take any money until the details are finalised. I need to know final numbers to find out the postage cost and apportion it. I got your email, thanks.
Stuart,
I got your mail and have just replied.
AndyB,
Your mail received also. |
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| richie00boy |
The parts need to be paid for prior to shipping, yet I can't work out postage costs until I can weigh each persons parcel out. This means I have a risk that somebody could pull out after the order being placed and leave me stranded with some parts and no money. There are two ways I can approach this.
1. Take two payments. The first prior to me placing the order, with a second once postage costs are known.
2. Take one payment prior to me placing the order, with an estimated postage cost plus contingency.
The first method relies on more effort on both mine and the buyers behalf. The second method is simple, but there may be a surplus at the end. If this is the case then I will donate any profit to DIYaudio.
If people could vote for method 1 or 2 then I will go with the most popular one :) |
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| AndyB |
| Option 2 is OK for me. |
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| psychosteve |
| option 2 is cool for me aswell, i realy should donate but i just never got round too it, this way is easier. . didnt get ur email bud, dont know if i just erased it not cos i checked email first, if you email me use "DIY AUDIO FORUM" as subject title. makes it easier for me to spot it. cheers bud, steve.. .. |
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| brianuk |
Option 2 is fine for me too - if we call all save some money and donate to diy AND you get a beer then thats all fine by me.
Take it you got my email Rich.
ps I STILL owe you a beer from last time and was down there at the weekend, but was otherwise distracted ;-)
Had a look round glastonbury on friday (got lucky with the weather too), nice apart from the tourists (myself included i guess!) |
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| SimontY |
Option #2 sounds good to me, and I think you've earned a :drink: sorting this order out for us ;)
I'd like 8 chips... just need to arrange some PayPal funding now.
I'll e-mail. |
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| richie00boy |
Brian,
I wondered who you were for a sec then, not having seen you on here before! I see you have been lurking in the video forum. Maybe you can return the favour when I make my projector :) As of about 2130 last night I hadn't received any mail from you, but I'll check when I get home tonight.
All,
It's looking like Option 2 is the winner, which is kinda nice. I'll post more details in a few days confirming numbers, costs and times. |
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| richie00boy |
OK, here is the final numbers.
AndyB............04-Chips...10-Caps
brianuk...........05-Chips...10-Caps
psychosteve...04-Chips...08-Caps
Roushon.........02-Chips...04-Caps
SimontY.........08-Chips...00-Caps
I will get a quote for postage from ApexJr to ship to the UK and work out the weight. Then I will use this to work out individual postage costs plus contingency as agreed. I'll put the info here in a few days. If people are OK with the quote then I will take payment then order. |
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| brianuk |
Hi Rich,
Sent you an email just now re getting a couple of other items while at it, didnt want to mention it publicly in case it caused too much hassle for you! :whazzat:
But if you read it you might think its a good idea, we'll all need them.
regards,
Brian
:smash: |
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| Apex Jr |
Hi Guys...
I have been following this thread and,
I think this is a great idea and WILL save money in the
long run... I checked on shipping costs to England:
Air Mail 7-10 day delivery $37.50
Surface Mail 6-8 week delivery $27.50
Insurance an additional $3.20
US Dollars
I should also mention to Rich, Customs, Duties and VAT
taxes are at your end....
Steve @ Apex Jr |
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| Roushon |
Richie
What is the latest news about gainclone and caps?? |
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| richie00boy |
OK, here is the final score:
.................Chips Caps
AndyB...........04....10
brianuk..........05....10
psychosteve...04....08
Roushon.........02....04
SimontY.........08....00
Me...............12....12
TOTAL..........35....44
Raw US Prices
Chips $3.95 each
Caps $1.50 each
US-UK Postage $46.70
1 USD = 0.557066 GBP
1% exchange rate contingency
2.75% credit card Forex fee (compounded)
17.5% VAT (compounded)
Resultant UK Prices
Chips £2.70 each
Caps £1.03 each
US-UK Postage £31.83 total, split 6 ways is £5.31 each
UK Postage £2.38 each
TOTAL FIXED COSTS PER PERSON £7.69
...................Direct.....PayPal
AndyB...........£28.79 / £29.80
brianuk..........£31.49 / £32.59 plus £6.22 / £6.44 for other bits
psychosteve...£26.73 / £27.67
Roushon.........£17.21 / £17.81
SimontY.........£29.29 / £30.32
Me................£52.45
Email me on or before Monday, 18 October with your preferred payment method and I will respond with the appropriate details. If I don't hear from you by the deadline then we shall proceed without you. This will result in the Total Fixed Costs Per Person rising and I shall advise of the new prices.
Once all payments have cleared I will place the order. |
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| Roushon |
Hi Richie
Thanks for the score. I hope you had noticed that I am in Mumbai, India. So I have to pay little more postal expense. Kindly tell me how much more.
Regards. |
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| richie00boy |
Roushon,
I don't mind sending you the parts, but I wonder if it would be cheaper for you to get them direct from APexJr.
I will find out the cost for UK-India shipping at the weekend and let you know. |
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| Roushon |
| quote: | Originally posted by richie00boy
Roushon,
I don't mind sending you the parts, but I wonder if it would be cheaper for you to get them direct from APexJr.
I will find out the cost for UK-India shipping at the weekend and let you know. |
Thanks Richie. I just wrote to Apex Jr and I expect a reply soon. Then I will tell you my final decision. |
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| Roushon |
Hi Richie,
I received reply from Apex Jr and YES it is cheaper for me to get the things directly from Apex Jr. Thank you very much for pointing out this possibility. On the other hand now that I am dropping out you have to make the whole calculation again and you guys have to pay little more now. Feeling a bit bad, that I should have enquired it before.
Regards. |
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| daatkins |
I somehow managed to miss this offer until after the deadline had passed....
If it makes things easier, I'd gladly take Roushon's parts for the £17.81 he had been quoted. It would save any recalculations.
Please let me know if this is acceptable. I can pay by cheque, direct bank transfer or Paypal - I don't mind which.
Regards,
David. |
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| richie00boy |
Roushon, don't worry about it :)
daatkins, thanks that keeps things simple :) Send me a message with your delivery address and I'll respond with my bank details. |
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| psychosteve |
just emailed you bud, thanks agin for sorting this out, see you soon, steve.. ..
ps, any one know of a good and tested board, non inv. for lm3886??? prefer gerber files, or eagle. |
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| richie00boy |
I just replied to your email, Steve.
I might be working on such a board ;) |
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| richie00boy |
| Just received confirmation from ApexJr that the parts have shipped. All being well you should be receiving your packets in the post within a couple of weeks :) |
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| psychosteve |
| hey bud, good to get back online again, i see that the parts are ordered, i asume that means you got the payment???? paypall confirmed that it went out, but as ive been ofline, i havent had chance to get intouch with you. see you later bud, steve.. .. |
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| richie00boy |
| Yeah I got your payment, thanks. |
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| richie00boy |
The stuff is here! :)
I will be packing the parcels up and sending out on Saturday. |
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| daatkins |
Nice one!
Did you get stung by customs or was it plain sailing? |
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| richie00boy |
| Got through customs OK, but got hit by an agency fee for sorting the VAT :( I thought Customs would do that bit, but it seems the carrier took it upon itself to do it. |
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| richie00boy |
| Grrr, just got back from a closed Post Office. Will post on Monday. |
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| brianuk |
useless arent they
No sweat!
;) |
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| psychosteve |
oh well, what is one more day? great to hear that all is well, look forward to getting my hands on the bits.
did you have enough to cover all the expenses? not that im checking up, but will you post up how much you donate to the forum?
ive almost got a board ready, single sided, similar to the one thats gone up recently. no files yet, coz where im lookin at getting them done he wants transparency art work. he is cheep though, he says bout £35 for 10, depending on how many and the final board size/etch area.
c you soon bud, steve.. .. |
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| richie00boy |
I have just got back from the Post Office. You should receive your stuff in the normal post tomorrow or Wednesday.
As for the costs, I will have to see how much I get charged on my credit card (to see the $/£ conversion) before I can work things out properly. I was about spot on with the UK postage calculation (about £2 up), but I got an £8 VAT handling fee from Parcel Force, which I didn't expect, so I think I may well be down a bit :( |
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| SimontY |
Good morning,
I got my 8 chips today! Thank you kindly Rich! :D
If you ever need anything I happen to have....
btw, what are others doing for heatsinking? I think it's gonna be the 2nd biggest cost in making a chip amp. |
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| Apex Jr |
Just back from my vacation and good to see everything worked
out, and package arrived intacted. Hope your flush and don't
lose out on doing this as a group buy... Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| psychosteve |
cheers alot for the group buy bud, stuff arived at some point in the morning while i was at work. thanks bud!!!
and great wrapping, took me 10 minutes to get into the parcell, which is good coz the chips/caps are perfect.
if your down on money let me know and ill sort out something, see you later bud, steve.. ..:) :) :) :) :) :) :) |
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| daatkins |
My parcel arrived too. Those caps are sweeeet - I wish I ordered more!
Thanks Richie for providing this great opportunity!
Nice one,
David. |
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| Roushon |
| quote: | Originally posted by daatkins
.....I wish I ordered more!
Thanks Richie for providing this great opportunity!
Nice one,
David. |
I also received some parts directly from ApexJr including those caps and GC. I also wish I ordered more of these caps. And i came to know about this offer from this thread. Thanks Richie again. |
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| richie00boy |
| Cheers guys. Thanks for letting me know you got your stuff OK and you're happy. |
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| richie00boy |
| Just received credit card bill so can tally up final costs. I'm down a couple of quid overall, but I'm still going to make a personal donation to diyAudio in the new year when I (hopefully!) have a bit more cash. |
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| psychosteve |
OR...... do another group buy and charge a couple of quid more, make your money back and donate the rest to the forum. id be in for some more if your gona do it again.
thanks for this one anyway bud, see you soon, steve.. ..
ps, can you look over my board, its up on the forum, and yes i know there is no schem, im having trouble with that. c ya, steve.. ..
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/show...&threadid=46092 |
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| richie00boy |
| LOL you want more? :bigeyes: :D |
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| SimontY |
He might not be the only one ;)
I just bought 140 bass drivers on Ebay (god knows how they'll get home...) and they'll need powering :D |
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| richie00boy |
| Hmmm... ApexJr does have some rather good and cheap heatsinks that I almost ordered last time but didn't because it would have kind of upset the balance/simplicity of the order. If people want more stuff from him I might run another order... |
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| Apex Jr |
I should also mention that they can order direct and
with a $20.00 minimum order and weight under 4 lbs
I can send Air Mail Small packet with no insurance
pretty reasonable. It's only after the 4 lbs where it
becomes expensive and a group buy would work out
well... Just a thought...
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| Nuuk |
| Richie, if you do another order for 3886's and 10K caps, I will be interested too! ;) |
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| brianuk |
Just managed to collect my gear today, thanks Rich!
From the looks of this thread continuing I can see you becoming a UK agent for apex jr ;)
SimontY : 140 bass drivers, wtf :confused: |
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| SimontY |
| quote: | Originally posted by brianuk
SimontY : 140 bass drivers, wtf :confused: |
I couldn't resist. They were cheap. Will be picking them up tomorrow, the parents' car will enjoy the extra 300kg... ;)
They won't be the highest quality, but they'll be useful for bass duties, and cheap projects, floor shaking etc. They're 6" dia., screened magnet, look like coated paper... |
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| Andypairo |
| quote: | Originally posted by Apex Jr
I should also mention that they can order direct and
with a $20.00 minimum order and weight under 4 lbs
I can send Air Mail Small packet with no insurance
pretty reasonable. It's only after the 4 lbs where it
becomes expensive and a group buy would work out
well... Just a thought...
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
Hello Steve,
can you quote more precisely the cost of Air mail small packet (under 4 lbs) to Italy?
Did you solve the problems you had with Paypal? Is it now accepted?
And, last one, how much do the 68000 uF/50V caps weigh?
Cheers
Andrea |
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| Apex Jr |
Out of town until Monday and will get back to you then
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| Apex Jr |
Email sent to you.............
Steve |
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| richie00boy |
| There seemed to be some interest in ordering more stuff. I could actually do with some more caps. I will be looking to order after the new year, but no harm is canvassing opinions/orders now. Anybody else want some stuff? http://www.apexjr.com |
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| psychosteve |
i wouldnt mind some more of those caps, say another 8, also a pair of the line 6 flextone guitar amps. http://www.apexjr.com/Line6.htm
they look great at 75 dollars each, and come with a lm3886 amp built in!!! see you soon, steve.. .. |
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| Apex Jr |
If the Group Buy doesn't happen I got you a price for the
8 Caps and the 2) Line 6 Boards shipping by US Mail.....
Air Mail with a 7 - 10 day delivery $43.50 US
Surface Mail 6-8 weeks $31.50 US
Insurance additional...........
It would be less expensive if more were tied into this,
but something to think about...
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| daatkins |
I'd be interested in another order: six LM3886s and twelve of the 10000uF caps. Maybe some other stuff too.
Nice one,
David. |
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| Nuuk |
David, please be aware that nearly anything coming into the UK from outside the EU is having a customs sticker slapped on it now.
My parcel from Steve required an additional payment of nearly 9UKP. My mate at the parcels office tld me that all of a sudden, they started getting hundreds of these parcels with customs stickers on.
I guess Mr Brown has decided we shouldn't be building hi-fi on the cheap (at leasat, not without him getting a slice of the action). :bawling: |
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| richie00boy |
| I got hit by an unexpected £8 charge from Parcel Force for 'Agency Fee' which is basically them sorting out the VAT. Is this what you mean Nick? Or is your £9 proportional to the value of your goods and is maybe a duty of some sort? |
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| Nuuk |
| quote: | | I got hit by an unexpected £8 charge from Parcel Force for 'Agency Fee' which is basically them sorting out the VAT. Is this what you mean Nick? Or is your £9 proportional to the value of your goods and is maybe a duty of some sort? |
There was around 5 UKP to pay for either VAT or Import Duty and a 4 UKP charge from the Post Office for asking me to go to the depot and pick up the parcel (don't you just love the way we are treated in the UK? :mad: ).
The value of my parcel was around 37 UKP. |
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| Nisbeth |
When buying stuff from outside the EU, you will normally be charged VAT, duty (a few percent usually) and a fee from the carrier for processing the paperwork (and before you cry your eyes out, the VAT here in Denmark is 25% and the fee is ~5.5 pounds :smash:;). (EDIT: Processing fees are much higher with UPS, DHL and FedEx, often 10-15 pounds :xeye: )
/U. |
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| Apex Jr |
Just to let you know, I displayed at T.H.E Show during CES
in Las Vegas this weekend and have sold out of the 1000 UF
450V Snap In caps on the website. I do have 2 ea 820 Uf 450V
and 93 ea 330 Uf 450V Snap Ins in stock if that will help you.
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| richie00boy |
| Glad to see business is good Steve. I assume you still have the 10,000uF 63V caps in stock and in good numbers? |
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| Apex Jr |
Yes, I still have the 10,000 Uf 63V caps say about 300 still
in stock... I also found some 12,000 Uf 63 V's too... I will
hold these for this forum...there $1.99ea...
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| richie00boy |
Steve,
Any more info on those 12,000uF? I can't find them on your site. Are they Nichicon the same as the others? Any model numbers/datasheets?
Also, do you have anything in the 6,800-22,000uF range at 80V?
Cheers |
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| Nisbeth |
The 12,000uF/50V snap-in caps are Nichicon LQ-series. Search for "LQ" on Farnell's homepage to find the datasheet :) I don't have one handy, but IIRC they measure d30x50 mm [EDIT: They're 30mm diameter, but I'm not sure about the height]
/U. |
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| Nisbeth |
| quote: | Originally posted by richie00boy
Also, do you have anything in the 6,800-22,000uF range at 80V? |
If Steve isn't able to help you, these might be of interest: http://www.neuhold-elektronik.at/ca...products_id=249 (same series as the 12000/50V, so it should be possible to locate the datasheet ;))
/U. |
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| richie00boy |
| Thanks Nisbeth. However, Steve said they were 63V not 50V hence my question; I didn't know if they are from the same series. |
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| Nisbeth |
Well, you've got me confused now :xeye: (not that it is very difficult ;)) I assume you talking about these:
(from http://www.apexjr.com/new.htm) They're 12,000uF/50V and 10,000uF/63V and they're both nichicon LQ-series. The 50V-types are dia. 30mm and the 63V ones are dia. 35mm :)
/U. |
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| Apex Jr |
I do have some limited supply of the 12,000 Uf 63 Volt
Caps but there in another warehouse, I'll go there tomorrow
morning and get a count and a part # and post it.
For those interested there $1.99ea. There not listed on the
website. Only for this forum.....
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| Nisbeth |
| quote: | Originally posted by Apex Jr
There not listed on thewebsite. Only for this forum.....
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
No wonder I was confused :D
/U. |
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| Apex Jr |
OK, here's the information.
They are Nichicon LK series No label on the box
They measure 1 1/2" Dia and 2" Tall
85 Degrees C - 2 leads on bottom - Snap In
There are 118 In Stock
Priced at $1.99 Each
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| richie00boy |
| Cheers Nisbeth, was just looking for datasheet :) |
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| daatkins |
After participating in Richie00boy's generous group buy of parts from Apex Jr, I couldn't help myself and just had to have more!
Below is a breakdown of what I ordered and all the costs involved. Hopefully others in the UK or Europe considering importing from Apex Jr, or the US in general, will find this info useful and realise that importing can work well.
I ordered...
10 x LM3886T @ $3.95 each
10 x 10000uF, 63v @ $1.50 each
10 x 12000uF, 50v @ $1.29 each
Total for goods = $67.40
Shipping (2lb 9oz by air) = $18.90
Credit card fee @ 3% = $2.59
Total to Steve = $88.89
Amount charged to my credit card = £49.21
Import duty + VAT @ 17.5% = £6.29
Processing fee = £4
Total cost to me £59.50
The wait between ordering and delivery was 14 days, which includes UK customs sticking their nose in. The Post Office took care of VAT + fees and I paid the £6.29 + £4 on collection of the parcel.
---
Comparing to Farnell prices (the 10000uF cap is the exact same Nichicon item)
10 x LM3886T @ £4.95 each
10 x 10000uF, 63v @ £4.25 each
10 x 12000uF, 50v not stocked, assume £4.25 as well
Total cost for goods = £134.50
Shipping is free
VAT @ 17.5% = £23.54
Total cost from Farnell = £158.04
Saving to me = almost exactly £100. Thanks Steve!
Obviously the weak dollar helped with my savings and the light weight of the package made the whole thing possible, although I have imported heavy speaker drivers from Madisound with reasonable savings.
All in all, great savings & great service! Who can ask for more?
Thanks again, Steve!
Nice one,
David. |
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| richie00boy |
| Glad to see with you're happy with your goods :) |
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| Apex Jr |
Dave...
Your right with a small weight package of parts can be a great
savings. Most inquiry's I get with an under 4 lbs package can
be shipped inexpensive by US Air Mail Small Packet and normally
get those order's. Very Hard to sell 115V/230V amps weighing
18 lbs overseas since the cost is very high and it's hard to
wait those 4-8 weeks by Surface Mail... Dave, also thanks
for the list of what get's charged to the enduser. I normally
don't get feedback on that unless the customer is upset.
I've learned not to ship UPS to Canada, there brokerage fee
is way out of line, they start at a minimum of $25.00 whereas
the post office is only $5.00 any package...
Steve @ Apex Jr. |
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| Fin |
So how did you all like those Nichicon LK caps?
Would you recommend them for amp power supplies?
Regards
Fin |
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| richie00boy |
| I like them, not had any problems with them. |
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| Fin |
Thanks for the reply Richie00boy,
I came accross some on eBay and bought them (10,000uF/50V) to replace the Jamicons in an Arcam Delta 290. Did a bit more reading and discovered that Arcam actually used these caps in some of their amps a few years ago - not sure what they use now.
Regards
Fin |
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