Components you'd like your local store to carry

William At MyBlueRoom · Jun 11, 2006

I'm helping a local elecronics hobby store choose electronic components to stock.

Here's a small sampling of some hard to find locally (in Toronto anyway) I've suggested he might carry.

MIC2950 5V Regulator Low Dropout, Micropower 150mA TO-92
LM2940CT-5 5V Regulator 1.0A TO-220, Low Dropout, max 45V in
ICL7660 Switched Capacitor Voltage Doubler 8-DIP
LM2575-5.0 1A National Semiconductor Simple Switcher Regualtor 5v
PE-52627 Pulse 330uH/.9A Power Inductor for LM2575
DS18S20 Digital Thermometer Precision 1-Wire TO-92
TWS-434A 433MHz RF Transmitter Module
RWS-434 433MHz RF Receiver Module
TXLC-434-LR (Long Ranger) RF Transmitter Module 2.1-3.6V 3000ft
RXLC-434-LR (Long Ranger) RF Receiver Moduler 2.1-3.6v
XBee OEM ZigBee / Serial Transceiver www.maxstream.net Awesome!

What would you like to see your local stores carry?

DirtyLude · Jun 11, 2006

Unfortunately Brick and Mortor just can't keep with internet sales for price and selection. The only thing I go to stores for now, is etching equipment and maybe look at some of the surplus stuff at Sayal.

My advice is look for another type of store, because unless you're selling business to business, you're not going to make any money doing this. There's just not enough interest out there in hobby electronics and for what there is, it's already supported by stores around here that aren't doing all that well.

William At MyBlueRoom · Jun 11, 2006

The store is already there (it's not my store by any means) on College st. I do like to shop at mouser but hate the duties & shipping, digikey is expensive but no duty or shipping on $35+ orders...

Electrosonic is err useless for a hobbist.

Sayal is great but parts vary and you can't get any of the more exotic parts. I'd love to find OLEDs or VFDs there, or MAXIM & Dallas Semi parts (aside from a max232)

RGB LEDs (got em on College st yay)

And Active Components is WAY TOO OVERPRICED, a PIC Start Plus is $350 CDn

Active Surplus is cool on Queen St, it's a parts free for all though.

DirtyLude · Jun 11, 2006

Like I said, there's a reason why parts are limited and overpriced at these places, it's because they don't sell much. No place can compete on prices when they have to pay for a store front and sell such limited quantity.

I'm going to have to buy from Mouser or Digikey anyway, cuz I guarentee there will be stuff I want that nobody carries here, like ARM chips or uC supervisors or specific connectors. Duty usually adds up to about Tax anyway, and unless he's going to carry 100 0805 resistors for $3.00 I might as well get what I want from a place that has everything rather than what I can get from a place that has a limited selection.

dknguyen · Jun 11, 2006

Items

I've found items at Mouser that sell for about half the price of Digikey. still, you have duties and such but those don't account for the 100% increase in price.

Mike - K8LH · Jun 11, 2006

William At MyBlueRoom said:
The store is already there (it's not my store by any means) on College st. I do like to shop at mouser but hate the duties & shipping, digikey is expensive but no duty or shipping on $35+ orders...

Electrosonic is err useless for a hobbist.

Sayal is great but parts vary and you can't get any of the more exotic parts. I'd love to find OLEDs or VFDs there, or MAXIM & Dallas Semi parts (aside from a max232)

RGB LEDs (got em on College st yay)

And Active Components is WAY TOO OVERPRICED, a PIC Start Plus is $350 CDn

Active Surplus is cool on Queen St, it's a parts free for all though.

I agree that it's difficult for a local retailer to sell enough volume of any particular small part to make it worth his/her while.

I think Randy at **broken link removed** came up with a good idea with his flat $1.95 US shipping price and decent general parts offerings (and prices) for the PIC or electronics hobbyists. I've only ordered from him a couple times in the last year or so and usually received the parts in a few short days.

Good luck. Regards, Mike

<added>

I like MOUSER too. Excellent prices and decent shipping.

BeeBop · Jun 11, 2006

Hello,
I'll be heading back to Canada this fall, and the thought of a parts source scares the daylights out of me! I emailed Active yesterday, complaining about the selection of micro controllers. The only PICs they list are OTPs and no AVRs.
I'm going to miss shopping in the electronics malls here. Although my skill in Korean is still quite low, if there is a part I see, that I really want, it is easy to figure out how to buy it. lol.
You guys are in TO, at least, where there are more than a couple of people who have been off the farm for more than one generation. It's hard to think about the rest of the country without the term hay-seed coming to mind!
Thank god for the internet.
Regards,
Robert

dknguyen · Jun 11, 2006

I go online and use Digikey for most things in Canada. If I need one poorly specified part with room or leeway when I don't need any others I go to Active.

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Components you'd like your local store to carry

William At MyBlueRoom

New Member

DirtyLude

Well-Known Member

William At MyBlueRoom

New Member

DirtyLude

Well-Known Member

dknguyen

Well-Known Member

Mike - K8LH

Well-Known Member

BeeBop

Active Member

dknguyen

Well-Known Member

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