where do you score your stuff?

[tony dB]

sorry for a newbiequestion like this but i see digikey and mouser popping up all the time.
i usually buy stuff at the local electronics store or get it ordered there or via grouporders.

are digikey and mouser considered cheap for value?
have already bought stuff from Farnell and that was
EXPENSIVE :shock: btw

i'm sure we had this already covered on ro but then i didn't read all of it.
could be interesting for the lurkers around here too :wink:

cheers, :sam: :guinness: :guinness:

tdB

 

[sismofyt]

I'm a GREAT believer in recycling! That monster pre of mine I've posted pics of are made mainly of dumpster parts and obscure bits I get from the electronis shops in Denmark like Aage Nielsens Eftf, Brinck & similar. I go to flea markets every week, I collect all kindsa ol' stuff, not only audio.. :razz:

Since I've moved to Gyraf City I've started to raid the local electronics shop as well I like to support the little guys. They got the obscure bits... :grin:

I only buy stuff from RS/Farnell if I can't get 'em anywhere else. I get my tubes from Demostenes/Norway or ebay. Custom trannies from VRT. cheap as off the shelf stuff.

And I have a terrific ability to find gems in dumpsters too :wink:

Farnell/RS are certainly NOT cheap. Unless you buy by the thousand :shock: But they're very quick and reliable, which is very important if you got a commercial biz. Luckily I don't :green:

I've also found a lot of cool places on the net that sells wicked surplus stuff, but I haven't dealt with any. I can post some links though if anyone is interested..

 

[owel]

>are digikey and mouser considered cheap for value?

No, they're not cheap... except maybe for resistors and caps. But they certainly have all the values you may need and if you want a specific brand/type, they're the place to get it. For hard to find items, they're the place to go.

For switches, lights, jacks and other stuff, I tend to get them from other online stores... just an example: switches at other stores sell for $1.00, at Digikey, $17.00

Cases, I get them from par-metal.

But if you factor in shipping charges, it's sometimes better to get everything at one place.

 

[tony dB]

plz post links!

what a difference :shock: :shock:

 

[owel]

allelectronics.com
www.web-tronics.com
jameco.com
http://www.surplussales.com/
http://www.futurlec.com/

 

[MikkelM]

Containerdiving :thumb: is the way, or electronic scrap yards.

Sismofyt, there is a large electronic scrap yard near Århus. One of my friends found a drum machine for me there.

 

[sismofyt]

Where Mikkel? :green:

 

[MikkelM]

I hope this is right!! Danish Geografy Huh!
But the gyu knew lived in Aarhus, when he worked there.

UNISCRAP A/S Langagervej 4 8380 Trige

I think thats the one!!!

 

[sismofyt]

Okay, I know them! I found some really kick ass looking army/medical surplus gear at an exhibition at the university, they supplied the stuff, so I called them.. unfortunaly they said it belong to an artist.. damn artists :green:

Tony, check www.surplussales.com .. can't find my other links, my computer is a mess right now :?

 

[sismofyt]

Other places to check;

www.partsconnexion.com

www.leedselect.com/parts.html

www.schuro.de

www.newsensor.com

www.distel.co.uk

www.basslab.com in Denmark, they're cool :thumb:

www.tubesandmore.com

http://pages.prodigy.net/jimmcshane/ Great tubeguy :thumb:

http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html :grin:

www.demostenes.no/2.0/ My guy :thumb:

www.angela.com

www.watfordvalves.com/mainindex.htm

 

[Flatpicker]

http://www.hosfelt.com/

https://www.mpja.com/index.asp

http://www.electronicsurplus.com

 

[tony dB]

wooow :shock:
:grin:

killerlinks...
now i need to find some time to investigate all this

 

[chriss]

Hey sismofyt,

I also love recycling old stuff. I found very, very high quality switches, connectors and tubes in medical and military equipment. Didn't buy any power transformer for a long time . And even audio-transformers from old professional-audio-units. But I prefer the stuff where they have put the IC's in sockets ...
The only things to buy new are resistors and electrolytics.
Btw.: My girlfried hates this passion of a) recycling and b) collecting - Girls.... :?
One more advantage of Farnell/RS is they have almost everything one could need. And I don't know any electronics dealer that is really much cheaper. They are all expensive.

Chris

 

[Mark Burnley]

Here's a list of component suppliers/electronic surplus companies in the UK. I haven't included the "usual suspects" Farnell, RS, Craplin etc:

1. Greenweld:

Surplus electronics company. They used to be pure surplus, but now do a good mix of surplus, new components and tools. Here's their site-

www.greenweld.co.uk

...their website isn't that easy to nav, but the best thing to do is get on their mailing list. Nice fat 30+ page free catalogue every coupla months. P+P= £3.75


2. WCN Supplies:

This is a great small surplus company. Used them loads over the years. Some excellent surplus bargains...I picked up a 6U desktop Rack enclosure for £35 a few years ago Here's their site-

http://www.wcnsupplies.com/

Don't be put off by the minimal website. Again, it's best to get their free catalogue every few months. P+P only £2.25!

3. Squires Model and Craft Tools:

Don't be deceived by the name! I sent off for their free catalogue, and received a 620 page A5 size catalogue! Stacks of stuff. Tools, soldering irons and accessories, toroidal transformers, relays, 12-way rotary switches, a great range of ICs including my favourite VB408 VRegs, transistors diodes, bridge rects etc. Orders over £7.50 are FREE!! Here's their site (appears to be down at the 'mo)-

http://www.squirestools.com/

4. ESR Components:

Another great supplier of new components. Great ranges of semis and passives. Very good value. Download their catalogue in PDF, or send off for the paper copy. P+P only £2.50+VAT for small orders. Very fast service too. Website-

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/esr/main.html

5. Bowood Electronics:

More good value new components. Fast turnaround too. Here's their website-

http://www.bowood-electronics.co.uk/

...some good "£1 Bargain Packs" too for all the basics, 1N4148s etc-

http://www.bowood-electronics.co.uk/index.php/cPath/35

6. MODE Components:

Very good supplier of ICs and semiconductors, including an incredible obsolete device finding service. Website-

http://www.btinternet.com/~g4kqu/Mode_Components/home.html

...you're best off actually phoning the guy. Very helpful!

7. Canford Audio:

Say no more. OEPs, Lundahls, Sowter etc etc. They say "trade only", but I've never had any problems! V. fast service. Website-

www.canford.co.uk

Just a word of advice- order their catalogue and save hours of frustration with their online page-by-page PDF's

8. Studiospares:

Good for some studio bits 'n pieces. But mostly good for their very handy catalogue with lotsa lovely piccies of mics and outboard!

http://www.studiospares.com/

9. Display Electronics:

Awesome selection of surplus including audio transformers and whatknot. Spend a few hours "browsing" around here-

www.distel.co.uk



10. N R Bardwell:

Just check this place out...

http://www.bardwells.co.uk/

...I've bought some amazing "treasures" here over the years

(and if you manage to de-code their "downloadable catalogue", this is an achievement in itself )

And save the best to last.....

11. Mainline Surplus!

http://www.mainlinegroup.co.uk/mless/main.php?act=main&bar=Catalogue

I love this place. I always order too much...but never enough, if you know what I mean :green: I know Jonathan H got some good scores here too....

Well I don't think any of these will blow Skycraft out of the water, but between all these places I can usually find what I want. And if you don't know what you want, send some money in an envelope to-

www.maplin.co.uk

...and they'll send you what they want to send you!

One final tip- I get some of my best "surplus" and junk/treasure finds at Radio Fairs. Check here for the latest "action"-

http://www.pwpublishing.ltd.uk/rallies.html

You'll never fail to find a "bargain" at these places!

Mark

(yes, this is a slightly edited and updated TT post from last year!)

 

[gyraf]

"Averhoff conputer recycling", Borumvej in Mundelstrup by Aarhus.. They just sold me an Emulator II - working - for 10? :razz:

 

[kruz]

[quote author="gyraf"]They just sold me an Emulator II - working - for 10? :razz:[/quote]

Damn cool..
i wasn't so lucky but i got an E-mu II as broken for 50 euros few years ago.. actually.. it was working.. the lcd needed to be replaced and there was a bad connection from the psu.. oh.. and three keys are missing.. but that's not that important.. i've got a huge EII library in SDII format, if you are interested drop me a line

BTW, i got also an E-mu III some years before for a ridicolous price.. it was around 150Euros.. fully working and in near mint shape

ah.. also and SP1200 not that cheap but actually at the half of the usual ebay price

i love the old e-mu samplers (akai too, but.. well.. you know)

 

[gyraf]

Yep, that is a cool noisemaker.. I had trouble finding the old 5 1/4" disks, so I put in a 3½" disk drive. It can now use disks from my Oberheim DPX-1..

Jakob E.

 

[woodensoul]

Looks similar to Nebraska Surplus: visit Mendelsons Liquidation when you are in the East. 1million sq ft!
Last time I was there they still had thousands of tubes ( an entire room! ) and 200,000+ lbs of wire.

http://www.mendelsons.com/gallery.html

You could get anything there- bizarre farm machines, a full auto paint booth ( on the second floor :shock: ) store and hospital fixtures and PILES of old electronics.

buy online:
http://www.meci.com/

I'm not an employee, but I wish I wuz!

-Steve

 

[chrissugar]

Wow Jakob, would you sell that emu II? Soon I will buy an EMU III keyboard but I would love to have an EMU II too.
By the way I started to buy all kind of old samplers just for the special sound they produce. One of the favourites is the W30.

chrissugar

 

[tony dB]

Chrissugar,

does your W30 also transmit a highfreq pitched sound?
I sold about 8 of these and they all had this problem. It comes from the leddisplay, send all of them back to Roland repair, no solution back then
also had an few with problems in the samplermodule, kickdrums sometimes sounded as if there was one sounding totally wrong compared to the other, this happens random, i could not find any solution for that either.