I'd like to expand a bit on the Useful Links list for electronic component suppliers outside the UK, currently as below. Basic Useful stuff such as stock range (wide or popular stuff or if they're specialized in any way, like PICs), minimum order, delivery charges, anything that might help a fellow-countryman along. So if you've used any on the list, or know any more worth passing on, add your comments and I'll edit the Sticky. Not looking for flames, just a few facts, eg, from the UK list, Rapid Electronics : Decent range of branded components. Online shop, and catalogue sections also available in pdf. No minimum order, delivery £3.45 (+VAT), free over £25. US: Action: All Electronics: Am. Sci. & Surplus: BG Micro: Dale Wheat: Digi-Key: Electronix: Electronix Express: Excess Solutions: Future Active: Futurlec: Goldmine: Hosfelt: Jameco: Mouser: MPJA: Newark: Continental Europe: ELFA : Swedish, multilingual site, components and datasheets, overview of numbers to different types of ic's. Conrad Electronics:
I can contribute for a few. All Electronics - $6 shipping for most orders, no minimum (like all the stores I listed). Fairly ecclectic selection, but at bargain prices. Quite a bit of pulled equipment. Uses UPS to ship, warehouse in Van Nuys, CA. Futurlec - $3 shipping for most orders. VERY cheap prices, but not a huge selction; mostly passive components and fairly common ICs. Make sure to pick up the component packs though, as they're also incredibly cheap. Uses USPS because, as I figured out on my second order, all shipments come from Thailand en massé, and then when they reach the country of destination, they're sent off from there. Took about a week to get to WA (their US center is in NY). Make sure you don't need to e-mail them about anything, as, like I said earlier, they're in Taiwan, so one back and forth correspondance takes a day (at least their English is good). Jameco - Either the easiest or the most inane site to browse through. Almost everything they have has an actual color picture (unlike Mouser), but a lot of items are just plain in the wrong category (for example, copper clad PC board are in one of the D-Subminiture connector categories), and the printed catalog is of no use either because it doesn't list half of the stuff (every other page says "go to jameco.com to see the other ## items in this category"). That being said, they do stock quite a bit, so its worth checking out. $7 for orders under 2lb, UPS, also from CA. Mouser - You might as well go ahead and call this "Mecca". HUGE, HUGE, HUGE selection. Make sure to either use their PDF catalog browser or get the free catalog sent to you; browsing this site willy-nilly is not advised. When you get the printed catalog, you'll appreciate how huge it is. The sucker is about the size of a typical magazine, but over an inch thick. Most items have links to datasheets, which is nice. Some stuff is uber-cheap, while some things can be had much cheaper at other places, but there's still the fact that you probably won't find everything you need all at one place. Shipping will be around $4-6 for your typical order. Uses UPS, based in TX.
I'll agree with Whypick1 about mouser... they are great. But if you think they have a lot of stuff..... wait till you see the digikey catalog, it's half again bigger then the mouser catalog. Between mouser and digikey you should be able to find ANYTHING you need. I mean digikey has almost anything.... they can be a little spendy though. I think there is a $5.00 charge there if your order is less then $25.00 The digikey website could be better, but they have great ship times to me in the midwest. Jameco is nice too, has a smaller selection but a site that is easier to find things and better prices. I also like allied electronics. http://www.alliedelec.com/default.asp If you need kits or pcb making supplies or lots of other odds and ends, check out circuit specialists... http://www.web-tronics.com/ There is also Newark electronics. http://www.newark.com/ They have lots of thing that you can't find at other places. I found MIC502 fan management chips there when I couldn't find them anywhere else. They are very spendy though. I have purchased from allied, digikey, jameco, mouser, circuit specialists, all electronics, and BG micro all without any problems. more linkage. fiberoptics: http://fiberopticproducts.com/ (beware annoying sounds on page) LEDS: lsdiodes http://lsdiodes.com/ superbrightleds http://www.superbrightleds.com/
Futurlec: Excellent customer service and prices, bear in mind that the items are shipped from Thailand cheap shipping too!
Just a quick comment about Mouser: They'll ship first class - so if you aren't in a hurry and don't want to pay some ridiculous amount for shipping - that's the way to go. They normally charge you actual shipping costs - though last time I bought something from them first class it said on the box like $.85 and they charged me $1.50 or something like that. Oh well... I don't really mind when it's still that cheap. And I agree - between Digi-Key and Mouser you can get just about anything. The only things that I normally buy elsewhere are tools - I always seem to find smaller places with better prices for those.
Thanks, guys, looking a lot more Useful now on the US front, where's all the Europeans got to? Come on down, freaky Belgian and the Trondheim Terror... If I've got anything wrong, let me know.
