Good online electronics supplier

Thread Starter

Len Whistler

Joined Dec 10, 2010
44
What company is a good online supplier of electronic supplies who ships to Canada, I'm looking for a 2 M Ohm Potentiometer. Currently I go to:


  • RP Electronics (local, in person shopping)
  • Ebay (mail order)


I can't find a 2 M Ohm Pot locally, and just 1 on Ebay. I would like more choices.
 

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
Here is just one of lots of 2M pots available at Digikey.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=3386W-205LF-ND

If price is no object, then pick one of the big guys like Mouser or Digikey (which usually ships the same day,) and order most everything from them. However, you will find that a little on-line price shopping can sometimes turn up lower cost alternatives from smaller suppliers. Following are some examples.

http://allelectronics.com/

http://www.sparkfun.com/

http://unicornelex.com

http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/

Of course, you have to consider shipping costs which can sometimes exceed the cost of the parts on order.
 

marshallf3

Joined Jul 26, 2010
2,358
That's what I love about Mouser, they only charge exactly what they have to pay at their discounted rates from UPS and they treat even the smallest customer as well as they treat their largest. If it's a very small order you can save even more having them ship via USPS.

DigiKey is another story, they charge pretty much full UPS rates.
 

gootee

Joined Apr 24, 2007
447
My vote also goes to mouser.com . Huge catalog, usually no quantity too small, cheap shipping, same-day shipping up to 8 pm. They are great.

I highly recommend getting their paper catalog sent to you. It's a wonderful thing to have on hand. Also get the Allied Electronics and Digikey paper catalogs.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
My vote also goes to mouser.com . Huge catalog, usually no quantity too small, cheap shipping, same-day shipping up to 8 pm. They are great.

I highly recommend getting their paper catalog sent to you. It's a wonderful thing to have on hand. Also get the Allied Electronics and Digikey paper catalogs.
I have found mouser to be a bit more expensive on some items but they have the best website. Vastly superior to digikey.

One nice thing about digikey is they have a number of low quantity discounts.

But Newark seems to have very good prices and fairly cheap shipping.

I HATE the paper catalogs. I huge waste of resources in my opinion. The various tables are nice but IMHO, it is far easier to use the website.

The mouser catalog is the size of a phone book. Just think of how much paper it takes to send to millions of their customers.

I need to look on their website to see if there is a way to turn off catalogs being sent.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I have found mouser to be a bit more expensive on some items but they have the best website. Vastly superior to digikey.

One nice thing about digikey is they have a number of low quantity discounts.

But Newark seems to have very good prices and fairly cheap shipping.

I HATE the paper catalogs. I huge waste of resources in my opinion. The various tables are nice but IMHO, it is far easier to use the website.

The mouser catalog is the size of a phone book. Just think of how much paper it takes to send to millions of their customers.

I need to look on their website to see if there is a way to turn off catalogs being sent.
What I do not like about these smaller places is they don't have everything. I usually work with PICs and most of the small places don't carry them or carry a limited selection.

Unless you are ordering a large quantity of something to stock up, it s probably not worth it to pay for shipping at the small guy then turn around and pay for shipping for one or two items they do not carry at one of the big guys.
 

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
I have found mouser to be a bit more expensive on some items but they have the best website. Vastly superior to digikey.

One nice thing about digikey is they have a number of low quantity discounts.

But Newark seems to have very good prices and fairly cheap shipping.

I HATE the paper catalogs. I huge waste of resources in my opinion. The various tables are nice but IMHO, it is far easier to use the website.
I have ordered from Digi-key several times, but I placed my first order with Mouser just two days ago. I forgot an item, called them, and they added it no problem. Seem like they are going to be good to deal with.

The prices for the items I ordered were good, but some other items seemed high. Also, they don't have National Semiconductor components, which is a negative.

I like ordering on-line, but I'm "old school" enough that I still like to sit and look through a paper catalog. :)
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I have ordered from Digi-key several times, but I placed my first order with Mouser just two days ago. I forgot an item, called them, and they added it no problem. Seem like they are going to be good to deal with.

The prices for the items I ordered were good, but some other items seemed high. Also, they don't have National Semiconductor components, which is a negative.

Yes mouser has sent items I forgot to order out too. They will even send if your main order has already shipped and will wave shipping. But I would not tax their generosity on that one.

I have gotten smarter when ordering. I use their shopping cart and take several days to order. I add items I need know or may need in the future. I also check my stock and if I find I already have enough of an item I remove it.


Here is another great place

www.nkcelectronics.com

He is very small but the customer service is fantastic.
 

marshallf3

Joined Jul 26, 2010
2,358
Yea, I use the projects feature of Mouser all the time as I'm designing something. I've got stuff saved in there from probably a decade ago if I need to go back and reference it. I occasionally goof up and order another 200 of a resistor I already had plenty of and hadn't put up in my drawers but hey - only $4
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
If you use Digikey, order via thier Canadian site, Digikey.ca , or you will be paying duty.
Newark.ca seems to have what Digikey doesn't as far as suppliers.

There was an Active Components in Burnaby way back.

How's the snowpack at Whistler?
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I like the Mouser paper catalog because I have difficulties with their online search engine. I have tried "searching" for a part I had already found in the paper catalog and couldn't find it with the search engine! Of course, I could just search for the part number and get the proper results, but I just had to try "drilling down" to the part as an attempt to learn how to use their search engine. I failed.

I could also whine about how their data is entered, as in listing one supply voltage as 12 V and another as 12 VDC, like those are two different things!

OK. Enough whining. Merry Christmas!
 

marshallf3

Joined Jul 26, 2010
2,358
I also like having the paper copies which they'll gladly send you both to home and work. I prefer working with their online system but there are occasions where I like to refer to the catalog rather than pull up a .pdf copy of the page involved because so many other similar components are on the adjacent pages.

One thing though, there's a ton of stuff that only appears online and not in the paper catalog.

Keep at working with their online database, if in doubt choose both 12V and 12VDC, you simply use your <CTRL> key to select multiple options. Once you get used to it you'll find that it works rather well but there are cases where you should leave a spec not even selected. They fill this stuff in as best as they can but only from what the manufacturer briefly lists so you can miss things if you try to get too specific. I often just start out with the most basic of filters then start tightening the search up from there.
 
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GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
Years ago, my paper library was quite extensive. About 10 years ago I donated the bulk of it to the local technical college. Haven't opened a paper catalog since then.

I download and save pdfs whenever I come across usefull info. I found that linking isn't always successful as availiability comes and goes.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Electrosonic is in a suburb of Vancouver.
I order online from Digikey and Newark and they deliver to my Canadian home the next day.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Active was in my neighbourhood for many years but now the store is closed. I bought many parts and plastic cases there. There is another one but on the other side of my huge city. I bought my Fluke DVM at Active.
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
Bought my first O'scope at Active in Burnaby. They had a good selection of ICs so was convenient.

I did swing over to Electrosonic however for industrial supplies. They where located down in Richmond, off Viking.

I prefer online, shipped to the door these days.
 
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