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Components, connectors and electronics. (2 replies)
Hi Shane,
RS Components is the go to for items that need to be quality, but as you say they are expensive (online shop).
I also use Temu, AliExpress, EBay for other items for experimenting! But the quality is hit and miss, guess you get what you pay for?!
I do not know of any Tandy, Maplin etc anymore. But online shopping is so convenient and cheap!
best wishes
M7WWI (Phill)
i would bee wary of EBay / Temu / Aliexpress etc
i have had variable quality from Ebay, various connectors connector issues, white metal centre pins on PL259's which you can't solder to, even brass coloured centre pins you can't solder???, they appear to solder but a month or two down the line it fails and SWR goes all over the place
I have had some SMA female connectors with solid centre pins (no hole so you can't connect a male to it!!)
even amazon you have to be careful as you get sellers who buy a few and mark them up stupid amounts, i also make sure they are available on prime for next day delivery, if you tick "prime" you have to watch as some have lead times of a couple of weeks where they come from china
maplin.co.uk exists online only now, but also you have Cricklewood Electronics | CCTV Online Store
i use ebay etc pretty much only for passive components like resistors, capacitors etc and wire/ cases, they are my last resort for semiconductors as too many fake or out of spec items sold as genuine using images of genuine parts
have fun
Peter
M0PWX
(not M0PSX who runs the site)
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Hi there Hams
Any recommendations on connectors and stuff. I recently ordered two female BNC TO female SMA from Amazon as I was in a bit or a rush, they cost £5.50, yes you read that right. Anyway I got some more from Ali Express for 30p each, had to wait 2 weeks although had still not had to use the ones from Amazon. I created a return told them I found them cheaper and no arguments they refunded my money and told me to keep them so they must know they are ripping people off, anyway I also like to build electronic things so sometimes buy ESP8266 WiFi & Bluetooth enabled boards, for example, my son runs the IT in a school and unfortunately his server room flooded so he asked me to build a Wi-Fi humidity and temperature sensor so he could watch the levels, now he doesn’t even have to worry as the ESP8266 now alerts him when the levels go over a set amount. So no more excess moisture and also no more overheating. Also I would eventually like to build a rotor for my VHF antenna and finish my automatic plant water sensors and my sound detector project that will turn on a smart plug when it hears sound over certain DB (noisy neighbours).
Anyway as far as I’m aware Maplin’s have gone and there’re charges were extortionate anyway and RS Components have disappeared as there used to be one in North Watford by the roundabout although their prices also leave a lot to be desired.
The point of my ramblings is this…
Does any of you know of a decent wholesaler that sells electronics, connectors and components to the public in the UK at reasonable prices?
Thanks
Shane