Parts from RS Components.

[DAVEHALL]

Got an RS depot about a mile from me and Maplin a few miles further on. Anyone trade even order small quantities to collect. Maplin seem to be reducing what used to be bread and butter items and more and more items are mail order only with postage below set sum.

[Peter.N.]

That's a change in policy. RS closed my account many years ago because I didn't spend enough! I used to go to the trade counter in Maple St, off Tottenham Court Road when they were Radiospares in the '50s

Peter

[Bazz4CQJ]

Originally Posted by DAVEHALL

Got an RS depot about a mile from me and Maplin a few miles further on. Anyone trade even order small quantities to collect.

I trade as a Ltd Co, and though I spend VERY LITTLE at RS, have no problem keeping the account open, but don't use a local branch as we don't have one nearby.

[Paul Stenning]

I've had an RS account for at least 10 years. I don't spend much, under £150 per year typically, but it remains open with free delivery.

The main thing I use it for is electrolytic capacitors for repairing PC motherboards.

I always pay the invoices promptly rather than waiting the 30 days or whatever.

[ppppenguin]

I've had an RS account for many years and it gets used about once per year. So far so good. I usually pay with credit card rather than charging to my account. Just seems easier.

[DAVEHALL]

Was looking at not having account, but ordering and paying on line and collecting from local (less than a mile from home), depot.

[telstar]

Hi. We have a good R.S trade counter in Leeds. I used to use them a lot on cash sale purchases when I used to work for a large well known electrical appliance (nationwide) store before they made all their service staff (including myself) redundant this year. They had a trade account which they let us use. It probably isn't worth opening my own account now.
Many years ago, R.S had a mail order depot in Leeds called "Doram". It was really useful for people who wanted to buy components from R.S at retail prices. Unfortunately, that service closed down.
I agree about Maplin being not so good on components anymore. We could do with more useful electronic component shops here (just like the "good old days").
However, Farnell now welcome the public to their trade counter!
Cheers
Mike

[Herald1360]

Which is fine IF you live near Leeds.

[val33vo]

Maplin, RS components etc

Why not just use the net and go to China, I recently ordered some 3.7 v lipo batteries and some RJ11 plugs and sockets ( from different companies ) and got them for roughly the same cost as the above companies are charging for post and packing The batts were £2.49 post free

It baffles me how they can do it as it still has to use our postal service for the end hop

I must admit I did wonder if they would ever arrive, but delivery time was on average in the order of 10 days

I would prefer to use UK companies for the sake of employment in this country however I think quite a few make their money out of small order p&p charges

Its probably not so bad south of where I stay but up here an IV ( Inverness )postcode is regarded like the sign of the devil, some companies refuse even to deliver goods to that post code, others supposedly mainland P&P free sudennly insist on a surcharge when you hit the checkout icon

regards

val33vo

[McMurdo]

The problem with going direct to China is that amongst other things, you circumvent approvals and safety & quality standards that are almost given as read with British suppliers like RS. That is OK if you put a capacitor in your garage wireless and it goes bang a few days later, but not so good if a fuse fails to do its job and burns someone's house down. Unfortunately not all foreign suppliers especially outside the EU have such conscientious approaches to making sure components (or finished goods for that matter) live up to their descriptions.

[Bazz4CQJ]

A friend of mine bought a lot of low voltage PSU's direct from China last year for use with a commercial product he makes. On arrival, they all failed the meet the EU regulations on electromagnetic noise. Think he got stuck with them.

As for RS, I love them. Never the cheapest, but if it's in stock on their website (and it usually is), it can be here the next day. As for Maplin, their "quality" threshold is awfully low.

[telstar]

I would prefer to buy more capacitors and resistors from R.S if I could, but their prices have certainly gone high. They sell components that look similar in size to the originals that you are replacing. The polypropylene caps that Farnells are selling are now the miniature ones, which don't seem to look right for replacements.
Doram Electronics were actually a mail order service once operated by R.S Components.
Cheers
Mike

[DAVEHALL]

Problem is that the "CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY" with firms like RS ( and others ) due to
ISO /ETC traceability isues pushes price up for the likes of us .

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by DAVEHALL

Problem is that the "CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY" with firms like RS ( and others ) due to
ISO /ETC traceability isues pushes price up for the likes of us .

Also if you are a manufacturer of components you are going to be concentrating all of your efforts where the big volume buyers are. Since we have almost zero manufacturing in the UK it is not going to be here.

Frankly I have a great deal of respect for the likes of RS and Farnell to remain in business considering the massive commercial pressures they face.

Mike

[evingar]

Originally Posted by MichaelR

Frankly I have a great deal of respect for the likes of RS and Farnell to remain in business considering the massive commercial pressures they face.

Indeed !

Those of that need them for our livelihood aren't so keep to undermine them by getting unaccredited tatt directly from China for our hobby use.

Kill off RS and Farnell and you put another nail into small scale British product development activity as well as various repair companies. Maybe those that moan about the lack of UK technical activity, and yet always personally seek the lowest cost option should have a little think about that one !

My personal view is that I think it's time a tougher line was taken on downright dangerous rubbish being allowed into the country by the back door. This "stuff" leaks into the unsuspecting, non technical mainstream via auction sites and car boot sales. Most on here know enough to make a sensible judgement, that certainly isn't the case in the wider population.

I also note the comments above about Chinese PSUs failing EMC tests. We had this problem, even though we bought through an accredited UK dealer. On opening one of the units up, we found blank spaced on the PCB where various ferrites were supposed to have been fitted (as I'm sure they were for the "proving" batch).

The penalties for a UK company marketing a product not complying to reams of legislation are draconian, and can include a custodial sentence. I'm not particularly arguing about most of it (because most of it is sensible). What I am arguing for is a level playing field.

[Brian R Pateman]

Another vote for RS.

I've dealt with them for more years than I care to remember. I've had my own account for a very long time.

I rely on them to supply high quality products for a reasonable price, when I need them. Considering my location, any company that delivers stuff tomorrow if I order it before 8 PM today is a company I will support.

RS and Farnell don't exist to support the hobby market. It is not a big enough market to support any company of that size and if no hobbyist ever bought another component from them it would make no difference to them. Just think about the amount of money required to ensure that they have adequate stocks of the basic items to give the sort of order turnaround I've mentioned above. Not even Maplin, with at lots of retail outlets on high streets and retail parks across the country can do that.

It's horses for courses.

The big suppliers exist to service industry and it's a good thing that they do because many of us wouldn't be able to do the "day job" without them. I'm not knocking the smaller specialist suppliers and those who exist to support the dwindling hobby market in the UK. I buy from them as well. For my hobby needs, I can wait for a slower delivery, it doesn't matter if I finish a repair or restoration for myself tomorrow, this week or next month.

[HamishBoxer]

Next Day up in Scotland as well,excellent.

David GM8JET

[wireful3]

Brian has made a good point about suppliers and hobbyists. Fortunately some are still willing to supply small users and hobbyists with the items they stock. Certainly the Farnell group is one I have used.

Unfortunately our problems arise in wanting things that the bulk users don't need, like valve mains transformers high voltage electrolytic capacitors etc. The serious problem I find is coloured flex or sleeving and that sort of thing. In the past it was available by the tens of meters or more, in a whole range of colours and sizes with no problem. Now if it is not red brown blue or yellow life is difficult as I have no one stocks it. I think there are some producers prepared to do a small batch occasionally. Unfortunately small to them seems to be measured in kilometers.

[theoldtrout]

I've had an account with RS for the last 10 years and cannot fault their service. I use them for my business and personal projects/repairs. There are other small specialist companies out there giving a good service that I support - mainly the ones that sell valves/obsolete semis etc. I used to work for a couple of component manufacturers that supplied RS so visited their Corby HQ frequently. The amount RS have invested in order processing and logistics must be staggering as the order picking is almost automatic: A plastic box with a radio tag moves around the warehouse and stops at each location that contain the parts on your order until completed then checked, packed, down a chute into containers straight on to a Parcelforce lorry.

[audiomik]

Well, I used to purchase parts from a company called Radiospares who sent out a small yellow coloured catalogue.

Then it was RS Components who I had an account with and at times they shipped to wherever in the world I happened to be working, but haven't bought anything from them now for over 15+ years.
Mik