Counterfeit components

[Wendymott]

Hi Peeps. I have been caught out recently buying components from a well known site.
I was trying to increase my SMD stock, and I had already bought a Folder containing SMD 0803 capacitors and one lot of 0803 resistors, sold as "a Sample" kit.
I found a supplier selling SMD Inductors in a nice wallet.... Ideal. Delivery was brilliant too.
However I did not check the values.. I had no need to suspect anything wrong..until I came to use some in the DDS oscillator .
The filter was all wrong.....it was when I replaced the inductors with some others bought that I decided to measure some of the items......
ALL... below 100nH were measured at 66nH......... some above were no where near the 5% tol spec.
After a couple of contacts with the vendor....... I have no idea if he was to blame or if his supplier was... the matter is resolved with a full refund
As the device body's are unmarked, it is impossible to know, unless you measure them.......
SMD Capacitors are also a problem as the body's are unmarked too.
I suppose I better had check some of those as well.

[MrBungle]

I've given up buying cheap stuff like that. Always tends to be wrong in some way or another. Honestly buying SMD parts from RS new is ridiculously cheap. Using an example: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/surfa...stors/1251189/

100x branded TE connectivity 10k 1% 0805's are £0.36 including next day delivery and VAT.

I just buy what I need for a project. Recently I put together some pulse generators and the total BOM cost including getting boards made by OSHpark for 3 complete units and all branded parts from RS including VAT and postage was £7!

[ukcol]

Hi Wendy,

I have recently been working on a switch mode power supply and could not find all the semiconductors I needed from the usual suspects.

I went on ebay and managed to find what I need from two suppliers. Two parts I ordered one supplier and three parts from the other. Being aware of this problem (but not having fell foul of it so far) I looked first at their feedback and the list of other items they sell and then made a judgement that they were both likely to be legitimate.

When the parts came I cold checked them before fitting them. As you can imagine, counterfeit components in a SMPS probable equals - BANG!

[Wendymott]

Hi Colin and Mr Bungle..... I agree with both of you....I usually buy from RS or similar and the delivery time is great... however..Was it "too good to miss" yep.... but how could the vendor get it sooooo wrong ??Hopefully ALL his customers have ditched him...as they say.... "Buyer beware".

[Argus25]

Originally Posted by Wendymott

I have no idea if he was to blame or if his supplier was...

This is the Kernel problem of the fake parts industry, the buck gets passed up a chain to nowhere. Everyone involved denies responsibility and we never get to find out who is responsible.

For most of the work I do, largely through-hole parts, I try to get pre year 2000 date code parts that are less likely faked. Also vintage mil spec parts from the pre 1990's era are seldom fake. Also it is fairly easy to spot a fake with these sorts of parts.

However I do sympathize when it comes to surface mount parts of new manufacture, or the last decade at least, fakes are rampant and much harder to spot. Some have found their way into military and medical equipment, avionics etc. The only way that helps detect them is thorough testing, but it needs to push them to their destruction limits to really find out.

The whole fake parts industry is a testament to the combination of human greed and stupidity which appear to be two entangled qualities.

[Terry_VK5TM]

Not so much a fake, but one of getting used parts when such item was described as new is also a problem.

Has happened to me once, but at the cost involved (way below what was even being asked for an equivalent s/hand part), didn't bother doing anything about it.

[Oldcodger]

To anyone with a RS depot close by, I'd say ( from my few experiences), order online and collect ( most probably) next day.

[chriswood1900]

I now stick to RS or CPC/Farnell and don't have problems with fakes and I seem to be very fortunate with RS deliveries, if I order items that are shown as in stock before 8.30pm I get them by 8.30am the next day, so if I find I need a part for a project or repair I have very short wait. Part of the reason is that I'm fairly near the local Parcelforce depot and our area is in the first drop.
Chris

[sortedradio]

I find RS great too, next day delivery and it's free with no minimum order value.

Martin

[MrBungle]

I’m sure I’m ruining RS here. I’ve had a delivery every day this week and each one is no more than £1

[nutteronthebus]

I bought off ebay 50 BC550 NPN transistors they turned out to be PNP ones ( they worked and tested OK but were PNP not NPN ).
I now stick to RS.

Dave

['LIVEWIRE?']

I mainly buy from CPC, occasionally from RS, and used to have an account wth SEME/Nedis(What happened to them?), and also bought from the, I'm sure, much missed, Charles Hyde(CHS) quite often. Never had any problems from any of them. Orders from account holders to CPC are also sent carriage free the next working day, BTW. I do sometimes buy from eBay sellers. Maybe I've been lucky, but don't recall any problems with items sourced that way. At the moment, though, I'm waiting for a couple of AA battery Holders ordered from Amazon 2 weeks ago. They are coming via Thai Post, and may not arrive until 5 February. How low is that? I needed a 4 way AA holder without PP3 battery clips, as one with won't fit into the 1960's Cossor Portable which needs a new holder. None of the usual suppliers stock them. RS list the type, but had no stock at the time of my order.

[dominicbeesley]

I've had a few counterfeits from ebay and some from respected suppliers - one example leading me to give up hope and scrap my car!*

Strangely enough I've bought quite a few CPLDs/FPGAs direct from China using aliexpress which one would have thought was fraught with danger and so far I've not had a bad un!

Does it seem that lower cost items slip through more often due to people making less of a fuss. I suppose also that something like a duff CPLD/FPGA is pretty easy to spot i.e. they just don't work whereas out of spec passives *might* work or work for some time before going pop?


* Not 100% true the fact that a mouse had made a very smelly nest of the back seats while I tried to figure out what was wrong with the ignition system to make it keep blowing modules finally tipped the balance

[CambridgeWorks]

I’m sure I’m ruining RS here. I’ve had a delivery every day this week and each one is no more than £1

I am sure they are monitoring sales and profit closely, so let us not be surprised if they revert to minimum order including post or a postage charge below a certain value.
I hope they don't.
Rob

[MrBungle]

If they do, I apologise

[Wendymott]

The whole point of my original post was that, I ordered an item/s and expected to receive what I paid for.
I have no problem with RS/CPC/Farnell.. adinfinitum...... it was that.. as I really dont do "maths"... when making / developing I like to have a range of component values, that would ordinarily take 2-3 days, in stock. Thus the "Sample" pack was ideal. I have looked since and they have been withdrawn from that category.
Ah well... back to the "fingers crossed" and order from my usual sources.

[CambridgeWorks]

Not your fault MrBungle, I would also do the same if it suited my needs!
Rob

[dsergeant]

SEME got taken over by Nedis, a European company and closed their spares department about 10 years ago. They still exist, now in Leicester instead of Melton Mowbray, but don't seem to offer anything of interest to us repairers:
https://www.nedis.com/en-gb

SEME and Willow Vale were the places to go years long gone but they, along with CHS, are now no more. Occasionally I use CPC (with account) but seem to be getting more and more things from eBay which has not resulted in any fakes yet.

Dave


Dave