Following a point raised in conjunction with our most recent meeting I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread where we can share where we source electronic components, electro-mechanical ones such as connectors and so on, and consumables. I suggest concentrating on suppliers to go to for small ad hoc bits and pieces as I'm sure anyone going into major component stocking for large projects will have their favourite suppliers. It might be worth mentioning the major players too.
I imagine the majority of suppliers added will be in the UK, or for delivery to the UK, but it would be good to hear about supplies in other countries.
To kick off here are a few that come to mind.
Squires http://www.squirestools.com/home.htm (http://www.squirestools.com/home.htm)
Most modellers with be familiar with Squires stands at exhibitions. They are not what might come to mind immediately when thinking about electronic components but are still a useful source. Also they may not be the cheapest, but I think one of the greatest plus points is being able to see what they have (assuming one is buying at an exhibition) and as far as I am aware what they sell is suitably matched to the needs of railway modellers which can be a help if one is uncertain about component ratings and so on.
The big 'traditional' suppliers
These are the suppliers that educational establishments, research labs and other institutions, small engineering firms and so on are quite likely to buy from as quality and reliable availability should be good (current world shortages excepted). One thing to check is minimum order values and postage costs (including the break point for free postage if it is offered). Some also have trade counters in major towns and it is worth checking if the trade counters are open to non-account purchases.
Rapid Electronics https://www.rapidonline.com/ (https://www.rapidonline.com/)
Hugh Norwood listed this one and I also buy from them. Of all the suppliers I think they set out to cater for the 'little man', including the option to have VAT inclusive pricing shown and have certainly taken steps to cater for customers in the schools technology areas. They cater for 'guest' checkout as well as 'returning customer' (registered) cash purchases.
RS Components (now re-branded as simply RS) https://uk.rs-online.com/web/ (https://uk.rs-online.com/web/)
RS are the 'senior' supplier serving many institutions. I see they too now allow 'guest' checkout. They may be more expensive but the great thing I find in their favour is the component search and comparison facilities are good and backed up by their generally excellent datasheet provision. Often I will go to RS first to find a components and alternatives and then check to see if other suppliers are selling it.
Farnell https://uk.farnell.com/ (https://uk.farnell.com/) and CPC https://cpc.farnell.com/ (https://cpc.farnell.com/)
Very crudely, Farnell is to CPC what Screwfix is to B&Q as they are part of the same group. I've used them less often than the others. Both offer checkout without registering and CPC offers PayPal payment. Both have a 'handling fee' rather than postage for small value purchases and I'm not sure why seemingly identical items cost different amounts on the two sites.
Digikey https://www.digikey.co.uk/ (https://www.digikey.co.uk/)
Digikey are an American company with a UK outlet. I've used them less than any of the others. A quick 'dummy purchase' just now suggests the process is a bit more convoluted. One thing I do remember though is that items not in stock in UK may be shipped over from the USA and attract a hefty surcharge for doing so though I'm not sure if that is still the case.
I think that covers the 'big' suppliers. I will post now and come back and edit with some of the smaller ones I've used. If I'm able to continued to re-edit the post I might add in what others have to say to keep all the information together in one place.
This is good idea I think Graeme, it should be useful I think.
Of the suppliers you mention, I mainly go to CPC for the run of the mill minor components, they are efficient and not too expensive. The parent Farnell has a bigger and very comprehensive range but seems to be set up for customers buying bigger orders.
One smaller supplier I go to frequently is Bowood:
https://www.bowood-electronics.co.uk
They have a limited but useful range, are inexpensive, and give very good service.
Frank
I tend to get all my electrical bits from e-bay these days.
You get the same items but cheaper, sometimes much cheaper.
I have even used Chinese e-bay sellers in the past when I needed a lot of items or there was no rush.
Excellent idea for a topic Graeme.
Here's one cottage industry type trader that is a regular at a lot of "mainstream" MRX's in the south of England is Railroom Electronics, from Wareham in Dorset https://www.railroomelectronics.co.uk/ . Their stand is an Aladdin's Cave of small electrical components - wire, switches, relays and etc etc as well as a really good comprehensive range of modelling tools and accessories - very similar to Squires or Eileen's Emporium in the areas they cater for. They also do mail order, but must admit that I have only dealt with them at exhibitions personally.
Mick
Quote from: MickT on November 11, 2022, 12:23
Excellent idea for a topic Graeme.
Here's one cottage industry type trader that is a regular at a lot of "mainstream" MRX's in the south of England is Railroom Electronics, from Wareham in Dorset https://www.railroomelectronics.co.uk/ . Their stand is an Aladdin's Cave of small electrical components - wire, switches, relays and etc etc as well as a really good comprehensive range of modelling tools and accessories - very similar to Squires or Eileen's Emporium in the areas they cater for. They also do mail order, but must admit that I have only dealt with them at exhibitions personally.
Mick
Thanks Mick. Yes that is the sort of supplier I was thinking would be useful for 'the average modeller' as Railway Modeller would have it.
The big suppliers are great if buying in quantity and knowing exactly what to buy, but the choice can be overwhelming. The prices when buying from anonymous suppliers in the far East is tempting but fraught with issues such as limited data and being unsure what arrives is what is claimed. Specialist suppliers for the modeller will have selected product lines that are appropriate to the hobby and with luck may be able to offer advice.