6 Feb
2015
6 Feb
'15
2:28 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of tony
duell
Sent: 06 February 2015 20:46
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: RE: Radio Shack
>
> > [Maplin's] on line store is still good for some hard to get
components.
That's not really been my experience, except that they have relatively
poor turn-over of components to the point it's almost a source of NOS
parts.
Maplin are often known as 'Craplin' by my friends....
25 years ago they had a reasonable range of components, and had most in
stock in the shops. They were very useful for 'emergency' supplies -- to
extent that when I was in Bristol there was a common
question in the lab
'Anyone going to Craplin today, if so can you get me a couple of 555
timers'
or whatever.
Now they have a few components, but worse, a lot of the interesting lines
are 'web only' and can't be ordered or supplied in shops. This means
ordering
them is as big a hassle as doing an RS or Farnell
order, where a much
better
range is available.
You can pick them up at the store using "click and collect"...
We do have Farnell, CPC and RS components, They are
mail order only
but have huge number of different stock lines.
RS have a few trade counters dotted around the country. The most
convenient one for Londoners is probably the one in the industrial
estate to the west of the former Olympic site. The River Lea makes
public transport and pedestrian access a bit of a chore though. (I
used to go over that way by bike.) problems at all.
Now I am in SE London, getting there would be a bit harder. I must try the
E
London one.. Not sure how I would get there, but I
will work it out.
I can remember when Edgware road was lined with electronics shops on
both sides, new and surplus components. In the early 1980s you could get
anything from valves to microprocessors there. And then of course there
was Proops in Tottenham Court Road for interesting surplus stuff. All gone
:-(
-tony
Increasingly even Farnell and RS have limited local stocks of parts. Even
simple components from RS are often only available the following day. I much
prefer to collect from trade counter or the store as then I don't need to be
in when the mail man comes. However I see that E-Bay offers a similar
service, where you can pick up items at a local "Argos" store.... (A
catalogue store)...
Dave
G4UGM