> I'm boycotting RadioShack Canada.  I'm tired of
> wasting my money buying junk.  I can't even get a
> replacement tip for my soldering iron (which they
> continue to sell despite the fact they don't sell
> replacement tips for it).
>
> Of course, everything I've ever looked for has been
> available on the RadioShack.com (US version) but I
> can't order from that site because I'm in Canada.
>
> Who ever would've thought that RadioShack would get so
> bad that they don't even carry resistors!
>
> Anyone wanna join my boycott of RadioShack Canada?
>
>
>
> =====
> MJ Brush
> LeftClick.ca Internet Media Services
> mbrush@[NOSPAM]leftclick.ca
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads

>
> > Find yourself a quality ee store.  There's bound to
> > be one within 50
> > miles that would appreciate your support.
>
> I wish!  The closest thing to an EE store is a place
> that sells "safety components" like relays and junk,
> but I don't even think they sell a single IC.  I have
> tried ElectroSonic.ca, but they apparently don't like
> small quantity customers like me.  I've settled with
> Digikey, because they usually have everything I need
> and they're prices are acceptable.  I just wish I
> could support Canadian company.
>
> Cheers
>
>
>
>
> =====
> MJ Brush
> LeftClick.ca Internet Media Services
> mbrush@[NOSPAM]leftclick.ca
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>

> I'm boycotting RadioShack Canada.  I'm tired of
> wasting my money buying junk.  I can't even get a
> replacement tip for my soldering iron (which they
> continue to sell despite the fact they don't sell
> replacement tips for it).
>
> Of course, everything I've ever looked for has been
> available on the RadioShack.com (US version) but I
> can't order from that site because I'm in Canada.
>
> Who ever would've thought that RadioShack would get so
> bad that they don't even carry resistors!
>
> Anyone wanna join my boycott of RadioShack Canada?
>
> =====
> MJ Brush
>

>>>I've boycotted RadioSlack USA for over 10 years. Never been sorry for it.
>>>Their Slogan: "You've got questions? We've got questions".
>>>Rick
>>>
>>>
>
>No, it's slogan is "You've got questions? We've got DUMB LOOKS".
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
>[PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>
>
>
>

> For those of you who receive it, check out the "Radio Shed" comic in EE
> Times June 14, 2004 p. 56.
>
> Dave
>
> Robert Rolf wrote:
>
>>>> I've boycotted RadioSlack USA for over 10 years. Never been sorry
>>>> for it.
>>>> Their Slogan: "You've got questions? We've got questions".
>>>> Rick
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>> No, it's slogan is "You've got questions? We've got DUMB LOOKS".
>>
>> --
>> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
>> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads

> Jason S wrote:
> >
> > What if you only need a few dollars or even a few cents worth of parts?
> > You're still looking at at least $6 in shipping costs.
>
> Yep.
>
> >
> > I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that without a local retail parts
> > store, it's simply impossible to do electronics work as a hobby.
>
> Yep.
>
> Unfortunately I got used to driving by Active on my way to work
> to pick up whatever I needed that day. With the change in ownership
> there is so little useful inventory that I now just order my stuff
> from Digikey, pay the shipping and be done with it (my time is worth
> quite a lot, unlike a hobbyist). It's still on my desk the next day.
>
> Part of the problem with doing 'hobby' design is that you often
> don't always know what you need until AFTER you've sent in your order.
> So you either have to plan better, accounting for all likely needs,
> or live with the minimum purchase and shipping costs.
>
> I always order a few extra of whatever I purchase so that my 'junk'
> draw is pretty well stocked, so I need to order much less often now.
> One always needs IC sockets, capacitors, connectors, etc. etc.
> so ordering 'just enough' has its shortcoming, particularly if
> ordering 10 of something makes the extra 2 pieces 'free' because
> of a price break.
>
> The big killer for hobbyists, as I see it, is the MOQ (minimum order
> quantity) that most distributors now have. If I only need 25 molex
> connectors, why the bleep do I have to place a factory order for 500?
> For SMT IC's it's even crazier. 500pc on some things where you need
> only 30 (so sampling won't get you what you need).
> It is stupid that one of my criteria for designing in a part must now
> include whether I can get it in small production quantities (10's or 100s).
>
> Robert
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>

> Would you mind scanning that for those of us less fortunate?
>
>
>
> David Minkler wrote:
>
>> For those of you who receive it, check out the "Radio Shed" comic in EE
>> Times June 14, 2004 p. 56.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> Robert Rolf wrote:
>>
>>>>> I've boycotted RadioSlack USA for over 10 years. Never been sorry
>>>>> for it.
>>>>> Their Slogan: "You've got questions? We've got questions".
>>>>> Rick
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>> No, it's slogan is "You've got questions? We've got DUMB LOOKS".
>>>
>>> --
>>> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
>>> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
>> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads
>
>

> cents worth of parts?
> You're still looking at at least $6 in shipping
> costs.
>
> I'm used to living in Toronto where there seem to be
> more good electronics
> stores than starbucks.  I'm in the habbit of making
> a trip to Active, Daiwa
> or any of a lot of other choices buying everything I
> think I need for a
> project and then going back a few more times for
> what I really need while
> I'm working on it.
>
> I've recently moved cross country, and there isn't
> any sort of electronics
> store besides radio shack within 300 miles.  I've
> checked with the local
> robotics club, even the model train club, and I've
> spent a lot of time
> looking online.
>
> For my current project, I needed about $10 worth of
> parts from All
> Electronics.  They have a flat rate $6 shipping fee.
>  So I decided to get
> double what I needed plus a lot of other stuff I
> might need, just to make
> the shipping worthwhile.  I ended up spending over
> $50, and an hour after I
> placed the order, I realized I forgot some 14 pin IC
> sockets.  I emailed
> them and they were very good about adding it to my
> order.
>
> Now for the same project I realize I forgot about
> connecting the LCD to the
> circuit board; I need a header connect to the board
> (30 cents), and the
> cable ($1.25 with the 14 pin IDC sockets already
> attached).  So for my $1.55
> in parts, it looks like I'll have to pay $7.55
> because of shipping.  Of
> course, to make it worthwhile, I'll end up adding
> lots for stuff I don't
> need but might, so now I'm out a lot more money and
> I need to find some
> place to store it.
>
> I also need a keypad.  I didn't order that from All
> Electronics the first
> time; they have phone keypads "removed from
> equipment" for $5 US.  I used to
> buy identical keypads for $0.35 CDN at active annex.
>  Alltronics has
> membrane keypads for $1, I'd rather get some of
> those than the $5 ones at
> All Electronics, but then there's a $15 minimum
> order and $6 shipping fee.
> Alltronics doesn't seem to have the header
> connectors at all.
>
> I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that without a
> local retail parts
> store, it's simply impossible to do electronics work
> as a hobby.
>
> Jason
>

>Depending on where you are, I've found the following to be good to
>deal with (compared to RadioShack)
>
>Sayal Electronics - http://www.sayal.com/ - Southern Ontario
>Active Tech (formerly part of Future Electronics) -
>http://www.active-tech.ca/ - All across Canada
>Supremetronic - http://www.supremetronic.com/ - Toronto, Queen Street
>(a few doors down from Active Surplus)
>..........
> > I wish!  The closest thing to an EE store is a place
> > that sells "safety components" like relays and junk,

> I am forced to order from Digikey, for one, they
> almost always have everything I need and, two they
> include GST and Duty in their prices so I don't get
> any suprises.
>
> That's why I mainly miss the old RadioShack where I
> could at least pick up an assortment pack of resistors
>  if I need a 10ohm or whatever.  At least at
> radioshack I'd pay $4.99 for that one resitor plus a
> bunch I don't need.  The same order at digikey would
> cost more than $13 (shipping + min. order fee) --- not
> that I would do either of these things :)
>
> Cheers
>