On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 22:22:47 GMT, Rich Webb
wrote:

On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 12:13:00 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

A friend of mine is putting together a middle-school electronics lab,
and wants to get some good cheap soldering irons. I've been traumatized
by some really pitiful soldering irons so I don't just want to go price
shopping. However, since I've been using professional grade,
temperature controlled irons almost exclusively for years I can't
recommend any good cheap ones.

Can anyone recommend a soldering iron that will actually work but
doesn't cost much? I'm thinking of a rough equivalent to the Weller
WP-25, but that costs less than $20 a pop.

www.circuitspecialists.com has some that look reasonable, although not
under $20 they are temp controlled[*] and have holders. One is about
$30 and the other about $35.

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/4230
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7307

* it says "adjustable output" so may be open-loop control.

I've purchased from them in the past (and also under their other link
www.web-tronics.com) and they seem reputable. YMMV

Circuit Specialists is a good outfit... been around for a long time
(33 years), and they're in my neighborhood (Mesa, AZ), about 20
minutes away.

About the only place in the Phoenix area to buy **real** parts.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Jim Thompson wrote:


Circuit Specialists is a good outfit... been around for a long time
(33 years), and they're in my neighborhood (Mesa, AZ), about 20
minutes away.

About the only place in the Phoenix area to buy **real** parts.

...Jim Thompson

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 16:14:22 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:


Circuit Specialists is a good outfit... been around for a long time
(33 years), and they're in my neighborhood (Mesa, AZ), about 20
minutes away.

About the only place in the Phoenix area to buy **real** parts.

...Jim Thompson

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.

When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago
;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 16:14:22 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:


Circuit Specialists is a good outfit... been around for a long time
(33 years), and they're in my neighborhood (Mesa, AZ), about 20
minutes away.

About the only place in the Phoenix area to buy **real** parts.

...Jim Thompson

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.


When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago
;-)

...Jim Thompson

That was probably before they got bought by Tandy.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.


When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago
;-)

...Jim Thompson

That was probably before they got bought by Tandy.

--

Tim Wescott

When I lived in the Boston area, I would drive by Radio Shack on the way to
Scully Square and the real good parts.
Cheers,
Harry

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 03:34:01 GMT, "Harry Dellamano"
wrote:


"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.


When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago
;-)

...Jim Thompson

That was probably before they got bought by Tandy.

--

Tim Wescott

When I lived in the Boston area, I would drive by Radio Shack on the way to
Scully Square and the real good parts.
Cheers,
Harry

And the Old Howard Casino ?:-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 03:34:01 GMT, "Harry Dellamano"
wrote:

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.


When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago
;-)

...Jim Thompson

That was probably before they got bought by Tandy.

Tim Wescott

When I lived in the Boston area, I would drive by Radio Shack on the way to
Scully Square and the real good parts.
Cheers,
Harry

Scollay Square was a little before my time.

Of historical note, the Sears Crescent Building there, still standing,
was where A G Bell and Watson worked on inventing the telephone.

Greater Boston still has You-Blew-It Electronics in Needham. (Actually
You-Do-It). A few other suppliers, but not like when this was a center
of manufacturing.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 16:14:22 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:


Circuit Specialists is a good outfit... been around for a long time
(33 years), and they're in my neighborhood (Mesa, AZ), about 20
minutes away.

About the only place in the Phoenix area to buy **real** parts.

...Jim Thompson

Lucky you. PDX has a Fry's and a little local outfit, but that doesn't
count for real parts. I used to live in the Boston area, 30 minutes
away from an Active store -- that was nice, particularly since it backed
up against Future (same company) & you could get non-catalog items at
the counter if you really needed them.

When I lived in the Boston area Radio Shack was a real parts warehouse
(on Commonwealth Avenue) with a will-call counter (only 45 years ago

Here in the UK virtually all the local component outlets have disappeared.
However, there are plenty of mail order suppliers and one can get most items
the next day.

Leon

Here in the UK virtually all the local component outlets have disappeared.
However, there are plenty of mail order suppliers and one can get most
items
the next day.
==============================
Indeed ,considering all the States side parts stories , in the UK we are
most fortunate in having a number of small, often '0ne or persons '
companies supplying ( by 'next day' mail ) a large variety of common and
sometimes not so common parts at very reasonable prices.
Because of their limited turnover they are not forced to levy Value Added
Tax (VAT) = purchase tax.

I am a happy customer (only) of the following 2 , but there are many others
:

www.modecomponents.co.uk

www.jabdog.com

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

Leon Heller wrote:


Here in the UK virtually all the local component outlets have disappeared.
However, there are plenty of mail order suppliers and one can get most items
the next day.

Leon


It's rare here to be able to waltz down to someplace local and get real
components, unless you're lucky enough to happen to be by a big store.

And Fry's don't count for parts (although they still have decent test
equipment for sale).

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com