Have a look at the Farnell and RS websites (UK):

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/home/homepage.jsp

http://rswwww.com
============================
A bit cumbersome for hams based in the uS

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
oups.com...

So I use the search on DigiKey,
check the price, then search by
the exact part number on
Mouser to see if the price is
much lower.

I'd feel guilty doing that, but I cannot fault you for being thrifty
:-)

Why feel guilty for getting competitive bids? It's standard practice.

Tim Shoppa wrote:
For the past several years I've irregularly posted my experiences
ordering over the web from several catalog houses/surplus suppliers
with online ordering.

My hope in doing this was not just to give pointers to other
small-timers like myself as to which ones are the best sites, but to
give feedback to the companies to get them to improve their interfaces.

But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others in
the dust. Their search engine and selection forms for picking out
components is simply superb, and is getting better all the time. If I
want to know what X5R dielectric capacitors are available in 0402 form
factor, the answer is just a couple of clicks and a few seconds away.
This is simply amazing.

Semiconductor search is not quite so slick, but I cannot blame Digikey
for not trying. They do a good job, especially seeing as how 7
different vendors describe their similar parts with slightly different
wording. For product lines where categorization and selection menus
might be able to work well, they've coerced everything into selection
menus that are simply superb. And datasheets and sometimes photos are
always just a mouse click away for the real comparison.

Don't get me wrong: Newark, Mouser, Allied, Jameco, and a few others
that I order over the web from have pretty good web-order-entry
systems. They've all improved since they first began taking orders over
the web. Many of them now have near-real-time stock and shipping
status. They let me do my hobby shopping at home at night without
having to call during the day. But they have pretty much zero search
and selection ability.

Digikey, keep doing it right!

Tim.

For those who joined the hobby after the early 70's let me point out
that DigiKey's name comes from an electronic digital keyer that the
company sold via ad's in QST. It was a small circuit board (about
2"x2") using RTL (IIRC) Ic's. After a few years the company transformed
from ham radio stuff to a part's mail order biz. Digikey didn't forget
their ham radio roots, they are happy to sell parts in onezes to
hobby buyers today.

Tim Shoppa wrote:
But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others in
the dust.

Agreed. Digikey and Mouser are my main suppliers. As a rule of thumb,
if you can't get it from Digikey or Mouser, it doesn't really exist.

"Eric Smith" wrote in message
...
Tim Shoppa wrote:
But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others in
the dust.

Agreed. Digikey and Mouser are my main suppliers. As a rule of thumb,
if you can't get it from Digikey or Mouser, it doesn't really exist.

Does anybody remember the days of Allied and Lafayette?

Ol' Duffer wrote:

Their pricing doth truly suck sometimes, but on the good
side they stock most of the stuff in their catalogs (and
then some), as opposed to some "other" distributors whose
catalogs might be characterized as vaporware.

I wonder sometimes how much they spend printing catalogs
every two months, which always seemed excessive to me.
I'd have thought twice a year would be plenty.

If you noticed, each newer catalog has *more* parts; more brands, more
variety, more types, etc.

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
ups.com...
For the past several years I've irregularly posted my experiences
ordering over the web from several catalog houses/surplus suppliers
with online ordering.

My hope in doing this was not just to give pointers to other
small-timers like myself as to which ones are the best sites, but to
give feedback to the companies to get them to improve their
interfaces.

But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others in
the dust. Their search engine and selection forms for picking out
components is simply superb, and is getting better all the time. If I
want to know what X5R dielectric capacitors are available in 0402 form
factor, the answer is just a couple of clicks and a few seconds away.
This is simply amazing.

Semiconductor search is not quite so slick, but I cannot blame Digikey
for not trying. They do a good job, especially seeing as how 7
different vendors describe their similar parts with slightly different
wording. For product lines where categorization and selection menus
might be able to work well, they've coerced everything into selection
menus that are simply superb. And datasheets and sometimes photos are
always just a mouse click away for the real comparison.

Don't get me wrong: Newark, Mouser, Allied, Jameco, and a few others
that I order over the web from have pretty good web-order-entry
systems. They've all improved since they first began taking orders
over
the web. Many of them now have near-real-time stock and shipping
status. They let me do my hobby shopping at home at night without
having to call during the day. But they have pretty much zero search
and selection ability.

Digikey, keep doing it right!

Tim.

Now, if their prices were only as low as Mouser's..

"Eric Smith" wrote in message
...
Tim Shoppa wrote:
But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen
way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others
in
the dust.

Agreed. Digikey and Mouser are my main suppliers. As a rule of
thumb,
if you can't get it from Digikey or Mouser, it doesn't really exist.

That's pure nonsense. I've tried to get specialized semi's from both,
and having failed that, I've found what I needed at other online
sources. One recent example comes to mind: Futurlec. www.futurlec.com
has a number of things much cheaper than D-K or M - and they're
international.

Another is ultrabright LEDs. D-K or M have nothing worthwhile. You
have to go to another supplier to get 'em.

And maybe the best example is the source(s) of many of our small qty
parts: Ebay. ;-)

But on Ebay, read *all* the info in the auction. I see shysters,
especially foreign shysters, who will sell you parts dirt cheap, and rip
you off with the shipping/handling. :-(

"Robert Baer" wrote in message
...
Ol' Duffer wrote:

Their pricing doth truly suck sometimes, but on the good
side they stock most of the stuff in their catalogs (and
then some), as opposed to some "other" distributors whose
catalogs might be characterized as vaporware.

I wonder sometimes how much they spend printing catalogs
every two months, which always seemed excessive to me.
I'd have thought twice a year would be plenty.

If you noticed, each newer catalog has *more* parts; more brands,
more
variety, more types, etc.

.... Higher prices, less quantity price breaks, etc., etc. Oh, did I
mention, higher prices..

I just love wotking on the PCs in our Purchasing Dept. :-/ They have a
whole shelf full of janitorial supply catalogs. Just think, if we could
only gwt all these catalogs and paper towels recycled, we'd save a whole
continent of forests..

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 02:23:55 -0800, Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark
And maybe the best example is the source(s) of many of our small qty
parts: Ebay. ;-)

But on Ebay, read *all* the info in the auction. I see shysters,
especially foreign shysters, who will sell you parts dirt cheap, and rip
you off with the shipping/handling. :-(

It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money.
--
The Pig Bladder From Uranus, Still Waiting for
Some Hot Babe to Ask What My Favorite Planet Is.