# electrical components?



## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

since radio shacks demise.
where's a good place to get capacitors and other components?
:hah:Thank you!
Regards,tr1


----------



## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

i buy inexpensive on ebay. others buy from digikey and jameco


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

some on ebay , more on digikey , lol


----------



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

And Mouser Electronics.


----------



## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

when in college (80s) and experimenting with electronics, there were three electronic parts places including radio shack near where I lived (parsippany, NJ). But i was often unable to find the part i needed. I also bought from Jameco.

today with ebay, i can get exactly what I want and relatively cheaply.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

gregc said:


> when in college (80s) and experimenting with electronics, there were three electronic parts places including radio shack near where I lived (parsippany, NJ). But i was often unable to find the part i needed. I also bought from Jameco.
> 
> today with ebay, i can get exactly what I want and relatively cheaply.


That's the upside to e-commerce: virtually unlimited selection, only 2-3 days away (less, if you're willing to pay for it).


----------



## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

Echoing others:
Element14, mouser and other reputable vendors for brand and spec critical stuff.

eBay and AliExpress for low precision cheapo stuff in bulk.


----------



## .61897 (Feb 28, 2018)

Marlin P Jones has some good deals. I've purchased a lot of parts from them over the last few years. https://www.mpja.com/ eBay increasingly has parts that I have bought; e.g. the large diodes to replace the rectifier disk in Lionel transformers. Bought them on eBay for a really good price.


----------



## Jackets (Jan 24, 2020)

Another vote for Digikey, great to deal with and fast shipping. You get what you order, no Chinese swapped in fakes. 

If i need low grade bulk cheap knock off things i hunt amazon generally. Prime member and get good use of the free shipping.

I also use Qkits here in town for stuff like perf board and project boxes, Arduino knock offs stuff like that.


----------



## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Sometimes for the connectors I make I use https://www.pololu.com. their in Las Vegas. They have other interesting things for motor control also.


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*All electronics*



tr1 said:


> since radio shacks demise.
> where's a good place to get capacitors and other components?
> :hah:Thank you!
> Regards,tr1


tr1;

Try www.allelectronics.com They sell everything you're likely to ever want in electronic components. Good prices, prompt reliable delivery. 

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Uhh... not really! All Electronics is a odd-lot outfit, they're nothing like a place like Digikey or Mouser!


----------



## daschnoz (Dec 12, 2016)

+1 for Jameco.

If you're into older technology and need higher voltage stuff... https://www.tubesandmore.com/


----------



## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Uhh... not really! All Electronics is a odd-lot outfit, they're nothing like a place like Digikey or Mouser!


which means better prices if one shops carefully. 
I have a collection of these kind of resellers. some things are ridiculously priced and some are a steal.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I use them on occasion as well. That doesn't mean they're like Digikey, the selection of electronic items is vastly more plentiful at Digikey or Mouser.

I am more likely to go to a place like AliExpress for quantities of common electronics, they're very cheap. They also frequently have stuff that has gone obsolete and not available in the US.


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*I disagree*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> Uhh... not really! All Electronics is a odd-lot outfit, they're nothing like a place like Digikey or Mouser!


gunrunnerjohn;

I disagree, I've never had any problem with all electronics.

Traction Fan


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

traction fan said:


> gunrunnerjohn;
> 
> I disagree, I've never had any problem with all electronics.
> 
> Traction Fan


It's not that you have a problem, it's the fact that they simply don't stock a vast majority of the available electronic parts. I could go down the BOM for most of my products and they wouldn't have very many of the parts, if any! They're fine for what they stock, but like I said, they're not a Digikey or Mouser!


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*They're good enough for me.*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> It's not that you have a problem, it's the fact that they simply don't stock a vast majority of the available electronic parts. I could go down the BOM for most of my products and they wouldn't have very many of the parts, if any! They're fine for what they stock, but like I said, they're not a Digikey or Mouser!


gunrunnerjohn;


All electronics meets my needs, and I think they would have what the OP asked for, a replacement for Radio Shack for common parts like capacitors. I stand by my recommendation of all electronics to tr1 the OP.
I've never used Digikey, or Mouser, (since I was able to find what I needed at allelectronics) I'll take your word that they have bigger selections, but I don't need a bigger selection, and I don't think the OP does either. I said they would have whatever HE was likely to ever want. (since his previous supplier was Radio Shack, and they had limited selection.) I did not say that allelectronics had the widest selection in the entire known universe, merely that they have enough. (for what he asked for, and what I have needed.)
If store 'A' has what I want, I really don't care if store 'B' has a bigger variety of widgets. I already found what I wanted over at store 'A'.

To each his own. If you prefer Digikey and Mouser, so be it. I'm happy for you. I like allelectronics. 

Traction Fan


----------



## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

traction fan said:


> If you prefer Digikey and Mouser, so be it.


it's not a question of preference. Does the store have what you're looking for. 

i'm currently looking for 5V latching relays.


----------



## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

gregc said:


> traction fan said:
> 
> 
> > If you prefer Digikey and Mouser, so be it.
> ...


jameco has them


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

traction fan said:


> gunrunnerjohn;
> 
> All electronics meets my needs, and I think they would have what the OP asked for, a replacement for Radio Shack for common parts like capacitors. I stand by my recommendation of all electronics to tr1 the OP.


In which case they're fine. 

You obviously missed my whole point! If you can't find it at All Electronics, there are other alternatives. If you stick to one store, you miss out on a whole universe of products.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

I usually use Digikey, I can shop online at my leisure, and [so far] they have what I want in stock that day ..... no experience with allectronics at all ..


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Yes they do*



gregc said:


> it's not a question of preference. Does the store have what you're looking for.
> 
> i'm currently looking for 5V latching relays.


 gregc;

Whether something it is, or is not, a matter of preference for gunrunnerjohn should be up to him. He's a smart man, he can decide that for himself. Whether something is, or is not, a matter of preference for me should be up to me.
So, I'm going to assume you're talking about whether something is, or is not, a matter of preference for you, which actually would be something for you to decide, as opposed to deciding for someone else.
Yes, "the store", in my case allelectronics, does have what I want. The hypothetical store 'A' in my earlier response also had what I wanted, making it unnecessary for me to go to store 'B'. 

You say you're looking for 5-volt latching relays.
If a 4.5 volt latching relay is close enough, you might check out www.allelectronics.com , search for "latching relays" Item # ry-715 It may work for you or not, but that's up to you. 

Traction Fan


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

gregc said:


> i'm currently looking for 5V latching relays.



rather than a standard latching relay , would an ordinary relay work with a resistor that isn't strong enough to pull it in, but is strong enough to hold it once full current is applied ??
i have used this method several times, it's easier to just use what is onhand ..
drawback is the default to off latch when power is first applied ..


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> In which case they're fine.
> 
> You obviously missed my whole point! If you can't find it at All Electronics, there are other alternatives. If you stick to one store, you miss out on a whole universe of products.


 And you obviously missed my whole point. My point is that I want to be able to recommend what supplier I choose to the OP because I think allelectronics will have what he wants. They probably will, but if they don't, he can always shop somewhere else for whatever he can't find there.

As for myself it doesn't matter to me how much variety another site has, so long as I can find what I need at allelectronics, and I have always been able to do so.
I don't feel that I've "missed out" on anything, by shopping at allelectronics, since I have yet to need something they didn't stock. While I know there are other sites, and I'm accepting your statement that Digikey and Mouser have wider selections, I have not needed a wider selection. I also never claimed that allelectronics had as much selection as Digikey or Mouser does, Until hearing that info from you here, I wouldn't have known, and I still don't care. All I did was to recommend a site, which I felt would be useful to the OP. 

I also think I have a right to shop where I chose, and to recommend that site to others. What some other vendor has, or how much more than allelectronics that other site stocks, is completely irrelevant. It's like saying I "missed out" on "a whole universe of yarn" because I didn't look at a knitting site. The stock level & selection at Digikey, or Mouser, has nothing to do with my right to choose a particular supplier, or to recommend that supplier to others. That's my point. 

Traction Fan


----------



## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

wvgca said:


> rather than a standard latching relay , would an ordinary relay work with a resistor that isn't strong enough to pull it in, but is strong enough to hold it once full current is applied ??


we want to control a tortoise switch machine from two locations (local and dispatcher). a momentary switch to each coil at each location does what we want.

i think what you're suggesting is the classic approach of using one relay contact in series with a normally closed momentary switch to hold a relay. pressing the switch releases the relay.



we found EA2-5TNFG relays on ebay for about $2.50

all electronics rly-715 is surface mount

the search for a 5V latching relay at Jameco listed many relays that were either described as non-latching or were not latching. i had to look up datasheets to find out.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

yes, that solution uses one NC switch, and one NO switch ...
wasn't sure if it would work or not, just a suggestion ..


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

traction fan said:


> And you obviously missed my whole point. My point is that I want to be able to recommend what supplier I choose to the OP because I think allelectronics will have what he wants. They probably will, but if they don't, he can always shop somewhere else for whatever he can't find there.


I think you took my reply all wrong. In no way was I suggesting you can't shop anywhere you like. I was merely pointing out that one vendor doesn't have everything. When we're talking about electronic components, I'm in a pretty good position to know where the largest variety can be obtained, but by no means am I the "last word". I have no problem with you having your opinion, and I'll have mine.


----------

