NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/sci/electron/23149

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From: [e-mail] (John F. Woods)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: My List of Mail Order Electronics Companies
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 21 Jan 93 15:51:23 GMT
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Organization: Kendall Square Research Corp.
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[ $Revision: 2.11 $; last updated December 1992 ]

Here is my list of companies which will sell electronic components in
small quantities.  Most of these places I have bought from, a couple
I haven't.  Being a ham radio operator, I am most interested in
RF components, and in particular, air variable capacitors, which tend to be
scarce (and tend to be used or surplus even if I've otherwise labelled the
seller as "NEW").  I apologize in advance for disparaging remarks about
what happens when parts suppliers start selling computers, but anyone who
has watched Jameco over the years will know just what I mean (though
their latest catalog hints at possibly returning to selling parts).

Categories are:
NEW COMPONENTS    Distributors and sellers of new components, or "new and some
    used" in a couple of cases.
SURPLUS ELECTRONICS    Usually overstocks, occasionally used equipment.
    Ideal for stocking the junkbox, usually have dependable stock lines
    of resistors, capacitors, and some semiconductors, but won't have
    those LCD modules forever...  An invaluable resource, don't shy away
    from them.
SPECIALTY COMPONENTS    In particular, crystals and toroidal cores.
KITS    Ham radio kits, random electronic kits, whatever they have.
LITTLE GUYS    Separated out because of some twisted sentimentality,
    I suppose.  Intended to honor one or two ham spare-bedroom
    operations.
PUBLICATIONS    Two publications which are essentially all want-ads, plus
    the address for SAMS PHOTOFACTS because everyone always asks about
    it on sci.electronics.

Note on shipping costs:  I don't always update these frequently enough, and
they're generally for continental US unless otherwise mentioned.

NEW COMPONENTS:

Ocean State Electronics
P.O. Box 1458
Westerly RI 02891
(800)-866-6626 (orders)
(401)-596-3080
(401)-596-3590 (FAX)
Minimum $5, S&H $4, free catalog.  Wide array of RF parts, especially
air variables and B&W coils.

Radiokit        (store is located at:)
P.O.Box 973        169 Jeremy Hill Rd.
Pelham NH 03076        Pelham NH 03076
[phone]
No minimum ($3 service charge if under $20), many kits, lots of J. W. Miller
chokes & coils, B&W coils, RF switches, Millen variable capacitors, lots of
parts in general.  Send $1 for the catalog (but note that they are currently
(12-June-92) out of catalogs and it will probably be months before the next
one is ready).

Circuit Specialists Inc
P. O. Box 3047
Scottsdale AZ 85271-3047
[phone]
No minimum with check or money order, $15 otherwise.  $3 S&H.
New electronics, good RF assortment, increasing infestation of computers.

Mouser Electronics    Mouser Electronics    Mouser Electronics
  11433 Woodside Ave.    2401 Highway 287 North    12 Emery Ave.
  Santee CA 92071    Mansfield TX 76063    Randolf NJ 07869
Mouser Electronics
  370 Tomkins Court
  Gilroy CA 95020
Catalog Subscriptions:    [phone] (Continental US only)
Sales & Service:    (800) 34-MOUSER (800-346-6873) (US, Puerto R., Canada)
Very complete catalog of brand-new components (though no air variables).
Usually quick service, $20 "minimum" ($5 charge under $20).  When ordering,
you may want to be sure to ask about availability and shipping locations;
they have several warehouses, and frequently orders will get sent from several
warehouses (which drives up the shipping costs).

Digi-Key
701 Brooks Ave. South
P.O.Box 677
Thief River Falls, MN 56701-0677
1-800-DIGI-KEY
No minimum, $5 handling under $25, free and very complete catalog, very nice
indeed.  Prices aren't always the best, but rarely excessive.  Weak on RF
specialty parts (though they now have the ever-popular NE602N), but they do
have blue LEDs.

Active Electronics
11 Cummings Park        237 Hymus Blvd
Woburn MA 01801            Pointe Claire, Quebec, H9R 5C7
(800)-677-8899 (US)
(800)-363-6592 (Canada) [Not listed in current catalog, try US number]
$25 minimum, $5 S&H UPS, catalog has a "$10 Suggested retail price" but they
sent mine for free.  They have 8 stores in the US (Santa Clara CA; Chicago IL;
Baltimore MD; Woburn MA; Detroit MI; Mt. Laurel NJ; Long Island NY; Seattle WA)
and 10 stores in Canada (Quebec City; Montreal (2); Ottawa; Mississuaga;
Winnipeg; Calgary; Toronto; Edmonton; Vancouver BC).  Lots of stuff,
oriented more toward supplying last-minute requirements of companies than
hobbyists, but perfectly happy to take your money in small doses (stores have
no minimum order).  The $25 minimum for certain items is no longer explicit,
but they note that some items will "ship in factory minimum package
quantities", which might be worse.

Newark Electronics
 Send catalog requests to:
 Newark Electronics
 ATTENTION CATALOG DEPARTMENT
 4801 N. Ravenswood Ave.
 Chicago IL 60640-4496
 [phone]
They don't have a single mail address or phone; instead, one is supposed
to call the closest of three pages worth of branch offices.  I don't feel
like typing in the entire list (it's copyrighted, anyway :-), so send email
for your "local" distributor, or call their administrative offices at the
number above.  They have a $25 minimum order; they are a Real Distributor,
but accept small orders (over the minimum, of course).  Their catalog
currently 1248 pages; they are very complete (except, of course, for my
favorite scarce item, the air-variable capacitor).  Note that the catalog
prices tend not to match reality all that often, so order by phone rather
than by mail; prices tend to be higher than other places, but they have a lot
of things that are hard to find from other outlets.

Arrow Electronics, Inc.        Catalog requests to:
Catalog Division        Catalog Division
1860 Smithtown Ave.        25 Hub Drive
Ronkonkoma NY 11779        Melville NY 11747-9828
(800) 93-ARROW
Minimum $25; they no longer have a catalog.  They are a Real Distributor,
but also didn't mind my placing a personal order (a couple of years ago).

MCM Electronics
650 Congress Park Drive
Centerville OH 45459-4072
[phone]
Minimum $20 ($25 for charge cards, and they don't take personal checks),
handling $1.95 + shipping.  Oriented toward repair technicians, really
heavy on VCR parts and somewhat overpriced doodads, lots of useful stuff
not easily found elsewhere.

Fordham Radio Supply
260 Motor Parkway
Hauppauge NY 11788-5134
[phone]
Tools for technicians.  One or two items are not outrageously overpriced.

Jameco
1355 Shoreway Road
Belmost CA 94002
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
[phone]
$30 minimum order (was $50), >$5 shipping & handling.  Their most recent
catalog may have reversed a long trend of abandoning parts in favor of
PC compatibles, or it may not; one can always hope.

JDR Microdevices
2233 Branham Lane
San Jose CA 95124
Orders:        800-538-5000
Cust. Service:    800-538-5001
No minimum, $5+ shipping.  Mostly computers now, but they haven't yet
decided to abandon components; indeed, they recently dropped their minimum
order requirement entirely.

Johnson Shop Products
P.O.Box 160113
Cupertino CA 95016
[phone]  [phone]
Catalog $1.  No minimum.  Shipping charge is based on UPS; very small orders
that can be sensibly shipped in a first-class letter, include money for
first-class postage.  New and some used electronic parts.

DC Electronics
P. O. Box 3203
Scottsdale AZ 85271-3203
[phone] (orders)
[phone] (stock/price checks)
$15 minimum charge order, no minimum for checks, $3 min. shipping&handling.
Wide array of ICs, good assortment of electronic components.

EasyTech Inc
2917 Bayview Drive
Fremont CA 94538-9932
[phone] (orders)
[phone] (customer Service)
Apparently a brand new company, "dedicated to serving the Electronic
Enthusiast/User."  $10 minimum, UPS shipping is 5% of order (>= $3).

International Components Corporation
1803 NW Lincoln Way
Toledo OR 97391-1014
[phone] (US & Canada)
[phone] (FAX)
Cabinets&Enclosures; Capacitors; Diodes; ICs; Potentiometers; Resistors;
Sockets; Transistors; Books.  No minimum order, $2 handling under $25.

Kelvin Electronics
7 Fairchild Ave.
Plainview NY 11803
[phone]
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
Minimum order $20; S&H 5% of order ($5 minimum, extra for large stuff,
overnight, export (like to Hawaii :-), and etchant; based on UPS charges).
Lots of electronic parts & tools, some robotics supplies, model rockets.

H & R Company (Herbach and Rademan)
18 Canal Street, P.O.Box 122
Bristol PA 19007-0122
[phone] (Orders)
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
Minimum order $25 ($5 processing charge under $25), shipping $4.75 under $30;
Most items are new overstocks, much regularly stocked stuff as well.  Tools,
electrical supplies, motors, mechanical components, robotic components.

SURPLUS ELECTRONICS:

All Electronics Corp.
P. O. Box 567
Van Nuys CA 91408-0567
[phone]
$10 minimum, $3.50 S&H. New and surplus electronics.

Alltronics
2300 Zanker Road
San Jose CA 95131
[phone]
[phone] FAX
Surplus electronics.  $12 minimum, shipping per UPS.

American Science and Surplus (formerly JerryCo)
601 Linden Place
Evanston IL 60202
[phone]
Surplus.  *The* surplus place.  Lots and lots of surplus.  WWII gun cameras,
velcro, laser disk chassis, 6 volt VW wipers motors, LEDs, rubber brains,
you name it, they've had it.  Catalogs are a really good time.
$12.50 minimum order (which includes the $4 shipping charge).

BCD Electro
P. O. Box 450207
Garland TX 75045-0207
[phone]
$1 for 1-year subscription to catalogs, no minimum, $0.95 for under $30,
$2.90 shipping (extra for Alaska & Hawaii).  Surplus electronics, pretty
random looking assortment.

Fair Radio Sales
P. O. Box 1105
1016 E Eureka St.
Lima OH  45802
[phone]
Surplus electronics.  Heavy on parts for old Collins gear.

Hosfelt Electronics
2700 Sunset Blvd.
Steubenville OH 43952
[phone]
No minimum, $3.75 S&H.  Surplus electronics.

HSC Electronic Supply (Halted Specialties Co.)
3500 Ryder Street
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(800) 4-HALTED Orders only
[phone] inside California and outside US
Surplus (new) electronics; new and used test equipment.  Minimum order $10
($2 handling charge under $20), plus UPS shipping cost.  Has three stores,
of which 3500 Ryder Street is one.

Marlin P. Jones & Assoc.
P.O. Box 12685
Lake Park FL 33403-0685
[phone]
No minimum ($1 fee for under $10), shipping per UPS.  Surplus electronics.

R&D Electronics
1224 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland OH 44115
orders: [phone] (tues - fri 9am-4pm sat. 9am-3pm EST)
info:   [phone]
$10 minimum.  Surplus electronics.
"Also known to stock many components, but this is not discussed in the catalog.
Local store, a cleveland institution, is called Electronic Surplus, Inc., and
has been there since '48.  Third generation now runs it."    -- wb8foz

Surplus Sales of Nebraska
1502 Jones Street
Omaha, Nebraska  68102
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
New and surplus radio electronics.  Wide selection:  air variables.
Catalog $3 (free with order, refundable with $25 catalog purchase).

Tucker Surplus Store
1717 Reserve St.
Garland TX  75042
[phone] extension 135
Surplus electronic gear; oscilloscopes and signal generators from the days
when dinosaurs with vacuum tubes roamed the earth (some solid state gear, but
all well used).  Prices seem relatively high, and you'll be shocked to learn
how much it costs to ship a 75 pound oscilloscope by motor freight...
[Steve Brown, N8HFI:
 In defense of Tucker, the have a broad selection, repair facilities, and
 they certify the used equipment to meet the original specification and
 warranty it for 90 days.  Not every source does this:]

Davilyn Corp.
13406 Saticoy St.
North Hollywood, CA   91605-3475
1-800-235-6222 (Ex. CA)
1-818-787-3334 (CA)
1-818-787-4732 (FAX)
Surplus electronic gear.
[has much better prices [than Tucker], but sells used equipment as-is. -N8HFI]

SPECIALTY COMPONENTS:

JAN Crystals
2341 Crystal Drive
P.O. Box 06017
Fort Myers FL 33906-6017
(800) JAN-XTAL (Monday through Thursday)
They make crystals.  Minimum order is $10, which might be one crystal, or
might be two.

Crystek Corporation
2351/2371 Crystal Drive
P.O. Box 06135
Fort Myers FL 33906-6135
[phone] (M-F)
They make crystals too.  They were the cheapest last time I ordered, but
I don't have an up-to-date price list.  It took about 4 weeks, and they
had said it would take 6.

ICM (International Crystal Manufacturing Co., Inc.)
701 W. Sheridan
PO Box 26330
Oklahoma City  OK 73126-0330
[phone]
More crystals.  They were more expensive, but they have lots of pre-made
crystals for various rigs, so they would probably be faster.

Amidon Associates
2216 East Gladwick Street
Dominiguez Hills, CA 90220
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
Toroid cores and related things.  Very fast service.  Now takes MC/Visa and
phone orders.

Palomar Engineers
Box 455
Escondido CA 92033
[phone]
Toroid cores and shielding beads.

K2AW's Silicon Alley
175 Friends Lane
Westbury NY 11590
516-334-7024
Free catalog, $10 minimum order.  Semiconductors, in particular high-voltage
diodes.

Small Parts, Inc.        [ New address and phone, 23 Dec 91 ]
13980 NW 58th Court
P.O. Box 4650
Miami Lakes, FL 33014-0650
[phone]    Order department
[phone]  Customer Service  (ask for Mirta)
[phone]  Catalog           (ask for Elizabeth)
[phone]  Custom-made Parts (ask for Ziggy)
[phone]  Non-standard Sizes
                of catalog parts  (ask for Eric)
[phone]  Toll free FAX line
$12 minimum.  Mechanical parts, metal stock, Teflon(R) sheets, tools,
wire-size drill bits (as in #61 size for PC board holes).

KITS:
(The terse "Note:" descriptions are from the ARRL Kit List courteously
supplied by Ed Hare and Mike Gruber at the ARRL.)

624 Kits
171 Springlake Drive
Spartanburg SC 29302
QRP kits (including some designs from W1FB's books) and some parts.

A&A Engineering
2521 W. LaPalma, Unit K
Anaheim CA 92801
[phone]
Kits, some components, some books. S&H $4.50, catalog is free with SASE (2 oz
postage).

Antique Electronic Supply
6221 S. Maple Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85283
[phone]
Note: Broadcast receiver kits

Circuit Board Specialists
P. O. Box 951
Pueblo CO 81002
[phone]
As the name implies, they specialize in circuit boards; they have circuit
boards for a variety of QST articles and ARRL Handbook construction articles.
They also have partial kits for most of their boards.  The catalog is free,
but I had to request it a couple of times.

C.M. Howes Communications
Eydon, Daventry,
Northants NN11 6PT
England
Phone: [phone]
QRP, transmitters, receivers, misc.  "The Heathkit of England", though
with assembly manuals not as detailed, also without the intricate mechanicals
of Heathkits.
[Carried by Townsend Electronics (at least) in the US]

Communications Concepts Inc.
121 Brown Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
[phone]
kits for Motorola Applications Notes (amplifiers and the like), small
assortment of components (chip capacitors, transistors).

Down East Microwave
Box 2310, RR#1
Troy, ME 04987
[phone]
Note: Microwave preamps

FAR Circuits
18N640 Field Court
Dundee IL 60118
Printed circuit boards for articles in the usual ham magazines.  SASE for
list.  $1.50 shipping and handling per four boards.

Hamtronics, Inc.
65 Moul Road
Hilton, NY 14468-9535
[phone]
Note: Amateur, general interest

John Langner WB2OSZ
115 Stedman St.
Chelmsford, MA 01824-1823
[phone]
Slow Scan Television for IBM PC.

Lake Electronics
7 Middleton Close
Nuthall
Nottingham NG16 1BX
England
Note: Amateur

Mercury Systems
15 Lakeside Dr.
Marlton, NJ 08053
1-609-596-3304
Note: the ARRL Kit list didn't say what they carry; I don't (yet) know
either.

Penntek Electronics
14 Peace Dr.
Lewistown, PA 17044
[phone]
Note: The Neophyte Receiver, QST

Ramsey Electronics
793 Canning Parkway
Victor NY 14564
[phone]
Amateur radio and hobby kits.  The ham kits are all pretty simple and
pretty inexpensive, and you get about what you pay for.  Their new
VHF transceiver kits (144, 220, 440) look pretty interesting.  Many have
complained about the quality of their kits, though.

Townsend Electronics, Inc.
Box 415
133 N. 1st Street
Pierceton IN 46562
[phone] (US only)
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
C. M. Howes Communications kits.  Radio mounts.  RSGB and ARRL publications.
$1 for catalog.  $4 shipping & handling.

{See also RadioKit, Oak Hills Research}

LITTLE GUYS:

Oak Hills Research
20879 Madison St.
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Send $1 for a flyer.  Some parts, QST article kits, transceiver kits,
QRP stuff in general (they inherited the stock from Small Parts Center
when they closed).

KA7QJY Components
Danny Stevig
Box 3893
Logan UT 84321
[phone]
Send a business-size SASE for a current list of parts.  RF parts, including
vernier drives and air variables.  $2.75 shipping, no minimum.  Fast service,
lots of satisfied customers.

R&R Associates
3106 Glendon Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
[phone] (res)
[ Richard Rathburn, KB6NQ ] "I mainly sell pc boards from QST, Radio
Electronics, etc., and a few of in-house design.  I also sell IC's, etc."
Send a SASE every now and then for his most recent flyer.  He also has boards
for some Motorola Application Notes.

MANUALS:
Eico Electronic Instruments Co., Inc.
363 Merrick Rd
Lynbrook NY 11563
Note: No current kits, EICO manuals and schematics only

PUBLICATIONS:

NUTS & VOLTS MAGAZINE
430 Princeland Court
Corona CA 91719-9938
1-800-783-4624 (subscriptions)
1-714-371-3052 (subscribe by FAX)
All advertisements magazine (though they've just publishing small projects).
Issues are $2.00 (at least, that's the price on the cover), subscriptions
are (third class mail, USA:) $12/1 year, $21/2 years, $60/life, (first class
mail USA) $20/1 year, (Canada/Mexico) US$22, (other foreign, air mail) US$55.
A subscription also entitles you to one free classified ad of 40 words.

Ham Trader Yellow Sheets
PO Box 15142
Seattle WA 98115
"SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.: 24 Issues(1 yr) $16.50  50 Issues(2 yrs + 2 issues) $32.
75(3 Yrs + 3) $48.  CANADA & MEXICO: 24/$20.  50/$39.  75/$58.  FOREIGN: $38
a year sent Airmail.  Published 2 ISSUES A MONTH sent 1st Class Mail...
NO LONG WAIT FOR AD CIRCULATE!  NOTE: A $4/4 issue MINI-SUBSCRIPTION may be
ordered by potential subscribers, or WITH AN AD to qualify for the Special
Subscriber Ad Rates given below:" Non-subscriber ads $1/{word,number,group}
per insertion; subscribers:  businesses or other for-profit sales $0.75 per
word; ads involving items solely from or for your own use $0.35 a word;
hamfest ads $0.35.  Ads and ads with subscriptions should be sent to
POB 10253 Sarasota FL 34278 during the winter; spring through fall they
go to POBox 2057, Glen Ellyn IL 60138.

Howard W. Sams & Company
P.O. Box 7092
Indianapolis, IN 26207-7092
(800)-428-SAMS
Publishers of SAMS PHOTOFACTS and many other electronics books.  There is
an Annual Index of SAMS PHOTOFACTS whose cost I have forgotten.  In-print
Photofacts run between $14.95 to $39.95 (for computer Photofacts); they
will photocopy out-of-print Photofacts for $11.95 + $2.50S&H for one page,
plus $.55 per page thereafter.

RF Design Magazine
P O Box 1077
Skokie IL 60076-9931
[phone]
A magazine for professional RF designers.  Subscriptions are $38 per year
in the US, $48 in Mexico and Canada, $51 elsewhere, unless you appear to be
a "qualified subscriber" (i.e. are in serious danger of convincing your
company to buy a $12,000 spectum analyzer based on an ad) in which case it's
free.  Heavy on theory, and even the advertisement articles are educational.

Electronics Now        (formerly Radio Electronics)
Subscription Service
P.O. Box 51866
Boulder CO 80321-1866
1-800-999-7139
A magazine for thumb-fingered electronics hobbyists.  Subscription rate on the
bingo card in the November issue (the latest I was able to dig up) was $19.97
per year.

Popular Electronics
Subscription Department
P.O.Box 338
Mt. Morris, IL 61054-9935
1-800-827-0383
Like Electronics Now.  $18.95 according to the latest bingo card I see.

NOTES:

This file, and many others, are available for anonymous ftp from
ftp.cs.buffalo.edu.  It is also available from another anonymous ftp
site, toxicwaste.mit.edu:/pub/archive/sci.electronics/Mail_Order_Companies.
(Contact [e-mail] to offer things to the latter)

CHANGES FOR $Revision: 2.11 $

Add Townsend Electronics.
New street address for Surplus Sales of NE.
Elektor Electronics is gone :-(.
Add Pop. El. and El.Now.