[ILUG] [OT] Electronic shops

[Michael Watterson]

Brendan Minish wrote:
> In Dublin you have Radionics http://www.radionics.ie
> are expensive but fast (next day) and you can call to their depo in
> Dublin to collect stuff if you need it right now.
>
> Farnell are also pretty Quick http://ie.farnell.com/
> 1 to 3 days typically
>
> Donberg do stuff mostly for the appliance service industry but the
> inventory is good and the prices are alright  
> http://www.donberg.ie/
>
> Chip.ie have some things 
> http://www.chip.ie/chipsite/asp/
>
> Digikey have everything http://dkc1.digikey.com/ie/digihome.html
> they ship mostly from the states with Customs prepayed, figure on it
> taking ~ 1 week 
>
> RF parts http://www.rfparts.com/
> for those hard to find RF components, ship from the states and it takes
> a couple of weeks typically
>
> if your interests include the 'hollow state' Chelmer valves may be
> useful
> http://www.chelmervalve.co.uk/index.htm
>
> E-bay I guess you already know about this one ;-)
>
> It's years since I had any dealing with maplin, these days it seems that
> they have moved away from the component sales and I wonder how much of
> their on line inventory the retail shops actually stock when you move
> away from Car sound systems and DVD players.
> http://www.maplin.co.uk/
>
> I am sure there are others and if all else fails what you are looking
> for may be in my house or in Watty's shed ;-)  
>   
Most of Maplins's Components are Online ordering only.
Similar to Maplin are Jaycar (online). http://www.jaycar.com/
Austrialian, but seem to now have a UK presence/Catalogue

Basically Google and eBay. *Forget about Dublin Shops.*  I think Peats 
became consumer goods years ago.
I'm into PICs rather than Atmel, which oddly I have bought one + 
programmer out of Maplin shop (not online).

I have my own homemade programmer for In Circuit that will program a 
wide range of devices  Atmel too, just add a socket for chips or ISO 
card connector and crystal. It's a fairly standard "bit blaster" 
interface using handshake lines and a pair of transistors for RS232 
level conversion instead of bulkier more expensive MAX232 chip. The 
discrete transistor level shifter is easier to interface to Flash 
Programmed chips or Radios where TX and RX are on the same pin. The 
ICL7660 is used to generate +12V programming current as some devices 
need more than can be pinched from RS232, which is not always 12V 
anyway. It is NOT RS232 powered. It needs either a separate 5V PSU or 
uses the supply rail on the "target system"


Details:
http://www.wattystuff.net/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=PIC+In+Circuit++PROGRAMMER
Easy to make on a piece of strip board.
The ICProg as the Software does many devices, PIC, AVR, 8 pin memory, 
ISO cards:
http://www.ic-prog.com/index1.htm   Do download and install the 
http://www.ic-prog.com/icprog_driver.zip  sys file for NT/Win2K/XP
(forget Vista for this, sys file not needed for Win98). It may run under 
Linux using Wine or VMplayer,  I haven't tried. The so called serial 
driver is just a utility to allow direct Hardware Port I/O on NT family.

** Anyone got a link to an equivalent Linux utility to IC Prog? **

Fast delivery specialist Online Shop AVR & PIC and other useful parts 
inc programmers   ****
http://www.voti.nl/shop/  
(English & Dutch)

Some ebay sellers I've found useful for electronics parts:
RF ICs and microcontrollers pw928gts  
http://search.ebay.ie/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZpw928gtsQQssPageNameZSTRKQ3aMEFSQ3aMESOI

Coils / Ferrites
http://stores.ebay.ie/AMTOOLS-UK_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

RF Modules
http://stores.ebay.ie/International-Component-Services_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

Resistors /capacitors
http://stores.ebay.ie/Fastcomponents-Electronics-Kits_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm
http://stores.ebay.ie/Bitsbox-Electronic-Components_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

Misc Parts
http://stores.ebay.ie/943components_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm





-- 
Mike