Electronics shop

[Jivemaster]

I've missed Maplin who had three branches on my daily travels, I now find that my next nearest electronics shop in East Ham has closed. Can anyone suggest an electronics shop in East London please? From the Blackwall Tunnel out to the M25 would be good.

[sandall]

Not exactly East London, but not far from the Overground (& maybe nearer than the M25?) - AFAIK Cricklewood Electronics are still going strong. Or maybe join the rest of us & use CPC / Farnell / RS?

[Hilary Watts]

... or BItsbox for standard componets with next day delivery and low postage charges

[Jivemaster]

I do have a RS account but their latest courier said "no such address" when not delivering my last two orders, even though I've lived here for 23 years.

 

Cricklewood looks rather like the old Henry's -I like it!

[IRW]

Not exactly East London, but not far from the Overground (& maybe nearer than the M25?) - AFAIK Cricklewood Electronics are still going strong. Or maybe join the rest of us & use CPC / Farnell / RS?

 

Pretty much all my recent electronics orders for my model railway have come from a combination of RS and CPC. A bit annoying when I'm trying to prototype something and I just want a couple of relays or something, but given RS is free next day delivery, it's not too much of an inconvenience. CPC seems to be much cheaper for resistors, diodes, and such like though, which is annoying as they have a handling charge of £4.50 for orders less than £17.50. (I needed £3 worth of bits the other day, and ended up paying about £9 including the handling fee and VAT- still ended up significantly cheaper than tacking those bits onto an RS order I also had going in)

Edited March 16, 2021 by IRW

[sandall]

Cricklewood looks rather like the old Henry's -I like it!

I haven't had an excuse to go there for a couple of years, but yes, it is . We used to do regular shopping trips from TV Centre back in the day.

Edited March 16, 2021 by sandall

[sunray]

Not exactly East London, but not far from the Overground (& maybe nearer than the M25?) - AFAIK Cricklewood Electronics are still going strong. Or maybe join the rest of us & use CPC / Farnell / RS?

 

Pretty much all my recent electronics orders for my model railway have come from a combination of RS and CPC. A bit annoying when I'm trying to prototype something and I just want a couple of relays or something, but given RS is free next day delivery, it's not too much of an inconvenience. CPC seems to be much cheaper for resistors, diodes, and such like though, which is annoying as they have a handling charge of £4.50 for orders less than £17.50. (I needed £3 worth of bits the other day, and ended up paying about £9 including the handling fee and VAT- still ended up significantly cheaper than tacking those bits onto an RS order I also had going in)

RS are now quoting me £4.95 delivery on a £3 order.

 

[IRW]

Are you logged in? I thought that as well, but then realized I wasn't.

[sunray]

Are you logged in? I thought that as well, but then realized I wasn't.

Ah yes. It seems I'm unable to log in too.

[indyld]

A place I do some work at has an RS trade account and gets free same day dispatch. This is what I had assumed everyone did.

 

However, when I looked into getting the same it seemed like RS no longer offered those terms and I rang to check to be told that was the case. As I knew that I was gonna end up doing a lot of small orders (sometimes it's easier to put several different component orders through in a single day) I looked around and found that Farnell still offer similar terms for a trade credit account including no handling charge.

Edited March 17, 2021 by indyld

[sunray]

Are you logged in? I thought that as well, but then realized I wasn't.

Ah yes. It seems I'm unable to log in too.

All sorted, as I haven't placed an order with them for a while my account had to be reset over the phone. The card registered with them had an expiry date of 2014. She made some comment about new trade account rules, so I imagine more vetting now.

My order of £1.74 placed.

 

 

Thanks for the pointer.

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by sunray

[timsabre]

Farnell may offer free delivery (at the moment) but their individual prices are really high and getting higher.

[sunray]

Farnell may offer free delivery (at the moment) but their individual prices are really high and getting higher.

I think you are correct, especially when compared with the same product from CPC. Surprising as they are the same company.

[timsabre]

Rs is loads cheaper too. Used to be the other way round.

[indyld]

Farnell may offer free delivery (at the moment) but their individual prices are really high and getting higher.

This is the case but it depends on the user. Ordering 1 or 2 of a completely different components on a daily basis and then paying a shipping / handling fee each time is not cheaper than paying a larger unit price and no charge. There is lots I prefer about using RS when working with other companies, but paying a fiver handling for a couple of capacitors or a MOSFET isn't gonna work.

 

Similar situation for a hobbyist or someone that has the occasional project: Unless one can wait build up a significant order of other things or decide to 'stock' items and buy larger quantities, then the handling charge is a no-go.