want bluetooth adapter with *micro*-usb plug

If you can't get what you want, you could use an adapter -

This one's 23 cents with free shipping -

And this one's 24 cents and will go on sale for 6 cents in 5 days (also with free shipping) -

A 'microUSB' socket is generally for a USB slave. A bluetooth adapter is generally plugged into a USB master. So, unless your port is supported by USB OTG or something similar (USB-C) there won't be any functional Bluetooth that results from connecting at that port.

If your 'control board' has I2C, there's probably Bluetooth available for that, and the software problem might not be a nightmare.

I hate giving them my credit-card info. They have a raft of electronic payment options, but not PayPal. I should sign up for one other service, what do you recommend?

On Friday, March 23, 2018 at 2:57:42 PM UTC-7, Winfield Hill wrote: [about aliexpress]

Two options: first, some DO take PayPal, though not many. Second, if you don't want to send out 'your' credit card, get a gift card of the major-credit-card flavor, and use that for the international transactions.

AliExpress has many thousands of vendors, but none of them see your payment method. Only AliPay does, and they have every reason and resource for protecting that info like the crown jewels.

tc

I give out credit card numbers because that's what credit cards are for, to protect you from various crap. Don't you have "lesser" cards you seldom u se? If not, get at least one.

I have a company card I barely used for years. I stopped using my main car d and started to use the company card because of the rewards. Then I tried to buy a computer in Costco with it and found that with the $600 I had spe nt at restaurants and other payments my credit limit prevented the sale. I remember when you could just call them and get a bump in your credit limit but this time they had to respond in writing so I used another card.

With a $2000 credit limit it will only be used for Aliexpress purchases.

BTW, I heard back on the requested credit limit bump and they turned me dow n because I haven't been using the card near the credit limit! lol! I gue ss I never will.

Rick C.

Sorry about the late reply. It's been a busy day.

This works for me: I opened a bank account specifically for online purchases, including those from AliExpress. I have both a debit and a credit card against that account and seldom keep more than $1000 in it, $3000 tops. When the balance drops below $300-400, I just replenish it from my other accounts.

I've bought literally hundreds of items from AliExpress, mostly small inexpensive ones. They have an excellent search engine and a good buyer protection scheme. All orders are given a delivery deadline which may be extended by mutual agreement between buyer and seller. There have been a few times when my orders were excessively delayed or didn't arrive at all. Refunds were quick and painless.

A couple of times, the items were delivered after I'd been given a refund. I informed customer support the first time but they told me that I was entitled to the refund since the order was not delivered before the stipulated deadline.

etc

I've bought a few things on Aliexpress. I think I've had to get refunds tw o or three times. I picked up one of the budget FPGA programming devices a nd it works like a champ and saved me around $100. All in all I think it h as been a positive experience. But just like eBay, the vendors sell a lot of worthless crap and you need to discriminate. Sometimes it is hard to te ll and asking questions seldom gets an intelligible answer... pretty much l ike the low priced vendors on eBay.

Rick C.