I loathe RS Components !

Can't you buy them direct, or from a local distributor? I prefer Farnell to RS, mainly because until recently it was much easier to buy from them without having to open a trade account.

Leon

--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

I read in sci.electronics.design that Mike Diack wrote (in ) about 'I loathe RS Components !', on Sun, 3 Apr 2005:

Because they get away with it.

Once you know a certain transformer spec. can be produced in a certain size, you can look for other suppliers. Doesn't anyone make transformers in NZ? Can you convince them to make the sort you want and sell them to you and others (so as to get the volume up)?

--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
There are two sides to every question, except
'What is a Moebius strip?'
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

Why are they so greedy ?.

================================

It's the capitalist system, sucker!

I no longer use RS - purely Farnell. They do at least always list the original manufacturer so you can go to them if a problem like this happens.

You have to pay for an outfit that will sell you parts singly. That at least partly expains the price.

Graham

remotes

increases

USD

Try

.

r.

Uh, er, who designs with parts for Radio Shack???

--
Luhan Monat (luhanis 'at' yahoo 'dot' com)
"The future is not what it used to be..."
http://members.cox.net/berniekm

...... from Radio Shack ????

--
Luhan Monat (luhanis 'at' yahoo 'dot' com)
"The future is not what it used to be..."
http://members.cox.net/berniekm

(3.2,5,10,16,25,32 VA, in an assortment of useful

so like a bloody idiot, I designed them into a

splitters,crossovers,video projector remotes etc etc).

parts, even though the NZ dollar has been galloping

"ratchet" mechanism on their prices as well - things

expensive when 1 NZD is now USD 0.72. Why are they so

Look at the "Bandgap Design" thread where somebody hopes to build a moderately wide temperature range, 1% reference using the assorted nameless BJTs available at Radio Shack.

--
--Larry Brasfield
email: donotspam_larry_brasfield@hotmail.com
Above views may belong only to me.

RS Components:

Leon

Because the greedy buggers can get away with it! Both RS and Farnell do this, and I have had discussions with their sales reps over it. They are both excellent for prototype parts and have a huge range, but it really is unwise to rely on their parts for a production supply. Go to the original source or find an alternative. RS generally lists the original manufacturer in their catalogue, so use that as a starting point. I guess the transformers you refer to are made by "Block" ? If so, try

I'm sure you will get a better deal from them.

Barry Lennox

In the UK, you can tell the age of an engineer by how they refer to RS- if they say "Radiospares" you know it's time to count the rings.

Paul Burke

That would be me, sir. I design with components. The fact that you can get the same (non-nameless) part from RS with the same specifications as I do from my industrial supplier is an added bonus.

Any third rate engineer can design with tight-spec parts. Doing excellent designs with mid-grade parts is somewhat of a challenge.

Jim

I read in sci.electronics.design that Gavin Melville wrote (in ) about 'I loathe RS Components !', on Mon, 4 Apr 2005:

At those sizes, you can't expect much.

That should not happen. Are you using 220 V or 230 V parts on nominal

240 V, getting on 254 V?

It's very informative to measure the no-load primary current as you increase the input voltage (using a Variac). You can see a steep increase at the point of saturation with modern core materials.

Or is it a lack of ventilation?

Again, that's directly related to the small size.

They would need a lot of information about exactly how you were using them, and I don't suppose many people would supply that.

If the transformer is used to feed a bridge rectifier, the r.m.s. secondary current is 1.6 to 1.8 times the DC output current, and that

1.8 may be an under-estimate. Many people either don't know that or forget it. You need to check each design, don't ASS-U-ME.

--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
There are two sides to every question, except
'What is a Moebius strip?'
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

Yo, I agree most heartily (check website below). I just dont do commercial designs based (soley) on a RS source.

--
Luhan Monat (luhanis 'at' yahoo 'dot' com)
"The future is not what it used to be..."
http://members.cox.net/berniekm

I can remember (~1958-1962) when RS was a big-ass warehouse on Commonwealth Avenue, Near BU, in Boston.

Real parts. Give them a list and a tray came down a conveyor belt with all your parts.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

They buy them from Dagnall, who will deal direct for reasonable volumes. Try

. Rather than deal with RS or Farnell try Digikey -- much easier to deal with, 3 day delivery to NZ (at a price) and a much larger inventory. No little blue transformers though.

They aren't actually very good transformers anyway. I have had a lot of trouble with the cases bulging at way below the expected temperature, and the load performance is very poor ie. internal resistance is too high. Once the top of the case "pops" the internal temperature rises even faster, I guess due to the airspace now inside the case. I have talked to Dagnall, and even sent sick samples back, but never got any resolution. When I use them I derate them by

50%. There is also a German compnay who makes some of them, but I cannot remember the name.

Gavin.

There's a certain BoF around here (and I shall remain anonymous) who remembers when the RS catalogue was one thin little A5 booklet.

--
Tony Williams.

RS Components ( UK ) *isn't* Radio Shack ( USA ) ! They're a broad line distributor of a huge range of electronic, electrical and related parts - from well known manufacturers.

Graham

I actually still have one somewhere in my 'archive'. It was *definitely* Radiospares back then.

Graham