I've just received the leatest R.S. catalogue and cannot understand what has happened to the semiconductor section. Whole swathes of logic and discrete device information seem to be missing, replaced by lists of part numbers which don't give quantities, pricing or application.
Is there something I have missed, or are R.S. trying to prevent customers from buying their semiconductors?
I've noticed that here to (USA), though I haven't been to a Radio Shack store in quite some time. And I haven't seen a R.S. catalog in years. I guess they never had what I was looking for, so I took my business elsewhere. And frankly, there are a couple really good parts shops here locally, though I'm certain that's not the case everywhere.
As to Radio Shack: They've morphed into a cellular phone re-seller, with maybe a sprinkle of consumer electronics stuff thrown it. Whenever I pass by a store in the mall, there's always someone at the counter fumbling with a handset of some sort... They're not the electronic hobbyist outfit they used to be.
I was referring to "R.S. Components", a U.K. company (previously called "Radiospares"). From your reply it sounds as though they aren't the only ones who don't always see things.from the customers' viewpoint.
Interesting. I don't order much from them. They did change their website. At the moment I tell myself I need to get used to it but I like the old compact view better.
It doesn't work at all on any of my browsers, that is why I still use the paper catalogue.
I have heard from people who can use their website that they prefer to use the paper catalogue most of the time.
I think it is Newark in the US
Newark seems to be an Element14 aka Farnell company. The RS sight works fine for me in IE, FF and Opera although I have not the experience with it nor the time to decide if any group has gone missing.
Haven't looked in the printed catalogue for years, but my general impression is, that R.S. seems to focus more on the industrial maintenance market than the electronics market. R.S. is good at supplying tools, measurement and instrumentation products and a lot within industrial automation. Of course they still have semiconductors and components in their offerings, but although there are few gems amongst them, my general impression is that the range of components is rather limited. At least I have trouble seeing how you could source all the components needed for even just a moderate complex design from R.S. - not to speak about their pricing. So perhaps your conclusion is not so far fetched anyway - perhaps they really want to reduce their efforts in the components market.
Just guessing of course Klaus
Its a long time since I looked at RS. Have their prices landed on planet earth since then?
NT
The last time I was in an RS, that glorious multi-wall display of components had been replaced by a file cabinet, and the Muzak was playing that god-damned racist rap noise.
Apparently all they want these days is dumb customers for smart phones.
Thanks, Rich
Apparently, you don;t know who they are talking about. It isn't Radio Shack.
I'm guessing they realised that a lot of the semiconductor stuff is easier found using google or their website so it would be wasted effort to maintain it for catalog. Where the catalog is very nice to have is for mechanical stuff like connectors, heatsinks, buttons etc.
-Lasse
Correction: R.S. does not make semiconductors; they just carry and resell them - viz: an expensive disty.
If you want to be pedantic: if the semiconductors they sell belong to them at the time of sale, they are 'their' semiconductors in law (even though they did not manufacture them).
If, however, they are held by R.S. on a sale-or-return basis, or are the subject of some other form of delayed or disputed payment, the situation might be different.
They are trying to encourage you to use the online system instead. To be honest I am amazed that they still produce a paper catalogue at all. Since broadband I don't bother with the CD version (same for Farnell).
The main annoyance for me is that you cannot set parametric limits on key properties. You get a long list of insane tick boxes instead (with a gratuitous refresh with each tick made). This can be really annoying. (as can "John" offering to help you choose things (aka Clippy))
I could write a logical search expression for what I want to find, but their "user friendly" interface insists that I tick endless boxes :(
Regards, Martin Brown
On a sunny day (Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:08:14 +0100) it happened Martin Brown wrote in :
mmm I discovered that conrad.nl component finder does not know in the filter that .01 uF is 10 nF. Not sure about lower and upper case either....
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