STWtronics - best online shop for components

Amazon for old bits, Digikey if you need alot.

https://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/

Back in the day it used to be maplin.co.uk

I used to go to my local maplins. Gone now though.
Try RS. Might be a min of 25 or so if it's cheap item.

Was also going to say wot Yak already said...

RS is great, all sorts of bits and pieces, not only electrical stuff. Could browse there for ages 'cos I'm weird like that. Usually next-day free delivery as well.

One stop shop:

https://cpc.farnell.com/

Cambridge used to have an amazing little shop selling just about any electrical component. 100s of boxes all full of paper bags with components in them..

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Sadly, gutted by fire a few years back and now a burnt out wreck rotting away...

If I’m impatient, Amazon Prime. Otherwise whichever big online shop has what I want for the best price - normally CPC (if you can get a trade account the free delivery threshold is very low)

What are you looking to do/make?

RS Components

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/

@footflaps - We had a similar shop in Newcastle, Aitken Bros on New Bridge Street.

The last thing I bought from there was a mod chip for a PS One.

Long gone now.

https://bitsboxuk.com/

I use Bitsbox for small orders - postage is reasonable, no minimums etc. They do bundles/kits as well:

https://www.bitsboxuk.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=272

Like others Cpc/Farnell RS but if I'm just after one or two minor components ebay as often postage is lower when you are only buying one or two quids worth.

I vaguely remember a magazine, Everyday Electronics, from the 80s?

Anyway, in the small pages in the back you could pay a modest fee eg £15 and receive a random bundle of 2000 components (random selection), which I did once.

Mainly rubbish IIRC..

It used to be that none of the big firms would sell to the general public, even at their trade counters, but these days they all do...

So RS, Farnel/CPC, Digikey, Mouser... the pricing can vary quite a lot between them, so often worth chechlking them all, and minimum order price for free delivery isn't too bad these days...

Octopart can be useful for quickly comparing prices and availability for a known manufacturers part number, no idea if you can add a whole list of items though?

Mouser was who seemed to be recommended for small, very specific orders. RS and CPC/Farnell are very much on the bulk end of things.

The real answer is RF Potts, on Babbington Lane in Derby.

https://www.rfpotts.com/

555's always reminds me of a particularly happy time in my life at Medway Itec.

Cricklewood Electronics used to supply the parts for many of my electronics creations during the 1990’s, it looks like they’re still trading.
Happy memories, I might have to dust off the soldering iron 😄

Cricklewood Electronics

I was just going to suggest if you're around north London. I am not around there anymore but bought stuff ~8years ago.

Such a hard thing to stock as a shop as so many variables and whenever any items I'd redesigned it will be redesigned as smd to minimise manufacturing as nd component costs it's really only the odd old industrial stuff that is worth repairing now. 🙁

I've used Rapid Electronics quite a bit. Usually a bit cheaper than RS or Farnell / CPC and more like Maplins

https://www.rapidonline.com/

Otherwise, ebay has most things.

I was going to suggest Mouser. Very popular with the retro gaming community.

555’s always reminds me of a particularly happy time in my life at Medway Itec.

Out back with your astable multivibrator?

Not really what you're looking for, but what about a giant 555 timer?

The 555SE Discrete 555 Timer - Pimoroni

Ebay has been pretty good for small orders of components like this. Problem is postage at the moment so bite the bullet and get a selection box from Amazon Prime.

Thanks all
Some good suggestions.

I think I may have warmed up a few of your tips with this thread!

I think I may have warmed up a few of your tips with this thread!

My tip is already hot 😉

You could try ESR components - very similar vein too my old employers Aitken Electronics in Newcastle.

http://www.esr.co.uk/

Rapid Electronics as somebody also mentioned or CPC

You could try ESR components – very similar vein too my old employers Aitken Electronics in Newcastle.

@winston2005 - When did they close?

I loved that shop, remember fixing my cordless landline phone with a ni-cad battery pack from there. Pre-internet things like that were almost impossible to get a hold of.

@gobuchul

Shop closed about 10 12 years ago (I think).
I left about 25 years ago, even then the business was over 60 years old.
Sad times when it closed, difficult business as there was over 8000 stock lines.
Latterly they sold DJ equipment which delayed the inevitable for a few years. I think RS components & Farnell had already taken the Business Customers.
Fond memories of the place we tried to help customers as much as we could and help them repair things (hopefully things will return to this mindset someday)

What's the OP building? I also have fond memories of 555s etc

The quintessential NE555 book (back in the day ;))

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/e-a-parr/integrated-circuit-555-projects/9780859340472#GOR001201641

I left about 25 years ago,

I wonder if you sold me my PS1 mod chip with a photocopied wiring photograph? It was only a few quid.

Well I chose Hobbytronics and they were very good.

I got four ICs (2x555, 1xMCU, 1x opto-isolator) delivered for under a tenner. Ordered Thursday, delivered this morning.
Good communication and well packaged and labelled.

Thanks

Yes yes yes

WHAT ARE YOU MAKING 😂

I wonder if you sold me my PS1 mod chip with a photocopied wiring photograph? It was only a few quid.

I still have a few if anyone needs one.

I@m not making anything in particular Zilog. I just want to get encyclopedically knowledgeable about a few classic ICs and build a few simple circuits with each one.

Not a UK101 or anything!

Cool, did all that at Uni but it was a long time ago and forgotten everything now 😂 I just use microcontrollers these days & so it all in software, the new-ish Pi Pico is awesome and under £4 if you want to check it out 😀

I have an RPi and an Uno.

I do enjoy programming and using the I/O to monitor and control stuff but I want to get down to board and component level too.

VLSI blows my mind still and I workd for SGS Thomson in Rousset in the early 1990s!

555's started me into electronics. Did a degree, did stuff with FPGA for the film industry and now run a robotics and AI group at Intel. It's interesting how far 0's and 1's can take you. 👍

@derek_starship that’s cool, the Pico is the rPi version of a Uno, but way more powerful & stupidly cheap 😀

now run a robotics and AI group at Intel.