Components & Tools (Was: Re: baud modifier)

[Tony Duell]

> H. Gee's in Cambridge is a real blessing in comparison - wide range of
> > components and still staffed by people who know what they're talking about

Having spent a few years studying and then working in Cambridge, I can 
confirm hhat H Gee was a place I spent far too much money :-)

There's nothing much in London either. There's Cricklewood Electronics 
who have an amazing range of old ICs in stock (heck, they had a TTL chip 
I could find listed _nowehre_ else, not even on the web). 

 
> You lucky fellow, nothing like that in northwest UK that  I know of
> About the best I seem to be able to do is CPC (ex Farnell), but as Tony
> commented the other day, the website is a disaster area for finding

I'm lucky. I have a friend who runs a small electornics company and he 
gives me old RS and Farnell catalogues from time to time. I can find what 
I need there, type the order codes in on the website to se eif they're 
still available (of if the RoSH directive has caused them to be 
replaced), and if not to see what alternatives there are.

> That's a cracking idea. Anyone know of good suppliers in the UK? RS seem to
> be useless these days too.

RS and Farnell are both fine once you've found what you want. The have a 
reasonable range, and are reliable. Mind you, there are some odd things 
that I can't find a single UK supplier for (top of the list at the moment 
is a 36 pin microribbon socket, cable mounting -- think of a socket that 
mates iwth a Centronics plug and which goes on a cable, not a chassis). 

-tony