My List of Mail Order Electronics Companies
John F. Woods
Here is my list of companies which will sell electronic components in
small quantities. Most of these places I have bought from, a couple
I haven't. Being a ham radio operator, I am most interested in
RF components, and in particular, air variable capacitors, which tend to be
scarce (and tend to be used or surplus even if I've otherwise labelled the
seller as "NEW"). I apologize in advance for disparaging remarks about
what happens when parts suppliers start selling computers, but anyone who
has watched Jameco over the years will know just what I mean (though
their latest catalog hints at possibly returning to selling parts).
Categories are:
NEW COMPONENTS Distributors and sellers of new components, or "new and some
used" in a couple of cases.
SURPLUS ELECTRONICS Usually overstocks, occasionally used equipment.
Ideal for stocking the junkbox, usually have dependable stock lines
of resistors, capacitors, and some semiconductors, but won't have
those LCD modules forever... An invaluable resource, don't shy away
from them.
SPECIALTY COMPONENTS In particular, crystals and toroidal cores.
KITS Ham radio kits, random electronic kits, whatever they have.
LITTLE GUYS Separated out because of some twisted sentimentality,
I suppose. Intended to honor one or two ham spare-bedroom
operations.
PUBLICATIONS Two publications which are essentially all want-ads, plus
the address for SAMS PHOTOFACTS because everyone always asks about
it on sci.electronics.
NEW COMPONENTS:
Ocean State Electronics
P.O. Box 1458
Westerly RI 02891
(800)-866-6626 (orders)
(401)-596-3080
(401)-596-3590 (FAX)
Minimum $5, S&H $4, free catalog. Wide array of RF parts, especially
air variables and B&W coils, plus kits for most QST projects since 1976.
"Non cataloged items gladly ordered." Fast shipping, unless (like me)
you don't pay attention to their request that you CALL about air variables
and they hold your order for a couple of weeks while they see if they can
scrounge up one that they've just gone out of stock on...
Radiokit (store is located at:)
P.O.Box 973 169 Jeremy Hill Rd.
Pelham NH 03076 Pelham NH 03076
(603) 635-2235
No minimum ($3 service charge if under $20), many kits, lots of J. W. Miller
chokes & coils, B&W coils, RF switches, Millen variable capacitors, lots of
parts in general. Send $1 for the catalog.
Circuit Specialists Inc
P. O. Box 3047
Scottsdale AZ 85271-3047
(800) 528-1417
No minimum with check or money order, $15 otherwise. $3 S&H.
New electronics, good RF assortment, increasing infestation of computers.
Mouser Electronics Mouser Electronics Mouser Electronics
11433 Woodside Ave. 2401 Highway 287 North 12 Emery Ave.
Santee CA 92071 Mansfield TX 76063 Randolf NJ 07869
Mouser Electronics
370 Tomkins Court
Gilroy CA 95020
Catalog Subscriptions: (800) 992-9943 (Continental US only)
Sales & Service: (800) 34-MOUSER (800-346-6873) (US, Puerto R., Canada)
Very complete catalog of brand-new components (though no air variables).
Usually quick service, $20 "minimum" ($5 charge under $20).
Digi-Key
701 Brooks Ave. South
P.O.Box 677
Thief River Falls, MN 56701-0677
1-800-DIGI-KEY
No minimum, $5 handling under $25, free and very complete catalog, very nice
indeed. Prices aren't always the best, but rarely excessive. Weak on RF
specialty parts (though they now have the ever-popular NE602N), but they do
have blue LEDs.
Active Electronics
11 Cummings Park
Woburn MA 01801
(800)-677-8899 (US)
(800)-363-6592 (Canada)
$25 minimum, $5 S&H UPS, free catalog. They have 8 stores in the US
(Santa Clara CA; Chicago IL; Baltimore MD; Woburn MA; Detroit MI;
Mt. Laurel NJ; Long Island NY; Seattle WA) and 9 stores in Canada
(Quebec City; Montreal (2); Ottawa; Mississuaga; Winnipeg; Calgary;
Edmonton; Vancouver BC). Lots of stuff, oriented more toward supplying
last-minute requirements of companies than hobbyists, but perfectly happy
to take your money in small doses (stores have no minimum order or
shipping&handling). Some items in their catalog are subject to a $25 per
ITEM minimum, which is kind of a drag.
Newark Electronics
Send catalog requests to:
Newark Electronics
ATTENTION CATALOG DEPARTMENT
4801 N. Ravenswood Ave.
Chicago IL 60640-4496
(312) 784-5100
They don't have a single mail address or phone; instead, one is supposed
to call the closest of three pages worth of branch offices. I don't feel
like typing in the entire list (it's copyrighted, anyway :-), so send email
for your "local" distributor, or call their administrative offices at the
number above. They have a $25 minimum order; they are a Real Distributor,
but accept small orders (over the minimum, of course). Their catalog
currently 1248 pages; they are very complete (except, of course, for my
favorite scarce item, the air-variable capacitor). Note that the catalog
prices tend not to match reality all that often, so order by phone rather
than by mail; prices tend to be higher than other places, but they have a lot
of things that are hard to find from other outlets.
Arrow Electronics, Inc. Catalog requests to:
Catalog Division Catalog Division
1860 Smithtown Ave. 25 Hub Drive
Ronkonkoma NY 11779 Melville NY 11747-9828
(800) 93-ARROW
Minimum $25; catalog cover price is $25 but if you convince them you're
with a company they'll probably send one free. They are a Real Distribitor,
but also didn't mind my placing a personal order.
MCM Electronics
650 Congress Park Drive
Centerville OH 45459-4072
(800) 543-4330
Minimum $20 ($25 for charges, and they don't take personal checks),
handling $1.95 + shipping. Oriented toward repair technicians, really
heavy on VCR parts and somewhat overpriced doodads, lots of useful stuff
not easily found elsewhere.
Fordham Radio Supply
260 Motor Parkway
Haupauge NH 11788-5134
(800)695-4848
Tools for technicians. One or two items are not outrageously overpriced.
Jameco
1355 Shoreway Road
Belmost CA 94002
(415) 592-8097
$30 minimum order (was $50), >$5 shipping & handling. Their most recent
catalog may have reversed a long trend of abandoning parts in favor of
PC compatibles, or it may not; one can always hope.
JDR Microdevices
2233 Branham Lane
San Jose CA 95124
Orders: 800-538-5000
Cust. Service: 800-538-5001
$10 minimum, $5+ shipping. Mostly computers now, but they haven't yet
decided to abandon components.
Johnson Shop Products
P.O.Box 160113
Cupertino CA 95016
(408)257-8614 (408)996-3240
Catalog $1. No minimum. Shipping charge is based on UPS; very small orders
that can be sensibly shipped in a first-class letter, include money for
first-class postage. New and some used electronic parts.
DC Electronics
P. O. Box 3203
Scottsdale AZ 85271-3203
(800) 423-0070 (orders)
(602) 945-7736 (stock/price checks)
$15 minimum charge order, no minimum for checks, $3 min. shipping&handling.
Wide array of ICs, good assortment of electronic components.
Dick Smith Electronics USA
P.O. Box 468
Greenwood, IN 46142
(317) 888-7265
The American branch of the Australian company. Some parts and kits, mostly
new equipment of all stripes (audio, CB, and lots of ham equipment). Prices
seemed high last time I checked.
EasyTech Inc
2917 Bayview Drive
Fremont CA 94538-9932
(800) 582-4044 (orders)
(415) 770-2345 (customer Service)
Apparently a brand new company, "dedicated to serving the Electronic
Enthusiast/User." $10 minimum, UPS shipping is 5% of order (>= $3).
International Components Corporation
1803 NW Lincoln Way
Toledo OR 97391-1014
(800)325-0101 (US & Canada)
(503) 336-4400 (FAX)
Cabinets&Enclosures; Capacitors; Diodes; ICs; Potentiometers; Resistors;
Sockets; Transistors; Books. No minimum order, $2 handling under $25.
SURPLUS ELECTRONICS:
All Electronics Corp.
P. O. Box 567
Van Nuys CA 91408-0567
(800) 826-5432
$10 minimum, $3.50 S&H. New and surplus electronics.
BCD Electro
P. O. Box 450207
Garland TX 75045-0207
(214) 343-1770
$1 for 1-year subscription to catalogs, no minimum, $0.95 for under $30,
$2.90 shipping. Surplus electronics, pretty random looking assortment.
Fair Radio Sales
P. O. Box 1105
1016 E Eureka St.
Lima OH 45802
(419) 227-6573
Surplus electronics. Heavy on parts for old Collins gear.
Hosfelt Electronics
2700 Sunset Blvd.
Steubenville OH 43952
(800) 524-6464
No minimum, $3.75 S&H. Surplus electronics.
Marlin P. Jones & Assoc.
P.O. Box 12685
Lake Park FL 33403-0685
(407) 848-8236
No minimum ($1 fee for under $10), shipping per UPS. Surplus electronics.
R&D Electronics
1224 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland OH 44115
orders: (800) 642-1123 (tues - fri 9am-4pm sat. 9am-3pm EST)
info: (216) 621-1121
$10 minimum. Surplus electronics.
Surplus Sales of Nebraska
1315 Jones Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68102
(402) 346-4750
New and surplus radio electronics. Wide selection: air variables. At
this writing (8 Mar 91), they are producing a new catalog (and, I gather,
out of old ones).
Tucker Surplus Store
1717 Reserve St.
Garland TX 75042
(800) 527-4642 extension 135
Surplus electronic gear; oscilloscopes and signal generators from the days
when dinosaurs with vacuum tubes roamed the earth (some solid state gear, but
all well used). Prices seem relatively high, and you'll be shocked to learn
how much it costs to ship a 75 pound oscilloscope by motor freight...
American Science and Surplus (formerly JerryCo)
601 Linden Place
Evanston IL 60202
(708) 475-8440
Surplus. *The* surplus place. Lots and lots of surplus. WWII gun cameras,
velcro, laser disk chassis, 6 volt VW wipers motors, LEDs, rubber brains,
you name it, they've had it. Catalogs are a really good time.
$12.50 minimum order (which includes the $4 shipping charge).
SPECIALTY COMPONENTS:
JAN Crystals
2341 Crystal Drive
P.O. Box 06017
Fort Myers FL 33906-6017
(800) JAN-XTAL (Monday through Thursday)
They make crystals. Minimum order is $10, which might be one crystal, or
might be two.
Crystek Corporation
2351/2371 Crystal Drive
P.O. Box 06135
Fort Myers FL 33906-6135
(800) 237-3061 (M-F)
They make crystals too. They were the cheapest last time I ordered, but
I don't have an up-to-date price list. It took about 4 weeks, and they
had said it would take 6.
ICM (International Crystal Manufacturing Co., Inc.)
701 W. Sheridan
PO Box 26330
Oklahoma City OK 73126-0330
(800) 426-9825
More crystals. They were more expensive, but they have lots of pre-made
crystals for various rigs, so they would probably be faster.
Amidon Associates
12033 Otsego Street
N. Hollywood CA 91607
Toroid cores and related things. Very fast service.
K2AW's Silicon Alley
175 Friends Lane
Westbury NY 11590
516-334-7024
Free catalog, $10 minimum order. Semiconductors, in particular high-voltage
diodes.
Small Parts, Inc.
6891 N.E. Third Avenue
P.O.Box 381966
Miami FL 33238-9980
(305)751-0856
$12 minimum. Mechanical parts, metal stock, Teflon(R) sheets.
KITS:
(The terse "Note:" descriptions are from the ARRL Kit List courteously
supplied by Ed Hare and Mike Gruber at the ARRL.)
A&A Engineering
2521 W. LaPalma, Unit K
Anaheim CA 92801
(714) 952-2114
Kits, some components, some books. S&H $4.50, catalog is free with SASE (2 oz
postage).
Antique Electronic Supply
6221 S. Maple Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85283
(602) 820-5411
Note: Broadcast receiver kits
Circuit Board Specialists
P. O. Box 951
Pueblo CO 81002
(303) 542-4525
As the name implies, they specialize in circuit boards; they have circuit
boards for a variety of QST articles and ARRL Handbook construction articles.
They also have partial kits for most of their boards. The catalog is free,
but I had to request it a couple of times.
C.M. Howes Communications
Eydon, Daventry,
Northants NN11 6PT
England
Phone: +44 327 60178
Note: QRP, transmitters, receivers, misc.
Communications Concepts Inc.
121 Brown Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
(513) 220-9677
Note: kits for Motorola Applications Notes
Dick Smith Electronics
P.O. Box 468
Greenwood, IN 46142
(317) 888-7265
Note: General kits
Down East Microwave
Box 2310, RR#1
Troy, ME 04987
(207) 948-3741
Note: Microwave preamps
Hamtronics, Inc.
65 Moul Road
Hilton, NY 14468-9535
(716) 392-9430
Note: Amateur, general interest
Lake Electronics
7 Middleton Close
Nuthall
Nottingham NG16 1BX
England
Note: Amateur
Mercury Systems
15 Lakeside Dr.
Marlton, NJ 08053
1-609-596-3304
Note: the ARRL Kit list didn't say what they carry; I don't (yet) know
either.
Penntek Electronics
14 Peace Dr.
Lewistown, PA 17044
(717) 248-2507
Note: The Neophyte Receiver, QST
Ramsey Electronics
793 Canning Parkway
Victor NY 14564
(716) 924-4560
Amateur radio and hobby kits. The ham kits are all pretty simple and
pretty inexpensive, and you get about what you pay for.
{See also RadioKit, Oak Hills Research}
LITTLE GUYS:
Oak Hills Research
20879 Madison St.
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Send $1 for a flyer. Some parts, QST article kits, transceiver kits,
QRP stuff in general (they inherited the stock from Small Parts Center
when they closed).
KA7QJY Components
Box 7970
Jackson WY 83001
(307)739-1634 evenings
Send a business-size SASE for a current list of parts. RF parts, including
vernier drives and air variables. $2.75 shipping, no minimum. My last order
took two weeks from when I mailed it and included a note apologizing for the
delay!
R&R Associates
3106 Glendon Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(213) 474-1315 (res)
[ Richard Rathburn, KB6NQ ] "I mainly sell pc boards from QST, Radio
Electronics, etc., and a few of in-house design. I also sell IC's, etc."
Send a SASE every now and then for his most recent flyer. He also has boards
for some Motorola Application Notes.
MANUALS:
Eico Electronic Instruments Co., Inc.
363 Merrick Rd
Lynbrook NY 11563
Note: No current kits, EICO manuals and schematics only
PUBLICATIONS:
NUTS & VOLTS MAGAZINE
P. O. Box 1111
Placentia CA 92670
1-800-783-4624 (subscriptions)
issues are $2.00 (at least, that's the price on the cover), subscriptions
are (third class mail, USA:) $12/1 year, $21/2 years, $60/life, (first class
mail USA) $20/1 year, (Canada/Mexico) US$22, (other foreign, air mail) US$55.
A subscription also entitles you to one free classified ad of 40 words.
Ham Trader Yellow Sheets
PO Box 15142
Seattle WA 98115
"SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.: 24 Issues(1 yr) $16.50 50 Issues(2 yrs + 2 issues) $32.
75(3 Yrs + 3) $48. CANADA & MEXICO: 24/$20. 50/$39. 75/$58. FOREIGN: $38
a year sent Airmail. Published 2 ISSUES A MONTH sent 1st Class Mail...
NO LONG WAIT FOR AD CIRCULATE! NOTE: A $4/4 issue MINI-SUBSCRIPTION may be
ordered by potential subscribers, or WITH AN AD to qualify for the Special
Subscriber Ad Rates given below:" Non-subscriber ads $1/{word,number,group}
per insertion; subscribers: businesses or other for-profit sales $0.75 per
word; ads involving items solely from or for your own use $0.35 a word;
hamfest ads $0.35. Ads and ads with subscriptions should be sent to
POB 10253 Sarasota FL 34278 during the winter; spring through fall they
go to POBox 2057, Glen Ellyn IL 60138.
Howard W. Sams & Company
P.O. Box 7092
Indianapolis, IN 26207-7092
(800)-428-SAMS
Publishers of SAMS PHOTOFACTS and many other electronics books. There is
an Annual Index of SAMS PHOTOFACTS whose cost I have forgotten. In-print
Photofacts run between $14.95 to $39.95 (for computer Photofacts); they
will photocopy out-of-print Photofacts for $11.95 + $2.50S&H for one page,
plus $.55 per page thereafter.
RF Design Magazine
P O Box 1077
Skokie IL 60076-9931
(312) 762-2193
A magazine for professional RF designers. Subscriptions are $38 per year
in the US, $48 in Mexico and Canada, $51 elsewhere, unless you appear to be
a "qualified subscriber" (i.e. are in serious danger of convincing your
company to buy a $12,000 spectum analyzer based on an ad) in which case it's
free. Heavy on theory, and even the advertisement articles are educational.