RSW**K - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2024, 05:39:24 pm
content: I haven't used RS for a while. OMG what a website!Clearly deisgned by and signed off on by some who who's never spoken to an engineer in thier live's.I gave up trying to find axial 1/4W MF resistors. RS and Farnell lost the plot years ago using bizarre criteria and language that humans don't.I can see that know one seems to know how to sort passive component values. How about selecting the E series(s) of interest, a power, a tolerance, a package for starters.Thats not overly complex.Anyhow, thats the last time I use RS. Dont get me started on their comatose tradecounters....... Can i see my order, no. Not for 15 minutes sir. Can I see my invoice, err no. Would you like to request one.... What!!! So they don't understand engineers or online commerce it seems. WALOB!

author: chilternview
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2024, 06:03:08 pm
content: A search on their website for "0.25w axial metal film resistor' finds them immediately, what's the problem?They are still the only supplier that I can order at 6pm and get it delivered the next day.

author: mendip_discovery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2024, 06:13:30 pm
content: Sadly these sites are full of errors, they have 1 thing listed you look at the description text and says another with the datasheet being for even another thing so which do you trust.I also dislike the consistency when looking up stuff like resistors you can get 500 ohm or 0.5 kohm but they are listed as two separate lists and because they auto-sort it you have to scroll about to find it all. Does get a little tiring.But as already mentioned, you get stuff next day and though not cheap it works.

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2024, 02:42:12 am
content: I've come to hate RS with a passion, but I just looked for the resistors you mentioned and if you couldn't manage to find them that's definitely a you problem

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2024, 09:09:06 am
content: OK, now you try searching for one that's *in stock*

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2024, 12:14:17 am
content: nali, as far as RS goes I certainly get your point. All the other major sellers make it easy to filter to "show in stock itemsonly", RS doesn't let you know whether something is in stock until you click and open its own page.Also, whilst I haven't found it impossible to find things on those sites... has anyone else found it very annoying that they (all of the usual ones) don't properly "curate" the numbers on different items. When you want to filter for say, H-bridges and show results with a certain range of maximum currents you get "2A" and "2000mA" and "2 A" and "2A DC" and 2000 mA typical" all as options in the drop down list, and they aren't even next to each other. And you can only select either one value to filter by, or a range of values next to each other in the drop down list. So if you want to see everything with a max current of 1A to 4A, you have to select the 1A 1.5A, 2A, 2.7A, 3A, 4A filter. Then clear this and look at 1000mA ,..,..,4000mA, and repeat for those where they've left extra spaces in, or included the letters DC... You'd think when they add a new product to their sites they would always put it in units to match those already listed.

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2024, 03:10:53 pm
content: Actually I do use RS, though only occasionally now mainly for either DIY home projects, a bit of development or parts for a prototype BOM when Mouser has no stock.One thing that does irk me is their packaging policy. Often parts are no longer available individually, you have to buy them in multiples of 10, 25, 50 etc (example a IP68 panel mount vandal-proof switch which I think was about £12 - packs of 10). When parts do arrive they're overpackaged, often from seperate warehouses, different countries, and can appear on different days. E.g. photo below which was for 4 small items which would fit into a single Jiffy bag: Microchip AVR eval board, 433MHz Tx module, some CR2032 and some washers (the last 2 to fill the order to get to the free P&P threshold).