URGENT - Distributor to Washington, USA - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ssashton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 01:06:35 pm
content: Hi Everyone,I am in the UK but urgently need to get 2pcs of 12uF film capacitors to someone in Washington, USA.What supplier should I use to get fast delivery in that area, please?DigiKey, Mouser?

author: ssashton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 01:28:11 pm
content: Alright I ordered with RS Components and they said it'll be sent by DHL so I hope it'll be fast!

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 01:57:41 pm
content: There should have been a number of local electronic supply houses in the Washington/Silver Spring/Potomac/Fredrick area where your friend could have bought the parts 'over the counter'. That whole area is a huge R&D area of the U.S. with many major electronics and avionic labs.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 02:49:08 pm
content: Did you mean the city of Washington in the District of Columbia (DC), or the State of Washington (which contains Seattle)?

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 07:20:09 pm
content: Good point Tim, He didn't say D.C. but I assumed it. You know what they say.......

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 07:24:46 pm
content: Quote from: ssashton on February 10, 2021, 01:06:35 pmDHL from the UK?Mouser would have them there tomorrow if you ordered them soon and paid for UPS Next Day. Is this Washington the state or Washington, DC?

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 07:32:21 pm
content: Both Mouser and DigiKey offer next day delivery (at extra cost) from same-country warehouses.

author: mon2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2021, 11:35:07 am
content: I think Digikey is the most reliable for next day service, then Arrow and last is Mouser. 2 days later, still waiting on Mouser to ship our order...

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2021, 01:09:04 pm
content: Big problems with Mouser recently. Ended up cancelling another order (fed up with waiting for it to ship despite a couple of "it will ship today") with them this morning and replacing it with Farnell and Digikey.At least Digikey acknowledge there maybe a delay in picking order. Pity - as Mouser has been good over recent years.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 03:37:34 pm
content: Quote from: CaptDon on February 10, 2021, 01:57:41 pmAFAIK they’ve all gone out of business. I lived in Maryland for years and there was practically nothing left in terms of retail component availability.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 06:34:59 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on February 13, 2021, 03:37:34 pmYeah, that was sure true when I lived there in the late 1960's, there were defense contractors everywhere. Not true any more,and that is pretty much the case everywhere in the US, sadly.Jon

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 10:05:42 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on February 13, 2021, 06:34:59 pmWe still have lots of defense contractors in the DC area, but not so many that actually design hardware. Even if they did, the parts you need are not the sort of stuff you can get at Radio Shack. Warehousing is not local. I don't think it ever was really. It's all about fast warehouse operations and fast shipping. Digikey seems to be at the top of that list with a ginormous warehouse in the middle of the US near the Canadian border, equally inconvenient to everyone. Because their ground shipping goes through North Dakota it is four days for me. I use Priority mail which has always arrived in two days and is cheaper. Not sure what's up with the USPS these days from what I seen in the news. So maybe they are no longer a good bet.Anyway, the OP has not been back, so I guess the problem was dealt with.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 10:20:30 pm
content: I live in the state of Washington and Digikey is usually the fastest. Mouser works fine too though, both are reputable suppliers.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2021, 09:09:04 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on February 13, 2021, 06:34:59 pmMaryland is still very much full of defense contractors. Northrop Grumman is the 5th largest private employer in the state. Lockheed Martin is actually headquartered in MD. And all the big ones (Raytheon, AAI, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, etc) have facilities in the state. (Plus the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab is actually huge, too: by funding, it's the third-largest defense contractor in the state!)But of course, they're not buying components at retail. :/