A list of trusted suppliers? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 22, 2023, 02:51:46 pm
content: Like many people I find myself looking for components on the grey market and not knowing who can be trusted (no one it seems).Would it be an idea to start a list of recommendations?I'm fairly new to this so have none at the moment to get the ball rolling.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2023, 03:19:47 pm
content: No matter how you approach it, there are too many to create a reliable list, in times of shortage they multiply like rabbits as there are fortunes to be made.In the UK there are plenty of brokers, they will deal with the grey market and have varying levels internal checks and sometimes even x-ray and diagnostics equipment available to them. Most importantly, what they have is accumulated knowledge of who they can trust and who they cannot. This isn't foolproof but as long as the staffer you deal with isn't trying to be too greedy/over enthusiastic; it is a good first line of defense. For a business with reasonable quantities, broker relationships can work quite well and they can offer other services like kitting & keeping inventory, however they often won't have a brilliant web frontend because they are rarely selling you something they have themselves.Beyond brokers the most common name you will see is Winsource, as a CEM we won't quote from them on an assembly, as whatever number we give will be bullshit. However to date I don't think client sourced parts from Winsource have ever been anything but what they claim to be, and in good condition. They are however absolute scalping sharks with claimed stocks so high in some cases it looks as if they they are manipulating the market. You will see repeated threads on here where the offered price is many times the website screen price.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2023, 09:42:08 pm
content: You can search for threads here for the vendors you find on octopart, eg:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/winsource-reliability/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/how-reputable-are-winsource-these-days/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/win-source/

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 23, 2023, 07:24:04 am
content: Thanks for the links, although they only confirm what I thought, trust none of themMight have to wait for Microchip after all, though Apr 2024 is a bit of a waitEither that or use a different micro and rewrite the firmware.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2023, 09:25:03 pm
content: Its not really trust none of them, what is the part number of the IC?

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2023, 08:59:35 am
content: I regularly drop part numbers I'm after into Octopart, ignoring the shown stock level. Then I click the part links to the various distributors to check their stock. Quite often, I've found one of them has a small number of what I'm after in stock, and I can grab them.It's a pain, but the only way I can get the parts I need a lot of the time.

author: onsenwombat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2023, 11:27:35 am
content: The simplest first screen would be answering "is it an authorized distributor of <insert manufacturer name here>?"If not, well, guess you know what to prepare for..

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 26, 2023, 07:31:55 am
content: I've had a few responses to my RFQs, all seem to be around $40 for a PIC32MX564F128L-I/PT, normal price $6.I can get the PIC32MX575F512L-I/PT which is a drop in replacement apart from the code, just waiting on the author to comment. The memory maps are different and there is bound to be other changes.Anyone dealt with any of these?BroadtronicPartsone-electronicsOvagaMinami KazeQuarktwinWinsource

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2023, 09:31:19 pm
content: Worldway has lots of them for $5/ea, I've not bought from them but they are big, maybe do a test order from them.Partsone looks interesting but can't find any reviews.Winsource has a price of over $60/ea for that part so no point getting it from them.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2023, 04:27:22 am
content: I'm still surprised findchips lists some of these companies likehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/who-is-microchipusa-com/No way does that look legit.

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 27, 2023, 08:17:11 am
content: I probably won't use Partsone, Quarktwin and Broadtronic, just noticed they are all at the same address, and have only been incorporated for less than a year.Worldway have quoted $46, maybe I'm pushing the price up by sending all these RFQs

author: MLGBZDSB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2023, 07:04:47 am
content: HiI work for some of them for 2 years, and let's be frankly:1. None of them are worthy for your trust if they are not authorized.2. 95% of the stock information are fake. No matter on Octopart or other websites.3. If you have to order, order from those have branches in US or UK, HK braches are all fake.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2023, 12:52:34 pm
content: I once placed an order at Mouser, and when my order had not arrived a month later, I started digging and found a mail in my spam folder that I had to sign some kind of US export weird form thingie.So then I cancelled the order and bought my Beablebone's in Germany.Problem solved.I don't really blame Mouser, but it shows that problems appear everywhere.

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 04, 2023, 08:08:47 am
content: Have placed an order with DGT Technology (SZ) Co Ltd, we shall see how it goes.

author: SimonTVC
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 06:52:46 am
content: DGT Technology (SZ) Co Ltd did supply the parts after a couple of weeks, so kept us going until the regular supply returned.

author: nigelwright7557
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 07:28:25 am
content: In the UK I use RS, Farnell, CPC, Digikey and Mouser.I sometimes use ebay but not for semiconductors.I sometimes use aliexpress but just for LCD displays which are pennies.I sometimes take a chance and use aliexpress for AD9220 which are £15+ in UK and £1.50 at aliexpress.And they work.