rickseiden wrote:
BigDumbDinosaur wrote:
rickseiden wrote:
Mouser's shipping on small items is cost prohibitive. I search eBay for a BAT86, and found one listing in North America...
In suggesting where to find parts, it would be helpful for the rest of us to have some idea of your location.
I'm sorry. I was only looking for parts suggestions, really. But I live in Buffalo, NY. The BAT86 price at Mouser was something like $0.38 US, and shipping would have been at least $9.99, if there wasn't an extra charge for an order under $15.
Mouser is a great place to get parts, and I've used them before, and will use them again. Same goes for Digikey and Jamco. But their shipping prices are high, and I always take that into consideration when buying from them.
Both Digikey and Mouser ship "at cost," which means you pay what the courier charges them. Both offer Priority Mail as a domestic shipping option, which is currently $8.00 ($7.99, actually). Given the small size of most of the parts we use, Priority Mail makes more sense than FedEx or UPS for shipment to a residential address. The reality is the USPS uses FedEx and UPS to do the long-distance part of the shipping, so there's nothing to be gained by using the latter two as your primary courier.
I did a test order at Mouser as an anonymous residential customer, meaning I didn't log into an account, and indicated that my (bogus) address was residential. Shipping via UPS ground was offered for $7.99 and there was nothing added to the order other than sales tax. I said I would make payment through Paypal, which I recommend over using plastic.
¹ See below graphic for the resulting checkout screen. I'm not sure from where you are getting a small order surcharge, because I didn't get one.
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In any case, build up a shopping list as Garth suggested and then order when you have enough to justify the shipping cost. When I order small items such as resistors, capacitor, LEDs, etc., I order more than what I need at the time, as I know I will eventually use the extras.
I recommend you set up an account at Digikey and at Mouser. Even if you don't, you still have to give them information about who you are, where you are, how you're going to pay, etc. Setting up an account means you don't have to repeat yourself with each order. It's also handy for research purposes, as their systems maintain order records for a number of years, making it possible to track down something you used in the past and want to use again.
Regarding Jameco, it appears they add something to the shipping charges if you are an anonymous customer. Also, they have a minimum order processing fee ($5.00, I seem to recall), and their overall selection is not as good as Digikey and Mouser. However, they cater more to the hobbyist and on occasion have things that Digikey and Mouser don't stock. Jameco's main handicap is they are located in California and thus get hammered more by state taxes and excessive business regulations than the other two. Also, shipping distances are greater, which is reflected in what you pay.
¹Disclaimer: My company has open accounts at Digikey, Jameco and Mouser, so payment is made via company check.