Anyone dickered with the BBC micro:bit?

[Mark Hammer]

I visited a Maplins for the first time today.  I was hoping to pick up a couple of Raspberry Pi Zeros, but with none in stock, I settled for a BBC micro:bit, which seems like an interesting unit, and another entry in the inexpensive palm-sized micro market, along with Arduinos, Beagle boards, that Intel unit, and the other Raspberry units.

Anybody have an opinion on them?

[bluebunny]

I visited a Maplins for the first time today.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or to cry, Mark.  Congratulations and condolences in equal measure. 

Anyway, never mind the micro:bit (which I'm sure is cool), what did you think of Maplin??  Did they have anything for the midges?   

[sominka]

Did the Maplins staff creep up and make you jump as you were browsing their products.

[deadastronaut]

Maplins lol.......just lol....

try buying a few resistors for a laugh just to see what values you actually get....

i guarantee they wont be what you asked for....

[Mark Hammer]

You lot can have a laugh, but it's actually better than what I have back home.  Active Electronics used to have components, but now only carry some remainder stock, and primarily Spark Fun things and meters.  Jacks, plugs, etc. are every bit as expensive as Maplin's.  As for Radio Shack, I haven't found a reason to enter one in years.  Anything useful has to be ordered in from out of town.

But enough complaining.  I'm looking forward to tinkering with the Micro:bit.  Once I retire,  I'll take the deep dive into it, my Arduino, and my Raspberry Pi.

[Ice-9]

Yeah Maplins is awful, it is mainly a toy shop but they all have  a components part at the back of the shop, handy if you need something urgently that day but chances are they don't have it in stock anyway.

These days my preference is RS components, I order online and it's delivered usually by 10am next day Free delivery even if I order 1x resistor lol. I have a branch of RS just round the corner from me as well but it really is quicker to order online as if I go to the branch what I need is usually not in stock and I get told it will be here in the morning, so I always order online now anyway. RS isn't as expensive as it used to be and prices are inline with any other big supplier.

I believe RS Components is the UK branch of Radio Shack or it used to be.

Sorry - that's totally off topic from the BBC thingy-me-bob.  I haven't tried one of those yet. 

[stallik]

I'm no fan of Maplins either but - any port in a storm. It amuses me that they try to stock 3 of each component, only ordering fresh stocks when the last of the 3 is sold. This was a pain when I was buying alluminium knobs and building effects that needed 4 so I'd have to make 2 visits. I'd pick up the 3 on each visit and this must have flagged the item up as a fast seller so they started stocking 10. That coincided with the time I stopped buying them. Small victory 

[bluebunny]

I believe RS Components is the UK branch of Radio Shack or it used to be.

The two were never related.  Thankfully.

[Ice-9]

I believe RS Components is the UK branch of Radio Shack or it used to be.

The two were never related.  Thankfully.

Maybe I was getting confused with RadioShack and Tandy ?? If memory serves me the Radio Shack in Newcastle UK became Tandy, both are long gone now tho. Thankfully

[bluebunny]

Yep, Radio Shack was Tandy in the UK.  I had a Saturday job with Tandy when I was a kid.  Best job I ever had (but not the best pay-packet!).

[tonyharker]

RS in UK used to be RadioSpares and was the major source of components for the electronics industry in UK.  Marshall even used RadioSpares transformers in their Amplifiers.

[anotherjim]

Back in the day, Radiospares  would only sell to trade customers. If you worked for a company with an account, some would let staff order for themselves at cost, which was handy - and I suppose reduced the temptation to use the "five fingered discount"... a little.
And yes, RS Components had nothing to do with Radio Shack.

Tandy could be very handy sometimes. You wouldn't sniff at a high street shop selling SAD1024's now would you?

[Ice-9]

Yep, Radio Shack was Tandy in the UK.  I had a Saturday job with Tandy when I was a kid.  Best job I ever had (but not the best pay-packet!).

RS in UK used to be RadioSpares and was the major source of components for the electronics industry in UK.  Marshall even used RadioSpares transformers in their Amplifiers.

Yeah that's it.

Radio Shack /Tandy
RS  / RadioSpares
Funny what the memory can do in swapping things around.