Where do canadians get their potentiometers from?

[xdfo]

I did a couple of orders from small bear and tayda - but it would be nice not to get dinged 25 bucks every time I forget something.  My next projects need standard alpha pots and some song heui style long necked plastic shaft pots (the ones with the white dash on top to indicate position) and I was hoping to dodge some customs/handling fees.

Cheers,

[GGBB]

I haven't ordered parts in a while, so maybe things have changed, but I've never been hit with customs related charges when shipped via post. So I avoid Fedex or UPS altogether for that very reason, and generally won't buy from anywhere that doesn't offer regular post shipping (e.g. USPS) so that Canada Post ends up bringing it to my door.

The exception is DigiKey where $8 plus HST are well worth it for the (usually) overnight pre-cleared Fedex delivery. Can't get Alpha from DigiKey, but if you can find the same value in TT Electronics P160 series they are better pots IMO (physical form factor is compatible/very similar - just watch the shaft length).

[xdfo]

Ah I'll check it out.  Yeah Tayda ships dhl which seems cheap until they tack on like 20 dollars in handling. 
Small bear is USPS but still not that cheap and I'm assuming I'll get dinged with taxes.

[GGBB]

Ah I'll check it out.  Yeah Tayda ships dhl which seems cheap until they tack on like 20 dollars in handling. 
Small bear is USPS but still not that cheap and I'm assuming I'll get dinged with taxes.

I've ordered from Small Bear via USPS and never had any charges even for taxes - that's true for anything I've ordered from anywhere via USPS over the last several years (with a single exception). That's dozens of orders almost all from the USA.

[davent]

Ah I'll check it out.  Yeah Tayda ships dhl which seems cheap until they tack on like 20 dollars in handling. 
Small bear is USPS but still not that cheap and I'm assuming I'll get dinged with taxes.

I've ordered from Small Bear via USPS and never had any charges even for taxes - that's true for anything I've ordered from anywhere via USPS over the last several years (with a single exception). That's dozens of orders almost all from the USA.

You can get Alpha's from Mouser but the Small Bear ones are shaft correct in length, never had any customs issues with Mouser or Small Bear but mostly use Digikey for overnight (often no charge) shipping. Alpha pots, i'll default to Small Bear but Love My Switches would be worth looking into, never had ransom charges at the door when i've ordered from here, haven't ordered pots here.

https://lovemyswitches.com/potentiometers/

Within Canada, small right angle Alphas in many values here but i don't imagine you'd save anything on shipping, have never ordered here.

https://nextgenguitars.ca/products/alpha-mini-solid-shaft-potentiometer-right-angle-pcb.html
dave

[Mark Hammer]

I order parts from dipmicro in Niagara Falls.  They don't have nearly as wide a range of products as Small Bear or Tayda, but they are surprisingly cheap, and ship fast via Canada Post.  So no duty, no brokerage fees, and minimal shipping costs.

They don't have much range of pots, but man oh man cheap:  http://www.dipmicro.com/store/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=703

A Google search for their website says it is permanently closed, but I've run into other sites that say they are permanently closed and the business was alive and kicking.  My last order was in the early fall.  On the other hand, given their prices, I'm surprised they make a living.  So maybe best to e-mail or phone them just to confirm before placing an order.

[xdfo]

Thanks for the info!

[mdcmdcmdc]

Whatever you're spending on DHL fees and brokerage from Tayda you'll make up when you add together the materials for a couple of pedals. A basic alpha 16mm pot is $1.50CAD from next gen, and $.50USD from Tayda.

[electrosonic]

I thought that Tayda's switch from the postal service to DHL was a temporary / pandemic thing. I probably won't order from Tayda while DHL is the only shipping option

Andrew

[davent]

Whatever you're spending on DHL fees and brokerage from Tayda you'll make up when you add together the materials for a couple of pedals. A basic alpha 16mm pot is $1.50CAD from next gen, and $.50USD from Tayda.

I'd still buy them from nextgen before i'd spend any money at Tayda.
dave

[digi2t]

I've ordered quite a bit from NexGen of late. Haven't had any issues at all. Mouser has $8 shipping as well.

[GGBB]

Mouser has $8 shipping as well.

That's only in the USA I believe. Canada is more - $20 last time I ordered (a couple of years now) for the pre-cleared option. It's less (maybe that's $8?) for standard post delivery but that takes a couple of weeks whereas DigiKey's $8 option in Canada is next-day.

[Fancy Lime]

Didn't Canada legalize potentiometers recently? Should be easy to buy now if you're over 18, no? Or do I mix that up with something else?

Andy

[Mark Hammer]

Didn't Canada legalize potentiometers recently? Should be easy to buy now if you're over 18, no? Or do I mix that up with something else?

Andy

You're legally allowed to have up to 5 full-sized (12mm or larger) potentiometers, and up to 10 trimpots, for personal use.  If they catch you with, say, a dozen or more, that counts as illegal trafficking.  That said, I see potentiometer shops springing up in strip malls like weeds, although provincial law says they have to be at least 150 metres apart and can't be within 500 metres of a school or former Radio Shack site.

[GGBB]

And as is typical, licenses to sell come with regulations and the resulting extra costs, thereby making licensing difficult for wannabe distributors. So "legal" potentiometers are considerably more expensive and harder to come by, allowing the underground black market to thrive.

[EBK]

My wife has a dream of us moving to Nova Scotia upon retirement (we currently live in Virginia, USA).  If that dream ever becomes more real, I'll probably need to stock up first to become a "pot smuggler". 

[davent]

Our homegrown pots are primos and going to cost you are an arm and a leg...

[davent]

Last i checked/ordered Mouser & Digikey were $8 shipping no hassles,  or free with no hassles on orders over $100 and i think that was a hundred Canadian dollars. Digikey next day delivery, Mouser maybe 10 days, Tayda's were counted in weeks...

The NexGen pots are board mount which i don't use so i'm back to SmallBear & Love my Swithches.

The other part of the equation is you need knobs and both these dealers have big, wide ranging, quality collections to choose from. Mouser has a good selection of Davies offerings and i like some of i believe it's, Eagle Plastics, has on offer there.
dave

[xdfo]

Whatever you're spending on DHL fees and brokerage from Tayda you'll make up when you add together the materials for a couple of pedals. A basic alpha 16mm pot is $1.50CAD from next gen, and $.50USD from Tayda.

surprisingly nexgen's pedal switches are around the same price as tayda's after conversion, maybe even cheaper

[digi2t]

Mouser's $8 shipping option is for Canada as well.

True story; made a Mouser order last week (or was it the week before?... Anyway...). Placed an order over $100 around 14:30H. Over $100 qualifies for free shipping. 10:30H the next morning, UPS dropped it at my door. To say I was awestruck, is an understatement.

Mouser accepts Paypal too, which I also find very convenient.

I was sad to see Tayda shutdown their shop on Ebay. For some reason, it was much more cost effective for shipping ordering at the Ebay shop than it was/is ordering through their webshop. Granted the DHL service is quick, but much pricier. I was never in a hurry before, so buying through the Ebay shop was a win for me. Still though... compared to many other suppliers, they still offer some great deals.