Online Mouser parts reference... want to contribute?

[phaeton]

I always liked:

Build a man a fire, and he's warm for a day.  Set a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.


Thenagain, I've just recently been voted Stark Raving Mad Scientist on another forum


I didn't realize Mouser was in Texas.  Never been to Texas, but I've always wanted to check it out.

[lovekraft0]

For those of you who think RoHS is a good idea, the JRC4558D has been obsoleted because it's in a lead bearing package. I think they may be releasing same die in an all-tin package, but that's not certain.

Good news! It's been replaced by the NJM#14558D - so far, every NJR chip that I've checked has been RoHS'd, although availability  on some of 'em is pretty sketchy.

[oldrocker]

I just recently received a mouser cat and I'll admit I was lost trying to find a LED/LDR Vactrol type component.  I wrote them and just to tell there has got to be a better way.  While I see the point of teaching a man to fish I see no harm in making life a little easier for everyone.  That's why there is this forum and GGG and Tonepad.  To make learning and building effects a little easier.  You could just tell everyone that comes here  to do their own research find their own schematics.  All I wanted was a simple part and I must've spent 4 hours going through the mouser cat and still never found it.  I ended up buying it from Newark which was more expensive but I found what I needed it 2 minutes.  While I see where some are coming from I want to spend my weekend fishing for (well ...fish) not searching through part specs in a mouser cat.

[R.G.]

While I see the point of teaching a man to fish I see no harm in making life a little easier for everyone.  That's why there is this forum and GGG and Tonepad.  To make learning and building effects a little easier.

You left out GEO, which predates all of those by years and which is primarily teaching tutorials disquised as build-it articles which are simply not available anywhere else. GEO was the first web site to offer not just schematics but effect cloning PCB layouts, pre-printed toner transfer sheets, ready-to-solder PCBs (in fact, I originated the term "ready to solder" for them), hard to find parts like germanium transistors, delay chips, and so on, including full kits of parts for some effects.

The early GEO build-it info contains lists of parts including especially Mouser part numbers for every part which you could get from Mouser. I still get emails about Mouser not having thus-and-such a part number, because Mouser has change their numbering over the years.

My personal view is that teaching a person to do something one way only when we're sure that the way will change is a disservice to the person you're teaching. You're teaching them to be dependent on someone else to give them information. My cut is that it is best to teach people to be independent so that they can do it on their own even if things change. It is true, though that some people don't like to do that, and I respect that point of view, although I can't be as much help to that person.

I just recently received a mouser cat and I'll admit I was lost trying to find a LED/LDR Vactrol type component... I must've spent 4 hours going through the mouser cat and still never found it.

It's possible that there's a reason for that. First, Mouser has only in the last couple of years expanded their catalog hugely. They used to be less than 1/2" thick, and contained only the basic parts, which is what we need for effects. Second, unless they have just added them, Mouser does not carry LED/LDR Vactrol style parts. It's one of the great holes in their line up. You could look forever and not find them in there, because there are none. The Mouser.com site has a very good search for parts function, too. In addition, they have real people that answer the phone line that are very knowledgeable about what they have and don't have.

I would suggest that anyone who doesn't find what they need in about five minutes in a Mouser catalog go to their web site or call them.

[oldrocker]

Your right Geofex is a great website also.  I learned a great deal from that website also.   I do see your point.  I'm sure as I go through the mouser cat I'll get better at it as time goes on since they were nice enough to send me one.  Mouser did write me back by the way and they did suggest that I call them when I can't find something I'm looking for.  There is no way to know what mouser has in their stock unless you call them.  I guess the thing is I found it easier for me to read schems and debug circuits then it is for me to find stuff in catalogs LOL.   I'm just glad I'm not the only one.

[RedHouse]

(snip)...  looking at Mouser's 2N5088s on their webiste (just did a search) I see that I could pay either .06 or .26 per 2n5088... Now clearly I'd rather pay 6 cents than 26, but...

I bought 610-2N5088 Central Semiconductor transistors (26¢/each) and 512-2N5088TA Fairchild transistor (6¢/each) from Mouser, they both work great in most circuits.

The Central's were in the gain range of 300-420 HFE (out of 25 purchased) and the Fairchild's were 400-580 HFE, the Fairshild's also had pre-bent leads to fit .100 pads and were on strips of tape-n-reel, while the Central's were loose and had straight leads.
YMMV

[zpyder]

There is no way to know what mouser has in their stock unless you call them.

Mouser has a very informative online catalog.  If you go to mouser.com and do a search for parts it will tell you stock information such as In Stock, Unstocked, Obsolete, and when a new shipment is expected...

cheers
zpyder

[oldrocker]

My point about not knowing if they stock it was when I tried to order a vactrol LED/ LDR I couldn't find it online or in thier catalog because as R.G. pointed to me that they don't sell them.  If I would've called I would have found that out.  All this is a mute point anyway since I've been ordering parts from them for the last three projects I've done. 

[Pushtone]

I call Mouser whenever I am uncertain about a part or can not find a replacement for a discontinued one.

The reps at Mouser are SUPER freindly and it's 1-800 number. Just call.

The more the internet is ingrained the less people seem to want to just pick up the phone and call.

Must be that lazy fish eating thing