Buying parts

[merc]

Try searching for "Copper Clad Board"

There's my problem, I searched for "Blank PCB." 

[dxm1]

Also, check out the 'For Sale' forum. Some good deals pop up in there...

[12milluz]

John's selling some I believe. I hear nothing but good things about his work and prices.

[merc]

What size drill bit is reccommended for drilling holes for leads into a PCB?

[deaconque]

#61 is just about right.  your best bet is to get a set of bits about this size.  you can get them at harbor freight, ebay,mouser, etc

[Radamus]

WHat are the best type of input jacks? Do you guys support enclosed or open and does it always have to be a stereo-mono pair?

[cpnyc23]

I've found that Neutrik regular old open jacks work perfectly.  They are about 25% cheaper than Switchcraft and I have found zero difference. 

The stereo/mono pair is so that you can attach the battery to the ring of the stereo input allowing it to act as a power switch.  When the the plug is inserted, the jack makes connection to ground with the battery.

For a more detailed explanation, check the Wiki or the beginner project.

-chris

[deaconque]

I usually use the neutrik open jacks as well but prefer the enclosed ones when I can get them.  They make for a cleaner, more professional looking build I think.

[ayayay!]

What about desoldering braid?  I've used that exclusively for a couple years but the price of copper has skyrocketed.  Any cheap sources there?  I also know a lot of you prefer a desoldering iron with a sucking bulb.  What's your take on each? 

[Radamus]

I have little experience, but I was recently introduced to a gentleman who lives in a home that is covered in electronics with a narrow path leading to the basement where he works. He fixes electronics to sell on ebay and exclusively uses braid. That's why I use the braid.

[12milluz]

I use the braid, and I got mine at Rat Shack. I've had it for nearly a year and used it moderately but I haven't done a TON of builds. It works pretty well. I haven't used a bulb/sucker before.

[deaconque]

I use a Rat Shack braid as well.  I pretty much only use them to cannibalize parts from dead electronics.   I've had some problems with them in the past though.  It seems that if the factory used substandard solder then the braid has a hard time absorbing the solder which means more heat on it which means more heat on my fingers.

[zombiwoof]

I use the R.S. braid too, but the last roll I got wasn't as flat as usual, it was sort of bunched up.  I don't know if it was just a bad piece or it's all like that now, it makes it a little harder to use.  I might take it back and get a replacement and see if it's the same.  I hadn't bought it in a while, and the price had gone up to $4, a lot more than the last time I bought it.

Al

[zombiwoof]

BTW, I read a post lately where someone noted that with the increased use of lead-free solder, it's a little harder to heat up the braid to suck up that solder.

Al

[killerkev]

If you use Rat Shack then your likely paying too much.  I rarely buy anything from them but admit that there are some items that I do buy like solder ( I still have my original roll).  For braid, Mouser part #577-1804-10F for $5.33 for one, 10 ft roll.  I used to buy from Effectconnection but then things became more expensive....If a shop screws up your order and your still waiting for items then I don't know about you but they would never receive another penny from me ever...I always make large orders to make the shipping worth while and this is largely with Mouser( maybe $5 - 6 for shipping).  I've bought Very small orders from Small Bear and still get charged close to $5 for shipping when the item weigh the same as a penny and they get shipped about 4 days after I placed the order....maybe it's put in a seperate bag but not labeled so I have had to put the items on my DMM to figure out what is what. So to summarize, make list and make it large. Go to Mouser, it's not that difficult to figure out. Your gonna get the best price.... $0.09 for one xicion metal film resistor, 0.02 for 100, I think Small bear charges $0.20 for the same one resistor. Mouser labels every item so no guess work. As for some of these other places that you get $0.50 pots from... Who is the manufacturer? I know that I've ONCE bought amazing priced capacitors from well....not so know manufacturer and basically threw them away because they sounded like F***** crap.

[zombiwoof]

I went to Radio Shack for that roll of braid because I realized at 5 P.M. that I was out and I wanted to do some work that evening, they're a mile away and open till 8 PM.  Usually, I would have ordered some with some parts but in an emergency R.S. is a simple solution.  Agreed they're not the best bet for normal parts orders.

Al

[Radamus]

I actually ordered my last batch of stuff from allelectronics.com. The price wasn't bad (mostly overstocks) but their selection is limited. I had to supplement with this website's store. If you're looking for resistors, their prices aren't bad and they have everything.  Capacitors and just about everything else don't seem to be as available and shipping is always seven dollars. Just another option.

[deaconque]

Anybody ever priced LED's at RS?  Where I'm at they're like 3 or 4 dollars for a pack of two!  Ridiculous. I don't really like to admit how much time and money i spend at RS but since it's about 1/4 mile away from where I live and I always seem to find myself missing one part to complete a build, I make the sacrifice more than I'd like.  It's funny how even when I buy parts in bulk of thousands, I always have every value imaginable except the one I need.

[ayayay!]

For braid, Mouser part #577-1804-10F for $5.33 for one, 10 ft roll.

Well see I guess I am spolied then.  I was buying 25 foot rolls for $12.00.  But when I last went to my supplier, they were all out and had no hopes of getting more because all the copper is being bought up by China.   

[Radamus]

What is the best type of perfboard? I bought a couple small pieces that were just large enough for some of my projects. Is it better to get a bigger piece and break it down?

What kind of mounting mechanism do you guys use for the boards once inside? The kit I built had holes in the board and adhesive stand things. Are those fairly common? How do I find them? What else can I use?