pots from Mouser? Which to buy?

[markr04]

I need some log pots, and my local suppliers don't carry the mini type. They all have the 1.5+ inch-long shafts too . So, from what I've seen so far, the 16mm "Alpha" are the way to go. Can anyone post a link to one that is most common? I don't care what value it is, I can at least find my values from what you post. Oh... and do they come with a nut & washer?

[Samuel]

if you're looking for alpha 16mm audio tapers you're probably looking to smallbear. last time i looked i couldn't find them without the 11 detents...

the 12mm pots OTOH....

[markr04]

Hmm... 12mm? Okay, maybe someone has a Mouser link to one of those.

But Small Bear, no way. I'll chew my foot off before I buy from Small Bear.

[mlabbee]

I'm curious as to why you don't like Small Bear - I've bought from hiim a couple of times and been happy.

[Hal]

oh NO!

I understand wanting to buy from mouser, for better prices on some stuff, but whats wrong with Steve?

[markr04]

I'll say my peace: there's some extra income being made on his shipping fees that I'll have no part of. I think it's sneaky and he should be listing the prices fairly instead of padding the shipping. This is a trend among some eBay sellers and small internet-only businesses. The price looks good... but wait... I paid 4 times what it says on the shipping label when I receive it. It's slimey and sneaky, no other way to put it... period.

Now... I've ordered from MCM too. I was told up front that there's a $2.00 'handling fee'. I still don't agree with it, but I kept my mouth shut and paid anyway - at least I was told up front I was paying extra, and $2 ain't that bad when ordering $50+.

But when I saw what Small Bear is trying to get on Hot Potz, 5 times the *retail* cost at other vendors, it was too much for me. There are plenty of other questionable prices on the site as well, but that one sticks out because it's so extreme. Because I'm a savvy shopper, I caught it and the others. But others, who think they're dealing with a 'friend in DIY business'... they likely won't catch it. And I think that's unfortunate for the DIY community.

Some of us are pretty comfortable, others struggle a bit financially. This is supposed to be fun and educational, not more expensive than it should be. I hope you all do your price checking and question those padded shipping prices.

I hope I haven't offended anyone. That's not my intent.

[STOMPmole]

markr04,

You certainly haven't offended me by your comments, although I'm having a difficult time understanding them.  How much did Steve charge you for shipping anyway?

As a person that's sold and shipped items, I can say firsthand that shipping is expensive.  For whatever reason people are always complaining about inflated shipping costs whether at online shops or eB*y...many times it's justified but not always.

I just bought around $100 worth of stuff from SmallBear which included 6 aluminum enclosures, several pots, etc. etc.  The shipping charges came to just under $7 which in my opinion is pretty fair.  Everything came in a decent sized box and was packed with bubble wrap.  All the capacitors and components were in individual plastic bags.  The Laserjet decal sheet was packaged so as not to get bent and sandwiched between two sheets of heavy cardboard.  Even if it only cost $4 to ship there's probably $3 worth of packing materials not to mention any additional costs associated with getting the parcel in the mail.  As for the inflated prices, I just buy that stuff elsewhere.  The biggest PITA with DIY pedals is there's no source for "one stop shopping".

My only big gripe with Smallbear is that the capacitors come in individual plastic bags that aren't marked in any way with the component values.  :evil: It's a hassle to read all the microscopic values and sort out a large order prior to building my pedals and much easier when the parts are coming from Mouser where they arrive clearly marked and labeled.  

As for your original question I'd try Mouser...they don't add handling charges and will ship it any way you want...and yes, they come with the nut and washer:

http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?&handler=data.listcategory&D=*3134000100k*&terms=313-4000-100k&Ntt=*3134000100k*&Dk=1&Ns=MfgrPartNumber%7c%7cSField&N=0&crc=true

[audioguy]

I have an issue with Smallbears shipping as well- not the costs- but the delay. An order I placed and paid for last wednesday- STILL has not shipped.
True you WILL find something cheaper elsewhere, but Steve has some things that cant be found anywhere else for his price- so I put up with the 2 weeks it takes to ship.
Just be an informed consumer and if you need to order from 3 different distributers to get everything you need, then do it. You might not get the same quality with the less expensive stuff- but for projects and bedroom boxes a .50 cent Pot from AllElectronics.com works as well as the $1 Pot from Smallbear.
Just my thoughts...

Audioguy

[AL]

I've never had any problems with Steve - shipping and time. He's just one guy - he's not a major distributor (like Mouser) - he can't fill everyone's order the second they order it. As for shipping prices - I've paid way more and waited waaaaay longer for items from circuit specialists (2 months and $9 shipping for $50 worth of components). I've also waited longer on components from Futurlec.

I am curious as to where you are purchasing your Hot Potz - They are cheaper in a few places and others they are the same price. But I haven't seen them anywhere at the 5 times mark-up you mentioned - unless you are referring to BG Micro. They are not a standard distributor and they seem to buy either close-out or mass bulk items so they sell everything at a reduced rate.

I was not offended by your comments and I certainly hope you aren't offended by mine. I'm just curious. I buy from several other distributors as well but Steve has a lot of things that are tough to find elsewhere and it's very convenient to have everything in one place. As for the log pots - you may have to bite the bullet on that one. I don't know where else to get them.

AL

[amonte]

I've dealt with Mouser and Small Bear in the past.  Mouser is great if you know exactly what you want and have no questions.  But if you do have questions, Steve is always willing to answer them.  I've never had a problem with Small Bear, other than the wait sometimes - but as was stated above, he's one guy.

One thing to remember regarding cost of shipping - that price on the shipping label only accounts for the postage - NOT the packaging.  Whenever I've shipped through eBay, the packaging has almost always been the higher cost.  

Larger places like Mouser have the ability to buy shipping materials in bulk, I'd guess Small Bear does not.

[smallbearelec]

The present long lead times are the price of "success." I expect to have a fully automated shopping system in place by early next year. That will increase our capacity for handling orders, but will also probably bring in still more business. It's likely to remain tough to stay ahead.

It is true that Wah pots are high-profit-margin items, as are BBD chips and some other specialty parts...some things have to be in order to cover overhead, labor, time spent answering e-mail and forage for hungry bears. Part of my shipping costs also contribute to covering overhead, though actually not enough; as I indicated in the last State of the Cave, the small-order minimum of $2.00 will have to go up some next year.

As someone pointed out, I don't offer lowest prices on everything; I would be in a financial hole if I did. It is also true that you can find in the Cave most of what you'd want for building stompboxes. The saving in time, shipping costs and "agita" clearly matters to enough people to keep us thoroughly engrossed. I do appreciate constructive suggestions (especially for things I should carry!) and I will continue to pay attention to feedback from my market.

Regards
SD

[markr04]

I am curious as to where you are purchasing your Hot Potz - They are cheaper in a few places and others they are the same price. But I haven't seen them anywhere at the 5 times mark-up you mentioned - unless you are referring to BG Micro. They are not a standard distributor and they seem to buy either close-out or mass bulk items so they sell everything at a reduced rate.

I was not offended by your comments and I certainly hope you aren't offended by mine. I'm just curious. I buy from several other distributors as well but Steve has a lot of things that are tough to find elsewhere and it's very convenient to have everything in one place. As for the log pots - you may have to bite the bullet on that one. I don't know where else to get them.

AL

The Hot Potz are available at three of my local electronics supply stores, with the gear, etc. on them already. $7, $3.50, and $10.

As for places like BGMicro, in my area anyway, their purchasing and selling habits are the norm, not the exception. There are a lot of suppliers in my area, but none quite like Mouser. So I do have to venture out and buy a few things online, such as the correct size audio/log pots. My local suppliers carry them, but they're long shaft only - not good for a Hammond enclosure.

For the log pots in the size I need, I did find them at Mouser.

[AL]

Thank you for the info. I see "your area" is Los Angeles. Wonderful place to find anything you need. I lived there for approx. 2 years. Lots of choices - peace and quiet wasn't one of them. So I moved back to the "country". I don't have access to the percs of the big city anymore but I can see the stars and hear the crickets at night. You are fortunate to have that many supplier options at your disposal - I have exactly zero and need to mail order everything. Glad you found the pots you were looking for.

AL

[RDV]

Mouser charged me an inordinate amount for shipping on my 1st order from them, and yes, Smallbear charges quite a lot for shipping. The fact is, small amounts of parts are not cost efficient for anyone, and the more you buy from Mouser or Smallbear, the less the shipping hit ratio will be. I sell some caps & resistors I bought on ebay at a ridiculously low price with minimal shipping. The most I've ever made on shipping on one order is about $.40, but on the other hand, I'm not, and will not be trying to make any part of my living off of parts, and when the ones I now have are gone I will probably not be reordering unless interest builds. I'm doing what I'm doing to help out everybody else, and make a few free caps.

RDV

[markr04]

I have two areas. The parent studio (my employer) is in Los Angeles and my studio is in the Dallas, TX area. I'm in TX mostly and the area I was referring to is in the Dallas, TX area.

I actually live 20 miles north of Dallas - far enough to be out of the big city lights. There are a bunch of ranches and stables up the road from me. I like living here so much (or away from LA so much) that I prefer to fly back and forth when needed in LA, than actually live there.

[brianh]

Funny, I've placed a few orders from Steve recently and felt he was undercharging for shipping.  He is slow to ship but offers terrific customer service otherwise.  He's gone out of his way for me.

[ErikMiller]

....as someone who both buys parts AND ships items regularly, I much prefer to know about any shipping/handling fees up front, while I'm pricing out my run.

And I like to have the shipping and handling broken down into separate categories on the packing list or invoice.

For me, "handling" is built into the purchase price of the stuff I ship, but then I have a lot of other labor into each unit, so it's not the same as raw parts.

I think a "minimum order" fee is a good idea for handling charges.

[Hal]

I bet the extra shipping costs go for the drug bags.  I reuse those.  (for other components).

STEVE! You should carry 63/37 solder :-D