# REAL Electronic Components - NOT Radio Shack/Mall **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848 "2010-11-08T01:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/1 "2010-11-08T01:28:33Z")
Hi - Long story, but I have a very expensive piece of equipment in need of three switches - the kind that solder directly onto a circuit board, and need to survive rough treatment. The original equipment mfgr no longer supports these, and Allied Radio got bought out (destroyed by Tandy when it wanted the retail electronic market to its Radio Shack division). Does anyone know of a supplier of such parts? Google goes crazy with all versions of PCB/Board/circuit board/, and trying to go through every site which sells switches would be a bit time-consuming. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/2 "2010-11-08T01:56:13Z")
digikey and mouser both have large selections. jameco is good though smaller. allied electronics still exists. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/3 "2010-11-08T02:07:08Z")
Carlton Bates has some component parts. I just searched for capacitors and resistors. They had both of them. We have a Carlton Bates in our city. I’ve bought a few things as a walk in customer. They are all over the country. They also have a web site. They are not a hobbyist store at all. They focus on Industrial and Commercial Electronics. [http://www.carlton-bates.com/products.shtml](http://www.carlton-bates.com/products.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/4 "2010-11-08T02:10:19Z")
parts express might have them too. > **[Parts Express: Speakers, Amplifiers, Audio Parts and Solutions](https://www.parts-express.com/)** > > Your Audio Solutions HQ Since 1986. Shop 18,000+ Audio Parts from Speakers and Subwoofers to Home Theater and Pro Audio. Top Gear at Low Prices and FREE Shipping ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/5 "2010-11-08T02:15:38Z")
I have used Allied Electronics twice in the past few months and they were very prompt. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/6 "2010-11-08T02:21:16Z")
Try google “new old stock electronics” or “NOS electronics” NOS is sometimes the only source for tubes, transformers, relays etc. Once NOS runs dry people restoring antique equipment will be in serious trouble. I recently got my grandmothers old Delco restored. A service tech at work did it as a side line business. He replaced all the paper capacitors, check the resistors for tolerance etc, and replaced the audio amplifier tube (it would fade out after 30 minutes). Plays perfect now. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/7 "2010-11-08T03:18:06Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Allied Radio got bought out (destroyed by Tandy when it wanted the retail electronic market to its Radio Shack division). As I mentioned [over here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13070105&postcount=4), Allied is alive and well after their divorce from Radio Shack. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/8 "2010-11-08T09:41:07Z")
Beyond web/mail order, most larger cities will have some sort of electronic supplier. Albuquerque has two for example. They are mainly B-B, and don’t keep consumer oriented hours. They don’t have digikey like stock, but are miles ahead of RS, even when they actually had stuff. If you are in new england, or the bay area, I have heard there are some mind blowing places. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/9 "2010-11-08T11:51:42Z")
I would only look at Newark Electronics, Digi-Key, and Mouser. > [@usedtobe](#): > > three switches - the kind that solder directly onto a circuit board, and need to survive rough treatment. Sounds like you may need MIL-STD switches. What vintage is this piece of equipment? Can you provide more information about the switches, such as manufacturer, part no, etc.? If not, a photo would be good. Also, what current is going through the switches? What voltage are they switching? Are they switching low-level signals (sensor signals, digital signals, etc.), or do they switch power to something? This is important, because you do not want to use a switch designed for power switching in a low-level application, and vice-versa. ---
**Author:** ![AmunRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AmunRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmunRa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/10 "2010-11-08T19:40:40Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > digikey and mouser both have large selections. jameco is good though smaller. I’ll third digikey and Mouser. I usually use Mouser and they have never given me anything to complain about. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/11 "2010-11-09T03:10:57Z")
> [@AmunRa](#): > > I’ll third digikey and Mouser. I usually use Mouser and they have never given me anything to complain about. Unless, of course, these are really old components. In which case: 1. The OP will need to check with electronic surplus vendors, or 2. The OP will have to find the best modern substitute from Digi-Key, Mouser, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/12 "2010-11-09T15:59:34Z")
I get good stuff from these guys: [http://www.bgmicro.com/](http://www.bgmicro.com/) Good customer service, too. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-electronic-components-not-radio-shack-mall/559848/13 "2010-11-09T16:50:10Z")
Mouser is really good. If you want some discount/surplus electronics and components, [http://allelectronics.com/](http://allelectronics.com/) has some interesting stuff.