n00b Alert! Australia Question

[minigmgoit]

Hello everyone.

Obviously I'm completly new to all this and deserve to be flamed right away.

Does anyone know of anywhere in Australia where I can get a majority of this stuff. Obviously being in a cultural desert often means that Australia doesnt pick up on things like this.

Once again, I'm sorry for a really dumb question but we all have to start somewhere.

Do you often purchase components from abroad? Is that the done thing??

Argh I feel like a complete idiot  ??? ;D

[stryd_one]

Gday mini,

There are quite a few aussies around here (myself included, I'm in Melbourne, via perth, sydney, and perth again). Where abouts are you?

The best place to get parts, really depends on what parts you're after. For MBHP kits, I usually place an order with SmashTV. When it comes to the extra stuff (PSUs, CS components like switches and LCDs, etc etc) it is very much specific to what you're after.... It could be anywhere from your local Dick Smith/Altronics/etc, or online stores like futurlec, or overseas stuff like mouser, or distributors, or group buys from the forum, or ebay, or or or or....

Let us know what exactly you're having trouble finding, and we'll throw you a hint or two.

[Wilba]

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post. oh well, too lazy to edit

The more "common" stores like Jaycar Electronics and Altronics have most of the common bits like headers, connectors, cable, regulators, resistors, capacitors, etc.

Shops like Rockby Electronics and Radio Parts Group have some bits cheaper but not always... Rockby at least has some exotic stuff but it's

In Melbourne, there's Switches Plus which distributes a lot of things like ALPS tactile switches, rotary encoders, LCDs.

Crest Technologies is similar.

It's a bit hit and miss... you are unlikely to find a store that sells the PICs used for MIDIbox, only the common and popular PICs... but 74HC165 and 74HC595 are available.

So I advise getting modules from SmashTV since it's perhaps the easiest (and in the long run cheapest) way to get what you need, including some rotary encoders since their not common here (assuming you don't need specific ones for a control surface PCB), and then buy the other control surface components locally. Or, if there's something you really can't get here, ask if other Aussies want to get some too and combine shipping with them.

If you have some specific parts you want, I can probably point you to a supplier.

[minigmgoit]

Thanks to you both for your replies.

I'm starting at the very beginning so need to know where to get everything  :-[

I thought that maybe Dick Smith and Tandy might have been good places to start.

I figured that the PICs would need to be imported but thought that most of the other stuff could have come from somewhere more local.

Its like trying to find a needle in a hay stack when you know nothing :)

I will have a look at the companies you suggested and start feeling my way around.

And thanks for asking. I'm in Melbourne (originally English though).

Thanks very much for your replies :)

[DrBunsen]

Hello from sunny Coburg North :)

DS and Tandy are relatively useless.  Jaycar is infinitely better.  However for most MIDIBox related stuff, your best bet is to order the complete kits from Smash TV

[minigmgoit]

Hello from sunny Coburg North :)

DS and Tandy are relatively useless.  Jaycar is infinitely better.  However for most MIDIBox related stuff, your best bet is to order the complete kits from Smash TV

Cool

That was ultimatly my plan at least to start with. Why make it any more complicated than it needs to be.

We are neighbours by the way. I'm "just" in Essendon near the end of Moorland Rd :)

I am blown away by looking at the Midibox of the week thread. Especially when you read through the comments and people state its their first ever project or that they have never made anything electronic before.

Very inspiring.

Really itching to get going. :)

[/tilted/]

Greetings from Collingwood!

Let it be known that I have no football affiliation whatsoever.

P.S.: I get a lot of good stuff from eBay. It can be a goldmine for interesting hardware (emphasis on gold...)  ;D

[wasubot]

I'm in a similar situation although I have a little experience. Does anyone know a place for compatible LCD for midibox seq 40x2. I can only see winstar supplied locally from sites mentioned and cant find any reference here on wiki if the controller and LCD is compatible.

Also i don't see any rotary encoders on smash's site. I assume this might not be hard to find locally?

Greetings from Melboune..!

[stryd_one]

I can only see winstar supplied locally from sites mentioned and cant find any reference here on wiki if the controller and LCD is compatible.

The list of supported chipsets is listed on the wiki, and the supplier should be able to tell you what chip the LCD uses :)

[wasubot]

yes there is no reference on wiki for that controller on that chip. KS0066 is the controller so I have to assume it is not compatible.

[stryd_one]

there is no reference on wiki for that controller on that chip

Translation: "I don't spend enough time searching."  ;)

[wasubot]

Okay well in that case then I can provide info for other aussies , seems it is compatible. LCD's are here:

http://www.cresttech.com.au/lcd_character.html

Sorry I did search somehow I didn't find that before. Thanks for your help.

[stryd_one]

When you try a search, don't just try one search term. You would have found this info for such searches as 'lcd' or 'hd44780' (which is the chipset mentioned on ucapps.de) or by the chipset itself 'ks0066', by reading the parts pages, etc...

It's just like google - you don't always find what you want the first time.

[Luka]

Northcote kid here

I do most my ordering at futurlec. They are cheap, have a good range of ICs though passive component values are pretty standard choice. No extreme values. Good place for cheap pots and jacks, although they went up recently. I used to get 6inch switching jacks for 30c

I sometimes head to Rockby but going out to Clayton is an absolute pain in the arse. The only time i bother is when i have to pick up some aluminium as there is heaps of metal factories out in that shit hole of a suburb (sorry if i offended any claytons :p ) and it is cheap.

Switches and Knobs are always a bit trickier to find, i bit the bullet and bought about 200 from Partspipe ebay store in hongkong, this guy is pretty dubious but panel components are good and cheap. Just beware buying ICs from him. Lots of unhappy campers. Though i have bought some ba6110s and 3080s from him and they are fine. Just watch the rare ones like BBDs and some rare trannies and cans.

I have also been buying harder to find knobs and vactrols from Bridechamber and SmallBear Electronics. Although i am going to buy a truck load of vactrols of Allied Electronics soon and while im at it pick up a tonne of cool expensive knobs. Allied have the coolest knob choise by far. Well for modular kinda retro ones, perhaps not for midibox ones. Not sure.

I fucking hate Jaycar :) The bastards.  They seem to suck so much money from my pocket every single time i go. Yet so damn convenient it makes me cry hehe.

Blank pcb, goto dick smith. Great price.

Ferric Chloride goto a local etching supplies place/

LCDs i just buy from ebay

Tubes, likewise

I havent bought much with Altronics as Rockby is better and they are about 2 steps around the corner from each other. The only thing i would get from them would be Wallworts.

You know it is all cool buying kits, it is so conveinient and it keeps some small buisnesses up and running so it rocks on many levels. At some point you might find that you want to make more than 3 or 4 projects and thats when ordering your stuff from big stores becomes more economic and worthwhile experience. The issue is the you kinda need to know what your looking for and lots of high level / low level associated names for the components. It took me some time to learn how to sift through stores like mouser, rockby and find what i was trying to look for.

Good luck

[/tilted/]

Northcote kid here

Hmmm... a Northcote-ite... someone who shares my tram...

*/tilted/ looks around suspiciously...*

I noticed you like "In C" - have you ever heard the "re-sound" version?

[Luka]

ahh no

i will check it out

thanks for tip

got to see terry riley perform at south melbourne town hall last year though :)

although we missed the first section where he was plucking strings inside the piano

[stryd_one]

Moved the discussion about ebay and the rumour mill elsewhere. The janitor is in effect ;)

[DrBunsen]

[stryd_one]

Hey that looks just like me too! only on my jacket the sleeves go all the way around...