SMD Parts

[savril]

I've bought a load of those small wentai boxes you can clip together, the cheapest seller per box I could find on eBay.
It has the main advantage of one uniform size for the several stackable layers of component categories. Instead of a combersome smd sample books.

Licefa make a lot of things for SMD storage. For example this cabinet :
http://uk.farnell.com/licefa/a1-4-4-esd-mix/cabinet-4drawer-black-esd-mixed/dp/9584455

It is more expensive at first but in the end it is cheaper than buying wentai boxes from China for the same storage capacity.

[Gyro]

Hi Paul,

I'm in the same boat as you - I've used THT components for a while and I want to transition to SMD. I've recently got a small number of 0805 resistors and ceramic caps to see how easy they are to solder and have used these guys:

http://www.topqualitytools.co.uk/

They do SMD passives in 1, 10 or 1000 part quantities and I've found them to be cheaper than Farnell and RS generally. They charge £2 per delivery and the search function is rubbish but otherwise I've found them good. They do passive kits as well I think.

Arghh, not 'topqualitytools' again. Please see (edit: rich's comment and) my 'rant' in the "Checking our meters - ultra budget voltage reference" thread. Try CPC too.

[tggzzz]

Hi Paul,

I'm in the same boat as you - I've used THT components for a while and I want to transition to SMD. I've recently got a small number of 0805 resistors and ceramic caps to see how easy they are to solder and have used these guys:

http://www.topqualitytools.co.uk/

They do SMD passives in 1, 10 or 1000 part quantities and I've found them to be cheaper than Farnell and RS generally. They charge £2 per delivery and the search function is rubbish but otherwise I've found them good. They do passive kits as well I think.

Arghh, not 'topqualitytools' again. Please see (edit: rich's comment and) my 'rant' in the "Checking our meters - ultra budget voltage reference" thread. Try CPC too.

It would help if you provided a link, or failing that a search term which will find what you are referring to.

[Gyro]

Sorry tggzzz, you're right of course. It was the thread next door when I posted...

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/checking-our-meters-ultra-budget-voltage-reference/

(edit: posts 3/5)

[tggzzz]

Sorry tggzzz, you're right of course. It was the thread next door when I posted...
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/checking-our-meters-ultra-budget-voltage-reference/
(edit: posts 3/5)

Thanks, and thanks for the warning I'd begun to suspect, having found this image: http://www.topqualitytools.co.uk/resistor-50-ohm-20w-dc-3ghz-chf1206cnt500lw/

Personally I don't find the Farnell site too bad for searching - as opposed to the RS site which is sufficiently bad that I've told them why (t no avail, of course). Shame, because there's a convenient RS counter 4 miles away!

[biffster]

Hi Paul,

I'm in the same boat as you - I've used THT components for a while and I want to transition to SMD. I've recently got a small number of 0805 resistors and ceramic caps to see how easy they are to solder and have used these guys:

http://www.topqualitytools.co.uk/

They do SMD passives in 1, 10 or 1000 part quantities and I've found them to be cheaper than Farnell and RS generally. They charge £2 per delivery and the search function is rubbish but otherwise I've found them good. They do passive kits as well I think.

Arghh, not 'topqualitytools' again. Please see (edit: rich's comment and) my 'rant' in the "Checking our meters - ultra budget voltage reference" thread. Try CPC too.

I don't really see what the problem is with making someone aware of another supplier. Obviously most people know about RS and Farnell but I've found topqualitytools to be cheaper for some things which can offset the small delivery charge. I realise that this hasn't been the case for some things that you've bought but it's not true that all their components are more expensive and isn't it best to check with a few different suppliers before buying something?

[AdamHi]

For resistors and capacitors, i'm really glad i found the "sample books" on eBay. Already in a smallish binder,  you get strips of SMD resistors and capacitors and they're already LABELED!  You get 25 or 50 or 100 of each, depending on the value.
Here's one, for example:

   http://www.ebay.com/itm/0805-SMD-3025pcs-Resistor-and-700pcs-Capacitor-Sample-Book-/121240656427?hash=item1c3a819a2b:g:FE0AAOxyNo9St60-

BTW - My first SMD soldering was with 1206, but i decided pretty quickly that i'm better off with 0805 - just about everything is available in 0805, and it's still manageable to see and handle with tweezers. I've worked with 0603, but i don't like it as much.

For active components, I'd look around at other posts where what to stock up on is discussed, and order 10 or 25 or some of each from Mouser, or DigiKey or Element14. When you shop those places, pay attention to the price at Quant 1 -vs- 10 -vs-25 : sometimes the prices drop really quickly - especially from the 1 each to the Quant 10.

--adam