Yes, I also can not agree on the insane prices of parts for Wavelink. It looks even more expensive than analogues Agilent and Tektronix.
how do you do that? that site is unreadable and looks like normal consumers store selling bras. $2.5 for both BMA and BNC is cheap, digikey sell the BMA connector alone at $24 the cheapest i found in ebay US was old stock Tensolite BMA to BMA connector at $15 each, i grabbed them all so its effectively $7.50 per BMA.
I sometimes have to go to shop 1688 and Taobao, because often there is no alternative. The reason is not only in very favorable prices, but also in the widest range for many types of goods. For example, I needed parts for a Chinese induction soldering station (control board with protected firmware ROM, spare thermocouples and soldering iron handles), but in eBay and Aliexpress there are no such parts, and such soldering stations are only sold in full. BMA I also could not find anywhere at an affordable price. They were not in eBay and in Aliexpress. In Taobao, I saw a few lots BMA, but the sellers did not want to supply a small quantity for me (obviously, this product is rarely in demand, and the sellers are intermediaries from the manufacturer and they did not have this in stock). In Alibaba it is also available, but there almost always work in bulk. So I had to go in the direction of 1688.com, where the producers of goods are mainly represented.
Unexpectedly for me, right during the online chat (what you saw in the screenshot), the chinaman made 4 adapters for me and uploaded these photos to the chat
. It took him probably 5 minutes. At first, I thought that this pause in the conversation was simply due to the fact that he went to the toilet
.
I think you can also shop in Taobao and at 1688.com, but I have to warn you that this is extremely tedious.
- Firstly, there is a very difficult account registration and verification in the payment system (you will have to send even a screenshot of your passport).
- Secondly, this whole process will have to be done with a site in Chinese (since this is a marketplace designed only for the domestic market of China).
- Thirdly, the purchase on these sites will happen only after you have agreed with the seller on the availability of the goods, the relevance of the price and confirm your shipping address (surprisingly, when it is put up for sale on the website does not mean that it is available
)
- Fourth, you will have to write in a chat in Chinese, almost always those sellers do not know English and do not know how to use online translators.
- Fifth, since these resources are for the intra-Chinese market, sellers almost always do not ship goods outside of China. You will have to use the services of freight forwarding companies and provide your virtual address within China.
- In the sixth (fortunately, this restriction applies only to 1688) your credit cards are not suitable for payment, only credit cards from Chinese banks that can only be received by residents of China are suitable. For payment, you will have to use the services of an intermediary who has an account in a Chinese bank.