Wheres a good place in Auckland to buy cheap microcontrollers (not PicAXE!)

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Wheres a good place in Auckland to buy cheap microcontrollers (not PicAXE!)

DeathlyKnight

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#32065 10-Apr-2009 09:42

Hey guys, i live out in orewa and i used to buy my microcontrollers from DickSmith Electronics but now that store has phased out all of its ic chips and what not.

so i've been ordering my parts from www.sparkfun.com for a while now but the american dolar keeps changing and im sometimes having to pay more than needed.

is there a place out in the north shore that supplies microcontrollers and other useful ICs?

Cheers
Roman

gomez

84 posts

Master Geek

#206635 13-Apr-2009 10:30

It depends what micros you are after really. ATMEL? PIC? Motorola 68HC? Philips?

Jaycar do have a certain amount, and seem to be into the PIC and ATMEL side of things. There is another place you can try which is www.robokits.co.nz - they have a lot of decent stuff in there.

Apart from that, you still have Trademe. :/

"Of everything I've lost, I miss my mind the most"

DeathlyKnight

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#206641 13-Apr-2009 11:01

well im into PIC and i wouldnt mind going for AMTEL, last time i went to jaycar i got ripped off, i bought 3 chips and payed $40 for them which is way too high.

i'll look into that website and i find it hard to find good decent chips on trade me

DeathlyKnight

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#206644 13-Apr-2009 11:09

i just checked out that site and they sell educational boards taht cost over $200, thats not what im looking for.

i guess its going to be american sites from now on.

gomez

84 posts

Master Geek

#206672 13-Apr-2009 15:04

If you are annoyed at paying big bucks for microcontrollers and microcontroller development boards, then why not drop the likes of Robokits an email and see if they'll start bringing in microcontroller ICs or look at importing them yourself?

For the money, Sparkfun isn't bad, and they do have some very decent products. Either way, it would still be cheaper than buyinf from Farnell, RS, or DigiKey.

"Of everything I've lost, I miss my mind the most"

SepticSceptic

2263 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 779

Trusted

#206816 14-Apr-2009 12:24

Try surplustronics - top end of Queen Street, Auckland - not on the shore. Though they seem to specialise in PICaxe ( not what you originally wanted), but looking thru there online inventory, it seems they do other than just PICAxe.

http://www.surplustronics.co.nz/shop/cat661.html

mjb

996 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 67

Trusted

#206825 14-Apr-2009 13:02

Without checking... Jaycar?

contentsofsignaturemaysettleduringshipping

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

DeathlyKnight

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#207116 15-Apr-2009 16:49

mjb: Without checking... Jaycar?

jaycar are over priced with their mirocontrollers