Electronics

[SirPoonga]

Is there a good online electronics store, Radio Shack has nothing by me.

[darkmanx]

i just always use thier (radio shack's) website. the store is about useless anymore. they waste all thier space on computers and remote controlled cars. its funny cuz they dont stock half of the items in thier stores that they have online. almost everything you look at its like

availability:
in store: no
online: yes
phone order: yes

[planetjay]

Try these:

http://www.partsexpress.com

http://www.digikey.com

I have ordered from both.

Get the catalog too!

[SirPoonga]

partsexpress, DUH!
Completely forgot about them.  Heh, and my subwoofer came from there...

[Elkor]

you could also try http://www.jameco.com
they aren't the cheapest but they have absolutely EVERYTHING.

I remember I once needed some 1-10pF variable caps and that was the only place I could find them.

-C

[SirPoonga]

One thing radio shack doesn't have is solenoids.   The only part needed to finish my qbert knocker.

[ErikRuud]

Try American Science and Surplus or The Electronics Goldmine or Herbach & Rademan

Between these three places, you should be able to track down something suitable.

[DerrickRe]

One thing radio shack doesn't have is solenoids.

[JustMichael]

Another thing Radio Shack doesn't have is intelligent sales people.  They all seem to come equipped with this "what are you talking about" blank stare.  Is this company issued or just a requirement to get hired?

[1UP]

What if you took a standard pinball plunger and put optical teeth onto it (so it looks like a comb)?

[SirPoonga]

What an Idea.

[SirPoonga]

My pinball CP will have a plunger.  But it's just going to trip a microswitch when pulled back.  Most pinball games have it the longer you hold back the harder it gets.

[sam_van]

For a quick & dirty solenoid, check out your local hardware store...in the cheap doorbell section.

[SirPoonga]

Try these:

http://www.partsexpress.com

http://www.digikey.com

I have ordered from both.

Get the catalog too!

Damn it, digikey is in mn, I have to pay sales tax...

[SirPoonga]

Quick question.

If a relay is 5vcd, what doea that mean?  It can take up to 5v?  on the switch part or the part I run a current through?

here;s the deal.  for my q*bert knocker, from the computer I can power the relay and transisor with either 5v or 12v.
No, the part that gets triggers on the relay is what is going to get hooked to the solenoid.  The local surplus store has this:

110V solenoid, 24v solenoid, and a 6v solenoid (they have more but thuse pull, not push).
They also have AC-12VCD adaptors I could then use if needed.

What would be a good solution?  What type of relay would I look for then?