Identify electrolytic caps manufacturers

[Bushbaby]

I've always bought from you know who auction site but not considered that the products might be fake. I've learnt a lot from this.

[Kalee20]

Whatever you decide to buy, go to Farnell or RS (or Digikey or Mouser). They may have an occasional foul up but they will check their supply chains very carefully.

The sort of thing that happens is this.

Unscrupulous customer buys a load of parts from a reputable distributor, then a couple of weeks later asks if they can return them, bought in error. Distributor says yes, less a restocking/admin fee.

However, unscrupulous customer doesn't return the same parts, but returns fakes which the distributor accepts in good faith, and in turn supplies to another innocent customer, who thus ends up with fake parts from an authorised, reputable distributor.

Meanwhile, unscrupulous customer has succeeded in swapping crummy counterfeit parts for genuine originals, at a small cost. He can then sell these at full price, or supply as samples to win orders which are then fulfilled by more fakes.

There's a lot of tricks out there...

[Bushbaby]

I hadn't realised how big the issue of buying components is at the present time. The only place that I could find what I wanted was Mouser (who I have used in the past with no issues). They had one component (LM337T Texas Instruments) where they had a stock of 405 BUT they wont let you purchase 1, you will have to buy all 405 in one go....ridiculous!
The world is going mad..............

[ppppenguin]

As you have found, there are lots of components in short supply at present.

The LM337T is a variable negative 1.5A regulator. Nothing very special. What voltage and current do you actually need. There may be alternatives.

[Bushbaby]

Hi Jeffrey
Many thanks, I did order some equivalents through Mouser after all.

[Bushbaby]

I've just noticed that my Mouser order is being shipped from Texas......I thought it would be components from within the UK??

[ppppenguin]

Could be shipped from US, UK or EU. I think they have warehouses in all. Makes no difference to you. They look after VAT, duty etc so that there's no more hassle ordering from Mouser (or Digikey) than from RS or Farnell.

[Murphyv310]

Just watch they are not oil filled, JR Ewing will fill them with Margarine instead.

[Bushbaby]

Better watch my carbon footprint doesn't go up in the air.

[`FRANK.C]

Mouser is where I get most of my components from. They are always shipped to me from Texas.
They usually arrive quicker here to Ireland than from Farnell or RS.

Frank