The Doom & Glooms! (or just another day)

I don't believe them. RS has a history of only supplying to the trade and my guess is this is just an excuse to ditch its smaller customers.

(kim)

Well I have an account with RS at

never had any problem, apart from the fact that my orders are so small, carriage often makes it a relatively expensive business but convenience always wins.

Andy

I don't believe the inspector bit, but RS have traditionaly had a rigoursly enforced trade-only policy - even when you can provide a VAT and Co. number (they look up your trading category(s) on the Companies House web site).

If you can find the relevant Farnell numbers I may be able to help, but it may be worth checking with Maplin as they can often be cheaper on smaller batches.

Ditto from the Peak District!

Cheers Richard

Not for some time, though.

MBQ

Well having taken a deep breath I phoned Mainly Trains at Watchet to find that they no longer sell the wire I needed but Madame very kindly put me in contact with Expotools of Lamphey in Pembrokeshire who very quickly solved my problem in a very pleasant exchange.

Maplins ceased to sell instrument wire some time back (I bought the last at Kingston whilst visiting my brother some 2 years back.)

So, a pleasant end to a poor start!

I can believe the Inspector story because it is very typical of French protectionist methods and matches nicely with the ebay story.

Regards

Well my goodness -- RS Components (UK) have come back with an offer to trade with me. This is a complete change of policy regarding their franchisees and I am pleased to welcome it.

Regards

Sailor wrote in news:f72a69e8-eebf-4761-935b- snipped-for-privacy@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

I use them a lot for all sorts of things, very quick to deliver and all round good service.

The Scientific Wire Company might have stuff if really stumped. I bought very fine coated wire for winding some coils recently.

Maplins still list plenty of equipment wire on their website, ranging from

1/06 and 10/0.1 to 50/0.25

Regards Jeff

Hi Jeff, thanks for that - I should have been more explicit. I buy 7 x 0.2 in 100M reels. It is this that Maplins discontinued two years since. Their product at this size is in 10M lengths at 1.79 GBP =

17.9 GBP per reel. The RS price is 4.75GBP but I have been happy to get some at ~ 7GBP from Expotools. 10M would not go far on my system!

Regards Peter A

Sailor said the following on 02/07/2008 10:05:

Frankly, I didn't believe you, but I've just had a look. Bloody hell - you're right!

I know Maplin has become more of a toy shop over the last few years, but that's ridiculous.

You might be better off going to Farnell. You can use your credit card as an individual, although there is a minimum order value (I think about £20)

I find Rapid Electronics are a useful alterntive for stuff I used to buy from Maplin before they started specialising in bluetooth calculator tie racks with blue LEDs or whatever ...

Should be a link to 100m reels of 7/0.2 at 3.45 GBP each

I did try them as like RS I had been a customer for about 40 years but like RS they have a French franchise. The only problem was a smaller range and like RS a minimum of 50=80. The same problems exist for the more popular hobbies of racing cars and planes and it is easy to buy kits but not raw materials. I can honestly say that I have bought in from all over the world. Sarko is not helping -- the way he is heading, France will leave the EC and have to feed its Farmers and Arab ex pats instead of everyone else making the sacrifices. The other possibility of course is that there is a clandestine attempt to remove materials from potential terrorists!

Regards

Canford used to do 100m reels in a very limited range of colours, very cheap but I think they have now upped the minimum quantities, still it might be worth an ask.

Andy

Try

they are now part of Farnell, but do not have a min order quantity and do take credit cards, not sure about overseas delivery though.

They list many varieties of 7/0.2 in 100m reels.

Regards Jeff

Thanks airsmoot -- that is a real find. Besides the cable they have connectors which have cost me dear from China and others which i have not seen since leaving the UK 15 years since!

I am now logged in.

Regards

Peter A

You can place smaller orders but they will levy a handling charge, at least that's been my experience in the not too distant past. They don't publicise it much as I guess they really want the larger orders.

MBQ