Date   : Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:53:14 +0000
From   : "A. J. Davis" <mail@...>
Subject: Re: Vanishing electronics suppliers

Jonathan Graham Harston wrote:
> Has anybody else noticed how difficult it is getting to obtain
> electronics supplies?  I've just been to Bardwell's in Sheffield
> for some bits. I bought the last 8m of 34-way ribbon cable, and
> they had no 34-way IDC headers. "We're not going to get any more
> in" they said. "There's no business in electronics" they said.
>  
> I could understand if they were geing undercut by the likes of
> Maplin, but Maplin - if they actually stock the parts - are more
> expensive.
>  
> 34-way IDE header at Maplin: `1.92. Last time Bardwell's had them
> they were about `1.20.
>  
> Maplin don't do PCB-mounted IDC plugs, Molex pins, various
> 74-series ICs. In fact, most of the bits I need for the IDE
> interface.
>  
> My only alternative now is online ordering from places like
> Farnell, which require a credit card, which I don't have and won't
> get.
>  
> And I've just used the last of my BBC power plugs. I haven't seen
> them for sale anywhere for yonks. On my equipment I have replaced
> the power connector with a 9-pin D connector with Torch pinouts,
> but I can't supply hardware to other people and specify that they
> modify their PSUs before using it.
>  
> What on *earth* possessed Acorn to use that connector on the PSU?
>  

Being from Sheffield, I was a regular at Bardwell's during the 80's, 
particularly for BBC stuff.  I remember buying several Beeb power 
connectors for around 40p each (empty shells only, the pins were an 
extra 2p each!). I got the same response as you late last year when 
putting a 3.5" drive on my Master.

I think Colin McDougall, a poster on the STH forums, found this place 
still selling them:

http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/micros/individual/prodpages/VAR-BBCFPC.shtml

£5 EACH though!  Have a browse through the rest of their stuff for a 
good laugh!