Maplin administration

[ejstubbs]

Resistance is futile.

 

I think there's a fair few who have already been assimilated into the RMWeb collective.

[Titan]

Ohm is where the heart is.

[standardblue]

Ohm is where the heart is.

Ohm is where the 'R' is.

 

Sorry...

[TheSignalEngineer]

Depends on the value of R and the length of the parallel wire......

 

eg a meter of copper wire of 1.0 mm diameter has a characteristic resistance of 18R, so with a metre of copper wire and (for example) a 470R resistor, the calculated value comes out at about 17.3R

 

 

Ok, with a short length of wire, it would be 0R but its always best to state assumptions! 

1mm diameter copper wire has a resistance of approximately 20 ohms per Kilometre

[Colin_McLeod]

Ohm is where the 'R' is.

Sorry...

Many a true word...

 

Aras (pronounced R is) is the Irish word for mansion. Which is where the home (ohm) is.

[rockershovel]

I think there's a fair few who have already been assimilated into the RMWeb collective.

Isn’t that the Vogons?

[StevieD71]

I handed in my notice today. In 2 weeks time I will no longer be a Maplineer.

 

I'm both sad and happy at the same time.

[melmerby]

I handed in my notice today. In 2 weeks time I will no longer be a Maplineer.

 

I'm both sad and happy at the same time.

Will you be in your new job before the shop closes?

 

Keith

[StevieD71]

Will you be in your new job before the shop closes?

 

Keith

 

As things stand at the minute, yes, I will be leaving before the shop closes, but the administrators could change that at any time. The first batch of closures happened this weekend and we aren't in the second batch for March 14th either. Richard (the shop manager) reckons we will be closed by the end of May.

I was originally intending to hang on until the end, but my new employer is expanding the business and is keen to get me in and up to speed as quickly as possible.

[Butler Henderson]

On the issue of it being cheaper to buy from China the reason for that is that China is classed as a developing country(!) and as such postage is heavily cut with the result that every Chinese originating package falling through UK letterboxes costs Royal Mail to deliver it with the resultant consequences of increasing uk postage rates to compensate.

[Coryton]

Now RS will do a free delivery if the order is over £20. If it's under £20 they charge a £4.95 handling fee.

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=our-services/delivery

(it's hidden in the footnote!) 

 

 

Curiously, RS don't seem to want to charge me a handling fee for an order of ~£10 + VAT...

[melmerby]

Apart from the sales area in the Birmingham store shrinking as the stock reduces, not much has changed.

 

Even the S/H fixtures and fittings are hardly a bargain.

e.g. bog standard 4 drawer filing cabinet £75. You can get them cheaper in second hand office equipment shops.

Component racks consisting of a metal cabinet and plastic drawers £60. I bought some recently for less.

 

Keith

Edited May 10, 2018 by melmerby

[StevieD71]

We are selling the small component drawers for £30 per unit complete with whatever they contained. One of them had almost £300 worth of stock in it. Our store is shrinking a bit too. Some of the gondolas and wall panels are already away.

My last day is next Friday.

[melmerby]

We are selling the small component drawers for £30 per unit complete with whatever they contained. One of them had almost £300 worth of stock in it. Our store is shrinking a bit too. Some of the gondolas and wall panels are already away.

My last day is next Friday.

Seems like some inconsistency around the branches.

In Brum the drawers have all been emptied into plastic bags and the items properly priced at - 70% per bag based on the normal selling prices, each item is listed on a "quotation" slip, meaning some have quite a high price for a mixed bag of items of which most will be unwanted.

I had a good sift through them but nothing was IMHO worth buying at those prices. They really need to be proper bargain bags to sell.

Even the "managers specials" which we used to get in the shop from time to time with withdrawn stock were much cheaper.

In contrast the Raspberry Pi & Arduino bits and bobs went very quickly once they were 50% off.

 

One of the problems with the closing down sale pricing is that the discounts are based on normal selling price where, as you will know, Maplin quite often had a lot of items on offer at any one time, some were already similarly priced to the clearance prices.

 

Keith

Edited May 11, 2018 by melmerby

[StevieD71]

You are absolutely correct. At the beginning of the administration process a fair few things actually went up in price. Our own discounts were better than RRP less 20% on CCTV for instance.

[meil]

Curiously, RS don't seem to want to charge me a handling fee for an order of ~£10 + VAT...

If you have an account with RS all orders are post free.

[Coryton]

If you have an account with RS all orders are post free.

 

I don't.

[Robin2]

AFAIK everything RS sells is post free to anyone - however I usually collect stuff at their trade counter because it is more convenient for me. They even posted a few parts from Japan to the trade counter for free. And I don't have an account with them.

 

...R

[polybear]

Stevenage have a good supply of temp controlled solder stations for 30 quid late today - normally £60

[Huw Griffiths]

Stevenage have a good supply of temp controlled solder stations for 30 quid late today - normally £60

 

Fair enough - but please be aware of one potential beartrap:

 

Do you know which company actually makes these solder stations - which model it is - and where (if at all) you'll be able to get spare parts in future?

 

These might sound like crazy questions - but I speak as somebody who used to use a soldering station a number of times every day in a job, over a number of years.

 

I also knew colleagues in other departments (at a university) who'd acquired various solder stations for work use - "hammered" the things - then couldn't get hold of spare tips and elements after a couple of years.

 

It's because of this that I've only ever bought 2 makes of soldering iron - Antex and Weller - both of which I've been able to get spares for when I've needed them.

 

 

Huw.

[Stephen Freeman]

Maplin sold more than one version. The 60w one is also the Atten AT938D sold by Rapid - they do spare irons too.

 

[melmerby]

Fair enough - but please be aware of one potential beartrap:

 

Do you know which company actually makes these solder stations - which model it is - and where (if at all) you'll be able to get spare parts in future?

 

These might sound like crazy questions - but I speak as somebody who used to use a soldering station a number of times every day in a job, over a number of years.

 

I also knew colleagues in other departments (at a university) who'd acquired various solder stations for work use - "hammered" the things - then couldn't get hold of spare tips and elements after a couple of years.

 

It's because of this that I've only ever bought 2 makes of soldering iron - Antex and Weller - both of which I've been able to get spares for when I've needed them.

 

 

Huw.

At work all our normal 25W irons were Adcola and our soldering/de-soldering stations were by Pace.

 

Keith

Edited May 13, 2018 by melmerby

[blueeighties]

Fair enough - but please be aware of one potential beartrap:

 

Do you know which company actually makes these solder stations - which model it is - and where (if at all) you'll be able to get spare parts in future?

 

These might sound like crazy questions - but I speak as somebody who used to use a soldering station a number of times every day in a job, over a number of years.

 

I also knew colleagues in other departments (at a university) who'd acquired various solder stations for work use - "hammered" the things - then couldn't get hold of spare tips and elements after a couple of years.

 

It's because of this that I've only ever bought 2 makes of soldering iron - Antex and Weller - both of which I've been able to get spares for when I've needed them.

 

 

Huw.

Absolutely agree with that...been through a few of the Maplin temperature controlled irons as they fail quite often. I vowed when the current one goes I'll invest in something much more reliable and that will actually last. The few Maplins electrical tools I bought over the years all failed, and were obviously built down to a price. Edited May 13, 2018 by blueeighties

[Robin2]

, and were obviously built down to a price.

Interesting, because it always seemed to me their tool prices were built UP. 

 

...R

[Stephen Freeman]

Can't say that Antex last that well either. True you can buy spare elements but they cost nearly as much as a new iron. Mind you I use an Antex to do my smd led soldering, it's easier than with the others.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Stephen Freeman