searching for electronic components in pittsburgh (Indiana: live in, shop, delivery)

[AlphA]

Hi
I dabble in electronics technology as a hobby. Most of the places I've lived hosted a store where one could walk in and pick up a few resistors, capacitors, IC's, potentiometers, wire... I've scoured the net for a place like this in Pittsburgh, but have yet to find anything even remotely close. Does anyone know of an electronics place around here? RaidoShack used to be the answer, though the limited selection and hi markup usually sent me elsewhere. Those CMU guys have got to be getting their robot parts from somewhere!

Thanks

[Hopes]

The following comes from a CMU course syllabus:

Originally Posted by http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~ece578/Syllabus.html

Hi
We are providing each team with a 68HC16 microcontroller board and some other parts for use with the project. PC's in the labs will be installed with a C compiler and debugger software. See the tentative parts list for more details. Electronic parts can be purchased from the ECE Electronic Stock Room (HH 1301), from local electronic parts stores, or from mail-order suppliers. Mechanical parts can be purchased from local hardware stores, manufactured in the Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop (HH C124), or found in the Mech.E. Tool Room (HH B134). See the vendor list for suggestions of where to shop for parts.

Apparently CMU has it's own electronic's store. I wonder if the general public is permitted to shop there.

The above references to see "vendor list" for where to shop for parts in Pittsburgh.

Here is the vendor listing provided by the CMU syllabus:

http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~ece578/vendors.html (broken link)

I'll bet that's all the information you need. I hope that helps.

It comes straight from CMU so I doubt there is any undiscovered place in Pittsburgh.

[AlphA]

Thanks for the info, Hopes.
I called the local places on the list and unfortunately non of them seem to have storefronts. I did find a place called Barno Electronics in Boston, PA. It sounds like the type of place I'm looking for, but it is located far away from the city. I'd probably be better off ordering from the net and paying for shipping rather than driving to Boston, PA and paying for gas.

[mrmagoolew]

Hi, AlphA

I live very close to Barno Electronics. It's not that hard to find. You could do a Google map of the address, and see where it's at. I'm down there every couple of days, because like you, I mess around with different little projects. Like you, I'm also looking for any other place around Pittsburgh to get parts. Sometimes, I go to RS and get stuff, but most often, I go to Barno. I don't know where you live, but you could probably get there within an hour, no matter where you live in Pgh. . I'm pretty sure that they even have mail order too. Lew

[SuburbanPioneer]

These days, with pretty much next day delivery even on ground shipping options, why not just order online from digikey or mouser.

[Gee Whiz]

Isn't there an a place on Centre Avenue near Aiken called generically enough "Electronic Parts?" I don't know if it still there or not. I used get my TV parts there.

[MathmanMathman]

Fry's Electronics has a store in Pittsburgh, right? Or just order online through Digi-Key.

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

Isn't there an a place on Centre Avenue near Aiken called generically enough "Electronic Parts?" I don't know if it still there or not. I used get my TV parts there.

Centre and Aiken? Not that I am aware. If you could be a little more specific?

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Fry's Electronics has a store in Pittsburgh, right? Or just order online through Digi-Key.

No, the nearest is in Indiana! (On a side note, wow the Yellow Pages website isn't very helpful, they list a Fry's downtown(!), but then it says "Serving the Pittsburgh area" and directs to their web site!)

[doo dah]

I just found out about this place: TechShop is America's 1st Nationwide Open-Access Public Workshop -- TechShop Pittsburgh
Looks like they have a retail shop for members. Oh, hm, membership is not cheap, but I guess having access to the facilities might be useful.