slothead
Slothead Tom
Where is a good source to purchase Arduino and peripherals that supports our rocketry dealers?
Source for Arduino-based components
- Thread starter slothead
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Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
Here’s a good source.
https://www.sparkfun.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_NH-98ec3gIVko7ICh2koAHHEAAYASAAEgKaWPD_BwE
https://www.sparkfun.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_NH-98ec3gIVko7ICh2koAHHEAAYASAAEgKaWPD_BwE
Sparkfun is a good choice. Adafruit is another option: https://www.adafruit.com
"Supports our rocketry dealers" how? Do you mean a rocketry dealer that carries them? Or some sort of partnership or referral arrangement? Not that I know of any, but if that's what you're talking about then it's an interesting question.
Or, Tim and memcbride, are you saying that Sparkfun and Adafruit do that? If so, good to know.
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I'm not aware of any rocketry-specific vendors that carry Arduino products. Purchasing directly from Arduino (arduino.cc) or a vendor such as Adafruit or Sparkfun that supports the Arduino project is a good way to ensure that this valuable resource stays around for a long time. Although it may be tempting to buy the ridiculously cheap Chinese clones, they're not doing anything to help keep Arduino afloat... they're cheap because they don't have to do any development work, they just clone what the Arduino folks have spent their time and resources to create and generously open-sourced it. If you're using the Arduino IDE, you should either be buying genuine Arduino hardware or sending them a donation to help keep them around.
It is stated on the Altus Metrum web store that they have purchased some accessories from Sparkfun.
Or said:
Still not at all sure that's what Tom meant by "supports our rocketry dealers".
Me neither since the Arduino crowd is pretty small to begin with.
slothead
Slothead Tom
I actually thought that maybe there were Rocketry folks (dealers) that worked with Arduino products - either selling parts or developing with them. I am not yet part of the small Arduino market and am interested in development of HW/SW to create my own flight and recovery systems. Your reeponses to date have been helpful on a couple axes.
And let me clarify just a bit more... I didn’t want to start buying stuff from an non-rocketry Arduino dealer when a rocketry that we all know sell the same components (and have their sales drop because I was buying elsewhere). I believe in supporting the folks we know.
Thanks.
Tom
And let me clarify just a bit more... I didn’t want to start buying stuff from an non-rocketry Arduino dealer when a rocketry that we all know sell the same components (and have their sales drop because I was buying elsewhere). I believe in supporting the folks we know.
Thanks.
Tom
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Amazon used to have (and maybe they still has?) a partner program whereby others would have links on their sites to buy things, and when you buy through such a link they get a commission, for lack of a better word.
I wonder if Amazon or one of the hobby electronics houses would work out a deal like that with a rocket vendor. So a hypothetical rocket vendor, let's call him Tom Von Mulligan of Zenith Rockets, puts some Arduino boards and compatible modules on his site, in the existing electronics section, but those items are actually sold by, let's say, Alanfruit, and Tom gets a little cut.
I wonder if Amazon or one of the hobby electronics houses would work out a deal like that with a rocket vendor. So a hypothetical rocket vendor, let's call him Tom Von Mulligan of Zenith Rockets, puts some Arduino boards and compatible modules on his site, in the existing electronics section, but those items are actually sold by, let's say, Alanfruit, and Tom gets a little cut.
Couldn’t agree more. I rejoined rocketry in late Feb. 2017 after a 49 year hiatus and joined the NAR club WSR 703 for a number of reasons including their tie with eRockets.biz (club meets there every Tuesday evening). I like purchasing from eRockets and other vendors to support the hobby.
My support of Adafruit.com is for similar reasons. I’ve been buying Arduino and Arduino compatibles from Adafruit for at least 6 years. They are a small company out of Manhattan with really good design work by their founder and main engineer- Limor Fried. I’m enjoying using their small Feather and Itsybitsy boards for developing my own telemetry systems for LPR and MPR.
I agree, Sparkfun and Adafruit are great places and you know you are paying the actual developers. I also purchase components from DigiKey, who happen to carry Adafruit and Sparkfun gear. PJRC makes the Teensy line of processors which I use, but also purchase through DigiKey. UBLOX GPS breakout boards, legit ones, seem to be the hardest to find. Ebay is loaded with fakes and Chinese clones.
It took me about 2 years, but here is my latest/greatest avionics package. GPS, telemetry, 2-stage tilt-sensing, records 1000 samples per second to SD card, audible beeper, mag switch. $140 total even with legit components.
It took me about 2 years, but here is my latest/greatest avionics package. GPS, telemetry, 2-stage tilt-sensing, records 1000 samples per second to SD card, audible beeper, mag switch. $140 total even with legit components.
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Thanks for sharing that pic. I eventually plan to start doing the same, though in much smaller chunks. I've read some of your posts on the Featherweight Tracker megathread; sounds like you've got a great system going for yourself!
Winston
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Adafruit charges RIDICULOUS postage rates considering the extremely lightweight items one normally orders from them.
This place carries the Adafruit line as well as other product lines, often has stock when Adafruit doesn't, sometimes sells Adafruit stuff at a discount, AND will ship via USPS First Class mail which is cheap, fast, and can be used to ship packages 13 ounces and under:
https://chicagodist.com/
That cheap First Class shipping is also one of the reasons I use Digikey.com
This place carries the Adafruit line as well as other product lines, often has stock when Adafruit doesn't, sometimes sells Adafruit stuff at a discount, AND will ship via USPS First Class mail which is cheap, fast, and can be used to ship packages 13 ounces and under:
https://chicagodist.com/
That cheap First Class shipping is also one of the reasons I use Digikey.com
slothead
Slothead Tom
That’s good to know Winston, thanks for sharing.
Tom
Tom
I live near enough to a Microcenter to visit it a couple times a year. They usually have some pro-minis, Teensys, and some cool stuff like the trinket m0 (supports circuit python) and some Adafruit feather Loras.
... and when we visit Huntsville, Gigaparts has some Arduinos alongside their ham equipment.
... and when we visit Huntsville, Gigaparts has some Arduinos alongside their ham equipment.
Wow, I didn't know Micro Center stores still existed, let alone that they'd carry stuff like that. Next you'll be telling me you buy resistors and capacitors from CompUSA!
Sooner Boomer
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Nah...we get resistors and such from Radio Shack.
But seriously, Micro Center is doing fine. There's on in Dallas near my brother's house. I'll be there next week, and plan on picking up one of the new Ras Pi's.
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