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Question about sending PropellerBoard to Canada — Parallax Forums

Question about sending PropellerBoard to Canada

Wa_MoWa_Mo Posts: 17
edited 2012-04-05 09:24 in General Discussion
Hi all

I wonder if somebody could clarify this for me.

Now that I am retired, after working as an Elx Tech and Electrician for 45 years, I want to tackle the wonderful realm of new microprocessors, in particular I chose the Propeller. My last serious encounter with microprocessors was with the 8080, 8085, Z80 chips and assembly language. Since then I have been tinkering on and off with some circuits, mainly sensors, but not uP related.

So, to get started, I ordered a GadgetGangster PropellerBoard through my local electronics parts store, who in turn ordered the board through Mouser. After three weeks I receive an email from my dealer stating that Mouser cannot deliver the board to Canada without me filling out some declarationQS-FM-010-9_B.doc .

Since I have in mind to catch up on some projects, which have been piling up, I will need more propeller boards in the future.

Now my question:
Do I have to fill out some form every time I order a propeller board ?
Or, is it just Mouser being overly cautious ?
What is restricted on the board ?

If that is the case, maybe I should give up on the Propeller Board and possibly go with the Arduino.
doc
doc
QS-FM-010-9_B.doc
37K

Comments

  • Martin HodgeMartin Hodge Posts: 1,246
    edited 2012-03-13 12:52
    I send Propeller boards to Canada all the time and have never had to fill out more than a simple customs form. Have you tried ordering directly from Parallax?
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2012-03-13 13:33
    I ship boards to Canada all the time from here in Ohio.
    There is a declaration form, but it's printed as part of the label and I've never heard of anyone having to do anything special to receive it.

    Sorry to hear that Mouser is making this painful.. I've also alerted Nick to this thread..

    OBC
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2012-03-13 13:35
    Just order a couple of QuickStart board from Parallax. The QS is an easy way to start using the Prop since the same USB cable you use to program it also powers it. It's a good price too.

    Have you tried ordering a GG board from GG? I'd be surprised if they don't ship to Canada.

    The parallel processing with the Propeller can do is to too cool not to experience. Don't go the "A" route. I read too many robot articles about how someone wanted to add some feature to their robot but the extra time the loop took messed up the timing with their servos. This kind of problem doesn't happen with a Propeller.

    BTW, Propellers are really microcontollers not microprocessors. Though many of us forum members don't really believe it and try to use them as uPs.

    Edit: I hadn't seen OBC's post. I thought GG shipped to Canada.
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2012-03-13 13:36
    Oldbitcollector (Jeff) wrote: »
    I ship boards to Canada all the time from here in Ohio.

    Sorry to hear that Digikey is making this painful.. I've also alerted Nick to this thread..

    I think he mentioned Mouser was the vendor...
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2012-03-13 13:42
    @Robotworkshop: Duh.. Just ordered something from them.. name stuck in head.. ;)


    If I had one in stock here at GG, I'd get one off to you today..

    As said, I've never had issues with Canada shipments (or anywhere else).. I've got a pretty smooth running setup here.

    If you do wind up going the Quickstart route, I will have four new add-on boards in stock for it next week which should provide the kind of flexibility that the PPUSB board has. (and I'm sure we won't have issues getting them to you.)

    OBC
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2012-03-13 13:48
    I wonder if it has to do with RoHS and if Canada is participating in that as well as Europe?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive

    Robert
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2012-03-13 14:21
    It has nothing to do with RoHS. It's all about our stupid, over-reaching export-control laws, as if there's any way to keep this stuff out of the hands of felons and terrorists.

    -Phil
  • rapscaLLionrapscaLLion Posts: 75
    edited 2012-03-13 16:11
    I order via Digikey to Canada, no import issues, usually next day delivery. You may have to check a box at checkout to certify that the component is not going in a product that will be sold outside of Canada.
  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2012-03-13 20:22
    http://www.parallax.com/Default.aspx?tabid=493
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2012-03-14 03:04
    The only time I had to fill this form was when I purchased an Xbee module from Mouser.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-03-14 03:42
    Canada is free to change its Customs administration at any time - so it is hard to say what is going on from the outside. This is NOT a shipper side issue; it is what happens upon arrival.

    Still, this time it is some sort of USA nonsense. I suspect that you may have gotten caught with more than usual paperwork because you are perceived of as being a business rather than a retail user. The form work could be one time to establish your identity or repetitive - hard to say.

    I import to Taiwan and get hit with different proceedures from everywhere.

    Mouser refused to ship to me as I didn't provide a business address (or maybe, that was DigiKey). If I ship via UPS, FedEx, USPS, or others - the customs work seems to be different. Sometimes nobody cares if I pay, other times they want every penny.

    The most amusing episode was shipping from Futurlec. The Taiwan Post Office had me go in their back room so that the security cameras and all the post inspectors could take a look at who I was. It seems they felt I was going to make a bomb or something - very wierd.

    I have two two places in Kaohsiung where everyone knows me and my dog - the Taiwan Postal Service and the Starbucks outlets.
  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2012-03-14 05:19
    PhiPi has summed the situation up quite succinctly. This is a Made in US problem. For the most part, I have no trouble getting US suppliers to ship to Canada. A few see filling out the Custom declaration as a formidible wall. Just avoid those suppliers; there are lots of alternatives.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-03-14 07:07
    I heard that if you send via us mail, shipping to canada costs the price of the postage, but sending via UPS or FedEx costs insane duty and a ream of paper work.
    And the paper work delays shipping to where it longer than the UP post office, regular ground shipping.

    If US postal is an option, that seems to work ok.
  • Wa_MoWa_Mo Posts: 17
    edited 2012-04-04 20:10
    Somebody, wanting to bring electronic parts into Canada, may find this of interest.

    As I mentioned above, I bought a GG_Propellerboard through my local electronics store, who then ordered the board through Mouser. After 3 weeks I received a notification from Mouser, through my local electronics store, that in order for them to process my order I had to fill out a form QS-FM-010-9, in which I had to give personal information and where the board was to be used. Now another three weeks has passed and no board in sight.

    However, not happy with Mouser's service, I ordered a Propellerboard from GadgetGangster. Not only did I receive immediate confirmation of my order but also the next day a notification that the board has been shipped. Today, just 2 weeks later I am holding it in my hand. Kudos to GadgetGangster.

    Rasies to Mouser. Never again, once will be quite enough.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-04-05 04:45
    Digi-key has refused delivery to me due to inadequate explanation of my business affairs in Taiwan. So I suspect Digi-key and Mouser are being pressured by compliance with US laws. Obviously, these are the first to be forced to comply because they are big companies. Not sure if anyone else will be asked to comply.

    The shipping issues have gotten rather absurd. What if Fed-Ex and UPS were to merge - you would have to ship via Fed-Up. USPS increased international shipping fees 50% in January. I try NOT to buy anything unless I want to spend $200USD as the shipping costs are way to high on small orders.
  • Wa_MoWa_Mo Posts: 17
    edited 2012-04-05 09:24
    Loopy Byteloose wrote: »
    .... What if Fed-Ex and UPS were to merge - you would have to ship via Fed-Up. ....
    ROFL

    I guess it's a sign of the times that everybody is suspect, unless proven otherwise.

    Just as a follow-up to my dilemna.
    I got in contact with Mouser via their offline online-chat line by sending a message and they responded today with an email.
    After Mouser made me jump through hoops, they just cancelled the order. Because they could not verify me or the electronics store, who is an approved Mouser dealer.

    [update]
    Not happy with Mouser's email, I went to my electronics store. Because of the lack of communication from Mouser, they were under the impression that I had received the board. So they phoned their Mouser rep for clarification and were told, and this may interest the Parallax Inc. staff, that they cancelled the order because the US government would not let them export this particular microcontroller into Canada.
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