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Buying devices from nz — Parallax Forums

Buying devices from nz

SPENCESPENCE Posts: 204
edited 2005-08-24 16:09 in General Discussion
EXCUSE THE CAPS

HAS ANYONE IN THE USA HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH BUYING DEVICES FROM NZ.
AM INTERESTED IN A UNIT FROM I2CCHIP.COM AND THEY DO NOT HAVE A USA OUTLET.
THEY TAKE VISA/MC IN US $ BILLING TO AVOICE CONVERSION CHARGES THOUGH.

HAVE SOME RIGHT NICE DEVICES TOO.

73
SPENCE

WHAT KIND OF HASSLES DO YOU HAVE WITH CUSTOMS LESS THAN 75$?

Post Edited By Moderator (Chris Savage (Parallax)) : 8/22/2005 4:26:51 PM GMT

Comments

  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2005-08-22 16:16
    Customs is handled by the Post Office or the carrier [noparse][[/noparse]such as UPS] in this case.
    Usually it is 10% or less and paid upon delivery.

    The shipper provides a declaration form and in most cases nobody ever opens the box.
    Inspection occurs when the shipper is questionable or the declaration form doesn't seem to make sense.

    Assuming that your credit card will punish someone that is a ripoff, the supplier will be good because he doesn't want to loose those privliges.

    I avoid PAYPAL, though I miss some pretty good stuff because I do.

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    G. Herzog in Taiwan
  • SPENCESPENCE Posts: 204
    edited 2005-08-22 16:33
    George.

    Take a look at the i2c 2 pc module and tell me what you think of it.

    Apparently works with linux also. And i would guess with gwbasic i/o.

    73
    spence
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2005-08-24 16:09
    I looked at the I2c '2 PC' Module, but it is really something that I have no personal use for.
    Thusly, it is hard to provide an enthusiastic evalutation.

    It seems to operate I2C devices through a regular desktop computer, but provides three interfaces on one side of an opto-isolation barrier [noparse][[/noparse]RS-232, USB, and RS-422 fibre optic.] So, the computer can be far away from the device. I am not really sure where the fiber optic fits in. It may just be an RS-422 interface and you have to provide the actual driver.

    If you have several I2c devices [noparse][[/noparse]such as temperature and humidity sensors] and want to have them work with your computer directly, it is about the same price as a BasicStamp, can hookup in more ways, and it doesn't need the BasicStamp.

    If you are interested I2c devices in general, I can see that EEPROMs are not much use on it because there is no microcomputer. So, it is not useful with some I2c devices by its very nature.

    In sum, the question is, 'What do you want to do with it?'
    If you have a use, it seems cheap [noparse][[/noparse]but you can expect to add quite a bit of shipping and duties. Cost could end up 150% of the catalogue price].

    Sorry, but I have never gotten a Linux computer running for any length of time and I am not fluent in GWBasic I/0. You should really be asking all these questions to the Venor.

    My main interest in the site is to see if someone finally has brought a complete inventory of I2C components together [noparse][[/noparse]apparently not].
    As it is, you have to search many different manufactures to find what is new with I2c and this is really hard to do [noparse][[/noparse]and get lucky].

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    G. Herzog in Taiwan
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