... I have bad news.
Apparently, they have decided to replace the normal epoxy with Raspberry Jam.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/pickdropper/Misc%20Pedal%20Pics/MomentaryDPDTSwitch_zpsa12eb480.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/pickdropper/media/Misc%20Pedal%20Pics/MomentaryDPDTSwitch_zpsa12eb480.jpg.html)
The good news is that the Raspberry Jam is RoHS compliant.
(http://forum-images.hardware.fr/images/perso/5/bastian.gif)
I had gripes with those I got from them, but I don't remember they were like that (and they've been disassembled since, so...)
Still, I am curious: do they click too? (those I got did)
The ones I got click
I think they look very cool!!!
Paul
Agreed. It looks delicious!
Kinda reminds me of a dirty joke I heard recently about "What's the difference between jam and jelly" ... :o
Anyways, I wonder if the Tayda latching DPDT are the same? I am ordering a few for a mini-optical bypass project as they are $1.99 vs like $6.50 from Mouser.
These do click, which is silly for a momentary foot switch. I ordered some Alphas from Small Bear that I expect will not click.
I'll have to find a very unimportant application for these; they are pretty crappy.
Quote from: rullywowr on November 20, 2013, 07:45:01 PM
Kinda reminds me of a dirty joke I heard recently about "What's the difference between jam and jelly" ... :o
LMAO I just heard that one the other day. I'll post an instructional video on how to do it. :o
Tayda probably buys their parts by the pound. From the scrap bins to your door. I doubt I'll ever order anything from them again.
Some items they sell are fine, but yeah, I have stopped getting mechanical things from them. Mouser is more expensive, but you get your money's worth.
i'd never ever buy 1n34a's from them again but i love their 16mm alpha pots with the plastic cap (not to use that other word). now if they would only stock 25k ones... :)
"and we pass the savings on to you....."
All I'm saying is that Tayda has it's place. If I had to pay local prices back when I was starting out, I never would have made more than one pedal.
Soon enough does one realize Tayda's pluses and minuses and adjusts accordingly.
Quote from: muddyfox on November 20, 2013, 09:10:54 PM
All I'm saying is that Tayda has it's place. If I had to pay local prices back when I was starting out, I never would have made more than one pedal.
Soon enough does one realize Tayda's pluses and minuses and adjusts accordingly.
For the most part, I agree. Sometimes, the variable quality at Tayda does make it difficult to adjust to. 1n34a's are a great example. I got some that were usable (a bit low, but OK) and some that were wildly out of spec. Into the bin with those.
I like getting cheap LEDs from Tayda, as well as their 9mm pots. I use their breadboards, knowing that I can just throw them away and get new ones when they wear out.
But most mechanical switches from them (toggle or foot) are VERY poorly made and I generally don't want to put them in anything that is going on my board or somebody else's. Unfortunately, I've noticed some oddities with their transistors and ICs, so I think that I am done with those as well. Forget about their caps; I skip those entirely.
Really, caps too? Apart from the flimsy leads on the resistors, whatever I used (resistors and caps) was remarkably close to the the advertised component value.
My main problem is that higher quality stuff (Smallbear etc) is simply out of my reach. With shipping costs across the pond being what they are I just can't sustain this hobby on anything more expensive than your run-off-the-mill chinese "crap", for lack of a better word. 100 tl074s for $10? 10000 resistors for $10? How can they not be iffy? But in this day and age where job (however lousy the pay may be) security is pretty much nonexistent, even places like musikding and banzai are beyond my reach. And once in a while I like to be able to fund a small board or two from (again) cheapest fabhouses out there, itead and seeed. So I just roll the dice. So far, several dozen pedals into it, I've only had one or two 3pdts acting flakey. Would I like to be able to get the "good stuff"? Absolutely. But situation is what it is right now and I need to act accordingly. If that means dealing with material that even far east considers a reject, so be it. I don't play out. I don't sell my pedals. Occasionally I give them away with a strongly emphasized caveat that it's made from the cheapest materials I could get my hands on (knock wood, none ever came back) and even less frequently do I even play my pedals (as I'm a hack player at best). I solder as a form of work therapy ::) , it's something I do to relax at the end of a crappy day. Even if they end up nonfunctional in the box of shame, they've served their purpose. And so has Tayda. I know the risks and I still choose to give them some of my money. I'd rather give it all to Paul (chromesphere) if I could (and I do whenever he has something that's even remotely interesting to me). But the width of Tayda offerings just make it impossible for me to ignore them, questionable quality notwithstanding.
Boy, this has turned into an unexpected rant... Sorry about that... :o
Ive never had a problem with tayda caps. Greenies or box film. At least 95% (usually 100%) will be in spec. For values I use alot of like 100n, I get from mouser by the 100, but the rest ive been getting from tayda. Pots seem fine. The resistor leads are thin, but i havent had any issues, i order most of my metal film through them.
Their latching dpdt stomps are crap though. I just got 10 of them, and I will have to order from somewhere else. They have a rough action. Dont seem that sturdy. And the big solder lugs coming off the side take up alot of real estate. Does anyone have a good inexpensive source for these? Are "bitcheslovemyswitches.com" any better? Ive gotten 3pdt stomps from other places, but they look, and feel, like the same ones tayda sells. Are there better ones that arent hugely more expensive?
I have to also keep costs down, One because I dont have alot of money for the hobby, and two at some point if its costing me 40USD instead of 12-15USD to make a pedal, its probably not worth it. And im not going to experiment as much. Tayda is often the compromise of crappiness versus cost.
I should have been more specific about the caps; I don't like their ceramic disc caps and I don't trust their electros. Greenies and box are safe enough. I can get better box caps for not much more from Mouser, so I usually do that now.
As far as buying cheaper parts because it allows you to build more, that is a practical decision that is certainly yours to make, particularly if they are for your use; it really boils down to the value of your time swapping out parts. I wouldn't give anybody a hard time for experimenting with cheap parts; I've certainly done it.
If you are building for other people, I would suggest that it might be worth the $40 a pedal for less hassle and a better reputation. Besides, for that, you could work the cost into your pricing.
Regarding "better" 3PDTs, Alpha's are really fine. Twice the price of the cheap ones you can get everywhere, so you might not be interested, but the action is really great.
Would you happen to have a source for those that doesn't stick you with $50 in shipping cost? I'd love to upgrade my 3pdts but I don't know which ebay sellers can be trusted (or even banzai and musikding for that matter)...
Ordered a few of the various stomp switches with the last coupon offer, that order hasn't arrived yet, maybe i'll get lucky and it won't show.
For 3pdt the only other ones i've tried are the ones sold in the store at diystompboxes, i believe each switch is tested before being shipped out and they do appear to be manufactured to more exacting standards. Easier to actuate too. Favourite are the Alpha DPDT's i've bought from Small Bear.
Not hard to tell which is which. and I haven't bought recently from diy.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_5567_zpsb4eb4bf3.jpg)
I totally agree with everything pickdropper has said. I think people have to understand, generally speaking, tayda are not about quality. They source the cheapest parts they can find. "We need bat41's" "ok these ones are 10c a piece" "what brand are they, where are they coming from?" "who cares, their 10c each!". Quality or reputable brand names aren't even on their radar. Thats just how they operate and you take the pluses with the minuses...Sure, their pots are great, and if they didn't have those 9mm pots they would still be off the menu for me. Big thumbs up there. Same with other bits and pieces. But im increasingly noticing many of their components are cheap alternatives. IC's and transistors from companies, at least, i have never heard of...Davies clone knob grub screws that thread without any effort what so ever. You know the rest. (1n34a's, resistors with filmsy leads etc etc).
http://myworld.ebay.com.au/easebon/&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2754
I've bought a couple of lots of these 3pdt's from the ebayer above, and they have all worked great,good quality, cheaper than tayda and free shipping.
Thanks for the link hoodoo, those black ones look pretty cool. Have you tried those?
Hey Paul, no, i've stuck with the good old blue ones, creature of habit ;)
Don't blame ya :D thanks for the link!
Quote from: davent on November 20, 2013, 11:30:59 PM
Ordered a few of the various stomp switches with the last coupon offer, that order hasn't arrived yet, maybe i'll get lucky and it won't show.
For 3pdt the only other ones i've tried are the ones sold in the store at diystompboxes, i believe each switch is tested before being shipped out and they do appear to be manufactured to more exacting standards. Easier to actuate too. Favourite are the Alpha DPDT's i've bought from Small Bear.
Not hard to tell which is which. and I haven't bought recently from diy.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/IMG_5567_zpsb4eb4bf3.jpg)
Pedal Parts Plus also sells the Alpha switches for $3.50 each. I like them as well. The actuation is a bit stiffer, but they look and feel like they are built decently well.
Quote from: pickdropper on November 21, 2013, 02:04:13 PMPedal Parts Plus also sells the Alpha switches for $3.50 each. I like them as well. The actuation is a bit stiffer, but they look and feel like they are built decently well.
Oh, good call on PPP. I'm trying to get rid of 3PDT's altogether, but if I need them I'll get Alpha's from there, much more interesting than Mouser.
Quote from: hoodoo on November 21, 2013, 02:39:43 AM
http://myworld.ebay.com.au/easebon/&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2754
I've bought a couple of lots of these 3pdt's from the ebayer above, and they have all worked great,good quality, cheaper than tayda and free shipping.
Thank you very much for that link!
My jelly switches as well as a couple latching DPDT's showed up this week. The jellies have tiny solder tabs that will take 26awg solid core but 24awg stranded has to be mashed flat to get into the hole. The latching's tabs you can easily thread 22awg stranded through and no raspberry jelly distraction.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/davent/1303077650417_zps87819c85.png)
The latching switches look much nicer. Probably from a different vendor.
I guess the momentary has a "jason" marking on the side while the other does not?
^Yes, "Jason" & "M".
The latching an "L" and "1 2 3".
I have to concur with Dave's impression of Tayda's mechanical switches, generally speaking. The SPDT that I got from there are actually really nice and sturdy, but the DPDT switches are really shit. I'm pretty light with the iron, and I had a couple just melt on me (the lugs sag in to the housing). And the 3PDTs are crap too. Not worth the "savings" for their switches, I think.
But, their box caps are just fine. 9mm pots are awesome. I'll be ordering the right-angle PCB-mount pots they just starting stocking to see about the quality. The price is so low I have to at least try some. ;D