New: Microcenter stockup, RasPi Camera, and more

Several items for today.  First, Microcenter is continuing their expansion into electronics.

Pi now served at Microcenter (White Boxes)

Their stock of Raspberry Pi is complete with many Model B units (in slim and large boxes) at $39.99.  Digging in, I found 3 Model A units among the others at $29.99.  I found three cases (lower left) elsewhere and moved them to the same shelf.  Their semi-monthly circular is due soon, I have a feeling they might discount the Pi.  I picked up one of the $5.99 Digisparks to play with :-)

They have expanded their stock of Sparkfun products.

Sparkfun blister packs at Microcenter

They also have many kits by NightFire Electronics.  New to me.  Their website to browse is at http://vakits.com/.

Finally I picked up one of the Digispark boards as I did not get in on the Kickstarter as it was my early days rediscovering electronics.

Raspberry Pi Camera Arrives

I'll hand it to Newark/Element 14, they are efficient at filling Raspberry Pi camera orders.  They shipped in an envelope that was crushed a bit and not fully sealed but everything was there.  Projected project: A wifi camera for outside if I can find a case to hold it without getting wet.  Ideas?

The camera is smaller than I expected

This week from China

I order some parts from China when I am not in a hurry and want good prices.  This week I received an RS232 TTL to signal level converter board using the MAX3232.  Not bad for $1.25 shipped via eBay.

Microcenter Deal for 4/29: Digispark $5.99

Microcenter continues to feature a loss leader in do-it-yourself electronics.  Starting Monday 4/29 for the next two weeks they feature the Digispark tiny Arduino-type controller for $5.99.

This board was originally offered on Kickstarter at $10-$12.  Their pitch:

We set out to build a little brother to the wonderful Arduino line of development boards - we were tired of leaving our valuable Arduino's behind in projects, or worse, ripping apart old projects to build new ones! We also felt the Arduino was too big and powerful for many projects where we only needed a few pins, or an SPI or I2C bus. And so the Digispark was born! To us, the best things about the Arduino is the community, the easy of use, and the IDE - by making the Digispark an Arduino compatible development board all of those remain common. Plug it in, power your project with USB or external sources, program it with the Arduino IDE, and easily use existing Arduino code! But with its small size and low cost you can feel free to leave it in your project, give one to a friend, and use them everywhere!

The current direct price from Digistump is $8.95.

The Digispark has been offered by Microcenter at the $10 level but now, as a loss leader, they are advertising it for the next two weeks at $5.99.  They also have a good selection of companion and expansion boards.  Please check the website for availability both online and in stores.

If you would like some ideas on how to use Digispark and interfacing to other circuits, see the extensive wiki at http://digistump.com/wiki/.

If you need some microcontroller power in a small, affordable package, this may be the ticket for you.

PS Their price for the Arduino Uno has risen in the past month from $15 to $20 now to $25.

Digispark and Tinkerkit now at Microcenter

I went trolling at our local Microcenter store's Maker section.  Besides $14.99 Arduino Unos, I was surprised to see additional items added to their lineup:

First is the Digistump Digispark line.  Started on Kickstarter, these boards are wonderful for smaller projects  both in low prices and big flexibility.  The board is $9.99 and they have a full line of shields.

Second is the Arduino Tinkerkit line.  Formerly only available on the www.tinkerkit.com and Arduino.cc stores (and priced in expensive Euros), now we have them in the US.  While not as good a value as other parts, they have them including some sets and individual sensors.  I did NOT see any of the connecting cables which would limit the ability to use them.  Get your Arduino Esplora at Radio Shack and consider adding Tinkerkit components.

SO Microcenter is becoming quite a player in the Makerspace.  I would like to see them organize their products so they are easier to browse.  But overall I'll take quantity over quality.