West Florida Components

By popular request we’ve added an additional radial electrolytic capacitor assortment to our lineup of available products. Like our other capacitor kits, this assortment has a big range of capacitances and voltages supported. And like our other assortments, every value is individually bagged and labeled.

But here’s where this kit differs from our other previous kits – we are now able to provide a list of manufacturers and temperature ratings for this assortment so you can be sure that the capacitors in this assortment meet your needs. We’ve designed this assortment to be perfect for anyone’s workbench or ideal in a classroom setting.

Capacitor values range from 0.22uF 50V to 6800uF 10V. There are about 245 radial electrolytic capacitors included spanning 27 different values. Some of the included manufacturers are Taicon, Paccom, Sprague, NIC, Nippon, Marcon and Panasonic.

We have been anxiously awaiting the release of the newest Chromebook.  After reading about the larger Chromebook 550 last year, we wondered if this smaller version might be the answer to our ‘bigger than a tablet and netbook’ and ‘better for travel than a laptop’ needs.

With it’s smaller memory (16GB – not expandable), you most certainly will be relying on the cloud (100GB free for 2 years from Google) to store your documents, music and images. This is not necessarily a drawback as you can then access those same files from other computers as needed.

The battery life is estimated to be about 6.5 hours which is plenty for travelers on long flights or extended car rides and the weight is under 2.5 pounds – ideal for slipping into a backpack or large purse. Total thickness is under an inch (0.7″ to be exact) yet the screen size is just under 12″ and it has a full size keyboard (no full numeric keyboard but I guess that would just make it TOO perfect).

So what are the drawbacks to the new Chromebook? Other than the lack of storage space on the device (although it does accept memory sticks and SD cards), you will have to get used to web based applications such as Google Docs or Microsoft Live Documents for productivity and office type programs. Again – not necessarily a bad thing – just a shift in the programs that most businesses and people currently use.

Another benefit is the built-in virus protection which stays updated as well as the start-up speed of around 10 seconds (how long did your Windows based machine take to load this morning?). For the all-important internet access, you can count on 802.11 dual band WIFI access (a/b/g/n enabled). It is also Bluetooth enabled, has 2 USB ports and a built-in VGA camera for Skyping. Honestly, this has just about everything most folks would need – especially if used as a spare or travel computer.

Google will also be releasing another version that is 3G enabled so that like your smartphone or tablet computer, you can have access to the internet without relying on a network or WIFI. This adds another $70 to the price but in addition, you will have to pay monthly access charges to use the 3G. I think the WIFI is enough for us for now.

Ready to purchase a Google Chromebook? They are currently available at Amazon (short delays right now for orders) and some Best Buy stores (call before heading down there).

We are sure that the Chromebook will be a hot seller for the holiday season at $250.

This is an amazingly handy little light – thin enough to use on your house key or car key. Think of it as a stick-on LED! The Thumb-Lite’s compact design makes it easy to turn anything into a flashlight. Whether you use it for unlocking a car door or finding something dropped in the dark, the Thumb-lite is a convenient way to provide extra light when needed.

What makes this stand out from the other tiny LED lights is that the Thumb-lite can be used effortlessly with one hand. Pressing the button requires NO EXTRA EFFORT. The standard amount of pressure needed to turn the key is more than enough to turn the light on. This mini LED flashlight was designed to be used the way a person naturally grips an object. The Thumb-lite is easily activated and shines light in the direction the object is pointing. No tools or assembly are required. Just pull off the adhesive protector and stick it on a key or other object – it’s that easy. Because of it’s small size and advanced adhesive, Thumb-lite sticks to most size keys.

The light is very small but it’s just enough to be helpful in finding things in the dark. We’ve used them on our TV remote controls (ever try to find the right buttons on your remote in the dark?), our power tools, inside our purses and even attached them to our cell phones. We can think of dozens of uses for these mini LED flashlights. How about you?

We’ve added over 100 new products in May, but this one is a company favorite: Extension Cord Safety Seal – Water Resistant Extension Cord Cover.

Here’s how it works…you plug your (indoor or outdoor) equipment into an extension cord and place the connections into the water resistant cord cover. Snap the cover into the closed position and your connections are secure. The patented seals keep moisture out and your plugs safely connected. Also great for keeping extension cord connections away from children and pets, too! We have had customers come back for more of these already as they have figured out so many uses for them.

The orange safety seal is great for marine and boating applications as the color makes it easy to find. The green safety seal is perfect for outdoor applications like water features, lawn equipment, outdoor lighting and more when you want the cord cover to blend in with it’s surroundings. We can imagine how useful these will be during the holidays as the safety seal extension cord cover will be a great way to keep Christmas lights connected together and protected from the elements.

We’re always adding new electronic components, parts and supplies to our inventory. This week, one of our new products is a solder sucker, which is a ‘must have’ for anyone that works with electronics and solder.

Crafted in Germany by Amax, this solder sucker is a pump style solder remover. Use it on heated solder to remove the solder from your boards and components. It comes in the original manufacturer’s packaging with instructions for the use and care of your solder sucker.

Here are some basic desoldering instructions:
1. Heat your soldering iron. Push down on the plunger until it clicks to arm the soldering iron.
2. Clean your soldering tip. Place the soldering tip on the side of the old joint. Apply some fresh solder on the old joint to help the old solder soften.
3. Set the plunger on the solder sucker. Place the tip of the solder sucker on the old joint as close as possible to the soldering tip.
4. Release the plunger by pressing the button.
5. Repeat until much of the old solder is gone.
6. If any of the old solder is left in PCB holes, you can heat the old joint again and using the soldering tip on one side and a miniature flat screwdriver on the other, gently rock the joint back and forth lightly to loosen up the tiny leads on the components.
7. You may need to repeat this process again when there is a stubborn joint.
9. Remove your component carefully; taking care to not damage the board.