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[JeffVolp]

This forum has been dead for a week, so I thought I'd pass along some info.

Many of you know I have produced products for the X10 community since 2006. While I am phasing down production, I still plan to continue offering several products that are mostly machine assembled.

One of my products uses a 5V low-dropout regulator.  I had ordered it from Mouser last November, and they were supposed to be shipped in January.  Then Mouser slipped the shipping date to March.  Now Mouser says they should be shipped NEXT January.  A redundant order to Digikey should be shipped in August, but who knows if that will happen.

To try to get these boards built, I investigated second-tier distributors.  These regulators normally cost about 20 cents each at 100 pieces and just a dime in a full spool.  Several of the second-tier distributors do have stock, but want $6 to $8 each for them.  One offered a spool at $19,250!  That normally costs $253 at Mouser.  Yeah, I'll rush right out and order that!

I had searched for alternatives, and there is zero stock at all the authorized distributors.  Some second-tier distributors do have inventory, but at similar insane prices.

Obviously, this has to be impacting production of other electronic devices, and availability will be impacted as products already in the pipeline are depleted.

Jeff

[petera]

You can see the X10 user base slowly melting away. Those that remain, diehards like myself have a fairly good grounding on the subject of X10, certainly from a software perspective and as you know only too well the hardware is practically bullet proof. It’s great to hear you’re still about when needed though.

Regarding the shortages, the effects on the automotive industry is well flagged. Those shortages are now trickling down to the white goods sector and the computer industry. Many brokers/speculators foresaw this crisis and bought up surplus inventories to achieve exactly what you have have experienced, make a killing. I’m surprised at the approach of the Chinese to pandemic this time round though. These arbitrary lockdowns are choking their economy and as a result we are feeling the effects. I don’t see these shortages being addressed anytime soon so for the present, the days of cheap electronics from Asia seem a long way off.

[Brian H]

The Forum looking dead for more than a week. Has happened before.
I suspect that the knowledgeable users have their systems working as they want and don't need any feedback.

I have seen many vendors not having anything in stock or real long lead time and outrageous part costs.

In my opinion. Smartlabs is now officailly gone. With some users on the UDI forums. Receiving the how to handle claims against the company in the mail yesterday

[JeffVolp]

I have seen many vendors not having anything in stock or real long lead time and outrageous part costs.

I keep getting emails from Subaru saying how much they would give in trade for my wife's Forester, and describing new models with a click on link to check inventory.  But when I click the link, they have nothing in stock.

The Subaru is 12 years old now, and is coming up on replacement.

Jeff

[Brian H]

I saw two dealers one was mine.
Spread the spare inventory over a majority of their lots. Probably to make it look slightly better.
My Toyota Yaris is a 2007 with ~35,000 miles. They still offer to buy mine 

[the other steve]

(Yes, I am fat, dumb and happy with my decades-old X10 stuff.  Thanks to Jeff.)

I put a hold on a new Subaru last week and I should (?) get it in 2 weeks at MSRP.  It has a VIN, so exists in some form...

They want my trade, a 150,000-mile 2011 Murano, and offered me $7,000, but private party sales around here are nearer $15,000 and similar models are selling for $17,000 at the same dealers who offer $7,000.

Crazy stuff

Steve

[JeffVolp]

They want my trade, a 150,000-mile 2011 Murano, and offered me $7,000, but private party sales around here are nearer $15,000 and similar models are selling for $17,000 at the same dealers who offer $7,000.

Yes, I usually sell privately at well over what the dealer offers.  And I usually buy privately too.

My daily driver is a 1979 280ZX that I bought 7 years ago on eBay for $4750.  They go for about $15,000+ today.  Gee, maybe I should garage it for an investment.

Jeff

[the other steve]

OT:

I've been driving Z-Cars for 52 years (4 cars).  My first was a '70 240 for which I paid $2920.00.  I am still driving a 350 that was the first one in my town.

Wish I had put the 240 on blocks, but I drove it for 24 years.

Most fun was the 90 twin turbo.

Steve

[radioguy1007]

I work as an electronics engineer and our purchasing department is coming to me daily with "we can't get his part and need a substitute" requests.  One recently was for an EEPROM chip.  Normally just about $1.50, they said it was $34 each from a broker.  And a voltage regulator (like Jeff), unavailable until May, 2023!  It was more cost effective to do a spin on the copper to use another voltage regulator that was available - and I made sure they bought enough stock so that we could build this assembly for the next year. Been doing this for over 45 years, and never saw anything close to this.

[JeffVolp]

And a voltage regulator (like Jeff), unavailable until May, 2023!  It was more cost effective to do a spin on the copper to use another voltage regulator that was available - and I made sure they bought enough stock so that we could build this assembly for the next year.

I considered that.  An equivalent with a non-standard pinout was available, and I revised the layout to accept that part.  But then I decided to wait rather than make a board that doesn't match any produced before.  Existing inventory should carry us through.

Jeff

[bkenobi]

This is the problem with single sourced goods.  I understand China isn't one source, but the practices that made their economy so cost effective destroyed the ability for most other suppliers to compete (which was the goal afterall).  As a result, we have a single country supplying critical components to every industry world wide without an alternative.  I'm not an economist but the cause of this is obvious.  If I knew how to fix it, I guess I'd be pretty wealthy now since I'd have China 2.0 already started!   

[beelocks]

Have you seen the price of a Raspberry Pi Zero on Amazon?
It might be time to bundle with my Insteon gear and make a fortune