Robots.ie

Brick and mortar shops  - Ireland

Maplin - The best chance of finding electronic parts in Dublin, they have an electronics section in store where you can buy resistors, capacitor packs, soldering Irons, circuit boards, tools etc. It not massive but it is something. They also have a catalogue with a larger selection of electronics which they might have in the stock room if you ask.  They will order things in for you if they don’t. They have specials most months were you can get some reasonable bargains.

• Jervis Street, Dublin (beside Smyths toy store),  map
• Blanchardstown Retail Park, Dublin
• Blackpool Retail Park, Blackpool, Cork
• Dundalk Retail Park,Louth
• Wellpark Retail Park, Dublin Road, Galway
• Childers Retails Park, Limerick
• Boucher Centre ,Belfast

Peats – They used to be more like maplin, but now they focus on consumer electronics (tv, dvd players …)  They still have a small electronic section, but it can be a little hit and miss.

Parnell Street, Dublin map

Lidl and Aldi – Can be useful for buying cheap tools.

Model shops – Not ideal but they may stock servos and tools useful for buliding robots.

Locations -

Marks Models

• 14 Hawkins St. Dublin 2.
• Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin.
• Dunlaoighre Shopping Centre, Co. Dublin.
• 136 Oliver Plunket St., Cork City.

Green hobby & model

• Greene Marine House ,38 Clareville Road, Harolds Cross, Co. Dublin

Boyztoys

• Kart City, Santry, Dublin 9

Websites – Ireland

ebay.ie – Cheap servos, batteries and all sort of components. Handy but the shipping can sometimes make it expensive for small items.

Digikey - Massive selection of electronic components. Free Shipping on orders over 65 euro.

Farnell - Similar to digikey –  FREE SHIPPING

Radionics – similar to digikey and Farnell

Island models –  Online model shop. Range of servos and batteries and chargers

discount-rc-toys – Irish online model shop.

Websites UK

(When the euro is strong bargains can be found)

Active robots - large range of robot stuff but not always cheap.

Robosavvy –  Probably the best place to buy humanoid robots on the net

Tinker.it - Small selection but worth a look

Skpang Large selection of embedded electronics boards

Yerobot – Arduino compatible boards with a focus on robotics and nice prices

oomlout – open source electronics products, including Arduino. Email them about shipping to Ireland

Websites – International

Sparkfun - Fantastic shop with all sort of electronic goodies

Robotshop – Massive selection of all things robotic. Shipping costs can be reasonable

NKC electronics – Good selection of arduino/freeduino stuff

Trossen Robotics – wide selection

Robot Store – wide selection

Junun – Nice range of sharp distance sensors

Maximum Robotics – Friendly people to deal with. Sometimes stock nice surplus motors with encoders on the cheap.

TME – Wide range of electronic components

NuElectronics – Well priced shop for Arduino clones and some cool display shields

Pololu – Nice range of all things robotics, distributors of their products worldwide

Software

Eagle – printed circuit board design package, with powerful freeware version

KiCad – open source (GPL) software for the creation of electronic schematic diagrams and printed circuit board artwork.

Fritzing -  PCB layout creator with a arduino-like philosophy (in beta)

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