LEDgardener

Let's use this thread to share our sources for all the various components. If you post below, I'll continue to update this first post with a running list of all the suggestions. I have a feeling most of the suggestions will be North American vendors, but if we do get some other international sources, I can color-code the text or something. Thanks for your input!

For starters, a good website to find the lowest price on parts is Octopart. Here are some other sources for common parts - some will be listed by Octo, others will not. All of the Amazon links use the ledgardener affiliate link so everything purchased from Amazon after clicking those links will net the website a little commission and all proceeds will go towards putting out more content.

North American companies are in red

Asian companies are in green

European companies are in blue

COBS

Bridgelux Vero

• DigiKey

• RapidLED

• Kingbrite

• SmiLED

Citizen CLU-XXX

• CDIWeb

• CobKits

• Kingbrite

• Export Estonia

Cree CXB

• CobKits

• RapidLED

• Kingbrite

• SmiLED

MID-POWER LED

Bridgelux EB Strips (Gen 2)

• Digikey

HLG Quantum Boards

• Horticulture Lighting Group

• Horticulture Lighting Group Canada

• Amazon

• Todo Grow LED

ChilLED Boards

• ChilLED Grow Lights

Samsung H Series LM561C Strips

• Digikey

Samsung F Series LM561C Strips

• Digikey

Samsung Q Series LM301B Strips

• Digikey

DRIVERS

Mean Well

• Arrow Electronics

• CobKits

• Mouser Electronics

• RapidLED

• Online Components

• Kingbrite

• SmiLED

• TME

HEAT SINKS

Pin-Fin

• CobKits

• RapidLED

• HeatsinkUSA

• Kingbrite

• SmiLED

MISC (tools, wire, connectors, etc.)

• MicroMark Tools & Hobby Supplies

Wago Lever Nuts

• Amazon

Waterproof Power Connector

• eBay

18 Gauge Single-Conductor Wire

• Amazon

As I've already mentioned before, a fantastic meta-search tool is Octopart.

Two other big suppliers are Mouser (classify under: Drivers) and KingBrite (classify under: COBs, heatsinks, etc.). N.B.: Octopart doesn't search Alibaba, which is often the cheapest source. KingBrite, as well as other reputable Alibaba suppliers, doesn't display the real price online - you have to write them to get a quote. (That way you get to pay less on customs.) DigiKey, currently classified only for Samsung's LM561c, also stocks pretty much everything (COBs, heatsinks, reflectors).

what about http://www.micromark.com/ for misc/tools? Like I mentioned in my screw/bit/tap post... I found a lot of tools and misc I could use for any build on there. And being a total noob at this I don't have a lot of tools to start off with. Just wonder what shipping outside the "lower 48" would be that might kill it for our friends north of the boarder or across the pond.

site for cheap extruded heat sinks http://www.heatsinkusa.com/

Cool. This is shaping up.

I keep forgetting to add Cutter electronics http://www.cutter.com.au/categories.php

Timber has some cob kits if you want to build your own frame also http://timbergrowlights.com/

May I ask you to add where the shop is located?
Maybe not very significant/useful but what I mean is that for people in the EU (or just outside the US) it is hard to find the parts we need.

that would be helpful for a good number of people here. for US based I know HLG ships out of Ohio... ChilLED is out of Washington or Oregon.. I think rapidLED is California based. cobkits.com is also California.

Cutter electronics is based in Australia.

Citizen cobs source in europe @http://stores.ebay.com/Export-Estonia

Do these places in the US not ship to EU? Is it direct shipments from manufacturers/distributors that can't be made, or is it the products themselves that just can't be exported? I'm sure if you wanted something badly enough, you could get someone to receive and then ship internationally (if its legal).

I know if someone made/paid-for all the arrangements, I'd receive something and drop it in the mail.