I thought it would be good to have a discussion about peoples experiences with fake and recycled components, and share photos so that others can be aware.
As an introduction, it should be clear to most that if it a component deal seems too good to be true then it probably is fake : )
I generally avoid using ebay for components, although I have used it for a few parts in the past for hobby projects. One particular area of risk seems to be integrated circuits, especially audio op-amps and RF chips. These can cost a lot, and I once saw a fake Analog Devices part which clearly was a cheaper IC with the markings sanded off and a new marking inscribed on top. A genuine AD part would not have such poor quality finish.
LEDs are another area of concern; a while back I picked up a few Cree LEDs, but I also purchased some from Farnell.
The difference is quite interesting, this is a photo of the underside of the LEDs:
The one purchased through ebay came in a plastic component carrier tape, just like the genuine parts from Farnell. However, upon opening the tape and examining the underside, it can be seen that the part has been recycled; someone has unsoldered it from a PCB and polished off the solder, revealing the copper underneath the plated exterior that the genuine part should have.
LEDs have a limited life and this one has likely been used in the past, and will have a lower brightness and time to failure compared to a new LED. The LED does light up (I tested with a multimeter), it just won't perform as well as the new part. It may not be the same part either; the genuine LEDs are correctly binned for brightness matching.
I don't purchase from ebay often enough to have more examples, but it would be interesting to see and read about other fakes/recycled parts other people have experienced.
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