I bought a cheap RTC module ($1 USD, including shpiping) a few years ago, and concluded the DS3231 was either counterfeit, or used/defective material because it was horribly inaccurate. You get what you pay for.
Generally, I only buy parts from a reputable supplier (digikey is my favorite). In particular, semiconductor devices are always packaged in proper ESD-safe bags. During assembly and test/debug, I follow proper handling steps for ESD-sensitive devices. None of those has ever acted erratically. For me, it's not worth the risk or hassle to save a few dollars on parts by purchasing from the cheapest source. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/34ed0ebd-c434-4a60-9170-af2651eee6d4%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.