(AUS) Second hand test gear for setting up a home lab?

[pickle9000]

MmmnnmmMMmm  Crusty, great meter though. It was shiny when I bought it, still use it daily.

[EEVblog]

Ok, 99cent auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271404227340

Well, it only took 5 minutes before someone bid.

[vk6zgo]

Without wishing to derail the thread further, I was thinking of the many times over the years I've gone to local hamfests/boot sales looking for old transcievers to part out,.

Some Hams (more commonly in the USA than in this country),get quite "aggro" at the thought of people buying radios,parting them out then selling the parts.

Admittedly,there are some "vultures" who make a big thing of this,buying radios in perfect operating condition & selling the parts at a substantial "markup".

This has two effects:

(1) It reduces the number of  functional secondhand radios on the market,pushing up prices.

(2) It makes  refurbishing of existing radios more expensive.

I'm not suggesting that you are one of the "vultures" referred to,but maybe some people have incorrectly assumed you are.

Demanding you show a Ham licence is a bit silly,as some of the "vultures" are licenced Hams.

[Weez]

Demanding you show a Ham licence is a bit silly,as some of the "vultures" are licenced Hams.

And, it doesn't really prove anything anyway, since it's very easy to get a license nowadays.

[jokkydee]

Not sure what happens to surplus equipment in Australia. Ive only seen the local tafe, and not sure they ever throw things away. Suspect a lot of equipment just sits in storage as spares etc.

I used to work for Codan Limited (Adelaide based electronics manufacturer), and they would have internal auctions for all their surplus equipment. I picked up an old analog scope for $2 and put it straight on ebay. Also picked up a vintage HF/Audio signal generator for $3, served me well for a few years and soon I'll be putting it on ebay in coming weeks. They also auctioned off soldering irons, drill presses, laptops, you name it. It was an absolute gold mine.