Author Topic: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components  (Read 42767 times)

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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Dave uncovers that has to be one of the world's biggest and most meticulously sorted collections of vintage electronic components!
And all this sold for $405 on ebay!

 

Offline Artlav

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2015, 12:22:56 am »
That reminds me of my lab, only with everything labelled. :)

Now it's kind of sad to think what will happen to it if i die suddenly...
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2015, 12:24:47 am »
Now it's kind of sad to think what will happen to it if i die suddenly...

It'll sell for $405 on ebay  :-+
 

Offline Yansi

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2015, 12:25:49 am »
Dave, that's not a mercury rectifier, that's a mercury tilt switch. There are two (or more) electrodes  inside the tube. If you tilt it in the right axis, the mercury closes the contacts.


By the way, a few days ago, I saw a tilt detector inside one of a harvester ECU, which controlled the tilt balance of the machine. It was the same principle, but some kind of a modern one. Maybe I can get a photo... I'll try.

And bingo! I have a mercury relay in my shop... somewhere. I'll find it and will make a picture.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 12:29:18 am by Yansi »
 

Offline dentaku

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2015, 12:48:15 am »
I would be ironic if the database file was stored on a vintage floppy and not backed up anywhere else considering how meticulous he is. :)

It's strange that there wasn't a desoldering machine or two mixed in with all the other equipment.
 

Offline N2IXK

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2015, 01:13:37 am »
Dave, that's not a mercury rectifier, that's a mercury tilt switch. There are two (or more) electrodes  inside the tube. If you tilt it in the right axis, the mercury closes the contacts.


By the way, a few days ago, I saw a tilt detector inside one of a harvester ECU, which controlled the tilt balance of the machine. It was the same principle, but some kind of a modern one. Maybe I can get a photo... I'll try.

And bingo! I have a mercury relay in my shop... somewhere. I'll find it and will make a picture.

Actually, I think that unit is an old school beacon flasher for broadcast towers. A small motor and geartrain rocks the mercury switches back and forth, turning the tower lights on and off to warn aircraft.  Mercury switches were used because the liquid surfaces were self-renewing and weren't subject to welding and pitting.
"My favorite programming language is...SOLDER!"--Robert A. Pease
 

Offline David_AVD

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2015, 01:36:05 am »
Seems like the guy was into collecting parts like some people collect test gear.

I suspect that the bigger the collection (of components or test gear) the less likely it is anything will be done with it.

At my (business) workshop we have almost every packet barcoded and recorded in a database with bin location.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 01:37:41 am by David_AVD »
 

Offline Zad

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2015, 01:36:13 am »
Amazing but really rather sad. I guess this guy has passed away and left his life's work to his heirs. It would be interesting to know more about him, so I hope someone can do some investigating.

It does just look like he has lifted a 1970s/80s repair shop stockroom and put it in their house, almost everything there is from the same era. I've certainly been in a few commercial places that look very similar to this - but their stuff was always stored in rack cabinets not domestic food containers.

I wonder if he had some sort of OCD with regards to unsoldering and sorting all those used components? Its the sort of thing people do when they go through a mega stressful time and need to do "something" to try and take control.

Offline all_repair

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2015, 01:38:24 am »
I just wish that all his efforts is not wasted.  someone get to benefit from his collection and organisation.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 01:40:09 am by all_repair »
 

Offline Vgkid

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2015, 02:00:51 am »
Thanks for the video, It did not look to bad for me.
If you own any North Hills Electronics gear, message me. L&N Fan
 

Offline John Coloccia

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2015, 02:24:33 am »
 

Offline Whales

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2015, 02:34:36 am »
Added this to "list of people to meet when time travel is invented". 
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 03:02:01 am by Whales »
 

Offline rickselectricalprojects

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2015, 02:36:37 am »
 i saw that for sale on ebay the other day. i probably would of got it if it posted to queensland :(
 

Offline JBaughb

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2015, 02:48:51 am »
If I only had the space...and I lived in AU...and I had the money...and i was crazy enough to buy it.
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2015, 03:42:24 am »
Amazing but really rather sad. I guess this guy has passed away and left his life's work to his heirs. It would be interesting to know more about him, so I hope someone can do some investigating.

It does just look like he has lifted a 1970s/80s repair shop stockroom and put it in their house, almost everything there is from the same era. I've certainly been in a few commercial places that look very similar to this - but their stuff was always stored in rack cabinets not domestic food containers.

I wonder if he had some sort of OCD with regards to unsoldering and sorting all those used components? Its the sort of thing people do when they go through a mega stressful time and need to do "something" to try and take control.

Dave I don't think you recognized it, but I'm almost certain the guy was a hoarder with serious OCD's. The fact that most of the components were old, salvaged, sorted and bagged did seem strange in the absence of an equally large and productive service area. Your adverbs ridiculous and crazy may have said it all too sharply - if so, this may be better left alone... it's just too much exposure.
 

Offline tec5c

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2015, 07:39:46 am »
Slim chance, but this could be him? I would guess he's older than this guy but you can't be certain.

https://au.linkedin.com/pub/david-sparkes/9/b21/118

Maroota to Silverwater (where the linked David Sparkes currently works) is a definitely a do-able commute each day, ~55 minutes

Hmm.....
 

Offline all_repair

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2015, 07:40:49 am »
Dave I don't think you recognized it, but I'm almost certain the guy was a hoarder with serious OCD's. The fact that most of the components were old, salvaged, sorted and bagged did seem strange in the absence of an equally large and productive service area. Your adverbs ridiculous and crazy may have said it all too sharply - if so, this may be better left alone... it's just too much exposure.

I don't think you can, just based on what we know, say with certainty that he was a hoarder or OCD. He may have just accumulated this stuff over many years, decades even.  there is nothing wrong with organising it well if it was important to be able to find bits easily. He may have enjoyed servicing old equipment of some sort or it might have been his work.

However people buying someone elses lifetime collection of spare parts probably shouldn't. Not if it is just on the chance they might use some of it.

If you accumulate your own junk box of useful parts as an adjunct to your own projects then I won't stop you or call you crazy. It is all a question of balance. balance in the time you have available to use it, the money you may save not needing to  just buy new parts, the space and time taken to store the stuff. If you have money, space and time, good luck to you.

He was resisting Moore law for the last 50 year.  Dave took the collection that was not affected by Moore law. 
 

Offline SArepairman

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #17 on: April 26, 2015, 07:59:20 am »
Maybe he thought that Australia was gonna be EMP'ed in the 80's (ronald reagan!) and this stuff would survive and be used to repair Australian technology. Cold war rebuilding the world type paranoia. The time period makes sense.

TBH, it seems more useful then some crazy ass survival bunker that some rich people get, it shows that maybe he wanted to help, not hide, if there was a nuclear confrontation between USSR and USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_nuclear_explosion

I imagine having that stuff would be quite handy. Or maybe he was gonna start a store but he aint. Or found a more proftable venture/etc and decided to keep all the stuff, after all why not if you are $_$

He seems rich enough that he would just buy out "old parts bins" at HAM conventions or something. He might not have desoldered a thing in his life (other then fried components!). I don't see a guy that rich having the time to desolder all that . Just keep buying out hobbyists at conventions and getting repair shops to do it. Or to get his wife to divorce him on purpose.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 08:05:45 am by SArepairman »
 

Offline max666

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #18 on: April 26, 2015, 08:38:32 am »
What's up with the UV lamps?
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #19 on: April 26, 2015, 09:12:50 am »
It's strange that there wasn't a desoldering machine or two mixed in with all the other equipment.

I was very surprised not to see any soldering gear. Either he took it with him or was sold before I got there.
 

Offline station240

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #20 on: April 26, 2015, 09:27:14 am »
Very simple explanation for why all the containers/labels all appear the same.
Whatever he was using to store things in needed to be redone, plastic degraded, cardboard boxes collapsed etc. Perhaps it was all stored in paper bags, and he wanted to redo it all.

I've seen Robbie the Wreckers shop (Near Port Road, South Australia) first hand, before it closed for good. Had the same issue, wanted to take half of it home, in the end though I just bought what I knew I would use. He had even more stuff, it was organised that not as well as this guy.
 

Offline daddario

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2015, 10:14:27 am »
Plot twist - he bought tons of working test gear during his lifetime and just took it all apart. The few teks and others in the adjacent room were just units he didn't get around to yet. ( :
My competence in HF electronics over 30MHz rolls off 3dB/oct.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2015, 11:05:00 am »
Is this your Sony camera? It seems to take a lot longer to focus than the old Canon one. Many of the close up shots are out of focus, same as your mailbag episodes.

No. My Sony NEX-5T compact I happened to have with me. No idea what video mode it was set to.
I did not expect to shoot any video here.
 

Offline iva

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2015, 12:09:23 pm »
On a related topic: do you guys use any database to store the parts you purchase or simply rely on memory and good labeling in your labs?

I started to look for something opensource but couldn't find anything with all the fields/features I wanted (multiple suppliers, datasheets and so on - and with local storage) and ready to use.
 

Offline Richard Head

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Re: EEVblog #737 - World's Biggest Collection Of Electronics Components
« Reply #24 on: April 26, 2015, 12:24:56 pm »
I reckon that the racking and bins alone must be worth something. The wood racking seems really well made.
Incidentally, you cannot get component drawers with clear plastic anymore, it seems. They are all translucent plastic. Probably ozone friendly or something.
 


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