[UK] Dunstable Downs Radio Rally / Car Boot / Flea Market 2017

[KJDS]

I'll be in a beige Mondeo hatchback with a pile of goodies.

[tggzzz]

I'll probably hike over there, and see TNMoC on the way back.

Last year I got talking about the working Elliott 803, so the bloke proceeded to get out the circuit diagrams and we looked in a little more depth. Now that's what a museum should be like Too many of them are dumbed-down. (Yes, Bristol's M-Shed, I'm thinking of you).

[dmills]

Too many of them are dumbed-down. (Yes, Bristol's M-Shed, I'm thinking of you).

Yep, a very pale shadow of the old industrial museum, and the exploratory is worse, the original was up by the  by the university and largely staffed by the university physics department, the new one is all shiny and largely staffed by "Interpretation professionals" with degrees in museums and not the contents....

I mean an industrial museum in that town should be staffed by a mix of retired marine architects, retired chief engineers and retired aircraft deign equivalents, maybe with a few ex HP types thrown in, it would probably even be cheaper on staffing then the curators they have now (And far more interesting).

Personally I like my museums with glass cases containing the weird and wonderful with hand written notes on little cards, not video screens and 'press the button' models (That are always broken because they did not budget for maintenance).

I am sure professional curators serve some purpose, but just what it is in such places has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

Regards, Dan.

[nctnico]

Only a week to go! Look for Loughton Self Drive van
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VurxgRODrLk&feature=youtu.be

And how much 'new' stuff are you going to bring back home? 

[NivagSwerdna]

I assume this would be a cash only event?  All low value items?

[tggzzz]

I assume this would be a cash only event?  All low value items?

What kind of item do you want, and how expensive?

It is in the middle of a field, so you can't see expensive items working. Most people are not commercial and so can't take cards, and are unlikely to want to trust cheques.

[CJay]

I need to stop looking at this thread*, really not very happy about not being able to attend, even more so now DMILLS mentioned the price of an Anritsu MT8801B (However if anyone fancies bringing one back to Manchester for me...)


*Won't stop looking but will continue to be envious of those who could get there

[NivagSwerdna]

What kind of item do you want, and how expensive?

I went to one at Kempton Park a long long time ago... ended up buying a FT-817

[Fraser]

I will be attending this years Dunstable Downs Rally to rendezvous with Mike.

I will have my long suffering wife with me so likely will not get to buy much

Fraser

[tggzzz]

What kind of item do you want, and how expensive?

I went to one at Kempton Park a long long time ago... ended up buying a FT-817

You'll see scopes, high-quality leads that you can actually afford, NOS components (last year I bought an 18GHz 0-70dB in 1dB steps attenuator for £30), and a heap of <expletive deleted>.

And afterwards The National Museum of Computing is nearby. You can have an informative discussion about a computer's circuit diagrams with the attendants

[Howardlong]

I'll probably hike over there, and see TNMoC on the way back.

Last year I got talking about the working Elliott 803, so the bloke proceeded to get out the circuit diagrams and we looked in a little more depth. Now that's what a museum should be like Too many of them are dumbed-down. (Yes, Bristol's M-Shed, I'm thinking of you).

That may well have been my old school pal... other than 803 born and bred (like me) he enjoys more facial hair than is strictly necessary!

At one time he had an 803 emulator running in Linux and on a PIC18.

Edit: he also had a PPL long before me, so flying's another thing you have in common.

[dmills]

I did rather well on that Anritsu, but that was Kempton, not DD (And was a very good deal), and those attenuators (If they are the blue ones with the two brass wheels) were indeed rather tasty (I snagged two at DD last year, a guy can never have too many variable attenuators in the lab).

I did not go out looking for a rad com test set, and expected it to be silly money but asked anyway, but the guy who had it had just had a hernia op and wanted rid, Anritsu not being the lightest of gear (Actually my older and physically smaller MS2621B SA is very much heavier, CRT Vs LCD, where do they get the neutronium for the chassis?).

See you guys Sunday, I am the fat guy with glasses and the beard probably wearing a Chaos Computer Club teeshirt.

Regards, Dan.

[Fraser]

I will be the guy walking around with horse blinkers on, thanks to my wife

Fraser

[tggzzz]

...and those attenuators (If they are the blue ones with the two brass wheels) were indeed rather tasty (I snagged two at DD last year, a guy can never have too many variable attenuators in the lab).

Spot on; I'm still kicking myself for only getting one.

Still, I have other HP 4GHz attenuators, and may shortly be getting rid of an HP8696G, when I've replaced the Viking connector.

[mikeselectricstuff]

What kind of item do you want, and how expensive?

I went to one at Kempton Park a long long time ago... ended up buying a FT-817

You'll see scopes,

But probably not a single digital one, at least not one with an LCD screen!

[mikeselectricstuff]

I'll be next to one of these :

[tggzzz]

I will be the guy walking around with horse blinkers on, thanks to my wife

Ah, but who is holding the wallet, and are reins attached to the blinkers

[tggzzz]

What kind of item do you want, and how expensive?

I went to one at Kempton Park a long long time ago... ended up buying a FT-817

You'll see scopes,

But probably not a single digital one, at least not one with an LCD screen!

The nearest I can muster would be a nice, recapped, Tek 2445B. But I don't expect to be taking a pitch there.

[dmills]

Nothing wrong with a 2445B, they are very nice scopes, personally I would take one over a low end digital unit any day.

Regards, Dan.

[KJDS]

Nothing wrong with a 2445B, they are very nice scopes, personally I would take one over a low end digital unit any day.

Regards, Dan.

I still keep one on my test bench.

Am looking forwards to it now. Had been anticipating a hangover this morning which would have hampered preparations but didn't end up drinking too much last night. Will be in a beige Mondeo with piles of assorted junk around it, as well as some useful stuff.

Do stop by and say hello if you see me.

[tggzzz]

But I don't expect to be taking a pitch there.

Oh, hang it. Having seen the difference in price between spectator and seller, I might as well make a half-hearted attempt to flog a bit of kit. It'll be:

Working, Delightful Oscilloscopes photos available, recapped where necessary
Tektronix 465 – the classic, 100MHz, 3.5ns risetime, 2 channel, delayed timebase, with cover
Tektronix 475A+DM44 – a faster 465, 250MHz, 1.4ns risetime, with rare time/frequency voltage/resistance display, 2 channel, delayed timebase with cover (for 465/475 without DM44)
Tektronix 2445B – last analogue generation, 200MHz, 2ns risetime, 4 channel, delayed timebase, 50ohm/1Mohm inputs, autosetup, time/voltage/frequency measurements, operators' manual, infamous mains filter capacitors and “A5 board” electrolytics have been replaced
Tektronix 464 - like a 465, 100MHz realtime, analogue storage, slow and fast modes, works, but TLC would help

Working Power Supplies
Farnell L30B 30V, 1A voltage limit, current limit V / I meter
“Coutant” #1 50V, 1A voltage limit, current limit, 10-turn pots, V & I meters
“Coutant” #2 15V, 4A voltage limit, current limit, 10-turn pots, V & I meters

High Power Attenuators/Loads photos available
Bird Tenuline 50W 50? 30dB

Miscellaneous
Tektronix P6006 Probe *10, 25MHz, 8.5pF, 15-47pF, 600V
Mullard “Mustard” Capacitors 1n8, 2n2, 3n3, 4n7 400V
“Pen” Handheld Multimeter basic; very cheap
CATV Cable TV Components amps, splitters, isolators etc etc, very cheap; must go
Tuning Forks pretty, nice sounds, individually mounted or boxed blued chromatic scale, ensures your chakra are aligned with your reiki no, I don't have a clue what that means either
TNC Connectors various polarities NOS some 18GHz

I'll be in a red Toyota with signs on the side when I'm out looking around for stuff to buy. Yep TEA etc applies

[KJDS]

I'm aiming to get there between 7:30 and 8am. Just as you go in teh sellers entrance there is a car park on the right. I'll wait there til 8am should anyone want to join me and we can have our stalls next to each other.

[Fraser]

I should set up a stall to sell thermal cameras....... a concentration of different thermal cameras never seen before, or likely again

Sadly from what I have been told, I would have to tolerate people offering me £20 for a high spec working thermal camera ! My brother used to sell a lot of militaria at car boot sales but he says the world has changed. Punters appear to want everything for nothing rather than paying a price fair to both buyer and seller.

Sure there are bargains to be had as some sellers just want rid of bulky and heavy kit. It is the buyers who want to really screw the seller down that concern me. I have always happily negotiated with sellers and always ensured that we were both happy with the final price. I just do not think selling at a car boot sale or rally would suit me.

My 'junk' tends to get given away to worthy recipients that I know. I am currently fully equipping a good neighbour's spare room as a fully fledged electronics workshop and lab. lots of excess quality test kit of mine going into that. All at no charge to him. I hope I am a generous person but I object to people expecting me to sell good kit for a song just because they do not want to pay more for it.

Fraser

[KJDS]

Most of what I'm selling is lowish value, wouldn't even try and sell high value items there.

But I've got a big box of old SMA and BNC leads, and lots of similar bits, as well as a pile of high power RF attenuators, and draw units full of old components. Some big old Farnell power supplies in need of repair that I'll be happy to take very little money for just to move them on.

I'm slowly creating enough room in the house to play with some serious mechanical stuff. I do enough  electronics at work.

[dmills]

The power attenuators may be of interest to me, and if anyone has a 50 ohm load good for well north of 250W (Ideally 1.5kW CW or so), I am actively seeking one.

73 Dan.