Auction UK: RF Heaven, albeit a bit crusty

[tmbinc]

Any response from Equipnet on the N6733Bs yet?

(Background why I'm interested: I'm currently reverse-engineering the serial protocol that is used to control them - the mainframe uploads the FPGA bitstream, then talks to the modules with a ~12 MHz SPI bus. This is interesting because knowing the protocol it would be feasible to build a DIY mainframe; aside from the bulk input of 48V, everything else is digital and can be driven by a microcontroller or FPGA easily. I have some collection of modules - from simple ones to SMUs - but I want to practice on a cheap one first because I don't know if it's possible to blow them up by programming them incorrectly.)

[tggzzz]

Any response from Equipnet on the N6733Bs yet?

No response on my "yellow" items, so far.
No info on pickup time/location either.

[Ice-Tea]

I was told "10am -4pm on the 6th Jan 2020 or 9-4pm on the 7th Jan 2020." for pickup.

Nothing on yellow bids yet, even though I was promised a reply on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

[pbarton]

I offered to increase my ‘yellow’ bid up to the buyers reserve.
I have just received email confirmation that my improved ‘yellow’ bid has been accepted.
Logging into ‘My EquipNet’ the invoice is there.

[Ice-Tea]

@tmbinc the bid on the N6733Bs was one if the few that were accepted. PM me if you still want one..

[tggzzz]

Has anybody got full information w.r.t. collection from these turkeys?

After far too much prompting, the best I have is

Hi,

I will be on site on the 6th January, I have availability on the 6th in the afternoon and on the 7th pretty much all day.
Please let me know what time and date is convenient for you.

Many thanks,
Lewis

-----Original Message-----
From: me
Sent: 31 December 2019 16:52
To: Lewis Maggs
Subject: Re: EquipNet Auction 1083 - Invoice x

Please advise when and where these lots can be collected.

Please respond by email, not phone.

Thanks.


On 31/12/19 12:09, Peter Harris wrote:
> Hello Tom,
> My colleague, Lewis Maggs will be co- ordinating this collection and I believe he will be on site from the 6th January.
> I just contacting him then or dropping him an email so the collection can be scheduled.
>
> Equipnet on site Rep ;
> lmaggs@equipnet.com t/no 07804 048979

That partial info came after I sent a text to that number.

I encourage a plague of emails/texts to Maggs, to try to get the message through.

[pbarton]

Ask for Lewis Maggs at reception.
Keysight Technologies building.
Halesfield 7 Road,
Telford.
TF7 4QL
I hope to arrive between 12:00 and 1:00pm on Mon 6th.
If we bump into each other, I'll buy the TEA.

[tggzzz]

Ask for Lewis Maggs at reception.
Keysight Technologies building.
Halesfield 7 Road,
Telford.
TF7 4QL
I hope to arrive between 12:00 and 1:00pm on Mon 6th.
If we bump into each other, I'll buy the TEA.

Thanks. So far he has confirmed the road and postcode, but not the building!

We won't meet up; I'm out of action with a distal biceps rupture That's going to dent my ability to shift stuff at Harwell hamfest etc

[bd139]

Ouch. Did that about 20 years ago. Hope you recover soon. That’s also going to affect my wallet at Harwell as there will be no one to steal stuff before I get to it

[pbarton]

Collected my two Auction Lots today.
Apparently only 16% of the Auction Lots sold during the initial December auction.
It’s likely that the remainder will go into a second auction, possibly around February 2020. Watch this space.

[tggzzz]

I've had a quick look at the two lots I bought; my "yellow" offer wasn't accepted.

All the items I bought are functional, but I haven't checked the calibrations.

And thanks, Mr PB. You are a gent that made my life noticably less complicated

[pbarton]

Back again https://www.equipnet.com/auctions/uk-rf-testing-sealed-bid/1096/
This time sealed bids.

[bd139]

Such professionals 

[NivagSwerdna]

How do the sealed bids work?  Is there still a reserve?

[coppice]

How do the sealed bids work?  Is there still a reserve?

I don't see any reserves. They would have to be listed item by item, so they shouldn't be hard to find.

I wonder what the rationale might be for moving from an auction to sealed bids on a long list of low value things which didn't attract a single bid last time around? Is this a common practice based on a piece of psychology I'm not seeing?

[tggzzz]

How do the sealed bids work?  Is there still a reserve?

I don't see any reserves. They would have to be listed item by item, so they shouldn't be hard to find.

I wonder what the rationale might be for moving from an auction to sealed bids on a long list of low value things which didn't attract a single bid last time around? Is this a common practice based on a piece of psychology I'm not seeing?

Simplest explanantion is they need to shift the stuff, and will accept the most convenient offer (which might not be the highest).

Lots of stuff was previously unsold - a real clusterf*ck.
Some lots look like they have been combined, bizarrely.
Lots of PSUs, Tex 4xx, 22xx, 24xx scopes, multimeters.
Lots of stuff I might like and might have bought before[1], but haven't got room for, and my packet would probably be too low.

The sealed bid mechanism is http://www.equipnet.com/data/media/246589_Auctions_SealedBidHelp_2020.pdf
You create a "bid packet" which looks like it allows multiple lots, and give your price for the packet.
Don't know if you can have more than one bid packet.
Don't know how they choose between "overlapping" bid packets; probably manually.

[1] the stuff I did buy all worked reasonably well

[Ice-Tea]

- If you need stuff to match and don't want to end up with, oh, just a random example, the RF end of an SA without the display. Or a machine without the probes. Or...
- If you need to buy a lot of stuff to amortize the logistics and don't want to end up with a few low value items while missing out on the money shot.

[tggzzz]

- If you need stuff to match and don't want to end up with, oh, just a random example, the RF end of an SA without the display. Or a machine without the probes. Or...
- If you need to buy a lot of stuff to amortize the logistics and don't want to end up with a few low value items while missing out on the money shot.

The second point is true for any auction.

The first point can be true for any auction, but is more likely to be a problem with this style of auction. I don't know whether that encourages high or low bids.

[NivagSwerdna]

This new approach suits me... I can place a single bid for everything I am interested in and then I either lose... No problem or win... Big drive to collect.

I'll decide for sure nearer the time.

[veedub565]

18% buyer premium seems a lot, and then 20% VAT on top of that.

[coppice]

18% buyer premium seems a lot, and then 20% VAT on top of that.

18% seems a lot, but if these lots end up going for very low prices, like the original auction, its not very much per transaction. The auction company has to run a business out of this.

[Ice-Tea]

16, 18 or even 20% are quite common.

[veedub565]

Yeah true fair enough. A lot of the items failed to make reserve or even attract any bids at all though. So 18%, on top of a price that people already don't seem to be prepared to pay feels a lot. that's not perhaps the fault of the auction house though.

I'm not very familiar with buying from these sorts of auctions.

[NivagSwerdna]

I don't understand the bid packet system... there doesn't seem to be a way of editing, changing etc?

Has anybody had any luck submitting bids?

[pbarton]

Well, first you have to set up an account with Equipnet.
Then you log into your Equipnet account.
This allows you to “Add to your Bid Packet”
You can edit your “Bid Packet” at will. (Including 'add lot, delete lot and enter an amount').
You submit your bid packet to Equipnet, prior to the 13th March, as your final instruction to them.
Packets will be reviewed at the deadline and buyers will be notified within Five (5) business days.
Invoices Will be Sent: Friday, March 20, 2020. All invoices must be paid within (5) days.

I have noticed that the “Bid Packet” appears to be in US ($) currency.
I have queried this with Equipnet and they have confirmed that bidding is in $ but that payment (for UK bidders) will be in GBP (£).
They do the currency conversion, adding 18% buyers fees and a further 20% VAT and invoice you accordingly. Caveat Emptor.
Shipping charges are additional, although by prior arrangement, you can collect (on their specified date) during the working week.
Yes, it’s somewhat confusing!

EDIT: It appears that Equipnet have made a complete dogs breakfast of the bidding currency.
Within the Bid Packet, each individual item appears to suggest that you are bidding in $'s.
However, the running total indicates that the numerical value of the currency you just entered, was in GBP £!  (I guess that international bidders are also bidding in GBP £)?
The currency section of the sealed bid software, is a load of rubbish.
BEWARE: Once you submit your bid packet to Equipnet, there is no facility to modify it, or to delete it!