Interesting eBay Findings

[shuvodutta]

Many of us find interesting eBay (ebay.com) Listings (eBay Steals, not so Popular Instruments etc. and eBay's Product Suggestion Algorithm is quite Useful for such things.) while searching the Site for what we need (or simply for Pleasure!). We forget about them immediately as they were not of our Primary Interest and they go unnoticed (I've seen nice HP 6624A System D.C. P.S. for $50 + Shipping!). In an effort to bring such Listings to notice and to create a consolidated Place-Holder for them, I thought of starting this thread. Hope it’ll prove helpful or at least will be able to give some fun & joy to us.

(I’m not at all connected to these Sellers by any means and I won’t gain anything; cash or kind; from them.)
(If someone has found out a Real Gem/Steal-Deal, it's advisable to secure it for yourself first. I do the same!  )

Here goes the 1st Entry.

HP 3488A

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3488A-Switch-Control-Unit-TESTED/223328320329?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I’ve recently come across this HP 3488A Switch Controller Unit with 5 Nos. of 44474A (most probably) Cards (but without Connector Blocks, I’ve asked Seller about them but received no Reply!) installed for $25 + Shipping. Most of these Units getting sold on eBay; have no Cards and go for $50+; in general. I’ve purchased one for myself, One Unit is remaining. (They’re old and has limited Usage but Useful and Interesting Testing/Experimental-Setup can be made using them.)

[Stray Electron]

   There is VERY little interest in the HP 3488s any more.  I've seen a number of them that didn't sell.   The connector blocks are almost always missing on those and similar HP equipment.  Most of them came from military contractors and when they finish with them they just unplug the cables (with the connectors still attached) and surplus the item without them. The connectors go into the wire scrap along with the cables. I have four  HP 3421s and I've never seen one that had the connectors.

   Much of the HP and other high end test equipment of that vintage was bought and used to support specific military systems. Those systems typically have a planned 20 year life.  Once the military system is obsolete, the test equipment that was used for it is also surplussed.  It may take a few more years before it is sold by the contractors and a few more while the surplus dealers try to resell it but after about 30 years most of it disappears from the market.  Also once the support for the military systems end, there's very little demand for things like the 3488s.  Very few individuals have any use for them and the commercial companies are all buying new equipment.  Also most people and companies are going away from the HP-IB interface and the specialized HP and DEC computers that use it and are now using Personal Computers and USB or LAN interfaces to talk to their test equipment.  I have a couple of very nice HP 3497s with cards and options and I've tried to sell them and there's no interest in them.  On top of everything else, the 3488 and 3497s are big and heavy and few people want to give up the room they take up and also the shipping would costs more than they're worth.

   The item that you pointed out is in Massachusetts but your location says India.  How much would it cost to ship to that 3488 to you?  HP's specs say that the shipping weight for it is 36 1/2 pounds.  (the bare unit is 16 pounds).

[Shock]

If you read the moderator notes in the rules.

"...This section is for the occasional sale of your personal stuff. If you have good reason to believe that you need some leeway on this please contact us before posting a shower of posts..."

Personally I think posting the odd deal is fine, I post one or two a year that I come across. But secondhand gear deals on ebay come up all day long. If someone really wants one badly they can add it to their watchlist and be instantly notified.

A thread full of old redundant deals is pointless, if there was a deal and it's been sold you want it to drift away, not be incessantly be bumped in perpetuity.

[shuvodutta]

@Stray Electron

Thanks for the Interesting Insight on these Instruments. I was aware of their old age but their Military History with Specific Usage is something new. I do agree with you that very few Individuals will have any usage for them, though I've found few for me (like using it as a Scanner for a Bench D.M.M. or using their Digital I/O Cards for very crude Data Acquisition.) and thought someone may have the Plans for same. Yes, they won't find any usage in Commercial Space and the Set of Functionalities this Instrument provides can be achieved by Arduino/rPi for Home Lab. Usage. What I felt is, as the Price Point is quite right (including Shipping); some Electronics Enthusiast (preferably within U.S.A., as International Shipping rates are pretty High.) may take the benefit. Even that was the sole purpose for starting this thread (and to get Interesting Insight which you've already provided.). Connector Blocks are pain but they can sometimes be found in Lots on eBay though that Lot may cost the same as the whole Instrument.  (and a Home User can always spin something on their own to use the Card Edge Connectors directly.  )

I use a Freight Forwarding Service for procuring Instruments from U.S.A. The Shipping Cost (including Customs Duty & Commission for Freight Forwarding Service) came to ~$43.

@Shock

I could not understand the First Point as I was not trying to sell any Personal Stuff or am I missing something? Please let me know if that's the case.

Your point is valid but as I've said in the Opening Post; sometimes Weird/Uncommon but Interesting & Useful Instruments with Right Price Point pop up in the Search Results but of no Interest to us at that moment (e.g. Signal Forge SF-1000 (Uncommon & Right Price Point), Avtech AVMP-3 (Right Price Point; for $40), some nice Dranetz Power Quality Analyzers (Right Price Point; for less than $100) etc. from my Experience and sometimes they won't be shown in the Search Results if you're Directly Searching for them due to Keyword/Description Issue in the Listings.). If we're able to pass that Info. here someone else from the Community may get benefited but if the Larger Consensus here say that's Redundant and Not Necessary then No Issues, let this Thread be Dead.

[ebastler]

I think posting ebay links here is kind of self-defeating. If it really is a link to an interesting item (relevant equipment at a good price), then right away it will no longer be interesting: It will either be gone, in case of buy-it-now offers, or prices will go up, in case of auctions.

[shuvodutta]

Ooops, I think I forgot to mention something else specifically. I've intended this thread not only for me but for all Forum Members who wish to post something related to the Topic. (That's why I've mentioned this as Consolidated Place-Holder in the Very First Post but that may not be relevant any more as I can see this Thread is already almost Dead!  )

@ebastler

True up to certain extent but not always. 

[Shock]

I can see this Thread is already almost Dead!  )

May this idea rest in peace, like the others that had the same idea before you.

[shuvodutta]

Yes, I do agree. 

[Mr. Scram]

Ooops, I think I forgot to mention something else specifically. I've intended this thread not only for me but for all Forum Members who wish to post something related to the Topic. (That's why I've mentioned this as Consolidated Place-Holder in the Very First Post but that may not be relevant any more as I can see this Thread is already almost Dead!  )

@ebastler

True up to certain extent but not always. 

I have to ask, what's with the capitalisation? It's mostly nouns, but not quite.

[Stray Electron]

What I felt is, as the Price Point is quite right (including Shipping); some Electronics Enthusiast (preferably within U.S.A., as International Shipping rates are pretty High.) may take the benefit.

  Yes, you are quite correct.  For the ones of us that live in a very technology oriented area (I'm in Orlando) and can buy stuff locally and don't have to pay shipping there are some excellent deals out there. I have two 3488s that I bought from a local E-bayer for less than $10 each.  No one else bid on them so I got them for the opening bid price and I drove over and picked them up in person so there was no shipping costs.

[shuvodutta]

@ Mr. Scram

Capitalization has been used to Highlight certain Keywords and to make it easier for Skim Reading (at least that was the Intention.). It's purpose is something like using Bold/Underlined Words to put Emphasis. I've developed this Habit in my Last (and First too  ) Organization where this Norm is in Practice for long time. Modern Document/Email Editors provide many Powerful Ways to achieve the same but my guess is; this started in UNIX Terminal Era in my Organization and followed by people for any Handwritten/Electronic Documents (and I've adopted it too without any Question!  ).

(b.t.w. I think my Hands & Eyes have grown something like their own Minds  after these many years and they sometimes go with Capitalization for their own Visual Pleasure. I'm sorry if they've misbehaved.  )

@Stray Electron

Yes, exactly. That was the Essence of this Topic.

You really got Excellent Deals. I'm not so fortunate to take advantage of Local Pickup in such cases but I also got lucky once, bagged a HP 5335A in very Good Condition for $50 (+ Shipping) as no one else has put bid on it (I still had to pay for Shipping & Customs Duty but it was much lesser due to the Lower Cost of the Equipment.).

[Mr. Scram]

@ Mr. Scram

Capitalization has been used to Highlight certain Keywords and to make it easier for Skim Reading (at least that was the Intention.). It's purpose is something like using Bold/Underlined Words to put Emphasis. I've developed this Habit in my Last (and First too  ) Organization where this Norm is in Practice for long time. Modern Document/Email Editors provide many Powerful Ways to achieve the same but my guess is; this started in UNIX Terminal Era in my Organization and followed by people for any Handwritten/Electronic Documents (and I've adopted it too without any Question!  ).

(b.t.w. I think my Hands & Eyes have grown something like their own Minds  after these many years and they sometimes go with Capitalization for their own Visual Pleasure. I'm sorry if they've misbehaved.  )

@Stray Electron

Yes, exactly. That was the Essence of this Topic.

You really got Excellent Deals. I'm not so fortunate to take advantage of Local Pickup in such cases but I also got lucky once, bagged a HP 5335A in very Good Condition for $50 (+ Shipping) as no one else has put bid on it (I still had to pay for Shipping & Customs Duty but it was much lesser due to the Lower Cost of the Equipment.).

Don't worry, I was just curious. I expected it was something like that, although I have to admit the capitals in unusual places trip my eyes up and slow reading down rather than speeding it up. If you're not used to it, finding capitals where they're not expected leads to a lot of double takes.

[shuvodutta]

Yes, that's true. Even I had the same issue in the beginning.

Might be this is the time for me to start using some low pass filter on Capitalization!