Jackpot at auction

[markav2]

A few days ago I hit the mother load of equipment at auction. Paid a total of $205 for all listen equipment.

Fluke 45 Dual Display Multimeter $37
Hewlett Packard 66332A Dynamic Measurement DC Source $14
Agilent Technologies E3632A DC Power Supply $110
Kikusui PAB 18-1A Regulated DC Power Supply $7
HP 6825A Bipolar Power Supply/Amplifier Calibration:7/16/2013  $18.50
HP E3615A DC Power Supply, 0-20V, 0-3A; Calibration: 2/18/2000 $18.50

None of it was listed as nonworking so hopefully, when I'm able to get it in a home shop and do some testing it will all be good.

Anybody else have any massive auction scores?

[Berni]

Nice score.

Even if some of it doesn't work, most of this equipment has excellent service manuals with full schematics so fixing it should not be too hard.

There is a thread about it tho: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/list-your-test-equipment-score-here!/

[//Matt//]

Nice! I'm a bit jealous. 

[Richard Crowley]

Do we need a new forum section for gloating?   

[jmelson]

A few days ago I hit the mother load of equipment at auction. Paid a total of $205 for all listen equipment.

Holy S**T!  Why have I never been to an auction like that?  The ones I went to, there were entire tables of gear sold as one lot, and you are bidding against dealers.  I just about never bought anything at auctions, but sometimes did buy stuff from the dealers, later.

well, sure a nice gloat!!

Jon

[james_s]

Nice scores, was that on ebay?

Every once in a while I find a great bargain although I don't think I've ever found multiple scores like that at once. Auctions are funny like that though, lots of times I've seen a nice example of something sell for a fraction the price of a beat up worn out example a few days earlier. I've missed some good deals before simply because I wasn't actively seeking something and one sold for peanuts when I wasn't looking. It's all a matter of timing and who happens to be looking at the time.

[Electro Detective]

Nice score mate, hope it all works straight up    (...slowly with a variac please!) 

I gave up on 'bricks and mortar' auctions ages ago, waste of time, petrol
and bruised anticipation to 'maybe' score some bargains, and or rare/retro gear, old school tools etc. etc.

some here may know that deal... ?

HOURS blown freezing ass, paired with dwindling excitement and patience   
whilst sipping on horrible supplied cheapest of the cheapest coffee, hot water from corrosion tasting urn vessels,
paper cups made from recycled dunny paper (? )
and powdered milk I suspect may have been swept up and saved plaster dust.
I wasn't going to  brave the sugar...

some here may know that deal too... ?   
 

I went to a few before I finally worked out why I wasn't scoring anything worthwhile, and gave it a miss


Typical scenario:

Grubby, kicked around, mostly non working 'it turns on..' gear, with pre-jurrasic calibration expiry dates, missing small but vital unobtanoium parts,
with bids approaching new replacement prices 

I am confident some bidder/buyers in the crowd were also getting a paycheck from the auctioneers to pump things up,
and any unsold gear or stuff they won and didn't want, tossed back into the next auction pool.
They had this shifty look, bid style and suss body language vibe about them too the arrogant assholes
 

Worse still, a LOT of fools there engaging in what seemed to be personal bids wars with other fools 


Luckily Ebay and online auctions came along    for battlers today to have half a chance to score a fair bargain,
save on wasted petrol and time,

and not catch death of cold in those clammy dog forsaken warehouses, somewhere in the back end of shyte creek shire   

[Brumby]

Do we need a new forum section for gloating?   

There is this thread... List your test equipment "scores" here!

[tggzzz]

Nice score mate, hope it all works straight up    (...slowly with a variac please!) 

Don't power up an SMPS with a variac.

SMPSs are designed to deliver a constant output power. The lower the input voltage, the higher the input current. High input currents can damage switching transistors.

Do replace Rifa delayed action smoke generators on sight, before applying power.

[Berni]

Yeah variacs and SMPS soft start circuits don't play nice. Slow variac power up is more suited for old tube equipment. Just make sure its on the right input voltage setting and plug it right in (Perhaps also measure the prongs on the mains plug with a multimeter that there is no short between L and N or to earth). The stuff is reasonably modern enough to not go bang when power is applied. Tho if there is any evidence of liquid dirt or something rattling inside definitely take it apart and have a look before applying power.

But most of this gear still has oldschool iron transformers in them. A lot of it is also new enough to not have the horrible mains capacitors that catch fire.

[tggzzz]

A lot of it is also new enough to not have the horrible mains capacitors that catch fire.

I don't know how similar these are to the old horrors: https://cpc.farnell.com/c/electronic-electrical-components/capacitors/rifa-capacitors

[tautech]

Do we need a new forum section for gloating?   

There is this thread... List your test equipment "scores" here!

Yep and the OP would be entitled to this:
The jammy git award.

[Electro Detective]

Thanks to the gents pulling me over about the SMPS thing   

After tossing/replacing suspect The Exorcist style RIFA PITAs 

would an appropriate in line fuse and or light globe buffer be a safe enough turn on these post auction SMPS thingies? 

[tautech]

Thanks to the gents pulling me over about the SMPS thing   

After tossing/replacing suspect The Exorcist style RIFA PITAs 

would an appropriate in line fuse and or light globe buffer be a safe enough turn on these post auction SMPS thingies? 

Some SMPS are dim bulb tolerant but some are not.
Member bd139 warned me not to use a dim bulb tester on a SMPS Philips CRO I have but it takes little time to check the output caps and diodes plus also the few components on the hot side and then use the correct fuse so to not let too much magic smoke out. 

[bd139]

A lot of it is also new enough to not have the horrible mains capacitors that catch fire.

I don't know how similar these are to the old horrors: https://cpc.farnell.com/c/electronic-electrical-components/capacitors/rifa-capacitors

They’re fine. I replace RIFA with RIFA. They just have an operational lifespan. I’ve never seen one blow in anything under about 25 years so I aim to replace every 15 years.