Ok, I need advice on test equipment pricing, I have only been to one hamfest & that was last year at Lansing Mi. I really enjoyed it, but at that time I was a radio collector & had little interests in restoring, Well times have changed !

I only really need an isolation transformer and a signal generator would be nice, but not needed at this weekends swap in Midland Michigan. I have a nice Fluke multimeter, soldering equipment & a 260 Simpson multimeter.

I read all day long you should be able to get this stuff cheap ! I don't want junk as I'm a newbie and don't need problems with my test equipment. How much money should I have in my back pocket for a good isolation transformer ? Not something that needs wired up, or something found in grandma's attic that should work. A good one on the auction site starts at around $50 and shipping is not cheap as they are heavy. What should I pay for a good one at a hamfest ? Will there be a good one at a hamfest ? A lot of times I see people selling their junk because they themselves upgraded. I might as well get a decent one to start with.

Next is the signal generator, I'm clueless on these as I'm still reading and learning about them, but if I could find a good one this weekend I probably should grab it. Is a standard RF generator what I need ? I only see me working on the AA5 radios with shortwave. I kinda have the AM part down on what I need (RF generator) but does shortwave require anything special ? What should I expect to pay for something decent ?

I have searched the various posts prior to posting this & see the replies that " I found one for $5" or "don't pay over $20" but yet I have a feeling them prices are low when look on the auction site for something in known good condition. I have also read that you can get one cheap if you recalibrate & restore it, I don't want that as I want something that I know works & is accurate. Not something this newbie restorer rebuilt and screwed all up ! Lol

Yes, I tend to exaggerate my posts a little, but you guys know what I'm looking for on the real world price guidelines ? I'm not going to the swap with just $20 in my pocket because I read I should be able to get this stuff all day long for that. But yet if the truth comes out that I better take $100, I might just sit this show out and save my money for the bigger summer show.

Thanks Guys !
Dan

PS, I did like the post where they talked about Jabba the Hutt eating sausage sandwiches and selling high dollar junk, it reminded me of car part swap meets I have been to. Lol
http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 8&t=190897

I’m sure you’ll get a lot of good advice on this topic. Mine is don’t go in with high expectations or expect to find exactly what you want at the price you want to pay. Just think of it as a pleasant way to spend the day browsing around, and if you find something that catches your eye for a good price, you scored. Like E-Bay sellers, the sellers at hamfests come from all walks of life, and have their own ways of thinking. There are a lot of decent guys, they are not all Jabba or the guy straight out of the 70’s who you know lives out of the Econoline van he is selling from.

-Mark-

^^^ Ditto to wut Mark P. said ^^^

dan d :
This is America, land of the over-weight and you might as well get used to a lot of Jabbas at hamfests/flea markets. All the Jack LaLanes and Swarzeneggers are jogging and working out at Muscle Beach... not at hamfests!
Anymore these days, I approach hamfests with entertainment in mind. There are going to be normal folks to certifiable nuts there. Don't be timid or afraid to make a lower offer on something. The worst that can happen is the normal seller counter-offers or the certifiable nut replies with a lecture on justifying their unreasonably high price tag. And believe me (and Mark P.) that there are sellers who virtually live and sell out of their vehicle for the most part! Remember that most hamfests also have indoor vendor booths that often sell new or next-to-new items. Often you can plug in the item at a nearby power outlet. Anyone that gives you a song & dance or starts pressuring you with guilt to buy from them should be avoided--- jusy keep walking along.

When you go to a hamfest, flea market or similar, it's no different than going to a car dealer --- the money is in your wallet; the wallet stays in your pocket; you are the buyer that has the overall edge. Keep it that way and you'll do fine. To the seller that blurts out a stooopid pitch line at me to buy his worthless Dumont o-scope that has dings, phosphor burns and missing knobs, I respond with a facial expression that signals him to get real and move the decimal point 2 or 3 places to the left!!

I didn't mean to say I expect to see Arnold the body builder there, heck I'm a Jabba the Hutt in training myself & I even like sausage sandwiches

I just read about all these great deals & wanted clarification of what to pay at a hamfest or what to expect for quality of equipment. I wouldn't mind a 1950 heathkit signal generator, I just don't want something that the cords are all frayed, have mostly electrical tape on them for insulation, and have paint spots all over them (for some reason I see a lot of that) & you can barley read the dial numerals. And then told I might have to put new tubes & caps in it. I'm willing to pay a little more for something in decent shape & I am wondering what a "little more" is ?

I see so many isolation transformers that are not wired up & look like someone ripped them out of a piece of equipment.

Is there a harbor freight type online store where I can just buy this stuff for a reasonable price ?
Dan

Hamfests are like any other kind of flea market; if you don't go in with any expectations, you won't come out with any disappointments! Instead, treat it as a social event, to talk to others having similar interests. Get there as early as possible so you'll have a shot at the best stuff, but try to stay to the end because the best deals of the day come when people are packing up things they'd rather not take home again.

The key to successful flea market haggling is to know what you are looking at. This means doing your homework, either by going to lots of hamfests, or by looking at completed auction listings on eBay. If you see five or ten similar signal generators in the $10 to $15 price range, you won't buy the one that has a $50 price tag on it!

Most vintage RF signal generators will have multiple bands that cover AM and SW frequencies (and many will cover higher frequencies). Very old signal generators that covered AM frequencies were called test oscillators. By looking at the frequency scale, it is easy to see if the AM frequencies KC (prior to adopting hertz) and SW frequencies (MC) of interest to you are covered. 200 kilohertc to 30 megahertz should be adequate.

Thanks for that info !

The more I think about it, I would enjoy going to the swap with a carefree attitude, usually when I go to something like that I am on a specific mission & don't really enjoy myself. I'm either preoccupied with what I'm looking for & missing out on good conversations & chances to learn new things or I'm disappointed that I cannot find what I'm looking for.
Dan

I am happy with my old Heathkit IG-102 generator. I dont worry about "calibration" as I tee'd it to an HP 5381A frequency counter to assure more accuracy. While the generator will go up to FM freq's on the high range, using harmonics, the freq. counter will only support up to 80 MHz. Good enough for AM broadcast band and SW too. I also have a sweep generator I can use for FM if I need to. Mine were both ebay finds (generator and freq counter) with less than 60.00 invested including shipping. You may or may not find a similiar deal. Good luck!

The biggest problem is there usually is no way to plug the test equipment in and see if it works at all.

Particularly hazardous are equipments with often dead and unobtainable parts-- most anything made after 1975 will have custom IC's that they just don't make anymore. I've had to scrap several HP very nice signal generators due to bad ECL ICs, and bad output amplifier ICs.

So don't pay any more than you can lose.

Guaranteed working test gear is rare at flea markets/hamfests though there are a few people who specialize in that. It does up the price somewhat. Your best bet is to stumble over someone selling stuff from an estate where there is a pretty good chance it was working recently. Or, perhaps better, buy something new from the Far East, which will give you something to use while you search further.

If you're good at conversations, ask everyone what they might have at home, or know about (maybe a buddy of theirs wants to sell something). Some people wear cards listing what they want (make the printing large enough to read at a distance, and limit it to one or two items).

Take a lot more cash than you think you'll need. There's nothing worse than finding your dream equipment and not having the money in your pocket to pay for it. You won't have much time to think and compare items from different sellers; you'll probably wind up buying a couple of "maybe" items before you find the real thing. If you don't, you may come home with nothing.

And I almost forgot the most important thing: buy a seller's table and get in early. Best money you'll ever spend. Bring something to put on the table and a box for the money and forget about it for a while.

If you are at a hamfest and are serious on buying an item there, most fests now have a table set up near the Admin/registration/raffle drawing table somewhere indoor. There you will see 12v power supply to handle cig. plugs, perhaps some common batteries, clip leads, a RF dummy load, 120vAC outlet, a speaker , a cheap DMM and maybe a few basic handtools. I often bring my own batteries, pocket DMM, and a multi-bit screwdriver. A small backpack makes for carrying things conveniently.

The one problem you may run into is the lone vendor that doesn't want to leave his table to accompany you to the test table that could be 2 acres away. That's his call and your decision to believe/not believe his word at it. Like it's been already stated here in this thread, don't over expect, and when you do find something that fits your needs, plan to dicker, dicker, and if not, try once more just as the seller is tearing down his setup. My own experience has been that more often I obtain items off of eBay in better condition and for less money that what's up for sale at hamfests. But that's just my experience.

Exactly - I like the way you're thinkin'! A couple bloody mary's or mimosa's at the breakfast beforehand and you're all set for great entertainment, with the knowledge that around noon or 1:00 it's nappy time after a fun day at the office...

Be aware that anything you buy may need recapping, and other work. However, once-pricey test gear is often cheap these days.

If you find a URM-25D or F; or a HP-606A or B in the $50 range grab it. Plenty of support on here and elsewhere as thousands were made and are easy overhauls.

Carl

Thanks for all the advice ! It is appreciated
Dan

Rule #1 of flea marketing, if you see something that you've been looking for or would really like to have and the price is anywhere near what you are willing to pay BUY IT. If you wait I can almost guarantee you it will be gone when you go back.

I busted open the piggy bank I can't wait till tomorrow
Dan

I agree with the comment to make a serious effort to find an outlet and test any "working" test eqt. before the seller can flee the scene. I could be more specific with advice of what types to approach carefully or avoid, but at risk of offending someone. So Just treat every seller with due respect, but caution. If you are rude to a decent seller, being overtly expressive of serious doubts about his veracity or pedegree, you will be called all sorts of nasty things behind your back, or worse. IF you let your guard down, some smilin' Jack will hose you, eventually. Just try to get the seller to be specific, no him hawing or I forget about that, excuses should be taken at face value. And I repeat, scout out an AC outlet to use in a reasonably accessable location. Or maybe even take along a DVM/VOM/multimeter and some odds and ends of batteries, not all gear is AC powered. All you "I think it works" guys, you know who you are!