Where to buy vintage electronic components? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sean0118
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 10:18:34 am
content: Some people on the forum might have trouble wrapping their heads around this question...Where are some good places to buy vintage electronic components from? Say 1970's ceramic era?I feel like making some vintage looking projects with socketed transistors, opamps, ICs etc from back in the day. Of course eBay has a lot, but they are relatively expensive. There must be some good websites out there that stock this sort of stuff?

author: Andy Watson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 10:50:54 am
content: Here's one, though I expect the postage will be a killer.http://www.6v6.co.uk/may be a bit too "valve" era for your tastes!

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 10:51:08 am
content: Socketed transistors,Op amps,IC's etc,were far from common in the 1970s .Most manufacturers just soldered them directly onto PCBs.The main proponents of this style of installation were Tektronix & HP.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 11:36:58 am
content: Conceivablyhttp://quarndon.co.uk/might have a some, but I've never looked seriously.

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 11:48:58 am
content: Hamfests. Most capitals have 2 - 6 per year within easy travelling distance.

author: sean0118
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 11:51:43 am
content: Quote from: Andy Watson on October 07, 2015, 10:50:54 amThanks, they seem to have some interesting kits. It also reminded me that I have a few valves stored away, I should use them in a project one of these days too.Quote from: vk6zgo on October 07, 2015, 10:51:08 amI did not know that, however I would still like to keep the parts as re-usable as possible...Quote from: tggzzz on October 07, 2015, 11:36:58 amThanks for the link, I'll check it out.Quote from: vk3yedotcom on October 07, 2015, 11:48:58 amGood point, I had a couple planned for Melbourne, but then I moved to Sydney, I should look into that.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 12:31:56 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on October 07, 2015, 10:51:08 amYou could also to that Zenith, Linear systems (SBE amateur radio gea) It was uncommon but far from rare.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 02:49:06 am
content: Quote from: AF6LJ on October 07, 2015, 12:31:56 pmSue,the manufacturers you refer to were very rarely seem in this country.Transistor sockets seems to have been largely a USA thing.In the Australian context,transistors in sockets were very uncommon,as they were regarded as unreliable.I do have a vague recollection of Philips using them in part of a TV board,& some TO-3 power transistors,mainly in car radios,were socketed.The American transistor sockets I've seen were very much better quality than the few for sale here in the 1970s,although those used by Tektronix & the likewouldbe the best available,so maybe consumer stuff wasn't as good.Sockets for IC's & Op amps were more often used ,but again in the Oz made & Japanese stuff which we mostly saw,if they could get away without them,they would,as it was an extra cost which cut into profits!Some UK & EU test equipment used sockets,but most were hardwired.

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 08:58:03 am
content: Quote from: sean0118 on October 07, 2015, 11:51:43 amThe big one is Wyong, but there's alsohttp://www.arnsw.org.au/html/page_tt.htm

author: Cliff Matthews
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 01:11:47 pm
content: These guys specialize in antique capacitors and resistors:http://www.justradios.com/(..attached the October 2015 price list / order form below)

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 03:21:37 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on October 08, 2015, 02:49:06 amI wasn't aware they were that uncommon in the 60s and 70s there in AU.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 05:54:48 pm
content: go to Lone pine mall October 21at 1 AMpick up the Delorean as it arrives back from 1955use it to pick up anything from any time era you wantdon't forget to take extra plutonium...

author: CrashO
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 05:57:30 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on October 08, 2015, 05:54:48 pmWho needs plutonium. Its 2015.. Just install a Mr. Fusion