RIP Ron Barns Estate Test Equipment Liquidation - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:22:26 pm
content: "Prozone Water Products Inc., founded by physicist Ron Barnes in 1977, provides unique solutions to purification requirements of fluids, air and surfaces. Pioneers of Ozone, Germicidal UV-C, and Advanced Oxidation Process technologies, Prozone’s expertise is designing safe and efficient methods for industrial and commercial water treatment. Specializing in partnering with industry leaders to solve diverse sanitation and purification problems, Prozone is the trusted authority. Prozone has manufactured and supplied over a million purification systems throughout the world for point-of-use drinking water, cistern and well water systems, aquatics systems, plant, fruit, and vegetable processing systems, fisheries, hatcheries, cooling towers, recreational water, and waste and sewage water treatment."Please read about Ron with the below link.https://www.prozoneint.com/company-information/I cherish the opportunity I had to work for Ron as an Electrical engineer. Ron was a very successful physicist, Optics Engineer, Electrical Engineer, and chemist. Ron has contributed so much to the technology we have now. The story I value is how he is a co-inventor of the CD/DVD.In his time of passing I have been given the opportunity to find a home for all the test equipment he has collected over the years. All of these items are older than I am and will need help identifying if the equipment is worth my time to keep for any reason or recycle as necessary.Here are a few photos to get the thread started.[ Specified attachment is not available ] [ Specified attachment is not available ] [ Specified attachment is not available ]

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:30:05 pm
content: If you don't know what you have and have no idea what any of it is worth, your best bet is to list it on ebay with starting bids chosen so that you don't lose money on the transaction once you factor in the fees and let it sell for whatever it sells for. You could post a complete list here and let people make offers, or search ebay for sold items and you might get some traction that way. Without a list of items or a bunch more pictures there isn't much to talk about. A pile of old test equipment could be anything, it's possible there are some real gems in there but it could also be a bunch of old junk. I don't think the microvoltmeter pictured is worth much but it's too nice to just recycle.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:33:42 pm
content: heres another

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:34:31 pm
content: oscilloscope

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:35:18 pm
content: Last one for the next few days

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:45:53 pm
content: Because Ron really liked his mercury tube lamps he had plenty of high voltage power supplies, so i will be grabbing those as soon as i can.there are reels of diodes of some unknown age

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:54:31 pm
content: You're in the right place, but it doesn't look promising so far. Please take the time to take good photos and make sure the nameplate, etc are visible. From what I see so far, the Fluke 883A may be of some interest to somebody but not at very much money, but the others are pretty unlikely to be claimed. The chart recorder is of historical interest only, the oscilloscope will likely be parted out for the tubes and the power supply is too heavy to merit shipping. Unless I'm mistaken and some specific model you've shown, or have yet to show, is particularly sought after, you may not have much there. But certainly take the time to post photos, we'll certainly look at them. Perhaps there's a gem or two in there.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:58:16 pm
content: Quote from: edavid on August 29, 2021, 06:51:38 pmI will work on that detail, I really struggled to post the few. The odd part my computer views them the way i took the photos. Can anyone tell me why the forum rotated the photos?

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 06:59:52 pm
content: Bookmarked. Good advice all around so far. Hopefully you are successful in the sales.By the way, is all this located in Huntsville, AL where the company was located? That would help with the decision making in calculating shipping or perhaps local delivery for the heavier items.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2021, 07:21:11 pm
content: Posting the location will focus interest for you. Also, if the location is Huntsville there are enough engineers in the area to make Craigslist posting or even a yard sale viable ways to dispose of equipment. A yard sale would be posted in Craiglist and possibly the local newspaper want ads and notice to local radio clubs, maker shops and the like. Your first post isn't terrible as the header for these notices and a photo of the shop/storage room showing general contents would help draw interest. These local venues will help in disposing of heavy items and may be the only way to dump things like the chart recorder.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2021, 05:20:08 am
content: I've always thought those old strip chart recorders were cool, but can you even get the paper for them anymore? The consumables are always the problem with stuff like that.Nothing shown so far that I'd be interested in, none of it would be worth what it would cost to ship it to me. Are there any hamfests in the area? This seems like the sort of thing you might expect to see there. It's also possible some of it could be of interest to a Hollywood prop rental company but there's the location and shipping problem.I agree that some overall pictures of the lab could be helpful here, someone might spot a gem that didn't even occur to you might be of interest.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2021, 05:43:53 am
content: Quote from: james_s on August 30, 2021, 05:20:08 amPaper is still obtainable for all the ones I have tried, but pens are a bigger problem. The real issue is that for most purposes digitizing the data is better and cheaper. Also smaller and lighter. But if you think they are cool enough I have a couple you can have for the cost of shipping.

author: med6753
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2021, 05:27:05 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 29, 2021, 06:34:31 pmThat's a Tektronix clone....made by either Lavoie or Hikok. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 02:15:38 am
content: Quote from: CatalinaWOW on August 30, 2021, 05:43:53 amI appreciate the offer, but space is the primary issue for me at this point, if I had infinite space I would definitely have one in my collection of random gadgets. I agree that digitizing the data is cheaper and better by almost every measure except the cool factor.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 02:16:17 am
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 29, 2021, 06:45:53 pmWhat kind of mercury tube lamps? I collect unusual lamps, that actually might be something I'd be interested in.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 09:53:39 am
content: I'm not sure what this is.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 09:55:47 am
content: I'm sorry for the picture I took the photo in portrait and I think that's why its rotated.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 09:57:24 am
content: I got a boot of loot

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 09:59:30 am
content: This has really nice nixy tubes

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:00:38 am
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 31, 2021, 09:53:39 amThat is a time base plug-in for a Tektronix oscilloscope. Many older Tek scopes are mainframes with plug-ins for vertical and horizontal. There may be someone here who could use one.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:03:01 am
content: I think this is a power supply

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:05:30 am
content: Usually the picture has some information attached to it (called EXIF) that contains lots of information about it, such as location, ISO, exposure and even rotation.One of the many picture editing software available can rotate this picture for you. I use Irfanview, which is excellent and very cheap (if you want to optionally contribute to its author).Software:https://www.irfanview.com/Rotating:https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/104337/how-i-can-losslessly-rotate-photos

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:07:35 am
content: I think this is a 3 phase inverter

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:18:19 am
content: Hipot tester

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 10:21:50 am
content: Quote from: james_s on August 31, 2021, 02:16:17 amThey are not anything special, and I have not been told I can grab some. Prozone is still in business so they may test and use.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 04:39:03 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 31, 2021, 10:07:35 amIt is, it's for generating 400Hz 3 phase power from the 28VDC bus in a large aircraft. Not very useful for most people, but it has value for someone who wants to power up old aircraft instruments, people do collect aviation memorabilia.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 04:43:12 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 31, 2021, 09:59:30 amI'd be interested in that portable color CRT TV sitting on top of it if you're able to grab that. It's not particularly valuable but I'd pay something for the effort to pack and ship it. The nixie tubes do look nice, I already have enough of those but they are easy to sell.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 04:45:06 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 31, 2021, 09:57:24 amI see a Variac in there, those are always useful. Unfortunately most of this equipment looks filthy and unloved but there are likely a few decent odds & ends in there.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 08:35:38 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on August 31, 2021, 04:43:12 pmPleasedo notpart that out, that counter is one of the hardest to find and most complex too.I'm still looking for one to add to myhpcollection.David

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 08:42:04 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on August 31, 2021, 10:03:01 amThat is a Harrison 802B twin low voltage power supply (Harrison were taken over byhp), hope it's in better condition than the rusty remains I found locally.David

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2021, 09:36:09 pm
content: Quote from: factory on August 31, 2021, 08:35:38 pmWell it looks like this may be your chance to get one, I'm certainly not going to fight you for it. Looks like it's not in very good condition but if it's a rare item it could be restored.

author: 5065AGuru
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2021, 12:46:17 am
content: The HP5360A counter shown is indeed rare. I used a newer version one in the early 70s and it was indeed a nice counter. However a 53131A or 53132A will easily outperform it.It is however the very early version with nixies. The newer version used panaplex displays.Also some older versions used a version of wire wrap on the boards which could make repairs more difficult. A nice nostalgia piece!Cheers,Corby

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2021, 12:25:16 pm
content: Please keep this thread bookmarked. I will be trying to make more trips to this gettin' spot. I'll post photos as I can and once the place is empty I'll go through what I bring home and decide what I want to keep or sell. Or just find a new home to it.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2021, 01:56:19 pm
content: Also I do not know if this interests anyone but I am looking to further build my lab. I will be willing to trade equipment. I will try to clean up some of this equipment too.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 04:52:12 pm
content: I found chemistry glassware. I am not sure what I will do with it as an EE but I'm assuming it has value.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 04:54:25 pm
content: Watt meter, history?

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 04:55:44 pm
content: Data plate

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:45:05 pm
content: That is some nasty looking glassware. Some of that stuff is indeed expensive, however I would be very hesitant to take any of it without knowing what is all over it. Chemicals can really bite you, that white residue could be something completely harmless or it could be something highly toxic.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:51:50 pm
content: The wattmeter is quite beautiful!

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:55:01 pm
content: Would anyone be interested in ICs or specific components

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:55:34 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on September 11, 2021, 05:51:50 pmThe date seems unbelievable. I'm pretty sure they don't mean 1879 either, so

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:56:36 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on September 11, 2021, 05:55:01 pmYes, but someone has to sort and ID them. Are they packaged and organized or

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 05:58:07 pm
content: Kinda ya there in tubes

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 06:00:13 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on September 11, 2021, 05:58:07 pmWell, give us some examples and photos and an idea how many and what variety. They could be junk or they could be gold.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 06:12:00 pm
content: Quote from: jonwilhelmjr on September 11, 2021, 05:55:01 pmThat depends on what they are. Unsorted random components are worth very little, they can be great for a hobbyist though, I have fond memories of sorting through random grab bags and boxes full of components I got when I was a kid. Occasionally you might find a valuable part in a random selection, but there's also often a lot of junk. Stuff like non-eraseable ROMs that are already programmed or weird custom parts that have no use outside of whatever they were designed for.

author: jonwilhelmjr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 06:27:51 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on September 11, 2021, 06:12:00 pmIf you want I can tag you in any future photos when I go through this heaping pile

author: richfiles
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2021, 04:44:40 am
content: I'm working on a project that relies on 400Hz to run some old aviation instruments. What would you want for that 3-phase aviation inverter. Only really need one phase, but I could measure the impedances of the transformers and try to reverse engineer it, or just use a single phase, if it'll let me. I might also be interested in a chart recorder, mostly as a retro display item, if I can snag one for cheap. I like their look, though obviously not a lot of actual uses today.