Good time for modest home lab equipment acquisition  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: unimorpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2017, 07:55:12 pm
content: With all of the test equipment liquidations and closeouts, ITT Tech and Agilent DMM to name a few, it seems to be a really good time to pickup some good gear. I personally have covered my DMM requirement with two Agilent U1252Bs and two GW-Instek GDM-8251A bench DMMs. All of this for less than one used 6.5 digit bench DMM from the big three. I see there is other gear available from the ITT debacle that may help others build a reasonable home lab for learning purposes which is what I am doing. Good times indeed.

author: ProBang2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2017, 11:01:27 pm
content: Not for ITT and the employees...

author: unimorpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2017, 12:03:24 am
content: Quote from: ProBang2 on February 24, 2017, 11:01:27 pmOr the students stuck half way through degree programs with credits that are not transferring anywhere. I talked a friend out of going back to get her BS after getting her AA from ITT. Her point was she would have to start over if she went somewhere else. My point was exactly, so why compound the problem with two more years. Six months later they locked the doors.

author: TheNewLab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2017, 06:45:13 am
content: So, where are you finding the closeout items? Are there some websites or are you approaching these people directly?

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2017, 06:47:59 am
content: There's lots of it on eBay.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 01:29:07 am
content: You get lucky now and then, but most of the test gear on ebay is sitting at rather optimistic BIN prices quite a bit higher than I suspect the stuff would sell for at auction. People who have gear to sell look on ebay and see those high prices and think theirs is worth that much too, or they have a broken one and think it's worth 90% of what a tested working one is. Broken gear can be a winner if it's cheap but the risk is high that it will be uneconomical to repair unless you can find a parts unit with something else wrong. Lots of shipping gouging too, I mean $150 to ship a scope a few states away? UPS has gotten expensive, but it's not *that* expensive.A few months ago it seemed there were quite a few deals on bulkier CRT based scopes and analyzers as everyone wants compact LCD units now but unless you find one local shipping is a killer.

author: JenniferG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 01:57:04 am
content: Quote from: unimorpheus on February 24, 2017, 07:55:12 pmJust wondering what the appeal of the Agilent U1252B's were. I am newb, so I apologize. Even though they are half off, they are still sort of expensive for me for a handheld.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 02:03:55 am
content: Quote from: james_s on March 01, 2017, 01:29:07 amThis is a bit of a red herring. The eBay shipping field is, in practice, just avisible reserveprice. After all, final value fees apply to both the final value and the shipping. Change the label from "Shipping" to "Reserve" and it'll look better.

author: unimorpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 02:28:23 am
content: Quote from: bitseeker on March 01, 2017, 02:03:55 amHaving sold on eBay recently w/ several different items I think the small sellers are in a tough spot. With eBay's sky high final value fees, tracked shipping cost and PayPal's cut unless you got the item for damn near free it's hardly worth selling. eBay has truly moved toward the high volume seller an I think they realize that as they encourage small sellers to sell things they just have lying around in a garage. You certainly can't make any money trying to flip something you find you just didn't want or need.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 05:40:40 am
content: I don't blame people for trying to get around some of the shady stuff ebay does but it still rubs me the wrong way. It's like when food products come in smaller quantities but the box stays the same size or the same height/width but gets thinner. I understand the need to raise prices but when they try to hide it like that I feel like someone is trying to cheat me, I notice it, and I don't like being cheated. What really burns me up about ebay, and the reason I rarely sell anything anymore is the policy of charging final value fees on the shipping cost. Sell something cheap that costs a lot to ship and you can lose money on the sale and frankly I think that is unacceptable and probably ought to be illegal. Since I buy the postage through ebay they know precisely how much I paid and there is no way to skirt around the fees by selling a $1 item with $200 shipping. Postage purchased through ebay ought to be exempt from the fees, and then on top of those fees they own Paypal and double dip by taking a cut of that too. I bet there are mobsters who are more reasonable businessmen than that.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 07:46:07 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on March 01, 2017, 05:40:40 amThat would be an improvement, for sure.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 08:11:01 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on March 01, 2017, 05:40:40 amFortunately a lot of Chinese stuff can also be bought through Aliexpress and I'm using that more and more. When it comes to used equipment the deal has to be goodincludingthe shipping costs. If shipping is expensive then less is left for the seller.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 08:19:52 pm
content: If the seller didn't have to pay fees on the shipping on top of paying for the shipping itself, fees on the item sale price, and fees on the paypal transfer they wouldn't have to pass along so much of the expense to the buyer. I would sell more stuff if the fees didn't eat up so much of the profit, sometimes more than 100%.

author: JenniferG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 09:17:56 pm
content: I've already taken advantage of this ITT surplus with respect to power supply (GPD-3303s) and I am considering the GDM-8251 Multimeter as well.Any other stuff I should be taking advantage of with respect to this huge sell of? i.e. as a person just starting out. (All my current gear is pretty much listed in my signature).I dont have an signal generators nor frequency counter yet. Don't know when I'll need those for the pair of AoE books I'll be getting any day now.

author: unimorpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 10:10:00 pm
content: Quote from: JenniferG on March 01, 2017, 09:17:56 pmThe only think I really see based on your sig would be the Rigol DG1022A if you need a generator at some point. Below $100 shipped would be a good deal I think. I would not go for the 1022 unless really cheap.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2017, 10:27:23 pm
content: On the DG1022A, note that the ITT ones are not the A (at least the ones I've seen). The A is newer, has higher frequency output, fixes stuff I don't remember the details of, etc.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2017, 05:50:43 pm
content: Quote from: JenniferG on March 01, 2017, 01:57:04 amWell, they have great accuracy, 50,000 counts, 4-1/2 digits, a programmable square wave generator and a 20 MHz frequency counter.http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5989-5509EN.pdf?id=835490They are a great hand held meter from all appearances. However, I don't think I would rush out to buy a high $ meter that was used in a student environment. I just wouldn't... Fuses only protect just so much!Any decent handheld meter will be adequate. The EEVblog meter works well but it's around $125 at Amazon. It's a pretty nice meter. Of course, it's only 3-5/6 digits, 6000 counts. Sometimes I think we carry the digits to extremes. Is there really anything we can do out at the 6th decimal place? Or the 5th or the 4th?Then there is the idea of buying a used bench style multimeter. Here I would want one that is currently calibrated simply because you can't calibrate what doesn't work! I picked up that GW Instek GDM-8251A from eBay but it doesn't include calibration. We'll see... I also picked up an HP3478A because Dave was showing off how accurate his was. This one does come with current calibration. Again, we'll see...I bought one of the $20 DMMs just to see if there is any hope of accuracy. I have the DMMCheck Plus so I have a benchmark. It too is a 6000 count meter, similar to the EEVblog meter. I don't know when it will get here but if it is any good at all, I'll use it.http://www.ebay.com/itm/311773197220I just started buying stuff in the great hope that my grandson will do something related to EE in college. I have never had a bench DMM, never had a DSO or AWG either. The Brymen works fine for what I need. Coupled with two bench meters (assuming they both work) I should be just about full-up on meters.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2017, 06:09:15 pm
content: Quote from: JenniferG on March 01, 2017, 09:17:56 pmIn LTAoE, the signal generator and oscilloscope are first discussed on page 32, section 1L.6 but really come into play in section 2L page 78. In other words, you won't get far without them. As a casual observer, there doesn't appear to be anything special required of the signal generator so even the FG085 might be adequate - for a while.https://www.amazon.com/Function-Generator-DIY-Tech-FG085/dp/B00C5UO8U6It only has a single output, if that matters. It's kind of a neat kit to build if you want to get more time with a soldering iron.I'm not going to reiterate that the Digilent Analog Discovery is the best way to get these labs done. But it probably is...

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2017, 08:57:48 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on March 02, 2017, 05:50:43 pmJust admit you want toys for yourself!You should know by now kids go their own way.

author: ProBang2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 01:05:32 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 02, 2017, 08:57:48 pmYepp - just another case of TEA...(Welcome to the club!)

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 01:39:44 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 02, 2017, 08:57:48 pmMy personal interests lie in FPGAs and analog computing. No other analog and little discrete digital. At most, I need a multimeter, a logic analyzer and a high bandwidth scope. Got 'em and have had them for quite a while. The rest of this stuff really is here to promote EE or equivalent. Any STEM degree, I don't care which! Something that will put food on the table.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 01:49:10 am
content: I always tell mine that if you can make something with your hands you'll always have a job.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 04:36:36 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 03, 2017, 01:49:10 amMy father made sure my brother and I could always make a living as Journeyman Electricians. It's a great trade when focusing on industrial. Not so much for residential. In one way or another, the electrical thing kept me fed all my life including my retirement. Not bad at all...The electronics thing has always been a hobby.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 03:42:57 pm
content: The power supplies seem to be dying out, there aren't so many on eBay any more. Except on place selling a pallet of 100 of them, plus significant freight costs for shipping, at a per item asking price higher than most of them are selling for. So who's going to buy 100 of the things they can't resell for a decent profit AND there are no guarantees that all 100 are in working condition?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 06:29:45 pm
content: I doubt all the power supplies are sold. If there is one batch of hundred there will be more batches of 100. Someone else already wrote the sellers may be slowing down to keep prices up. I need the prices to go much lower to make it sensible for me to buy one due to the shipping costs. But I might just pull the trigger and buy a new (different model) GW Instek PSU locally. The same goes for the DMM.

author: unimorpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 06:58:23 pm
content: Bought a couple of the DMMs, $90 each plus $30 shipping. One seems to be older than the other with firmware one version lower but both appear to function well. Will be updating firmware on both tonight. Both have a few more scuffs on the display plate than I would have expected but nothing significant. Slight yellowing of the plastic on the connection panel so these units may be a bit older than I expected. I cannot find a date ref internally or externally and I don't know if there is a serial number database but for basically $105 each shipped it really doesn't matter.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2017, 07:15:47 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on March 02, 2017, 05:50:43 pmJust so.QuoteI dare you to assert that in a voltnut forumQuoteYou might say that. I couldn't possibly comment (cfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Urquhart)

author: usagi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2017, 07:58:18 am
content: Quote from: JenniferG on March 01, 2017, 01:57:04 amit's a legit handheld DMM with excellent specs thatone ebay seller is blowing out the door for rather unbelievable prices. it's equivalent of a fluke 87V, a rather respected handheld DMM. you can snag one on ebay for $200, when they retail for almost $500.