AUCTION (UK) BBC TV Centre - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 12:33:24 am
content: Here's an auction of the contents of the BBC's studios at TV Centre.http://www2.ppauctions.com/auction.php?id=119There are loads of test equipment such as Tek scopes and Avo meters.Sale ends very soon.Ashley

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 04:34:48 am
content: My God.Seems it's pickup only though.Edit: Dammit, where are the *manuals* for all that stuff?I spotted a bit of gear I have - Tek 67-0570-01 PAL vectorscope test unit - that I've never been able to find any information, schematic or even mention of.Seems to be a rare piece, that I thought might have been only for Tektronix internal production test use. Oh well...Btw you can download the catalog and search in that. There's SO MUCH STUFF that it seems to have overwhelmed the market. Many items zero bids, despite others same with bids.Sad to consider what that BBC place must have been like. Anyone know the story?

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 06:14:26 am
content: made it to pg 36There is some interesting epuiptment there, yould could build a shack out all of those recording monitors.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 06:39:08 am
content: Quote from: Vgkid on November 02, 2014, 06:14:26 am74 more pages to go through, 44 total if you look at 50 at at time

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 08:03:56 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on November 02, 2014, 04:34:48 amThe BBC has £3,500,000,000 to spend each year. That money has to go somewhere. Most of what they are selling is obsolete in a digital world.A couple of years ago most of the BBC were moved from expensive London to the much cheaper Manchester. which also sparked a lot of equipment that was sat minding it's own business having to be stored somewhere. I guess it's now been decided to have a clear out.I'll almost certainly pick up from there, so if there's anything anyone needs then I can collect and ship on for a reasonable fee. PM me if interested.

author: jinzo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 10:59:56 am
content: Hm, I'm probably not the only one wondering what the approximate postage to EU is for example. Do you have any info in what ballpark figures are we talking per KG/item/size? Do you have a preferred courier so I can look it up?Thanks

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 11:12:07 am
content: http://www.interparcel.com/Usually use their standard service which is run by UPS. For size, add 15cm to each dimension for packing. The cost of a cardboard box and decent packaging will also need to be covered.It's worth remembering that there is also VAT and buyers premium on the hammer price, so if you get something for £100 then you'll end up paying about £140. Whether is works is a matter of luck. Generally it's only older things that go cheap, and these are less likely to work. Feet are often missing, mains cables cut off at the back of the unit so unless there is a big saving compared to elsewhere then it's not worth it. All the real bidding happens in the last few minutes so just because something is sat at £15 with an hour to go doesn't mean it won't go above £1000.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 01:28:20 pm
content: Quote from: KJDS on November 02, 2014, 08:03:56 amYou're right about most of it being obsolete. Having worked in professional video in my 20's, I tend to get a bit mouth-watery at the sight of all those Tektronix PAL waveform monitors and vectorscopes, but really... I don't need them. Maybe for a few dollars, but as you say, shipping, VAT, etc, would kill it.So thanks for the offer, but I'll pass.However, if you do go there, perhaps you could inquire about the manuals? I really would like to find a manual for my Tek 67-0570-01 PAL vectorscope test unit. Mostly because it's so strange, and never seen. To give an idea of the vintage it uses UHF connectors for the video signals. I think the Tek design engineers must have been just starting to learn about video signals themselves.

author: Yago
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 01:32:33 pm
content: Had a look through, there is some stuff in there that catches the eye.Kind offer to help there KJDS, thanks, will consider and PM if I decide to take a punt on something.Did anyone else look at the Kintetiq auction?Might come in handy if you have trouble with coastal neighbors, or fancy a bit of fishing on the local duck pond! :p

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 02:20:26 pm
content: Lets consider the important things. Are there any Daleks on oiffer?

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 02:42:23 pm
content: OK, WTF is anapathy meter?

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 02:52:20 pm
content: Don't know, don't really care

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 02:59:45 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on November 02, 2014, 02:52:20 pmA few people seem to have been able to overcome their indifference - 6 bids so far.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 03:50:04 pm
content: Quote from: rolycat on November 02, 2014, 02:42:23 pmWe have something almost identical at the gliding club: it records atmospheric pressure over time, often one week per roll.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 06:48:52 pm
content: I have one of those, it is a recording hygrometer and thermometer. Interesting is the humidity sensor uses human hair as the element. It records on graph paper with a pair of ink nib pens, and has a clockwork mechanism which you can change the gearing to give you a recording time of a day (24 hours) or a week, and the clockwork will run for about 9 days on a winding.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 09:31:31 pm
content: Well, I've finally looked through all the lots, and that's a lot of lots.What struck me - apart from the sheer variety of items on offer - is that there isn't really a single item which I would be interested in bidding on personally.There are quite a lot of items that I'd be happy to bid on to try to re-sell but I don't have enough time to sort it out at present (as I'm back at work full time now), and quite a few "interesting" items but some I could actually pick up cheaper on ebay (looking at the early bidding).But in terms of items I'd actually want or could use - zip.Chunk of heritage evaporating though.

author: Richard_L
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 10:37:07 pm
content: Very interesting looking through all the lots. I've not seen that many minidiscs in a long time. And, good heavens, this is just "Phase 2". Does anyone know what was in Phase 1 - was it yet more electronics or other contents like furniture and fittings?Personally, I like the multiple timezone wall clocks, but alas I have nowhere to put them.http://www2.ppauctions.com/lot.php?l_id=61692&id=119&search=&cat=all&perPage=20&sort=2&thisPage=93And hidden amongst all the electronics is a whopping great 3m x 22m Match of the Day background!http://www2.ppauctions.com/lot.php?l_id=61865&id=119&search=&cat=all&perPage=20&sort=2&thisPage=101

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2014, 12:22:51 am
content: I agree with you Grumpydoc, I was thinking that some of that stuff would have almost no resale value due to obsolesence. Tapes, who uses those...

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2014, 08:22:38 am
content: I agree. I looked through the whole lot, and came to the conclusion I can well understand why all that gear wasn't taken to the new site. I quite fancied the "keep out" sign for my lab, but it seems I wasn't alone.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2014, 10:40:58 am
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on November 03, 2014, 08:22:38 amHow about this? (pic)Came from an abandoned coal mine site. Was a bad air warning sign.The PCB has a grid of LED positions, just solder in the desired pattern. I'm still wondering exactly how rude I want it in the entrance to my workshop.Sadly it's organized as two letter rows with a gap between. So the graphic I might have wanted won't work.I keep thinking someone should buy all those video monitors, for a music video clip in which a tank or something drives through a wall of monitors at speed.Bah. Somewhere in a BBC dumpster is probably a manual for my Tektronix 67-0570-01 PAL vectorscope test unit.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2014, 12:27:18 pm
content: Every lot I was watching fetched strong money this morning.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2014, 04:11:48 pm
content: I can see why most of it is being sold off, I mean who needs mini disc recorders and betacam SP. But for some reason it makes me feel rather sad to see the remains of the BBC of old being sold off. I think it must have been a geeks dream job to work at the BBC with such a wide range of kit.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2014, 04:53:12 pm
content: I suspect that the geeks will be far happier playing with gear that belongs somewhere other than a museum

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2014, 07:04:16 pm
content: Some of the geeks run TV museums

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2014, 02:21:20 pm
content: Some interesting looking stuff there. Nothing I'd really want for myself though. Would be cool if someone got some of the obscure equipment to demonstrate to us.I was surprised at the amount of consumer gear they have listed, but I suppose they will have needed some of it for testing purposes etc.I wonder why they kept some of the really old gear for so long.

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 05, 2014, 05:29:41 pm
content: I wonder who is profiting from the sale, given that this all belongs to the license fee payers

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2014, 06:56:17 pm
content: Quote from: SteveyG on November 05, 2014, 05:29:41 pmBBC by not having to pay storage fees or using their storage for things that need to be stored instead of wasted space.Edit: and of course the liquidator as well, there has to be some incentive for them to do the auction after all.

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2014, 08:52:33 pm
content: Lot 3164 looks rather tasty - a Gigatronics 7100 sweep signal generator. Bidding currently at £285, the going rate for tested examples seems to be £2000 or more. Frequency range from 10MHz up to26 GHzdepending on model :

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2014, 09:26:01 pm
content: Drat! I was hoping it would go unnoticedIt might be a version that goes above 20GHz as it has a SMA output connector instead of the usual N type.

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2014, 10:56:32 am
content: It went for £805. I only had a total bidding credit of £500 so no luck there.http://www2.ppauctions.com/lot.php?id=119&l_id=61011