EEVblog #124 – A Tour of Apex Electronics - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2010, 09:51:48 pm
content: I'm speechless.I'm starting to think about how much chartering a cargo plane might cost...EDIT: @Dave: Did you actually buy something? Just as a souvenir...

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2010, 10:37:46 pm
content: Quote from: david77 on October 30, 2010, 09:51:48 pmThose souvenirs are banned from the Air lines ..

author: Everett_Tom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 12:17:53 am
content: Are you gonna get a chance to run up and visit Fluke in WA since your "so close" ? I think the flight up that way is only 2 or 3 hrs.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 01:33:51 am
content: Quote from: david77 on October 30, 2010, 09:51:48 pmFraid not, only had enough time to film stuff.The video is my souvenir.Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 01:34:55 am
content: Quote from: Everett_Tom on October 31, 2010, 12:17:53 amTry about 20 hours now.I'll be back in silicon valley in April.Dave.

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 03:40:14 am
content: Apex is amazing! I'm pretty sure that anything that ever came in a rack-mount panel is there...somewhere.But it's scary to think about being in that place in an earthquake!It's about a 3 hour flight from LA to Seattle....and a little too far to make casual visits to Apex

author: the_raptor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 05:26:37 pm
content: I think if I ever went to a place like Apex I would never leave. I wish we had something locally as I would love an ancient o-scope just as decoration.

author: JohnS_AZ
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 05:36:43 pm
content: Like this? ...https://www.fairradio.com/catalog.php?mode=viewitem&item=2505

author: the_raptor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 07:28:12 pm
content: Quote from: JohnS_AZ on October 31, 2010, 05:36:43 pmYes, but shipping to Australia would probably double the price.

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 07:38:54 pm
content: Quote from: the_raptor on October 31, 2010, 05:26:37 pmWell in Athens Greece , there is lots of ancient o-scope , that had come from USSR ,they sell the on small tables at the street.Other than those , lots of old army type binoculars, film cameras , scales , hand tools, and more.But personally , as decoration I prefer fresh flowers ..

author: slburris
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2010, 09:16:50 pm
content: So what does an old USSR oscilloscope look like? Are they their own designsor a clone of Tektronix or HP?Scott

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 01:11:39 am
content: I do not know Scott , I do not trust to get any , there is no spare parts or schematics about them.

author: Time
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 02:03:11 am
content: I would LOVE to have an old USSR scope. That would be so sweet.

author: slburris
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 03:57:50 am
content: I've spent a lot of time at the museum of Soviet calculators:http://www.taswegian.com/MOSCOW/soviet.htmland it's fascinating to see the history as the cloned early calculatorsbefore getting into their own designs.Sadly, I know of no such site for Soviet oscilloscopes.Scott

author: Nermash
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 07:41:38 am
content: Quote from: slburris on October 31, 2010, 09:16:50 pmHere is a "small" onehttp://cgi.ebay.de/Russischer-Klein-Oszilloskop-1-67-/230427277373?pt=Mess_Pr%C3%BCftechnik&hash=item35a689383dI kind of like ruggedness of soviet era gear, but problem with their surplus is that you don't know if it was used around hmmmm... Chernobyl?

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 12:28:00 pm
content: Quote from: slburris on November 01, 2010, 03:57:50 amnice link! wacky logic on some of those machines! i love 70's - 80's russian styling! those 9 segment & rounded vfd's are insane!-sj

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 02:04:07 pm
content: I'm not a big fan of USSR electronics, I had several things like a reel-to-reel tape deck, a small TV and abench power supply. The stuff worked, but some of the technical details were just...well, weird.The tape deck used the kind of brown string that was used to sling arround parcels as brakes for the reels,the plastic was spongy and wobbly, the TV turned into a radio after it got hit by a falling plug of a extensioncord and the psu used fuses made from paper. They cought fire when burning out, taking the whole fuseholder with them. I replaced them with standard parts, then one of the power transistors died. It had theweirdest of cases I have ever seen, like a small tin with leads hanging from the bottom. After that I chuckedthe thing out.All old soviet electronics I have yet seen sported rather dubious build quality.

author: Time
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 06:43:20 pm
content: I just want it for the novelty factor. Maybe turn it into a lamp or something.

author: MrPlacid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 06:45:47 pm
content: Almost finished cleaning and organizing my stuffs after two days; and seeing this video scared me.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2010, 08:22:11 pm
content: thats funny david!here's a russian designed piece i wouldn't mind having when i hit the lottery...optimus maximus

author: bogdan546
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2010, 07:53:47 am
content: I do not have too many expectations from electronic devices USSRsemiconductors were their worst possibleI saw many electronic devices you realize we're neighbors with the former USSR

author: the_raptor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2010, 08:03:22 am
content: Quote from: david77 on November 01, 2010, 02:04:07 pmAnd yet they had a remote controlled rover on the Moon in the 60's. That is what I love about Soviet era gear, they did it like MacGyver with paper clips and rubber bands,I actually think the Soviet era allows a fascinating study into how technology isn't a straight path and has many divergences. I actually feel that we have lost something in the modern economically unified world.

author: Miarro
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 12, 2010, 07:16:07 pm
content: These days everybody learns from the same sources so there is less chance of finding completely new approaches to problems.

author: Greg323i
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2012, 09:20:30 am
content: I know this thread is old, but seeing this video only last week brought a tear to the eye and made me homesick. I used to go to Apex all the time, usually just to look around in fascination but sometimes to buy stuff. Lockheed Skunkworks used to be about 6 miles from there and they'd sometimes get surplus from there, the stuff that didn't go in Lockheed's surplus store. I've seen dozens of Fender amplifier chassis sitting in there. Any possible type of wire that you could possibly need. X-ray tubes! Tubes of all kinds, it's definitely Disneyland for geeks!! That nose cone that David found has been there for at least 12 years.