UK : geek car boot sale (i.e. a hamfest), Kempton Park, November 5th 10am

[tggzzz]

The twice-yearly hamfest is at Kempton Park racecourse in 3 weeks. There is a mixture of

• pure radio ham stuff such as radios, antennas
• test equipment such as scopes, bench PSUs, frequency counters, DMMs, signal sources, high quality test leads etc
• generic new electronic components such as headers, jumpers, LEDs, ferrites etc
• a very eclectic mix of what's in peoples' attics and sheds
• the kinds of things that, once upon a time, you would have found in Lisle St and Tottenham Court Rd, often ripped from MoD surplus

One significant advantage of this indoor car boot sale is that power is available, so you can see equipment running (or not) and twiddle with it.

So buy your next set of treasured items in time for Christmas and ready for fettling during the long nights

FFI: http://radiofairs.co.uk/

[bd139]

This is literally ten minutes up the road from me. Will be there!

Need to badger the local radio club so I can get my foundation license and satisfy some TEA cravings.

[tggzzz]

Good, but clearly you haven't actually got TEA. If you had TEA or GAS, then there wouldn't be any silly preconditions.

So, what will you be looking out for? An 7.5 digit DMM, or Tek analogue storage scope maybe? Or perhaps a voltage reference to test such a DMM.  How about some nice juicy RF test leads, loads and attenuators?

[NivagSwerdna]

I might go along if I am free... I see http://www.telonic.co.uk/ are going to be there... I wonder if they will be able to satisfy my 1054Z itch?

[kaz911]

hmm 7.5 miles from me - maybe worth a visit

[tggzzz]

I might go along if I am free... I see http://www.telonic.co.uk/ are going to be there... I wonder if they will be able to satisfy my 1054Z itch?

If that is the stall I think it is, they will have many things to play with.

[bd139]

If Telonic are there I’m going to complain about the fuck off great big sticker they stuck on both of the toys I bought and the fact that their free DMMs smell funny

tggzzz: forgive me for my sins against the principles of TEA!

Only foundation license because I’ve actually been building a transceiver between TEA and managed to almost get it to a state where I can transmit into something other than a few resistors.

[tggzzz]

... and the fact that their free DMMs smell funny

Bring it along; I'm unlikely to smell anything, so I can put you put of your misery

[Brumby]

hmm 7.5 miles from me - maybe worth a visit

About 17,000km from me ....... 

[Kilo Tango]

about 209 miles for me.

That's a pain I was looking for ........................

Ken

[tggzzz]

about 209 miles for me.

That's a pain I was looking for ........................

If you are coming from oop t'north, you could increase your pain by paying a visit to The National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park afterwards It is the best museum I've come across; the staff actually know about the exhibits, and can discuss schematics with you .

[bd139]

Getting car back on Wednesday so I’m going to combine my visit with Sunbury KFC 

[NivagSwerdna]

Heading off to Kempton park. 

[bd139]

Doesn’t look like I’m going to make it. Numpties I work for decided to upgrade some critical parts of our software platform yesterday which hasn’t gone well so I’m fire fighting . Unless it’s back online in the next 30 mins I’m out.

[Cerebus]

Damn! I forgot all about this. Oh well, it's good for my wallet.

[bd139]

It's good for my wallet too missing it - being paid triple time 

Definitely can't make it now. Herding cats

[NivagSwerdna]

I spent 50p on an old aircraft instrument and £1 on some Triacs.  (And £5 admission).

I haven't been to one of these for years (10+) and it was quite interesting... spent some time talking to the DMR people and a bit of time admiring a 1054Z on the Rigol stand but show discount was only £10 on regular prices so I managed to resist... just.  They still sell my 1052E. 

[bd139]

Sounded reasonable

Thought I’d cheer myself up by ordering art of electronics 3e instead from amazon same day. The fucker couldn’t find my address apparently     Today is a write off.

[Kilo Tango]

nil illegitimi non carborundum

Ken

[bd139]

Indeed. I decided to grind them and I won! (and got £5 and free Prime for a month  )



All bow before Horowitz and Hill 

[tggzzz]

Signs of the times: looks like it is only going to be an annual event, in April. I'm surprised they ditched the November event since that appeared the busier event.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I'm surprised that an event at what I assume is a relatively expensive venue has lasted this long - most events at venues like this went years ago.

[NivagSwerdna]

I attended the last one and bought a couple of small components!  I also enjoyed my chat to the Telonics guy about Rigol scopes... and my chat about DMR.

... but... the on the day discounts were rubbish.  If they want to shift some new stuff on the day then they need to do offers... and if the margins are so small it isn't worth it then I guess they don't need to be there.

There was also quite a lot of second hand stuff but the sellers seemed to know their value (and more) so those weren't going to sell... not to anyone sane (or could google values) anyway!

[bd139]

Slightly inevitable really. Parts turn up next day for nothing, there are a ton more sellers on eBay and the sellers make more money not attending.

Also all the new hams I spoke to the other day are into DMR, SDR, VHF HTs and digital modes which are driven by black boxes which you can buy sitting on your arse.

[tggzzz]

I'm surprised that an event at what I assume is a relatively expensive venue has lasted this long - most events at venues like this went years ago.

Yes, this kind of venue is disappearing, for the reasons you mention. In some ways that's a shame.

Trader £52/table, clubs/individuals £32+£5 for electricity.

For new stuff this kind of venue has all the problems of the high street. Touchy-feely is-this-right-for-me is the remaining benefit, and personally I'm unconvinced that sufficient for electronic items.

For secondhand and fleamarket stuff this kind of venue is still good. It allows seeing that something actually works and allows browsing for things you forgot you need; the latter is more-or-less impossible on the net. For individual sellers it would be difficult for the taxman to claim you are a "trader" and ask you to justify that you aren't, unlike fleabay.

BTW, there's a geek fleamarket in Didcot on 11th Feb....
11 FEBRUARY 2108 HARWELL RADIO AND ELECTRONICS RALLY Didcot Leisure Centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8AY (3 miles from Milton Interchange on A34) Doors open 10am to 3pm – admittance £3 (under 12s Free). There is free car parking with disabled parking and facilities. There will be traders, Special Interest Groups and an RSGB book stand. Refreshments available all day. Talk in on 145.550MHz (G3PIA). Details Ann (G8NVI) ann.stevens@btinternet.com.:[www.g3pia.net/radio-electronics-rally]

I haven't been so I don't know what it is like. However, you could make a day out with a visit to the best (by far) model railway in the world: https://pendonmuseum.com/ The photos really don't do justice to it. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizsmith/albums/72157637563988343 for better photos.

Looks like Pendon are doing workshops for photographing models, including stereoscopic photos.