Test Equipment Anonymous

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I dunno what the dealio was this meet; much fewer attendees than the one in April. All these areas are usually packed with vendors, and it was a perfect day for a meet; cool and dry, but still summer temps. I looked around online later and the only thing I could find even semi-local that might have drawn people away was a swapmeet in Pennsylvania.



mnem

Because it was a smaller meet, I was able to just hang out and ratchet-jaw with a few other like-minded “curators of the family estate”…

But most of the really interesting stuff was inside, from the museum's collection/parts archive...

These are the last of my "tourist pics":

.

This is what I finally took home:












mnem

total spend: $73

As usual I fell asleep at 0600 and got there well after it was over. My understanding is that there was something else going on - IIRC something with the Antique Wireless Association in NY that we weren't aware of when the swap was scheduled early in the year. It certainly was a perfect fall day!

-Pat

Are there many swapmeets you can reach through the year or is this the only one?

In the UK there are four large hamfests I can get to (within 120 miles) and there may be others I don't go to because they are too far. There are several smaller ones within reasonable trevelling distance. I don't go to some of those because I've found what's likely to be there doesn't justify the journey. Hamfests (radio rallies) are organised by amateur radio clubs. Amateur radio is an ageing hobby, so for that and other reasons, the radio rally scene is in decline. The events get smaller and some are no longer run.

There's also the BVWS (British Vintage Wireless Society) which organises its own swapmeets and auctions. It probably puts on four or five events a year, including a large annual fair. Mostly that's domestic radio and TV. I've been to one and looked at their auction reports, but domestic radios are not my scene and there tends not to be much interesting TE.

I think there are a few audiojumbles, which are the same sort of thing for people particularly interested in hi-fi. I've never been to one.

Prices at BVWS meets are sensible, and their Bulletin is excellent. Although I'm not interested in ancient radios, I finally got round to joining the BVWS a couple of years ago. At one meet, I had to go before the auction. Sadly, the one item I was interested in (five GEC valve data folders) was towards the end of the auction. I discovered later it went £5. I'd have gone to £50 without a qualm, maybe more. I still regret leaving early, but I wasn't feeling well. Bother.

One Audiojumble, traditionally at Tonbridge but now moved to Crawley. I bought a Valhalla Scientific 4014 resistance meter from there this year. Has tenth-milliohm resolution on its 2 ohm FSD range. Very pleased with it.

This weekend is the Model Engineering Exhibition at Leamington Exhibition Centre. If the weather looks nice, I might go, despite being adequately stocked for cutting tools etc. Model engineering suffers the same problems as amateur radio, so the number of exhibitions has fallen dramatically. I used to go the Crystal Palace one, the Thornbury one, the Sandown one, as well as Leamington. Now, only Leamington is left.

Zenith wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2026 10:21 am Are there many swapmeets you can reach through the year or is this the only one?

I'm mostly familiar with the museum's, as I'm a volunteer there. We now have about six a year (next is in early December); when I first started going there in 2013/2014 there were two; spring and fall. I think there's a HAM group that has a few every year about 20 miles in the opposite direction from me, but haven't really dug too deeply into them.

There's an MIT Flea Market up in the Boston area, but it's several hours away and too early for my blood.

If I time my occasional work trips to CA right, I can hit the TRW Swap Meet in Lawndale and buy heavy things to ship home, but with all the tech company closures out there my understanding is I have missed the heyday of that one - apparently it used to be insane!

EC8010 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2026 1:36 pm This weekend is the Model Engineering Exhibition at Leamington Exhibition Centre. If the weather looks nice, I might go, despite being adequately stocked for cutting tools etc. Model engineering suffers the same problems as amateur radio, so the number of exhibitions has fallen dramatically. I used to go the Crystal Palace one, the Thornbury one, the Sandown one, as well as Leamington. Now, only Leamington is left.

I used to enjoy the Thornbury BSMEE. I have to say the model VFW614 with jet engines and a 5m wingspan did frighten me

The model railway clubs' exhibitions seem to be well attended.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2026 4:47 pm I used to enjoy the Thornbury BSMEE. I have to say the model VFW614 with jet engines and a 5m wingspan did frighten me

Yes, some of the exhibits stretch the limits of "model".