Marlborough Hamfest: any good for BA / AM type stuff?

[W2PHL]

I know it's a difficult question to answer without a crystal ball. The hamfests around here (NYC) consist mostly of computer parts, flashlights and 2 meter CB. Opinions?

Thanks!
Phil

[Don, W2DL]

Around here?  NYC area?  It's a crap shoot in the best case. Seldom does anything of much use show up at  hamfests in this area, but the most likely ones would be the larger ones such as Timonium, MD (north of Baltimore), Sussex County in NJ (2nd weekend in July, I think) and maybe the "Pack Rats" group in eastern PA. Check the ARRL website  hamfest calendar for the different states.

That said, NEARFest in Deerfield, NH is maybe one of the best for BA/AM but it's hardly in NYC area. Even Dayton (the largest in the US as far as I know) in May isn't of much use, I think in 25+ years of going there I may see a few items (generally overpriced or recently rescued from a water-filled barrel ) each year but that's about it.

However, there is coming up in a few short weeks an auction run by the NJ Antique Wireless Association on a Saturday in March, they usually have some older ham stuff  donated to them by a grieving widow.

All in all, I'll bet you can find more BA/AM stuff right on this AM Fone.net site than in most hamfests combined if you ask the right questions!

73
Don, W2DL

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I always see lots of boatanchors for sale at Dayton even in the short time I get to walk around. I've brought tons of boatanchors there and they always find new homes. Tentatively for this year, I probably going to be bringing a B&W 5100B and 51SB-B, both still in their original cartons along with some other stuff that I have no use for now that I'm "smug". The B&W stuff have been in their cartons since 1965.

[WA1GFZ]

Phil,
We usually have a good time as a winter social event. Sometimes it is good and sometimes not. A good place to set up trades and inside deals. we go out to lunch around noon. I usually find something to drag home.

[K5UJ]

I always see lots of boatanchors for sale at Dayton even in the short time I get to walk around. I've brought tons of boatanchors there and they always find new homes. Tentatively for this year, I probably going to be bringing a B&W 5100B and 51SB-B, both still in their original cartons along with some other stuff that I have no use for now that I'm "smug". The B&W stuff have been in their cartons since 1965.

I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW.

[K5UJ]

Oh yeah, hamfests.  I've heard for BA gear Orlando Hamcation is good.  There is also one that HUZ and KA1KAQ go to somewhere in Va. or maybe it's N.C. that is supposed to be good.  These are both far away from the NYC area unfortunately.

[N2DTS]

There you go!
I got rid of my stuff before getting the flex, when I had a pile of homebrew gear to replace it with.
I have zero desire to fool around with old stuff that was built as cheap as it could be for communications audio and light duty use using poor designs.
I got that out of my system over the last 30 years, and there is very little I would want in the shack now.
(I should have kept the G76 I think)

If I had to, I could just have the flex and a BIG amplifier.

I have had a few recent run ins where family died and left houses full of junk.
My wife's aunts (one just passed) had a very large house, nothing left that house for the last 50 years.

I am not getting any younger, and am trying to get rid of a lot of junk in the house.
I have had stuff I never used in 30 years, its time to move it on.
As it is now, I have two homebrew transmitters, two homebrew receivers, a 32V3, a flex 5000 and a homebrew amplifier for the flex.
I may build (attempt to) a SMALL tube cw rig (rx and tx).

I have no interest at all in anything vintage and would not take a KW1 if you gave it to me.
( I would take the $20,000.00 though!)

Brett
 





[/quote]

I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW.
[/quote]

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Oh yeah, hamfests.  I've heard for BA gear Orlando Hamcation is good.  There is also one that HUZ and KA1KAQ go to somewhere in Va. or maybe it's N.C. that is supposed to be good.  These are both far away from the NYC area unfortunately.

All my good stuff was generally found at small hamfests (one's with one or two rows of vendors). At small hamfests, vendors are more inclined to generous price negotiating and less price gouging which is why I shop at small hamfests and sell at large hamfests. Large hamfests generally work in the vendor's favor with larger volumes of potential buyers and much narrow price negotiating windows.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW.

Yep, bring all those BA's to Dayton and come home happy. Like Brett, I'm moving most of this old stuff out of here. "BA been there - done that" twice in my ham career is enough. The BA's use to keep the basement shack warm during the winter months. Now a $49 heater does the same job. The consumer grade amateur gear of yesteryear is what it is, "consumer grade". If you like to be in constant maintenance mode, stock up on this stuff.

[N2DTS]

I had tons of vintage stuff, all gotten when it was cheap, and it was fun to play with.
I had:
75a4
51s1
kwm2a
kws1
30k-1
32V3's (many)
dx100
dx60b
hw101
viking 2
b+w 5100
globe king 500c
globe scout
sx101
nc300, 303
sx17
scott slrm
r390a
multi elmac af67, 68
G76
And other stuff I cant even remember.

There is not a single piece I would want in the shack.

Brett

[w3jn]

There is not a single piece I would want in the shack.

As you've said.  Over and over again.  Which doesn't help answer the OP's question at all.

[W2PHL]

I'm not looking for anything in particular, just like to browse. Most of the time I didn't know I needed it until I saw it. If that makes any sense    Thanks for the replies.

Phil

[KB2WIG]

I'm not looking for anything in particular, just like to browse. Most of the time I didn't know I needed it until I saw it. If that makes any sense  

Phil

 " No! He covets. That is his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice Phil? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer now. "

klc

[W1AEX]

...Most of the time I didn't know I needed it until I saw it. If that makes any sense...

Phil

Unfortunately Phil, I usually don't realize that I needed what I saw until I get back home without it.

[k4kyv]

Peoria, IL and Shelby, NC are two that are supposed to have a lot of goodies, but I have never made it to either of them.  There used to be a good one in Cincinnati (sometimes better than Dayton), but it pretty much fizzled.

I bring back a lot less than I used to, since I have become much more selective about what I pick up (prices have become inflated and if I already have two of them, what would I do with another?), plus the kind of stuff I look for becomes more sparse every year.

I rarely buy a transmitter or receiver, for the reasons mentioned above, unless it is something I find particularly interesting.  Sometimes I will pick up a piece of BA junk with a cheap price tag just for a couple of the parts.  I look more for hard-to-find parts than for Hammy Hambone station equipment.

The kind of "vintage" stuff that interests me mostly is stuff that was top-of-the-line in its day.  Sometimes  I will pick up something I know I'll never use, if I think it might make good trading material.  Early to mid 30's stuff always gets my attention, whether parts or assembled gear. I ALWAYS keep an eye out for good replacement parts for my existing station equipment, particularly if it would allow me to replace a cheap "ham radio quality" component with something more commercial grade or professional quality.

[K1JJ]

Most of the time I didn't know I needed it until I saw it.

Unfortunately Phil, I usually don't realize that I needed what I saw until I get back home without it.

And some hams can't go back home after buying what they thought they needed...  

[W1RC]

FWIW: I have always enjoyed Marlborough as it is the first 'Fester of the season in this part of the country.  There is some "good stuff" to be had but it varies greatly from show to show.  One time I picked up an R-390A in the CY-979 cabinet with the original NAVSHIPS manual for a truly great price.  You never know what you'll find at any of these fleas.

I have been going to Marlborough for many many years and always had a fun time.  It used to be run by a lady who was tough as nails.  Some of the vendors used to call her the "Bitch of Buchenwald" (among other things) because she tolerated no nonsense from anyone.  She really ran a tight ship.  

A few years ago she announced that she was "retiring" from running the flea market.  When she made the rounds to thank the sellers and say good-bye I asked her on a long-standing hunch: "What grade do you teach?"

"Fifth!" was her reply.

That explained everything.

The best part is the last few years the AM/BA gang head off for an extended lunch together and have a great time visitating, shooting the 10-1000 and just hanging out together before heading home.

Let's just hope for good WX!  This time of year in New England is iffy to say the least.

As W2DL posted earlier, NEAR-Fest is probably your best bet to find "stuff".  But, of course, I'm prejuduced.  See you all there at 0900 April 30th-May 1st 2010.

73,

MrMike, W1RC

[Jim KF2SY]

I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW.

Yep, bring all those BA's to Dayton and come home happy. Like Brett, I'm moving most of this old stuff out of here. "BA been there - done that" twice in my ham career is enough. The BA's use to keep the basement shack warm during the winter months. Now a $49 heater does the same job. The consumer grade amateur gear of yesteryear is what it is, "consumer grade". If you like to be in constant maintenance mode, stock up on this stuff.

So is the Flex stuff consumer grade?

[w1vtp]

K5UJ said: "I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW."

N2DTS said: "There you go!
I got rid of my stuff before getting the flex, when I had a pile of homebrew gear to replace it with.
I have zero desire to fool around with old stuff that was built as cheap as it could be for communications audio and light duty use using poor designs.
I got that out of my system over the last 30 years, and there is very little I would want in the shack now.
(I should have kept the G76 I think)"

In light of the recent very big increase in BA stuff - I view the old stuff only as "fondling material."  I'd like very much to get my hands on an EFJ Viking I -- mostly 'cause (long story) I missed out on getting one as a JN OP.  The Flex does everything I want it to (except monitor incoming carriers on the SW scope).  It does suffer from PW syndrome but currently that's being helped along with an EFJ Courier (talk about BA's).  I really need some serious toobage and IRON to build my own linear so I can keep out from under the feet of the tall ships, especially at nighttime.

That said, I'm still dabbling around with a 40+ year old Eico 720 and will be building a second 813 AM XMTR -- mostly for the fun of building it and 'cause I have most of the parts.  There's a place for all of this in our avocation of Ham Radio.  The key is to remember we are all fellow Hams and to have fun and to help each other out

Al

[Pete, WA2CWA]

In light of the recent very big increase in BA stuff - I view the old stuff only as "fondling material." 

Al

Some view it as fodder material for other interests.

[KM1H]

As JN, Todd, JJ, HUZ, and others can attest I enjoy Nearfest!   A leisurely 45 minute drive doesnt hurt either.

I pretty much come out of those weekends with what I want for free after selling off the remainder on fleabay.

Which reminds me....JN, I havent tested those tubes yet, they have a 12 month warranty, right

Carl

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yes, Carl is there with bells on. Hope to see you in May.

[KM1H]

I'll be there in April

Carl

[WA1GFZ]

Hope we have global warming for the next one

[wx3k]

TOOBAGE ! Nice word ! 

K5UJ said: "I just had an epiphany--the Flex radios are a good thing--they help their owners part with all their good BA gear.  I am now going to start encouraging everyone to get a Flex.

All you AMers out there reading this--GET A FLEX RADIO.  Come on, don't be stupid.  Get one. NOW."

N2DTS said: "There you go!
I got rid of my stuff before getting the flex, when I had a pile of homebrew gear to replace it with.
I have zero desire to fool around with old stuff that was built as cheap as it could be for communications audio and light duty use using poor designs.
I got that out of my system over the last 30 years, and there is very little I would want in the shack now.
(I should have kept the G76 I think)"

In light of the recent very big increase in BA stuff - I view the old stuff only as "fondling material."  I'd like very much to get my hands on an EFJ Viking I -- mostly 'cause (long story) I missed out on getting one as a JN OP.  The Flex does everything I want it to (except monitor incoming carriers on the SW scope).  It does suffer from PW syndrome but currently that's being helped along with an EFJ Courier (talk about BA's).  I really need some serious toobage and IRON to build my own linear so I can keep out from under the feet of the tall ships, especially at nighttime.

That said, I'm still dabbling around with a 40+ year old Eico 720 and will be building a second 813 AM XMTR -- mostly for the fun of building it and 'cause I have most of the parts.  There's a place for all of this in our avocation of Ham Radio.  The key is to remember we are all fellow Hams and to have fun and to help each other out

Al