Survey of 'Old-School' Electrical Supply Houses

[JBMcB]

Almost forgot

If you are looking for surplus stuff the U of M property disposition usually has some interesting stuff. All kinds of old instruments and electronics. Not nearly as much cool stuff as they used to, but you might find a few gems here and there. A decade ago they were clearing their physics labs and had all sorts of awesome stuff - giant HeNe lasers, bell jars with vacuum bases, lab-grade microscopes and scales. They had a small cyclotron for $500, and by small I mean the size of a mid-size truck. While you're in AA check out the Reuse center, they sometimes have cool stuff there, too.

[Gannon]

Almost forgot

If you are looking for surplus stuff the U of M property disposition usually has some interesting stuff. All kinds of old instruments and electronics. Not nearly as much cool stuff as they used to, but you might find a few gems here and there. A decade ago they were clearing their physics labs and had all sorts of awesome stuff - giant HeNe lasers, bell jars with vacuum bases, lab-grade microscopes and scales. They had a small cyclotron for $500, and by small I mean the size of a mid-size truck. While you're in AA check out the Reuse center, they sometimes have cool stuff there, too.

Thanks...I went there a decade ago, but they mostly had old desks and tables at the time. I had heard they sell all sorts of cool stuff, but then met a guy who knew someone and always got an early peek and grabbed the really unique things. I guess this happens everywhere, when my mother worked at the Salvation Army, the main guy had been bribed to allow some to access the donations before anyone else touched them.

I stopped going to either...since the real treasures were scammed away already.



But it sounds like it was not too different than an old junkyard near the Burbank Airport that I went to a few times...that place got old stuff from the Jet Propulsion Labs and other Military/Industrial researchers in the valley. Lots of Sci-Fi film set designers would shop there, as well as prop people. But some of the aisles were scary...you knew you were only a sneeze away from an avalance of old electronics...LOL! It was called Apex or Aphex, something like that.


Cheers