Radio electronics surplus shops?
Mr. Benn
Tottenham Court Rd in London buying bags of capacitors, mixed transistors,
air-spaced variable capacitors, circuit board material and a whole load of
other fascinating radio stuff.
I went back there a few days ago and they have almost all shut down with the
exception of Henrys (which now seems to sell non radio electronics stuff).
I'm not old enough to remember the treasure caverns in Lisle Street but the
old radio shops in Edgware Road have left me with many pleasant memories.
I also remember a technical bookshop called "The Modern Book Company" in
Praed Street, just off Edgware Road. Even that has now shut down.
Are there any shops left in the UK that sell surplus/old radio & electronics
components? I'm especially interested in vintage valves.
Real_Radio_Ham
"Mr. Benn" <nos...@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:ihrj66$8gv$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
One of the last surplus electronics shops still in business is John Birkett,
25 The Strait, Lincoln LN2 1JF Tel: 01522 520767.
He must be now in his 80's - so I am not sure how much longer he will be
trading.
He has stocks of many old type components and he does mail order.
Well worth a personal visit if you are up that way.
Regarding vintage valves, have you looked on Ebay recently?
Mr. Benn
news:udd0p.19408$4I1....@newsfe28.ams2...
>
> "Mr. Benn" <nos...@invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:ihrj66$8gv$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>> When I were a lad in the 70s, I used to visit the shops in Edgware Road
>> and Tottenham Court Rd in London buying bags of capacitors, mixed
>> transistors, air-spaced variable capacitors, circuit board material and a
>> whole load of other fascinating radio stuff.
>>
>> I went back there a few days ago and they have almost all shut down with
>> the exception of Henrys (which now seems to sell non radio electronics
>> stuff). I'm not old enough to remember the treasure caverns in Lisle
>> Street but the old radio shops in Edgware Road have left me with many
>> pleasant memories.
>>
>> I also remember a technical bookshop called "The Modern Book Company" in
>> Praed Street, just off Edgware Road. Even that has now shut down.
>>
>> Are there any shops left in the UK that sell surplus/old radio &
>> electronics components? I'm especially interested in vintage valves.
>
> One of the last surplus electronics shops still in business is John
> Birkett, 25 The Strait, Lincoln LN2 1JF Tel: 01522 520767.
> He must be now in his 80's - so I am not sure how much longer he will be
> trading.
Ah yes, I remember that name. I'm a little way from Lincoln but I must
remember if I'm up that way.
> Regarding vintage valves, have you looked on Ebay recently?
Yes, just ordered one from the US.
Brian Reay
"Mr. Benn" <nos...@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:ihrj66$8gv$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
In the home town of my youth, we had one electronics shop and a street with
several junk / surplus shops. The latter had a few who stocked ex-WD radios
and related stuff but generally they were more interested in selling the
packing crates (for tool boxes etc.) The junk shops also sold old domestic
radios, of course. Some of the "one man and a dog" TV shops would sell you
components or let you have scrap sets etc. Most bits came from scrap sets
rescued before they got to the dump.
The electronics shop was very pricey for components- or seemed so compared
with the prices in PW, Radio Constructor etc. On a recentish trip "back" I
saw the old shop was closing down- one of the owners had died, the other was
ill etc. Very sad, the end of an era in some ways.
--
73
Brian G8OSN/W8OSN
www.g8osn.net
Brian Morrison
lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood went years
ago, used to have all sorts of interesting bits and pieces, but
couldn't keep going when the cost of staying there went up and trade
was probably at best flat. I assume that Birketts must own their
premises or be on a very long lease with rent/rates fixed for the
period.
--
Brian Morrison
Steve Terry
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:30 +0000
> lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
>
>> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
>
> I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
> many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood
> went years ago,
>
Borehamwood and Elstree rail station) when I was a student
at Boreingwood Col of F.E.
Huge piles of transformers, test gear, and meters, but not much else
Steve Terry
--
Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and £5 bonus after activation at:
http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/g4wwk
Steve Eldridge
> Brian Morrison wrote:
>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:30 +0000
>> lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
>>
>>> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
>>
>> I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
>> many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood
>> went years ago,
>>
> I used to spend hours in Field Electric (which was opposite
> Borehamwood and Elstree rail station) when I was a student
> at Boreingwood Col of F.E.
>
> Huge piles of transformers, test gear, and meters, but not much else
>
> Steve Terry
GWM in Worthing was another wonderful place.
Bill Borland
<steve...@dfgh.net> writes
>Brian Morrison wrote:
>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:30 +0000
>> lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
>>
>>> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
>>
>> I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
>> many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood
>> went years ago,
>>
>I used to spend hours in Field Electric (which was opposite
>Borehamwood and Elstree rail station) when I was a student
>at Boreingwood Col of F.E.
>
>Huge piles of transformers, test gear, and meters, but not much else
>
>Steve Terry
Will one of the Glaswegians in the group please tell -
Does Pearson's still exist? If so, is it anything like the
Aladdin's cave it used to be?
--
Bill Borland
(G3EFS)
Real_Radio_Ham
<lu...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
news:04b3k6hircijpodkn...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:26:33 -0000, "Mr. Benn" <nos...@invalid.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Ah yes, I remember that name. I'm a little way from Lincoln but I must
>>remember if I'm up that way.
>
> street down by Guildford railway station It was a bit of a hang-out
> for the reprobates from the 'house on the hill'* even with that trade
> it's probably long gone now.
>
> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
>
Would that be "Stewarts of Reading" ?
lu...@eternal-flames.gov
wrote:
>I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
>many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood went years
>ago, used to have all sorts of interesting bits and pieces, but
>couldn't keep going when the cost of staying there went up and trade
>was probably at best flat. I assume that Birketts must own their
>premises or be on a very long lease with rent/rates fixed for the
>period.
I'm sure you're right, Brian. Which is doubly galling when you look
at the number of shops closed and boarded-up for years on end in some
towns.
I think it has undoubtedly played the major part in the decline of
home construction and consequently home-construction articles in
magazines.
These days sourcing and then paying mail-order prices plus post and
packing on components, adds significantly to the total cost of
building somethings.
Nick.
Rambo
wrote:
>When I were a lad in the 70s, I used to visit the shops in Edgware Road and
One still going stong...been there at least 45 years,still has a
surplus "window" still and some very old stock. Although they tend to
do more domestic appliance and electrical spares rather than
components these days. Still may be worth a call....certainly much
cheaper than M****ns.
MM6-JBN
> In article <ihsgvp$q2...@news.eternal-september.org>, Steve Terry
> <steve.g4...@dfgh.net> writes
>
> - Show quoted text -
yes ! but its only a shell of what used to be , still sells cables and
plugs but nothing much in the way of amateur radio gear , maybe a
stinger or midland or so thats about his stretch now .
gareth
news:anj3k6lskqf3kg125...@4ax.com...
>
> These days sourcing and then paying mail-order prices plus post and
> packing on components, adds significantly to the total cost of
> building somethings.
>
Which is why when you scrap your CRT Tv and VHS video
that you retain all the electronic boards
gareth
news:20110127191...@surtees.fenrir.org.uk...
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:30 +0000
> lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
>> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
> I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
> many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood went years
> ago, used to have all sorts of interesting bits and pieces, but
> couldn't keep going when the cost of staying there went up and trade
> was probably at best flat.
A couple of years ago there was a Company called Field Electrical, based
down Devon way, selling reconditioned PCs. Were present at
the Newbury Rally a couple of times.
Peter Day
>
> Would that be "Stewarts of Reading" ?
>
>
ISTR he overpriced his test gear
lu...@eternal-flames.gov
<tripol...@gendermorph.com> wrote:
>> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
>>
>
>Would that be "Stewarts of Reading" ?
I can't remember the name but it was in a side-street off Broad
Street.
Nick.
Real_Radio_Ham
shop for any "beyond repair" sets that they occasionally used to leave out
the back for collection by the dustbin men.
Armed with a just a wheelbarrow, I would trundle back home (about a half
mile) with a set. Once I got it into the shed, I would totally strip the
chassis of all valves, valveholders, pots, switches, transformers,
I.F.Transformers, etc, and save all the self-tapping screws, nuts, bolts and
washers. I would remove any resistors and caps if they had sufficiently long
enough leads to warrant removal.
Even the sheets of toughened "implosion guard" glass came in useful for
garden shed windows!
Usually inside one of the I.F. transformer cans was a germanium diode, a
prized find for my next crystal set build!
Frame output transformers and scan coils were stripped for their copper
wire, used for aerials and tuning coils!
The CRT was another matter.
We lived within a short walking distance of a disused quarry that was used
by all and sundry for disposing of rubbish. I would wait until dusk before
carefully carrying it to within a few feet of the top of the quarry then
throw it over.
The result was a splendid 'BOOM', and occasionally I would see a flash over
when the tube discharged!
Oh Happy days!
lu...@eternal-flames.gov
<no.spa...@you.invalid> wrote:
>> These days sourcing and then paying mail-order prices plus post and
>> packing on components, adds significantly to the total cost of
>> building somethings.
>>
>
>Which is why when you scrap your CRT Tv and VHS video
>that you retain all the electronic boards
Absolutely!
_REAL_ radio amateurs have well stocked junk-boxes.
Nick.
Real_Radio_Ham
"Peter Day" <micro...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ktk0p.30697$BF1....@newsfe20.ams2...
> On 27/01/2011 20:00, Real_Radio_Ham wrote:
>
>>
>> Would that be "Stewarts of Reading" ?
>>
> ISTR he overpriced his test gear
Overpriced? Well if you compare his prices for fully-tested and calibrated
gear complete with manual, with the chance-it-might-work-or-not gamble when
buying from rallies, then I know where my money would be better spent!
Real_Radio_Ham
"Rambo" <Ra...@thisaintreal.org> wrote in message
news:vsj3k6pb1n85muiis...@4ax.com...
Is that the emporium on Babington Lane?
Rambo
Yup, he's a good lad is old Bob.
Lordgnome
> The CRT was another matter.
> We lived within a short walking distance of a disused quarry that was used
> by all and sundry for disposing of rubbish. I would wait until dusk before
> carefully carrying it to within a few feet of the top of the quarry then
> throw it over.
> The result was a splendid 'BOOM', and occasionally I would see a flash
> over when the tube discharged!
> Oh Happy days!
>
tube neck up, in a metal dustbin, then smartly jamming down the lid. The
"boom" was delightfully tuned by the dustbin's resonance!
Returning to the original post, I was on some course or other in London in
the early 90's and having time to spare visited the old haunts for surplus
shops. All I found were the likes of fancy restaurants and fashion
shops.There must still be a surplus market - I would guess it is all sold
via the innernet these days.
Les.
Brian Morrison
"Steve Terry" <steve...@dfgh.net> wrote:
> Brian Morrison wrote:
> > On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:30 +0000
> > lu...@eternal-flames.gov wrote:
> >
> >> Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
> >
> > I suspect that the general increase in commercial rents has done for
> > many of these establishments. Field Electric in Borehamwood
> > went years ago,
> >
> I used to spend hours in Field Electric (which was opposite
> Borehamwood and Elstree rail station) when I was a student
> at Boreingwood Col of F.E.
>
> Huge piles of transformers, test gear, and meters, but not much else
>
Yes, the transformers were useful, and occasionally they'd have some
more interesting stuff arrive. I used to go there during the early 80s
through to about 1987 or so, with an occasional trip later on.
--
Brian Morrison
Brian Morrison
Rambo <Ra...@thisaintreal.org> wrote:
> Yup, he's a good lad is old Bob.
Ah yes, but there's the rub. Is there a young Bob coming along to take
it over? I suspect that in most cases there isn't.
--
Brian Morrison
Rambo
wrote:
>On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:18:52 +0000
Yes..his son runs the place these days
Brian Morrison
Good for him, but I reckon such expectations don't scale.
--
Brian Morrison
Angus
wrote:
> <l...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
> > Reading had one too and I know that one has gone.
Would that have been 'Shop on the Bridge'? There was a later outfit
down near Cemetery Junction – Chiltmead?
> Would that be "Stewarts of Reading"?
I only remember Sewards (G3AED??)
A.
mick
> When I was about 12 years old, I used to ask the man at our local TV
> repair shop for any "beyond repair" sets that they occasionally used to
> leave out the back for collection by the dustbin men.
>
> Armed with a just a wheelbarrow, I would trundle back home (about a half
> mile) with a set. Once I got it into the shed, I would totally strip the
> chassis of all valves, valveholders, pots, switches, transformers,
> I.F.Transformers, etc, and save all the self-tapping screws, nuts, bolts
> and washers. I would remove any resistors and caps if they had
> sufficiently long enough leads to warrant removal.
>
> Even the sheets of toughened "implosion guard" glass came in useful for
> garden shed windows!
> Usually inside one of the I.F. transformer cans was a germanium diode, a
> prized find for my next crystal set build! Frame output transformers and
> scan coils were stripped for their copper wire, used for aerials and
> tuning coils!
>
Yep, we used to do that too. I still have a lot of the bits after mumble-
mumble years. My dad would get a few sets at once and they would keep us
happy for quite a while! I still use a sheet of TV glass on my shed
workbench. Handy for putting a components list or sketch underneath while
I'm working. Also dead easy to get solder splashes off.
--
Mick (Working in a M$-free zone!)
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Filtering everything posted from googlegroups to kill spam.
Steve Terry
Field electric, they mostly stocked transformers
Steve Terry
--
Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and �5 bonus after activation at:
http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/gfourwwk
m.stanford3%...@gtempaccount.com
> When I were a lad in the 70s, I used to visit the shops in Edgware Road and
> Tottenham Court Rd in London buying bags of capacitors, mixed transistors,
> air-spaced variable capacitors, circuit board material and a whole load of
> other fascinating radio stuff.
>
> I went back there a few days ago and they have almost all shut down with the
> exception of Henrys (which now seems to sell non radio electronics stuff).
> I'm not old enough to remember the treasure caverns in Lisle Street but the
> old radio shops in Edgware Road have left me with many pleasant memories.
>
> I also remember a technical bookshop called "The Modern Book Company" in
> Praed Street, just off Edgware Road. Even that has now shut down.
>
> Are there any shops left in the UK that sell surplus/old radio & electronics
> components? I'm especially interested in vintage valves.
Jim GM4DHJ ...
--
Living the post amateur radio nightmare ...
