Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Awful waste of good hirschmann probes in that last picture, not to mention the AVO.

John Joe.

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I've got a dead AVO Mk8 with a knackered movement, I was wondering what to do with it;tee hee. :idea:

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

That type writer thingy is actually quite inventive and old type writers have been chucked in skips or left out in the rain for years.

Whilst I think sticking a lampholder on an old AVO or suchlike and charging 400 quid is a bit cheaky, if some idiot is willing to buy it ....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbWBY-_Qxeo ,fair play to em.

Playing the Devil's Advocate , all the AVO and vintage type writer collectors will be dead soon, their AVO's unwanted and skipped. Museum's are full of old tat and we have too much stuff anyway, so does it really matter?

Andy.

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I understand what diabolical artificer said. But the thing is that they are “steaming punk” lots of stuffs without taking care of it is or it is not a rare piece, for example an AVO 7 braille, a rare radio; a scarce bulb o TV, etc

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Now stop being so 'orrible to me. I'll let you know I have a degree in art!:o J.

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

At the moment, there probably are more AVOs (etc) than people who <genuinely> appreciate and have a use for them. Trouble is, the lamp (etc) trend is, like all trends, ephemeral and even a touch ADD in nature and sooner or later, a shortage really will ensue- and when that happens, the genuine enthusiasts get squeezed out by the hipsters with money to burn and short attention span.

At the moment, the GEC Selectests probably don't look sufficiently olde-worlde- but once the last AVO lamp has been skipped by a bored metropolitan warehouse dweller....

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I know, I know! Every time I see that outrageous act of pointless wanton vandalism, I cringe, deeply. :'( Our world if filling up with plastic waste - and what does the BBC do? Condones such destructiveness and effectively too with the authority they have. What sort of message does that insane behaviour give out, especially considering that it is coming from the BBC?
There is no justification for broadcasting that disgraceful scene in any way and for any reason whatsoever. The BBC should be ashamed of themselves. >((

Al.

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Asinine. I'd like to upcycle that bendy 'phone:devil:

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

'Be quick- only one in stock' translates as 'if we can shift this one we'll get more copper pipe and make another'

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

If you want some old tech, just buy some new tech and wait a few hours....

Things age faster than they used to.

David

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

For rather a long time we've been able to find plant pot holders, umbrella stands and all sorts of knick knacks made out of worn out horseshoes welded together. At least the horse had finished using them...

If we wanted to bring this forwards with a 21st century flavour, what should we be making by welding together numbers of iPhones, iPads and other iThingies?

I've got just the welder for the job, though I think I'll politely excuse myself from striking up on any of those famously self-deflagrating Samsung models.

David

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

On the other hand, here's an unusual item from my own collection. It's obviously home made by someone familiar with woodworking tools as well as valve radio construction.

The radio is a straightforward 3 valve 2 band TRF. The heater dropper is a length of resistance wire wound round a mica sheet. Unfortunately the wire is now very fragile. Apart from this it is a pretty conventional small TRF.

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

The photo in post #32 reminds me of the 'Combined Radio and Table Lamp' that appeared as a project in Practical Wireless in the 1950s. The front cover picture showed a wooden radio cabinet with a lampholder and lampshade on top. In that project the light bulb was the dropper resistor for the heater chain, there was a 3 position switch 'off', 'radio' (light bulb in series with the heaters, HT from the mains), 'lamp' (light bulb across the mains, HT turned off).

Getting back to the subject, I obtained a steampunked AVO test bridge. Alas the valve bracket and many other internal components were removed. I have removed the horrible lampholder and mains cable, one day I will make a bracket to take a valveholder and restore it. I'll ask here when I get a circular tuit...

I did tell the seller that I would have paid rather more for it before it was ruined by said 'modification'

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Well at least one has an AVO handy if the bulb goes out to check
its continuity.:)

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Whenever I see these steampunked multimeters at the fairs, I just want to convert them back. As long as the movement is OK and the switches are in then why not, just fill the holes.
Neil

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I wouldn't because you're encouraging the person who is selling it to do it again. As a rule, some of the upcyclers sell so little stuff that any sale is enough to motivate them into doing something abhorrent again. I'm not sure if they even make a profit most of the time. They seem to spend most of it on driving vans all around the country full of stuff that doesn't sell.

I digress here but must mention my aunt here who upcycled used urns as flower pots. She made zero sales. I am slightly relieved as it gives me some hope for the human race.

Also, have to mention Harry and Paul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUnvgKhWZdI

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I am agree with Mrbungle the most we buy the most they create more and more frankstein stuff. Unless they have used a very interesting equippement, I think we must avoid but these steampunk hell products

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

Is valve time!!

I do not in England, but here in Spain is very difficult to find radio valves, specially Europeans (Germans ones) rimlcok, noval, etc are more easy to find, but scarce, uy41 is difficult. As well as Em34, ecch42 an others.

It is a pity

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

About the only exception to my general aversion to "upcycling" is the work of Thomas Truax: and as I recall his Hornicator already lacked its drive unit when he found it, so no serious loss to the world there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7W1S2MPqMk

Still less missed are bicycle wheels and tumble dryer hoses...

Paul

Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs
 

I have covered this 'conversion to original use' before, but I did not include a picture of the article as purchased.

'C', on request, included all the removed parts with the sale once I had made it clear that the item was going back in time to 1955. This was a Universal Avominor Model 1A, a clever expansion of the Model 1 functionality which I had been looking for for a while. It has a low resistance range, but the only changes from the standard article are a revised scale plate, revised instruction plate, and a third test lead to enable a special connection to be made and the low range used. It was unfortunate that ACWEECO had (in error?) included the serial number in the Model 1 series, making it seem to the casual observer that the meter was one of over 130,000 made....whereas in fact it is one of perhaps 3,500. This, in addition to a test lead that had corroded inside to be completely open circuit and wander plug terminals that had gone green and nasty, is probably what led to the lamp conversion- 'C', I say with reasonable certainty, didn't think it was either rare, or indeed fixable/usable.

There's no particular moral I am hinting at here, but certainly prior knowledge of how misleading the serial numbers can be- is an advantage.

The fact that I then found another Model 1A (unmodified) for half the price- well that's the way it goes. (Perhaps THAT was the moral-- 'Wait'.)

Dave