# Little shop of wonders !



## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Couldn't resist this !
(Not sure why it is sideways though )


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

That's a muckle great klystron isn't it?


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Drink 6 pints,or litres after Brexit, of Guinness lie down on the footpath then take your snap.
When you wake up you can use your camera phone to get a taxi home.


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## GBXZ (Nov 4, 2008)

Recognise the morse key, ex RN.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

The sort of shop you'd go in for a look around and come out with arms full of stuff to use up whatever bit of space you might have left in your attic. :sweat:


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

I'll take the camera tomorrow and snap the other two windows on the other side of the Strait.
They are even better !


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## tiachapman (Mar 25, 2008)

got a bit of space left in my loft/ 4 tea sets from japan 6 /7 butter fly trays from Brazil/ assorted bits and bobs from all ports in the world 10 boxes of things which may come in handy/ pye radio valves e c t / boxes of tools that wouldnd come amiss on a sailing ship ,enough string to stretch across the north sea , 8 painting by numbers which was one old mans idea to keep us off the booze/ ships in bottles and light bulbs could go on for ever 
must have a clean out before pay off day.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Birketts I would guess?

R F Potts in Derby is similar; shops like that take all day to explore and one ends up trying to think of useful(?) devices to design and build just to use the parts on display.

I'm wondering if perhaps the glass klystron came out of a first generation microwave link.


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## Robert Hilton (Feb 13, 2011)

tiachapman said:


> got a bit of space left in my loft/ 4 tea sets from japan 6 /7 butter fly trays from Brazil/ assorted bits and bobs from all ports in the world 10 boxes of things which may come in handy/ pye radio valves e c t / boxes of tools that wouldnd come amiss on a sailing ship ,enough string to stretch across the north sea , 8 painting by numbers which was one old mans idea to keep us off the booze/ ships in bottles and light bulbs could go on for ever
> must have a clean out before pay off day.


You could post an inventory. It would be an interesting read and you might get some offers.


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

Not an Avo there in the middle, is it?
My FiL left me his Model 8 MkIII. I believe they were about £600 in the sixties; you could buy a Morris Mini for that.
Bought one of those new-fangled LCD multimeters a few years ago for a tenner - and a metric dial caliper for the same.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

And you have been following 'phantom' readings ever since? Many an old bird made the 'mistake' of hunting for voltage on low impedance systems with a high impedance voltmeter. I note now Fluke have one model with a low impedance voltage range. One such incident (which given the time I would have got to by telex almost got me blown up).


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

R651400, perhaps I've got that wrong. I was sure I'd read nearly £600 somewhere - although it DOES seem a lot.
Even my 1" micrometer (at wholesale from MoD) was 37/6d in 1957 - about a week's salary.


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

Varley said:


> And you have been following 'phantom' readings ever since?


Thanks for the headsup; I've suspected something like that at times so double check with the Avo. I'd guess a very high resistance (of suitable power dissipation) across the leads would help?


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## frangio (Jan 20, 2012)

Basil said:


> R651400, perhaps I've got that wrong. I was sure I'd read nearly £600 somewhere - although it DOES seem a lot.
> Even my 1" micrometer (at wholesale from MoD) was 37/6d in 1957 - about a week's salary.


You were also being done paying £600 for a Mini!


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

R651400 said:


> Trust the family inheritance was as good as your Amps Volts Ohms inflation..
> 
> http://www.richardsradios.co.uk/avo8.html
> 
> ps My Avo8 is still the the mainstay of any electrical/electronic measurement (within its capabilities) I do to to this very day...


Richards Radios says: "The now no longer manufactured Avometer model 8 Mk7 was £585!!!"
Shurely shome mishtake . . .


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

We were issued with Avo 8's when I joined Decca in the late sixties, they were replaced with Fluke 75's in the eighties though still kept an Avo in the car boot for occasional use when needed.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

I carried this Fluke 77 meter to sea with me, and as you can see it's still going strong more than 30 years later. It's been dropped on the deck, dropped in bilges, left in dusty cold school lofts for days on end (network wiring) and all kinds of other abuse due to my own clumsiness.

Much as I like having the Avos, this Fluke is a superb piece of kit and I wouldn't be without it.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Basil said:


> Richards Radios says: "The now no longer manufactured Avometer model 8 Mk7 was £585!!!"
> Shurely shome mishtake . . .


That's a misprint, obviously they meant Avo Gardner ... a bargain at £585!

John T


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

trotterdotpom said:


> That's a misprint, obviously they meant Avo Gardner ... a bargain at £585!
> 
> John T


That one isn't current any more although I don't think I'd have put up much resistance :sweat:


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Basil said:


> That one isn't current any more although I don't think I'd have put up much resistance :sweat:


She was a Meggar lady in her time.

Bob


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## Freo (Nov 4, 2005)

Ohm M G as the saying seems to go these days!


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

After two attempts my daughter found the shop of wonders closed, my son however did catch them open so I now have a £18 key, which will be sent on soon. My wife thinks I'm mad! However can't wait to see it. Many thanks Sparks69. Cheers, Roger


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Glad to be of help !


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

Morse key purchased from Shop of Wonders. Appears to be brand new. Details on side Key telegraph Manual. R.O.F Blackburn. Hope the picture comes out OK. 
I wonder which service used this type of key, it is dark Khaki in colour.


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

Roger,

Your key comes from the Clansman series of radios, used by the British Army.

http://armyradio.com/Clansman-Robust-Vehicle-Morse-Key.html

Rob


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

*Morse Key*

Rob, Many thanks for the info. Cheers, Roger


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