At 11:26 AM 3/19/2007, you wrote:

Bidding on the T&M equipment doesn't open until tomorrow. And most of
it is export restricted - it is only available for domestic sale so
those of use anywhere else have to wait for the dealers to get hold
of it and make their teensy weensy little bit of profit.

John

Hi,

I have bought items from this site on and off over the years as well as
directly form military DRMO.  You really need to go to the site to preview
the item prior to purchase.  You will be surprised how good the items looks
in the picture as opposed to what it actually looks like in person.  Be
prepared to spend several hours getting into and out of some bases with the
current security in place.  On a recent purchase of two 2465b which were
advertised as "powering up" I found that neither would display a trace, in
fact one was completely gutted of all the hybrid chips.  Even if I would
have previewed these scopes I would have been unable to look inside as
usually when viewing items you are escorted by a security personal, look but
don't touch.

It is incredible how high these items go when consideration all of the risks
of buying.  As little as ten years ago you could regularly pick up bargains
and if the unit worked it was a great deal and if it did not it was a fair
price for a parts unit.

Hope my experiences help.

Jeff

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Rabel" jason@extremeoverclocking.com
To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'"
time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11:12 AM
Subject: [time-nuts] Government Liquidation

Like jshank, it is a real "buyer beware "sort of deal even if you can
inspect things in person.  If you have a problem, the customer service is
the worst!  You have to wait two weeks for an answer sometimes.  Even if
your dispute is serious, you may not even have a chance to appeal their
decision.  The last I checked, you'll loose 25% of  what you pay (which is
10% to 18% higher than what your winning bid is because of taxes and auction
fees) if you show up and the lot isn't what you thought it was and you
decide not to take it.

Another time, I've seen their employees remove items from a lot AFTER the
auction closed but before the winning bidder picked them up.  When I
questioned them about it, they said that some pieces were incorrectly
classified and had to be removed.  So I asked them what they would do when
the buyer sees those items missing, the guy actually told me that IF the
buyer sees them missing, that they would work out some sort of deal! (IF
buyer noticed)

There is all sorts of paperwork that's a pain if you buy classified sales
where the stuff they get is from classified projects.  Many of the items
have been sitting on the shelves for years.  I bought one piece a while ago,
it was classified as a "working" item,  but when I opened it up, everything
inside was corroded from exposure to salty sea air.  Another big thing to
watch out for is if something is listed in one place in the auction  but not
in the auction title,  it may not necessarily be in that lot!

My advise to the brave at heart,  real ALL the contract docs and fine print
all over the website to understand the fees and auction rules.  AND you MUST
inspect the pieces.  They keep a log of who inspected what lot, and if you
didn't inspect that lot in person and you have a problem--you won't have a
leg to stand on when trying to file a complaint.

Like jshank says,  this was a good deal a few years ago, but people are
willing to pay way too much for stuff they have no idea if it works

-Flavio

----- Original Message -----
From: "jshank" j-shank@comcast.net
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement"
time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 12:24
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Government Liquidation

I bought from DRMS directly before they contracted to govliquidation
and also from GL. I can say that it was smart of the govt. since they
(GL) are getting a lot more for each lot.  That being said, it's
always been a case of caveat emptor.  They have lots of interesting
stuff that doesn't normally see the light of day.  If you buy
remotely, then you'll have to pay a shipper: my experience with this
has been good but pricey.  Plan on $100 per package.

On 3/19/07, jshank j-shank@comcast.net wrote:

Hi Jason:

I don't recommend GL as a source unless:

1. you understand the exact meaning of the Condition Codes, and
2. you physically go to the location and preview the lot, and
3. you know the product you are looking at, and
4. you have the self control to not get into a bidding war (no sniping,
   they just extend the closing time), and
5. you personally pick up the items, and
6. you're willing to gamble that you won't have to return any or all of
   what you purchased.

If you fail at any step then there's a chance you'll end up with junk,
something else or nothing.  Maybe they get some of this stuff from a
dumpster.

With diligence it's possible to overcome the first 5 provisos, but the
last one can be a problem.  On more than one occasion GL has mistakenly
sold an item that was not supposed to be sold.  In that case the
government (not GL) comes and get the items.  If they required an End
User Certificate then you are on the hook to account for all items
including the contact information of any buyers.  If  you sold an item
your buyer will expect a refund from you.  You may expect a refund from
GL, but how long you wait for it is not specified.

The same problem exists with eBay.  In my case after purchasing and
receiving a GPS receiver I was contacted by the DOD and they sent a
couple of people to my house to collect the GPS receiver and gave me a
receipt.  I got to sign a chain of evidence form to be used at the trial
of the eBay seller on his way to jail.  I'm out what I paid.  After the
trial I'm free to sue the seller.

Although I'm signed up and have the EUC, I no longer even look at the
auctions with the intent of buying anything.  I do use GL to see what's
being sold.

Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke

w/Java http://www.PRC68.com
w/o Java http://www.pacificsites.com/~brooke/PRC68COM.shtml
http://www.precisionclock.com

Jason Rabel wrote:

Rob,

I was just going to use some RG-58, and if I can mount it in the attic then
I probably won't need to run more than 15-20ft at most. Loss along the cable
should be minimal since the run will be short, I just didn't know how much
the roof would block the signal.

Jason