Nico said:
A used spectrum analyzer is a delicate piece of equipment that is EASILY
damaged. And the easily damaged parts are "used up". You may not be
able to buy them any more. There's a LOT of stuff in a spectrum analyzer
that was "special 20 years ago" and made of unobtainium.
The demand/supply ratio for spectrum analyzers is high >>> high prices.
Be aware that there are complex import/export regulations for spectrum
analyzers. IRRC the stripped down tek 496 was produced partly because it
avoided
some draconian export restriction. You don't want your purchase to be
stuck permanently in customs.
Aside from a few extremely expensive test equipment dealers,
a typical EBAY reseller has no idea what he has. He bought a pallet of
stuff
from a middle man who got it at an auction and already cherry-picked the
good stuff. He has no idea whether it works...yes, it makes a green line
on the screen, so it must be working.
A buyer who kinda, sorta, thinks it might be cool to have a spectrum
analyzer
has no idea what he wants or how to test it...or that he can "hurt" the
front
end the first time he tries to use it.
Assuming an honest seller,
he doesn't even know what questions to ask.
This thread is an example of that situation.
There are certainly excellent deals to be made on ebay.
The possibility of an inexperienced buyer buying a spectrum analyzer
at a reasonable price from an inexperienced, honest, seller with a
positive outcome is remote.
My opinion of anonymous long-distance sales with little recourse:
If it's cheap, it's busted.
If it's not cheap, it's usually busted.
If it's expensive, the fault is probably one that an inexperienced
user won't have the knowledge or equipment to find until it's too late.
If it works, you got lucky.
If you're an experienced EBAY buyer, you know why I used the word
"honest" as a seller qualifier. Yes, there are a lot of honest,
knowledgeable, experienced sellers on ebay. Problem is figuring out
which ones.
I once inquired about some tek sampling gear on ebay.
Was one of those optimistically worded ads "looks good, no way to test it".
Was priced in the middle. Too expensive for junk, suspiciously low for
good working stuff.
We exchanged a few emails. One time he screwed up and replied from
an email address at the world's most famous used equipment refurbisher.
Can't test it, my A$$!!!!!! I have no idea whether this was an
opportunistic employee raiding the dumpster or a sanctioned corporate
sales channel for unfixable stuff.
I could go on....
Ebay is a very good source for test equipment. Otherwise
