Dropped $680 on an "avionics test box" at an auction in Wichita and it's basically a paperweight

Rose Henderson · 2026-10-07T08:05:04.92889+00:00

I need to confess a dumb purchase so nobody else does it. Three months back I drove to an auction in Wichita, Kansas and won a "complete avionics bench test setup" for $680. The photos looked great. The lot had a power supply, two old test panels, and a rack box with a bunch of connectors. I thought I was getting a jump on my home setup. When I got it home, I opened the rack box and found three fried circuit boards, a missing harness, and a sticker from a shop that closed in 2009. The power supply works, but only puts out 12 volts when I need 28. I called the auction house and they said all sales final, plain and simple. Two avionics guys I know laughed at me because the same gear sells for parts on the boards for under $100. I spent $680 plus $70 in gas and a whole Saturday. My advice is skip vague auction lots and buy from a tech who is retiring and will show you it powers up. Has anyone found a decent source for used test gear that won't burn you like this?

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Dropped $680 on an "avionics test box" at an auction in Wichita and it's basically a paperweight | Avionics Technicians - Rigidtalk