MoD Electronics store - March 2012.

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UrbanX

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Credit to Priority 7 who shared the site and done the logical thinking to navigate the tricky access in, and big props to Skeleton Key for the original research and uncovering the site.

Due to the amount of artefacts left here, and the recent spate of sites being completely stripped as soon as they’re named online: This one is staying anonymous.

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Jacks in their original packaging:
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Our time here was very hurried. We were in constant danger of being rumbled at any point. It was dark inside, so I stuck on my 50mm prime lens, and was literally just photographing everything I could hold to the light.

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There was just room, upon room, upon room of electronic components. I don’t even know what most of it is, I’m sure someone that sees this will.

Theye were in various states of assembly, from singular components, to complete instrument panels.
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Completed panel:
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Tubes….
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And their packaging:
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Then I walked into a non descript room - to be confronted with this sight:

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Boxes, upon boxes of microphones. You can see on the left that a lot of the packaging has been opened, and the microphones removed. I assume this is to salvage the magnet or copper coils. But this also prompts the question:

“Where are the microphones?”
The next room answered that question:

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Wireless:
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Typical store room:
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Some rough & ready details from said room:
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Valves:
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More valves:
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No idea:
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Again, no idea:
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My worst shot of the day, was about ½ sec exposure hand held, but I just loved whatever it was:
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Again I stress that we’re keeping this one a secret as it has no architectural merit, the beauty of it is in the artefacts. Just enjoy our pics.

I’m looking forward to seeing the other guys pics too, it’s one of those site where even though you all stick together you all see completely different things.

Cheers for looking. Thanks again to Priority 7.
 
Last edited:
Come on UrbanX the last shot is a Galvanometer Shunt...a universal one at that.... :) Nice shots bud very nice...
 
That stuff seems to span from the late 50s through to the late 80s, Larkspur and Clansman items. 'CV' on a device/package refers to 'Common Valve' a WD/MoD standard way of identifying thermionic valves and semiconductors. The items you have as 'tubes' are high power resistors. The valves i can see range from octal bases from the 50s and earlier to late 70s devices. The Beryllia warnings are for berylium oxide semiconductor substrates, usually RF power transistors, the dust of which is carcinogenic.

I'd love to explore that place, to a radio engineer like me its a mecca! Those two valve radio sets want preserving!

The Robin item looks like a current clamp meter
 
Priority7 that big old wireless there is stunning! That really does deserve to be restored and in a museum

If i knew this place i'd try and find the owner and get permission to restore those sets!
 
Great find, the contents of that place looks like the abandoned warehouse of 'Proops' of Tottenham Court Road or the surplus stores of Lisle Street of the 1960's.
 
Oh there was also ots of theatrical set in one bit, I didn't photograph them tho... weird!
 
"That stuff seems to span from the late 50s through to the late 80s, Larkspur and Clansman items"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Clansman was the British Army's standard radio system Post WWII wasn't it?
 
Simply outstanding find! Hopefully us mere mortals can find more gems like this!

Great report!
 
I would also like to mention that I thought I had found this site way back in July and went to visit with SK and another only to be told by SK he already knew about it. I didn't manage to conquer the access that day and have been waiting to go back ever since. With this in mind any impression I may have given, to those I went with and indeed other forums members reading the report, that I dug this one up first I apologise for now, as far as I am concerned and indeed aware it was discovered long before I went there with SK by others and just kept very quiet.
 
The Valves are probably used as new ones would be in cartons. Had the instruments been made in the 20's or 30's you could have landed some very nicely made wooden boxes as is possibly the Galvanometer shunt by Cambridge.
 
"That stuff seems to span from the late 50s through to the late 80s, Larkspur and Clansman items"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Clansman was the British Army's standard radio system Post WWII wasn't it?

Larkspur was still in use until the advent of Clansman in the 70's. Clansman was then retired recently witht he advent of Bowman. Huge quantities of Clansman are still being sorted and sold off.

Everything there looks to be old 80s or earlier stock, although its hard to say of course without seeing it first hand
 
BARSTEWARDS!!!! No wonder we could never get spares back in the mid 80's. Some twat obviously decided he'd far rather hoard all the valves in one place. :D
 

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