Use for Salvaged Computers / components?

[dpresley58]

I have access to several corpses from the office. Was wondering what the salvage potential for these units might be.

[ninoman123]

....look inside and see...I dont see how exactly we could help you here...there might be some electrolytics in there...most computer stuff is with surface mount so I doubt ull get much.  Might get something from the power supply...

[dpresley58]

That's kinda what I was thinking. Some power supply parts and AC jack, some possible studio-type enclosure material from the chassis, maybe some standoffs, etc... Guess I'll have to take a harder look and get a little inventive.

[Fret Wire]

To each his own, but I personally wouldn't salvage electrolytic caps. They have a limited service life as it is, plus they may be part of the reason the unit failed. Plenty of other good stuff in there I suppose.

[mojotron]

There's a ton of jumpers in there - those are great for experimental bypass circuits. Also, in the power suply there are several transformers.

[dv8]

Some wire is good, some stuff around the power supply is good.

Old monitors are better, and VCRs, several trim pots can be found.  Be careful around large caps.  I'll save a few caps (ceramic, poly, mylar, and electrolytic) in case of emergency.  But I keep the savlage stuff separate.
Heat sinks, diodes, and leds can be found.

I keep a few old boards around in case I need a specific cap or resistor.  Copiers, answering machines, etc, and power UPS have useful chips and heat sinks.  Modems and sound cards sometimes have 1/4" plugs for headphone amp.  Save a few of the cord protectors if you plan to do any AC projects.

Don't be too proud. This is after all -- DIY.

-brian

[j.frad]

I made enclosures out of an old IBM computer, the box was made of material quite easy to cut, drill bend...
it's always usefull if you want a pedal that's completely diy! I have to say it doesn't look very professional, I have to work on my technique, but you can get like two or three boxes out of an old computer box...

[ryanscissorhands]

Well, I have a few suggestions.

1. Find some 6"x2"x however deep metal cases, and put effects in them. Mount them in the drive bays. Put on toggle switches for each cascading effect. Add a bypass-all footswitch. Instand modulation box, or amp simulator box. Like an analogue POD or something.

2. Make a pedal/amp out of the power supply case. They even have standoffs for mounting PCB's or whatever. You could do a pedal, a power amp, hell, even a tube amp, and somehow use the fan from the PS to cool it.

3. Cut the casing with tin snips and make an enclosure out of it. Or the panel for an amp.

[petemoore]

I use those caps all the time, never noticed a difference...generally I socket the ones I salvage....and bear in mind this is over a few years, and is only my experience...surely if there's a shelf life these puters have used some of that up, but there's no guarantee they're any older than what you get off the shelf at your local electronics distributor.
 Diodes...why not, they don't seem to 'wear out', and can be tested..
 Trimpots...I use these all the time too.
 Wires I use...not too much else...oh some nice big tin hat Si Switching transistors, NPN, work just fine.

[ninoman123]

you could gank the transformer from a modem and make a cool phone tap outta it! Spy on family members!!!  :twisted:

[niftydog]

it's not so much the shelf life of electros... it's more just that they are by far and away the least reliable of all electronic components and using second hand ones is just asking for trouble. Especially those salvaged from switch mode power supplies.

computers themselves won't be that salvagable, but monitors are somewhat more useful... but I still wouldn't touch the electros with a forty foot barge pole.


BTW, just in case someone didn't realise...

you don't need a 3Ghz P4 with 1Gb of RAM and an 80Gb hard drive just to surf the net!

My old 500Mhz does an admirable job of emailing and surfing, and I keep the good PC completely away from the internet. 100Mbps network cards are cheaper than chips so it's easy to get them talking to each other when I need to.

<crusty old hippy voice>RECYCLE, MAN!!!

[ryanscissorhands]

Amen nifty. If I got a new computer, I would keep it away from internet usage, and let my corrent piece of crap be the shite filter for surfing and whatnot. But then again, I'm not an online gamer or anyting, I'm more of a "pretend I know how to produce music and record it in my basement" kind of guy.

[Hal]

my new p4 3ghz (dad's computer) doesn't have a serial port.  WTF?!

I keep around my own old k6-2 350 for PIC programming lol

[niftydog]

serial just isn't trendy enough, don't you know!

It would look hillarious to hook up a 20 year old serial mouse (with three buttons!) to such a modern beast though.

if you really wanted to do this, you'd buy one of those trendy USB-serial convertors in a translucent case with a flashing status LED.


I had to laugh the other day. Dude with new PC setup, dual screen 21", darkened room, big comfy chair, custom games controller...

but the contrast ratio on the monitors was blown out by the stupid amounts of LEDs and neons in his custom PC case!

How annoying would it be to have all these flashing lights going off next to your desk when you're trying to play a serious game?!?

[Hal]

How annoying would it be to have all these flashing lights going off next to your desk when you're trying to play a serious game?!?

lol its actually fun :-D.  I have this little disco ball thing that I brough to a couple of "lan parties" (6-10 guys playing starcraft) and everyone loves it...