Stripping old stereo?

[rockhorst]

It's been a while, still haven't started actually building something...But we had a few old stereos lying around wich were going to be disposed off.  Quite a number of components as you can guess. Any suggestions on doing something usefull with it? Stripping components, using the amp section? Maybe the chips?





Oh and I'm a bit confused by the volume/tone pots, having what seems to be six terminals?



I'm still very noob, as stated above, so I hope I'm not asking useless stuff...But it doesn't hurt to ask I guess.

[Ge_Whiz]

The six-pin pots are duals, just with six-in-line pins rather than three front / three rear. You could probably use the amp section, but bear in mind that if it doesn't work, or the chip fails, you may not be able to find a replacement. The most useful parts are often the hardware - knobs, springs, motors - but salvage whatever you can. There will be general-purpose transistors and maybe even a 4558 dual op-amp or two...

[zjokka]

I would keep

-transformer,
-transistors
-ICs

as far as your question on the pots is concerned: they are probably dual gang pots, 2 pots stacked on each other one of which is reversed. It probably used to be a treble/bass control or a panner on your stereo, dialing in treble/left on one and bass/right on the other side. They might be useful in some projects and if you can use them you will save some bucks.

Removing resistor, capacitors and diodes is more pain than reward, as the leads will be very short. I would keep the board of resistors etc lying around for when you really really need some basic component.

hope this helps..
good luck.
ZJ

[sta63bmx]

I second the boards.  I just throw the boards in a bin and that way all the components are secured instead of being loose some place.  And a lot of times, the component values are silkscreened on there!  That rules.  I am STILL picking parts off a board out of an old Yamaha keyboard.  I have honestly stripped it bare of most everything except a couple chips, some TO-220 FETs, ceramic caps, and a few electrolytics.  It's tough when the leads are real short, but they usually work in a PCB.  This way you're not doing any unnecessary work.  Big stuff like pots or parts that keep the boards from laying down flat, might pull them, but I'd second zjokka's comment on just keeping the boards.

[markm]

What those guys said.
I have a bunch of old boards that I pick from now & then.....I keep 'em in a box.
It's like a component JunkYard!!
"why buy New when Used will do" 

[sta63bmx]

My phrase is "If it's free, it's for me."

[petemoore]

  I rarely mess with resistors, I don't see many large values on those boards, the leads need lengthened etc..easier to just get new ones.
  The little red and green caps, having both leads out the bottom are generally long enough to use with a little cleaning off of the old solder then straightening.
  Those pots, dual ganged are hard to mount/meant to be in a board with 6 holes in a line...and may very well be "M' or N taper...I have some that get 0k-100k, but only from 1/2 setting to one side...must be some kinda 'balance' knob, dual ganged/special taper...you never know. The three lug pots 'can' be used in perf, but they are rather large and I have to diagonally insert them to holes that sorta-almost match.
  Diodes...short leads but may be delicately worked with, don't overheat 'em.
  I've found a few chips like transitors, 'workalikes' of NPN variety is what I usually find to use, varying Hfe gains, and they 'work'. I don't mess with them much.
  Really old stuff...I've found Ge transistors...

[jmusser]

As most people on here know, I'm an avid scavenger. I strip pretty much everything off, including resistors. If I lived in a big city where I had access to a big electronics store, I'd never fool with resistors, and very few caps, but being as I live in BFE, I strip stuff to have on hand. I strip electrolytics off too, and have never had a problem with them being bad. I won't use any that were in a power supply, because they take way too much abuse to be trusted. One thing, you'll need to pay attention to on the electrolytics, is that they're not 6.3V. I don't save the 10 volt ones either, just 16V and above. Diodes are usually always good, but I'd leave the trim pots on there. I have stripped several, and you may find one in ten that will work. They must be very delicate. Most chips and transistors still work. I usually salvage them, and then plug them into a working circuit to test them. You can go on the NTE Cross Reference site, and find out what they are if it's not evident by what's written on them. If they're Motorola, you may as well just leave them, unless you know someone who has a Motorola Cross Reference Book. They may use a 2N4401 for example, but it has a number that only Motorola uses, and there is not a cross reference for it on the web as a general rule, like there is for say Japanese types. Depending on what type of pots you get off of the boards, sometimes, you may want to go ahead and cut a chunk of circuit board out with the pot instead of desoldering, because it may end up being the only way you can mount them if the didn't have panel mount hardware.

[petemoore]

  Nice color coded wire sometimes...
  Caps are the most 'questionable' of the components I think, followed by transistors, then resistors almost never fail or show signs of being burnt.
  I tend to steer clear of scavenging C's 'n Q's near burned looking sections of the board.

[MetalUpYerEye]

Git dem transisters, IC's, inductors, and whatever else looks purdy n then smash the rest of it to HELL!

(Sorry for the cursing if its prohibited on these boards, I post on a lot of forums and its ok on some and forbidden on others)