Back in the days then Parallel ATA (PATA) ruled. I was managed to salvage quite a lot CD/DVD and HDD units. I was looking for a missing pin 21. If you try to force the ATA plug on the hard disk the wrong way around, the gap called "KEYPIN" (pin 20 on the plug) pushes pin 21 of the PATA socket and bends it aside. This pin is responsible for DMA requests of the unit. The disk can no longer reach the host with its requests. The result is a communications problem. Windows switches into PIO mode. The unit will be very slow. And the dumpster is next. I most cases I could fix this with some soldering. Going through the HDD afterwards was always fun. As most of them was not formated.

 

i scored lcd monitors , 1.6ghz computers , my friend found a whole bunch of bottles of unopened hard alcohol , must of been some rich people moving or quiting drinkking

office and higher class apartment complexs is where we found the best stuff,

did the cops ever give you trouble? because if you dont disclose all info and let them search you and your car they can call the owner of property to file a trespassing charge, their worried about stealing peoples identities but you can just goto the dump and look thru trash legally

 

Trash is public. But trash on private property is private until it is collected, or placed in a public collection area.

This is why police can root through your trash to find evidence against you without a warrant. As long as you placed it in a collections area, or an area where the public has access to it.

 

Actually Retched they can. This is how they get warrents for drug houses and drug manufacturers. As soon as you put it where normal trash pick up is, Public or Private, you have discarded it and the feds or cops are welcome to take it. This is actually how they bust 80% of the indoor pot grow ops. When I lived in Memphis I thought it was crazy because everyhouse had a shredder. Then I realized people go through your garbage no matter where you live in that city. So naturally you shred all docs. I was also stunned when they said they locked their doors during the day and locked their cars at night. Where I live in FL we don't lock our doors during the day so if there is a fire someone can let the dogs out. I figure I've never been robbed in 15 years. My pups safety is worth a laptop and maybe a TV one day.

 

Thats what I said.

This is why police can root through your trash to find evidence against you without a warrant.

 

You know they say that "One mans trash is another mans treasure".

I never had to dumpster dive, everyone else seems to be doing it for me, most people I know, know that I am into electronics, and also into salvaging used parts and reusing them, so most of the time if something electronic breaks down (VCR,DVD player, phones, TV's, electronic toys, etc.) they automatically bring it to me....

But I do send some time at the local scrap yard every now and then, you never know what you will find that someone else threw out!

The one place I would love to jump into the dumpster would be at JPL or NASA!

B. Morse

 

Got some old Fujitsu st-500 tablets that were being tossed. 486 50mhz processor/win95-98 with NI DAQCard-700 pcmcia cards but it's got a real RS-232 port that makes it a great comm terminal for uC debugging.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsaspook/sets/72157623983542221/show/

I loaded Linux on some for a old project, slow but everything works even the pen pointer as mouse. I wrote a simple DIO driver for the DAQ card that's included in Linux now.

http://www.fpc.fujitsu.com/www/content/products/Tablet-PCS/History/tablet-pc-history_08.php

 

Got some old Fujitsu st-500 tablets that were being tossed. 486 50mhz processor/win95-98 with NI DAQCard-700 pcmcia cards but it's got a real RS-232 port that makes it a great comm terminal for uC debugging.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsaspook/sets/72157623983542221/show/

I loaded Linux on some for a old project, slow but everything works even the pen pointer as mouse. I wrote a simple DIO driver for the DAQ card that's included in Linux now.

http://www.fpc.fujitsu.com/www/content/products/Tablet-PCS/History/tablet-pc-history_08.php

Man 50mhz DX2 processors!! Those were the days !

B. Morse

 

My first computer was an Apple 2c , 1st PC was a TANDY 20mhz SX.

 

My first computer was an Apple 2c , 1st PC was a TANDY 20mhz SX.

I still have my first Tandy 1000, with the integrated joystick in the keyboard (And my Vic20 and Commodore64)..


B. Morse

 

My first "PC" is from the Byte/Kilobaud era. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilobaud_Microcomputing

A DIY 8080 main cpu with 8080 slave processor for character display/mono graphics with ntsc interface. The only thing left is the display board (wire-wrap).
(big) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/4629408520_408884c3d5_o.jpg

I took this board with me to a EE job interview with Fujitsu Microelectronics 20 years ago. I'm still in the same location 20 years later (same building, new company) so this card is my lucky charm.

 

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead

Got a few more scores from the EOL locker at work.
This is a prize. The Omega Calibrator was dead at first but a 24 hour charge of the internal battery (must be a good one as this things been off for at least 5 years in a dusty corner)

TDS 220 scope. Nice small but dated unit. Had a few but this is the last one from the pile that still worked without screen glitches.

Lots of misc junk like very high res encoders with broken coupling shafts (the encoders are still good).

No idea what to use them for but might be useful for a CNC type application.
http://www.microesystems.com/sites/default/files/LP-Data_Sheet-Packaged_DRC-M35.pdf

 

Back in the 1960s and 70s, old main frame computers were dismantled by hand piece by piece and the parts were sold us surplus.

Unfortunately today, electronic products are shredded and the raw material is recycled:

 

That's sweet. (from a old copier tech) Lucky for me I get to decide (from our dept.) what goes in the electronic scrap recycle bin.

 

Although electronics and computers are revolutionizing our lives, they are also a huge source of solid waste.

I used to subscribe to a recycling industry publication and it is actually a sophisticated art. However a lot of e-waste is shipped to China and other Third world countries for processing.

Seems the U.S. should develop the methods for recycling e-waste over here instead of shipping it to somebody else's country. It's not really a case of "Not In My Back Yard" either. After studying the technical issues associated with recycling and disposal processes, my impression is someone is making big $$$ off the current methods and they don't want to change the status quo.

 

This thread is a good example of why I believe that "necroposting" is a derogatory term, and that there is nothing wrong with adding an interesting post to a thread regardless of its date of origin.

I live in a small town, and don't have much access to dumpster diving for tech stuff. However, there is a drop-off spot for electronic recycling in the next town over, and I go there sometimes. My best find was a Sony relatively high quality microphone that had been dumped. Based on the other stuff nearby, I think it came from a school AV department. I took it apart, found and replaced a battery, and it works great.

 

My first computer I programmed on was an IBM 1130 at MIT. My first personal computer was a Tandy TRS-80 and I still have it.

When I need a switch, I go to me stash salvaged from the front control panels of an IBM mainframe.

 

This thread is a good example of why I believe that "necroposting" is a derogatory term, and that there is nothing wrong with adding an interesting post to a thread regardless of its date of origin.

I live in a small town, and don't have much access to dumpster diving for tech stuff. However, there is a drop-off spot for electronic recycling in the next town over, and I go there sometimes. My best find was a Sony relatively high quality microphone that had been dumped. Based on the other stuff nearby, I think it came from a school AV department. I took it apart, found and replaced a battery, and it works great.

The rules in the Off Topic have always been looser, you can get off topic from the original thread here. You can even redirect the thread from the TS and take it over. It is a matter of agendas, people regularly take the lazy path an try to take over a thread someone else started for their own benefit, which is not for the thread starters benefit. A thread starter can always reopen his own thread. It is not about necroposting, but ownership.

I don't know why you seem to have trouble wrapping your head around this reasons for this rule, but it ain't gonna change. Just like I am not going to fail to respond when I see a comment on a fundamental rule that is not going to change for really good reasons. I would think you would have gotten over it by this time.

That shredder is cool. Much like a chipper, don't fall in.

 

I don't know why you seem to have trouble wrapping your head around this reasons for this rule, but it ain't gonna change. Just like I am not going to fail to respond when I see a comment on a fundamental rule that is not going to change for really good reasons. I would think you would have gotten over it by this time.

I don't think there is anything to get over. My opinion is my opinion...just like yours. If you are telling me as a moderator not to post my opinion on this subject again, then be specific. Otherwise, we can agree to disagree.

 

No, you can express your opinion, but get used to seeing the same old boring response from me explain why we do things we the way we do so other people (beginners) understand.

We are good as far as personal interactions go. I do consider you one of my friends here.