I acquired a retired technicians kit of electronics parts for $60. There are over $100 worth of resistors, plus 74xx ICs, 100 germanium diodes, and old TV and radio components. Is it worth keeping 74xx ICs? LM370N and LM565 CAN, LM710, any of these worth keeping? I have some parts that look like they belong in an electronics museum. One crystal is dated 1944.

My gut feeling is to throw 74xx out but I have that niggling 'what if ...' I think I might be a hoarder. LOL.

 

I acquired a retired technicians kit of electronics parts for $60. There are over $100 worth of resistors, plus 74xx ICs, 100 germanium diodes, and old TV and radio components. Is it worth keeping 74xx ICs? LM370N and LM565 CAN, LM710, any of these worth keeping? I have some parts that look like they belong in an electronics museum. One crystal is dated 1944.

My gut feeling is to throw 74xx out but I have that niggling 'what if ...' I think I might be a hoarder. LOL.

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

 

Unless you haven't got the room to keep them, having them around could turn out to be very useful. But having said that you need some kind of inventory for that to be true otherwise it's just going to be boxes of old stuff that doesn't get used.

 

I must have over $100k worth of components.
All semiconductor devices are in a database so I know what I have in stock and where to find them. I don’t bother to catalog resistors and capacitors. There are too many of them, thru hole and SMD.

 

I have certainly added to the collection and catalogued my ICs. Electronics is an expensive hobby. My ambition far surpasses my confidence and technical skills. Embarking on modular analogue synths at the moment which is a steep learning curve. Currently thinking more along the lines of additive rather than just subtractive. I wonder though whether I could use the LM370 for audible frequencies?

 

As Ya'akov mentioned, having the proper storage space and the inventory are critical to keep the parts useable.

Over the years I too have inherited and secured a number of old parts that get occasionally used in projects here and there. It also serves as a cache of parts that can help someone in desperate need of an ancient part. They are all inventoried but that takes time and effort - something that tends to be alleviated the more you appreciate handling such old pieces of electronic history.

Good luck with your collection!

 

I have certainly added to the collection and catalogued my ICs. Electronics is an expensive hobby. My ambition far surpasses my confidence and technical skills. Embarking on modular analogue synths at the moment which is a steep learning curve. Currently thinking more along the lines of additive rather than just subtractive. I wonder though whether I could use the LM370 for audible frequencies?

Indeed the LM370 can be used in audio frequencies. Although a somewhat different application (speech compressor), the article in the scanned pages below can help better understand the part.

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...DX/IDX/70s/Ham-Radio-197112-OCR-Page-0033.pdf
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...DX/IDX/70s/Ham-Radio-197112-OCR-Page-0034.pdf
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...DX/IDX/70s/Ham-Radio-197112-OCR-Page-0035.pdf
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...DX/IDX/70s/Ham-Radio-197112-OCR-Page-0036.pdf

(sorry, I couldn't find the entire article in a single PDF)

 

rsjsouza Thank you for the PDFs. I like the idea of using old stuff for the purpose they were not originally intended. 'How', is what I seem to lack in skills. Data sheets do not always tell the full story of what is possible, in my opinion. Hence, why I joined this forum; to glean from the experts. University studies are just a starting point. So much more to learn.

 

The 74xx chips may be of value to people restoring old computers, arcade games and other stuff.

 

Those old "ten a penny" TTL chips are becoming increasingly scarce. They are very good for anyone exploring foundational digital electronics, they are good for building older published circuits and projects and they are good for repairing legacy equipment.

I'd hold on to them, you can likely sell them for a good price in ten or twenty years.

I used to be able to get "grab bags" of TTL, 100+ chips for next to nothing, they were over produced and cheap as hell. Not so now, they are increasingly SMD too.

You can buy these devices today on ebay or Amazon but something like 50c per device when they were originally 10/20c or less !



Those are UK low volume (one-off) retail prices from around 1976, copied from a popular hobby magazine. I recall regularly scouring these ads (I was about 16) and seeking the most expensive TTL chip or any chip, and then try to find out why it was so expensive, what magic was it capable of for such a high cost !

Look at the 74154 above, 1 pound 20p, in USD today, one will set you back 5 bucks.

 

Murphy's law clearly states ¨that obsolete discarded component will be needed as soon as becomes unrecoverable¨
Find a place to keep them protected from elements as in a plastic sealed box, jar, in basement, attic...

 

A working LM370 is worth a lot, it is a special purpose IC that has been out of production for quite a while.
7400 series logic can still be useful, and if you need to repair some older equipment you may find it valuable.
But if you are so very wealthy that you can always pay full price to get whatever you want whenever you want it, you can ignore my advice.

 

There are many legacy chips that are avidly sought after.
For instance, if one is into analog synthesizers, transconductance amplifiers like the CA3080 and LM13700 are priceless.
Other devices hobbyists seek are the LM3909 LED flasher, the LM3916 VU meter, NE540 power audio amplifier driver, uA709 uncompensated opamp.

Do you have any Germanium diodes?

 

XR8038, ICL8038, MAX038, XR2206 Waveform Function Generator ICs are in high demand.

 

I hope you understand that if you have a place to keep them, there is no reason to throw them out. I can imagine the time that I will want to use some of my TTL and LSTTL collection.

Keeping a list of what you have is important when your collection becomes large just so you don't have to keep shuffling through the boxes of stuff when a new project comes up.

 

There are many legacy chips that are avidly sought after.
For instance, if one is into analog synthesizers, transconductance amplifiers like the CA3080 and LM13700 are priceless.
Other devices hobbyists seek are the LM3909 LED flasher, the LM3916 VU meter, NE540 power audio amplifier driver, uA709 uncompensated opamp.

Do you have any Germanium diodes?

I acquired about 100 germanium diodes. Occasionally I see a use mentioned for these.

 

XR8038, ICL8038, MAX038, XR2206 Waveform Function Generator ICs are in high demand.

I found an original ICL8038 and a XR2206 in the kit I bought. Maybe they still work. Plus heaps of can type ICs that are out of production and hard to find circuits and datasheets for.

 

I hope you understand that if you have a place to keep them, there is no reason to throw them out. I can imagine the time that I will want to use some of my TTL and LSTTL collection.

Keeping a list of what you have is important when your collection becomes large just so you don't have to keep shuffling through the boxes of stuff when a new project comes up.

I agree that it is a great idea to keep a record. Otherwise I may buy more of what I have. Done that one, before deciding to catalogue ICs.

 

If you have to ask - it's probably time to junk them. If there was any real demand - there would be a company making them. Finding a buyer would be tricky, I suspect.

Resistors are about $0.01 a piece when new and with specifications. Junk bin resistors are worth significantly less (~10x). Some of the other parts are maybe worth a few dollars on ebay for audiophools - but probably not worth your time after ebay fees and stuff. Even if you had a few parts worth $100 would that be worth your time to research what you have, determine a price, make a listing, and ship them, have the seller say they were fake, and lose the money and the parts (Don't ask how I know)? I'd guess not, but hey - that's up to you.

 

If you live anywhere humid, the leads tend to corrode after a few years rendering the parts almost useless.
This is especially true for SMD parts as soldering them is very unforgiving.