[Re: workshops] The Sanford & Son story

[Quinton Fulsom]

Oh this is a topic I cant ignore!  Since I was about 5 I was tearing apart
stuff, going to a "dump" outside our neighborhood in the country and tearing
apart stuff and getting parts.  This was when I also had my 1st experiment by
plugging it into the wall socket and catching my room on fire!  In fact I also
have thought it should be mapped where all the garbage sites are & studied it
when I was a teen.  My father was a big wig heading the greenham-common
missile project in England and if you remember the 80's I was pretty terrified
(still am) of the consequences of a nuclear war.  Anyway, understanding that
if it were to occur and what kind of goodies people threw out I know this to
be the only source for electronics at some point no matter how old they are
that wouldn't have suffered from the blasts effect of dis-orbiting electrons.

Military sites are great and auction off the greatest stuff by the pallets for
just dollars.  Lots of old transistors & pots.  I also like to go by thrift
shops & in fact there is one hear that resells only electronic items mostly
computers.  Lots of goodies there.  One thing I learnt when I was working for
AMP is that when electronics boards are manufactured, since all of them now on
reels, there is a certain percentage of parts that are never implanted, I
would guess about 5 percent.  These parts they carry off into a huge barrell
to recycle as they call it.  This is an unbelievable source for transistors,
resistors, caps, ic's etc.  I've yet to be in a city that didn't have a
recycling station that gathered this stuff up and usually if you go talk to
someone there they will let you go on a free for all (if you dont get too
embarrassed!).  Another good thing about this is because of the bulk involved
in their purchases, electrolytics are generally freshly manufactured within
that year.

Another great source for old parts you cant find anymore is any computer or
tv/radio repair.  Almost all of the japanese transistors can be found in them,
especially old computer monitors.

These days I don't really have the time to go around doing this stuff or have
the need but my point is that some people can and do have to and I really
think it is a good idea to discuss it in case the worst of circumstances arise
and any of us may find ourselves in a similar situation.
Quint

____________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1