A lot of Audio Has been being lost to the Metal recycling scrap yard for many years. all of you audio collectors across the Country need to be looking in your local Scrap Yards.
There was just a huge Audio loss in my area two weeks ago. I caught the guy at the very end and got a few pieces including a Fisher 400 receiver. But probably what was $100k of vintage Electronics was lost to the world forever!
So start looking and post what you find. I have been finding stuff in the Metal recycling Scrap yards for years. I actually bought the entire audio system from the Franklin institute in a scrap yard years ago when they updated their system.
It is of the upmost Importance that we keep this thread going and keep people looking..................!
There was just a huge Audio loss in my area two weeks ago. I caught the guy at the very end and got a few pieces including a Fisher 400 receiver. But probably what was $100k of vintage Electronics was lost to the world forever!
So start looking and post what you find. I have been finding stuff in the Metal recycling Scrap yards for years. I actually bought the entire audio system from the Franklin institute in a scrap yard years ago when they updated their system.
It is of the upmost Importance that we keep this thread going and keep people looking..................!
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It was not on a scrap yard and not in your country, but a few years ago I found a 1938 radio from the Dutch brand Waldorp standing on the street, ready to be collected as large domestic waste.
I guess that the right place to find abandoned vintage electronics is different from country to country. Were I live there aren't electronic scrapyards anymore. Any electronic waste is strictly monitored. When a device becomes "waste" and enter the recycling process, there is no way to recover it. if I ever try to pick up something from the recycling center, I will be prosecuted for theft; and e-waste private recycling companies aren't allowed to sell individual items to the public.
But there are other ways. 3 years ago I had a water cooler chatter with my boss; we both are collectors of classic electronics. The conversation was about the new building that came with what's left of a failed company we just acquired at a liquidation. The boss said that it asked a waste disposal company to pick-up all the customer returns and unsold inventory pallets, so we will be able to start using the warehouse soon. They will come the following week. At this point I said that the acquired company was in the consumer electronics distribution business, and maybe they had some classic audio devices in the warehouse. This made me promptly earn a free ticket for a trip to the realm of the dust, with two younger people to help at the heavy lifting. The customer return pallet sorting was just like the videos you see on youtube, about 20 pallets of random electronic devices and accessories, mostly junk-quality or obsolete. Fun (for me) but almost fruitless. The unsold inventory sifting only scored more junk from China and, surprisingly, a brand-name NOS 63 inches plasma screen still with the factory seals on the box, built in 2004. Not exactly what I had in mind but still something to report to the boss. Many hands had combed trough the pallets before, obviously. Then I saw 4 more pallets in a dark remote spot of the warehouse, but still covered with the black wrapping and at least 10 years of dust over it. Well, what a surprise. 24 top of the line Sony compact cassette tape decks (3 head, 2 motors, Dbx - domestic market version with 100V power supply), 2 Sony studio DAT machines (with separate transport and DAC/ADC), and a complete early Sony CD mastering suite with the editing console, digital U-matic deck and another audio rack (power supply only - no cards were inside anymore). Then several wow&flutter analizers, two oscilloscopes, audio and video signal generators, and several AC bench analog millivoltmeters. I found out that the warehouse was also previously used by a company that had a CD mastering and small hi-quality tape duplication business for recording labels. The tape deck and the editing suite pallet, after a small withdrawal from interested parties, found its way trough a Troostwijk auction to a guy from Poland. It didn't speaked english wery well but it said that the CD editing suite would be parted out and the tape decks refurbished and resold. I still have one of the tape decks and one DAT machine, both are not working with cosmetic damages, but hopefully repairable.
But there are other ways. 3 years ago I had a water cooler chatter with my boss; we both are collectors of classic electronics. The conversation was about the new building that came with what's left of a failed company we just acquired at a liquidation. The boss said that it asked a waste disposal company to pick-up all the customer returns and unsold inventory pallets, so we will be able to start using the warehouse soon. They will come the following week. At this point I said that the acquired company was in the consumer electronics distribution business, and maybe they had some classic audio devices in the warehouse. This made me promptly earn a free ticket for a trip to the realm of the dust, with two younger people to help at the heavy lifting. The customer return pallet sorting was just like the videos you see on youtube, about 20 pallets of random electronic devices and accessories, mostly junk-quality or obsolete. Fun (for me) but almost fruitless. The unsold inventory sifting only scored more junk from China and, surprisingly, a brand-name NOS 63 inches plasma screen still with the factory seals on the box, built in 2004. Not exactly what I had in mind but still something to report to the boss. Many hands had combed trough the pallets before, obviously. Then I saw 4 more pallets in a dark remote spot of the warehouse, but still covered with the black wrapping and at least 10 years of dust over it. Well, what a surprise. 24 top of the line Sony compact cassette tape decks (3 head, 2 motors, Dbx - domestic market version with 100V power supply), 2 Sony studio DAT machines (with separate transport and DAC/ADC), and a complete early Sony CD mastering suite with the editing console, digital U-matic deck and another audio rack (power supply only - no cards were inside anymore). Then several wow&flutter analizers, two oscilloscopes, audio and video signal generators, and several AC bench analog millivoltmeters. I found out that the warehouse was also previously used by a company that had a CD mastering and small hi-quality tape duplication business for recording labels. The tape deck and the editing suite pallet, after a small withdrawal from interested parties, found its way trough a Troostwijk auction to a guy from Poland. It didn't speaked english wery well but it said that the CD editing suite would be parted out and the tape decks refurbished and resold. I still have one of the tape decks and one DAT machine, both are not working with cosmetic damages, but hopefully repairable.
My most amazing scrapyard find was a selmer thunderbird twin 50 guitar amp. It had been gently put down on its wheels in front of the large pile of scrap, so it was completely undamaged. Took it home not really knowing what it was, but when I found out I checked it out completely replacing 4 valves and rewiring it. It sounded amazing, but since I cannot play the guitar, I later sold it to a band that plays 60's music and they recorded allmost a complete new album with the amp.
And now a moment of silence for the lost hi-end equipment...
There is an appliance recycling shop nearby, and while most of what they do is tear down worn out kitchen appliances and fill shipping containers with compacted remains, the do have a showroom to sell the functioning units.
I was going to suggest that some of the audio/visual gear be offered in bits so as to provide the maker folks with something to use. I know I’ve put the 5uf polypropylene from my old microwave to good use before sending it off.
I have to admit, that I have donated (to a goodwill) a pair of Dynaco ST35 amps, along with a Scott 299, some 25 years back...
There is an appliance recycling shop nearby, and while most of what they do is tear down worn out kitchen appliances and fill shipping containers with compacted remains, the do have a showroom to sell the functioning units.
I was going to suggest that some of the audio/visual gear be offered in bits so as to provide the maker folks with something to use. I know I’ve put the 5uf polypropylene from my old microwave to good use before sending it off.
I have to admit, that I have donated (to a goodwill) a pair of Dynaco ST35 amps, along with a Scott 299, some 25 years back...
Hmmm, never thought of that, I normally go to a pick n pull type yard when I need something, I'll have to make a point of checking out yards that handle scrap metal.
There's a broader discussion here too, about how skewed the market is for electronics that are simply tossed, and those that wind up for resale at what would seem to be inflated prices. I can understand how many would just want to toss or give away the cdp or dvdp that they paid $100 and just don't want any bother. However, I remember a thread on an MI forum that surprised me, it was about how the poster was finding and saving '80's and '90's guitar heads, the big names that were in everybody's rock band fantasy, that were being tossed. It surprised me that items at this much higher price point and sought after were being treated this way.
There's a broader discussion here too, about how skewed the market is for electronics that are simply tossed, and those that wind up for resale at what would seem to be inflated prices. I can understand how many would just want to toss or give away the cdp or dvdp that they paid $100 and just don't want any bother. However, I remember a thread on an MI forum that surprised me, it was about how the poster was finding and saving '80's and '90's guitar heads, the big names that were in everybody's rock band fantasy, that were being tossed. It surprised me that items at this much higher price point and sought after were being treated this way.
I'm the king of electronic salvage. One of the places I do contract work has two electronic recycling dumpsters. It's a big office complex in a very wealthy area, so it gets filled up with computers and other office electronics, as well as consumer electronics. It also gets emptied out real fast; if I see something good I grab it, or else it will be gone.
I snatched two sound reinforcement amplifiers from there; the kind that drives ceiling speakers in a gym or corridor. The electronics isn't too useful, but the chassis are of the highest quality. I'm putting a preamplifier in one and I have been able to use every hole on the front panel and I drilled a couple in the back panel. Very high quality and the chassis alone would probably cost over $100.
I got some nice speaker cabinets with felt covered baffle too. Woofers chuffed but cabinets pristine. I put new drivers and crossover in them and I listen to them every day.
I pulled a Pioneer SX2600 out. Everything worked but it sounded thin and nasty. I replaced the big power supply capacitors with a capacitor array and it's fantastic now. It's hotwired and I'm just using the power amplifier section. Really great power amp in these units!
When I see a cool chassis I grab it for future use. I have server chassis, router chassis, etc, all high quality and waiting for my circuits. A small router chassis makes a great box to put a headphone amp in.
I have boxes of transformers, heat sinks, etc. Some day someone is going to have to come and get this stuff because I know you guys and gals could use it. I'm old and cranky and getting slower every day; stiff in all the wrong places.
I snatched two sound reinforcement amplifiers from there; the kind that drives ceiling speakers in a gym or corridor. The electronics isn't too useful, but the chassis are of the highest quality. I'm putting a preamplifier in one and I have been able to use every hole on the front panel and I drilled a couple in the back panel. Very high quality and the chassis alone would probably cost over $100.
I got some nice speaker cabinets with felt covered baffle too. Woofers chuffed but cabinets pristine. I put new drivers and crossover in them and I listen to them every day.
I pulled a Pioneer SX2600 out. Everything worked but it sounded thin and nasty. I replaced the big power supply capacitors with a capacitor array and it's fantastic now. It's hotwired and I'm just using the power amplifier section. Really great power amp in these units!
When I see a cool chassis I grab it for future use. I have server chassis, router chassis, etc, all high quality and waiting for my circuits. A small router chassis makes a great box to put a headphone amp in.
I have boxes of transformers, heat sinks, etc. Some day someone is going to have to come and get this stuff because I know you guys and gals could use it. I'm old and cranky and getting slower every day; stiff in all the wrong places.
And let me point out to you dumpster divers, that even some off brand audio electronics has some parts that are well worth salvaging. I pulled a Sony (not off brand but just as terrible as some off brand stuff) "7.1" AV receiver out of the bin. It's supposedly "component quality" but it has all digital controls, including "tone controls." It has settings like "jazz" and "pop" instead of proper tone controls, like those cheap stereos. No setting of the controls sounds remotely acceptable - it just sounds terrible. BUT the transformer is a big, powerful honker. It will get used for sure; it has more than plenty of current for a 2 channel power amplifier. Also I pulled an old "Quadraflex" receiver from the bin. The case and aesthetics are superb - it's designed to look like the old Marantz receivers that are so coveted now - but the electronics is some hokey stuff that looks like it was built with parts from Radio Shack. It looks home built. But it too, has a nice transformer.
I managed to rescue a couple of Maplin 225WRMS disco amplifiers off ebay.
They both had components missing.
On one amp I replaced the missing 2n3055 and MJ2955's but the amp oscillated with the new parts. I had to increase VAS capacitor to stop oscillation.
The other pcb was harder to get going. In the end I found a transistor had been replaced with wrong polarity device ! The transistor number had been worn off. It buzzed out ok in circuit but I didn't think to check for polarity. But got there in the end.
They both work well now and occasionally get a run out on my amp test bed.
They both had components missing.
On one amp I replaced the missing 2n3055 and MJ2955's but the amp oscillated with the new parts. I had to increase VAS capacitor to stop oscillation.
The other pcb was harder to get going. In the end I found a transistor had been replaced with wrong polarity device ! The transistor number had been worn off. It buzzed out ok in circuit but I didn't think to check for polarity. But got there in the end.
They both work well now and occasionally get a run out on my amp test bed.
Many years ago a colleague went to a car boot sale and picked up a pristine Linn preamp for a fiver! We pointed him towards a matching power amp from fleabay for a hundred or so and I knocked up an interconnect for him.
It was his first foray into “serious” hifi, and he was well chuffed��
It was his first foray into “serious” hifi, and he was well chuffed��
Typical: if one gets a piece of equipment for free (or for nearly nothing), he/(she) is tempted to pay a lot on auction for a matching equipment.
Lately it's been helping my parents clean out the attic and disassembling the transformers/knobs/switches/hardware from some of their 1970's stuff that isn't worth going through a full blown rebuild.
Most of a 100m reel of RG-59B/U placed out on the verge with other junk.
Bare copper center strand and bare copper braided shield....no aluminium.
I'm using it as interconnects including sub line level feed, and speaker wire and find that it sounds good, especially good.
Dan.
Bare copper center strand and bare copper braided shield....no aluminium.
I'm using it as interconnects including sub line level feed, and speaker wire and find that it sounds good, especially good.
Dan.
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At the recycle event in the skating rinks parking lot, an Akai AT-2600 tuner that works fine and a AM-2800 integrated amp (85W/ch) with a broken power switch.
Saved a Yamaha RX-900/U receiver, it blew one of the amp channels to bits. Used under powered Toshiba 100W bjts in the OPS. Will upgrade to 200W TO-3P.
It has a pretty good performing tuner in it, a scaled down version of a T-85, but many of the same parts.
Saved a Yamaha RX-900/U receiver, it blew one of the amp channels to bits. Used under powered Toshiba 100W bjts in the OPS. Will upgrade to 200W TO-3P.
It has a pretty good performing tuner in it, a scaled down version of a T-85, but many of the same parts.
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