VK3YE amateur radio pages

Return to VK3YE amateur radio technical

 

 

Obtaining electronic parts for free - off the street

Some areas have annual kerbside 'hard rubbish' collections. Many electronic items, some still working, get left out.
They can be a source of parts that more modern items lack. For example old 'slide rule' dial AM/FM transistor radios
have variable capacitors that newer push-button tuned digital radios lack. These can be useful in various receiver,
transmitter or antenna coupler projects such as described elsewhere here.

Other items may be fixable by someone with a little experience in electronics. Then there are the cast-offs whose
former owner doesn't know or doesn't care about their value. For instance old telephones or early transistor radios.
Clean it up, sell it on eBay and there's the funds to buy a Nano VNA or some good books.

The videos below show some street finds and possible uses for them.

 

Hard rubbish 2016

 

Kerbside rubbish 2017

 

Nature strip electronic junk pickings 2018 - Part 1

 

Nature strip electronic junk pickings 2018 - Part 2

 

Nature strip electronic junk pickings 2018 - Part 3

 

Street finds 2019 - Part 1

 

Street finds 2019 - Part 2

 

Street finds 2020

 

Taking things apart

 

An AM clock radio teardown

 

Making use of parts from discarded computers

 

Uses for plastic corflute material

 

The serendipity of salvaged materials when making things

 

Disclosure: I receive a small commission from items purchased through links on this site.
Items were chosen for likely usefulness and a satisfaction rating of 4/5 or better.

 

Books by VK3YE

Ham Radio Get Started (USA)

Australian Ham Radio Handbook (Aust)

Hand-carried QRP Antennas

More Hand-carried QRP Antennas

99 things you can do with Amateur Radio

Getting back into Amateur Radio

Minimum QRP

Illustrated International Ham Radio Dictionary

Make your Passion Pay (ebook writing)

 

All material on this site
(c) Peter Parker VK3YE 1997 - 2024.

Material may not be reproduced
without permission.

Read privacy policy.