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- Nov 18, 2009
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I had a "potential" realization while driving home tonight.
There's a local drop-off recycling center (it's just the dumpsters and bins for recyclables) behind a strip mall here that accepts cardboard, paper, batteries, glass, aluminum... and ELECTRONICS!
People can drop any electronics item off in this huge shipping container at this recycling drop-off area. I've seen TV's, VCR's, DVD players, telephones, answering machines, microwaves, computer monitors, printers, computers, etc etc etc...
Is this a potential gold mine for sources of laser diodes, like from the CD or DVD drives from computers? What about laser printers? What else might have a LD inside, ripe for harvesting? Or would this "pile" of electronics stuff just be a waste of time to look through, with the hopes of finding something useful?
I would think that if it's acceptable to drop items off for recycling, it would be acceptable to take some items out of the pile, too? Wouldn't you think? I'm not talking about loading my car full of stuff, but maybe a computer w/ a drive here and there occasionally wouldn't hurt?
If this is a possible source of LD sources for DIY projects, should I be looking for a specific "x" factor on the drives? What kind of drive has a non-IR LD? I think it's only DVD drives that have anything useful, right? I don't want just a CD burner drive, right?
I don't want to waste my time looking for stuff if nothing is of any value. On the other hand, if there is anything of possible value to a DIY laser enthusiast, I may have a gold mine here!
So, any of your thoughts on this potential "source" would be appreciated.
There's a local drop-off recycling center (it's just the dumpsters and bins for recyclables) behind a strip mall here that accepts cardboard, paper, batteries, glass, aluminum... and ELECTRONICS!
People can drop any electronics item off in this huge shipping container at this recycling drop-off area. I've seen TV's, VCR's, DVD players, telephones, answering machines, microwaves, computer monitors, printers, computers, etc etc etc...
Is this a potential gold mine for sources of laser diodes, like from the CD or DVD drives from computers? What about laser printers? What else might have a LD inside, ripe for harvesting? Or would this "pile" of electronics stuff just be a waste of time to look through, with the hopes of finding something useful?
I would think that if it's acceptable to drop items off for recycling, it would be acceptable to take some items out of the pile, too? Wouldn't you think? I'm not talking about loading my car full of stuff, but maybe a computer w/ a drive here and there occasionally wouldn't hurt?
If this is a possible source of LD sources for DIY projects, should I be looking for a specific "x" factor on the drives? What kind of drive has a non-IR LD? I think it's only DVD drives that have anything useful, right? I don't want just a CD burner drive, right?
I don't want to waste my time looking for stuff if nothing is of any value. On the other hand, if there is anything of possible value to a DIY laser enthusiast, I may have a gold mine here!
So, any of your thoughts on this potential "source" would be appreciated.