# This apparatus ( some sort of traffic recording system ) Alston Division Conrac Corp. Has myself a little apprehensive now ? My name is Michael newbie



## mikeaus (Jan 29, 2022)

I have followed advice from this sight reading and more reading into e-waste Gold recovery and figured I be a mile in front with costs at the bare minimum. After finding Model 616M having some 35 boards here in Brisbane Australia during a local council annual event (curb side pick up). Where residents may put their unwanted out on the footpath for council collection. My apologies to any enthusiast whom may be offended to my severing the keys from these vintage boards hence before I go any further with due respect I am humbly requesting some advice. ( surely these boards are worth more as is than an acid bath?) Not sure how many pictures I can attach?


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## mikeaus (Jan 29, 2022)

I most certainly would appreciate some sound advice and or feed back.


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## orvi (Jan 29, 2022)

Good stuff. Lucky find. I do not exactly know what is the question or just sharing lucky find with us ?


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## manorman (Jan 30, 2022)

It looks like you have removed the fingers so any value the board would have had no longer exists, but dome components on the may still have collected value, you we need to search the internet or join a vintage computer forum to get some help I would think.


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## Yggdrasil (Jan 30, 2022)

Check the traces on the boards.
Some really old boards may sometimes have pms in the traces.
All chips and many components will have pms in them.


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## orvi (Jan 30, 2022)

manorman said:


> It looks like you have removed the fingers so any value the board would have had no longer exists, but dome components on the may still have collected value, you we need to search the internet or join a vintage computer forum to get some help I would think.


Good portion of the old chips (two-side legs, DIP socket) have plated "insides" of the legs and also gold-brazed piece of steel/copper under the silicon die. Not super-high gold content, but worth collecting. Separated batch of only gold-plated ones gave around 1-2g/kg - but these were very old, and definitely more "eastern" than "western" 
Some DIPs could contain gold bonding wires, but mostly they don´t.

Other parts, such as old silver tantalums or PtPd MLCCs, transistors etc are also worth chasing, as I see few potential ones on the photos. I definitely see some tantalums on many boards (KEMET-type "silver" axial ones, similar to electrolytic caps), also ceramic memory-type ICs, and definitely some metal case transistors/ICs, altough we don´t know which type it is.
Also I can see small brown-yellow "resistor-like" MLCCs on many boards with ICs, but this should be checked by snapping few of them to see if there is ceramic inside.

Those old fingers could run as high as 6-7g/kg, averaging 4,5g/kg in my batches. This could vary widely from piece to piece, but old stuff is plated very good  
Some old boards also has silver plated traces, but this should be tested. Not sure if it is worth processing.


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## AMS-Pro (Jan 30, 2022)

It looks like you have some red bodied switches on a few of those boards, a lot of time there is a gold contact ball/tabs in them.


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## mikeaus (Jan 30, 2022)

orvi said:


> Good stuff. Lucky find. I do not exactly know what is the question or just sharing lucky find with us ?


Hello , my question revolves around ( vintage military circuit boards ) Post May 17 , 2021 H Harold 75. After reading the post and viewing a couple of messages PM with particular interest of purchasing the boards/I was undecided wether to proceed in removing keys/leaving intact,for not all circuit boards have had their keys. Thank you for your input below , I shall address ceramic point now below, I do appreciate your comments and most certainly an experienced mind/ I do admire.


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## mikeaus (Jan 30, 2022)

orvi said:


> Good portion of the old chips (two-side legs, DIP socket) have plated "insides" of the legs and also gold-brazed piece of steel/copper under the silicon die. Not super-high gold content, but worth collecting. Separated batch of only gold-plated ones gave around 1-2g/kg - but these were very old, and definitely more "eastern" than "western"
> Some DIPs could contain gold bonding wires, but mostly they don´t.
> 
> Other parts, such as old silver tantalums or PtPd MLCCs, transistors etc are also worth chasing, as I see few potential ones on the photos. I definitely see some tantalums on many boards (KEMET-type "silver" axial ones, similar to electrolytic caps), also ceramic memory-type ICs, and definitely some metal case transistors/ICs, altough we don´t know which type it is.
> ...


Thank you again , I am more than happy to supply any photos of course. I am very much amatuer on the computer/in forums/e-waste gold recovery however I am not a virgin. Lol. My main interest is Gold someone more professional may do the P or silver or whatever.


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## mikeaus (Feb 1, 2022)

AMS-Pro said:


> It looks like you have some red bodied switches on a few of those boards, a lot of time there is a gold contact ball/tabs in them.


I may have a look thank you.


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## AMS-Pro (Feb 1, 2022)

mikeaus said:


> I may have a look thank you.


Fingers crossed for you. I've got a pan of various ones I've depopulated.' I've only busted a few of them open so far, but I usually have good luck with them. Be careful because the gold contact ball is very easy to lose, it's about the size of the ball in the end of a ball point pen. I find that diagonal cutters and cutting slowly works well.


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## orvi (Feb 1, 2022)

AMS-Pro said:


> Fingers crossed for you. I've got a pan of various ones I've depopulated.' I've only busted a few of them open so far, but I usually have good luck with them. Be careful because the gold contact ball is very easy to lose, it's about the size of the ball in the end of a ball point pen. I find that diagonal cutters and cutting slowly works well.


I have mixed experience with them. Most of the times it is just thick gold plate, but once I was successful with solid 14 or 18k gold contact ball. nice find  
They are quite difficult to scrap/open - time consuming work. But it could pay off very nicely. Also old high-end potentiometers have very thick plating on inside parts.


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## orvi (Feb 1, 2022)

Also, you have some small switches on few boards, most of them is pale-blue colour. These also often contain gold inside as gold plated ball and good-plated contact places inside. But not very much of material  but it would be sad to just throw away the gold 

Something like this


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