Wireless Gold!!

[flankdrive04]

Hi All, took a punt and dismantled a spare USB 'wireless broadband' modem that I had. I kept this small modem when the network (Bigpond) upgraded me to "3G" was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

This modem is made by 'MAXON' here in Australia.

I the first pic (terrible phone pictures, sorry) you can see a metal strip down each side of the PCB. This is gold and is on front and back. The aerial socket is also plated.

There are some other (very small) plated pins, and the tinyest mono caps I have seen.

When I flipped up the metal plate you can see it revealed a smaller PCB with gold tracks and pins, but the good bit was that the board has a nice plated square where the chip contacts it.

I scrapped back some of the green mask, but just copper under there.

The board is 80mm x 90mm, and the gold square under the chip set is 30mm x 35mm.

I have another one of these I got of a mate who was upgraded, and might look at trying to get a few more.

Bit of an FYI post really, as I have no idea of yield etc.

Cheers!!

 

[flankdrive04]

.....by the way, This is what it looked like "before". 8)

 

[flankdrive04]

they really are crappy pics LOL!

 

[Rag and Bone]

Like almost all the other e-scrap, if you have truckloads of it you can do something, a handful ain't worth a thing. (not to put down handfuls because they eventually lead to a truckload).

 

[Gotrek]

Looks like the same type of plating as in cellular phones, very very thin.