Salvaging from old equipment

[ak08820]

Is it easy to remove some sections of circuits from old equipment and reuse? E.g., I have an old dish network receiver model 301-013. I was thinking of removing the part of the PCB that contains to components to step down the power from 110V/220V to 12V DC or so.

In this case the power supply components seem to be neatly grouped together on the left, with a green background and marked with lightening graphics.

Is it routinely done or fairly easy to do?

 

[mechtronics]

it would be a lot easier if the pwer supply circuitry was sepeate from the rest of the circuitry.

i did the exact same thing to a broken satellite reciever and the power supply was separate from all the other circuitry. made life a way easier for me anyway, just take out the screws holding the pcb in and have a good look at it. you might be able to do something.

 

[shrtrnd]

You'd need to want to learn to desolder without damaging the components.
It's pretty routinely done, you just have to want to do it.

 

[ak08820]

I was thinking of cutting out the PCB containing the needed components, not desolder them.
In the picture, the power circuit seems to me quite isolated from the other stuff.

 

[mechtronics]

de soldering sucker removal tool is needed if components are to be removed.

 

[CocaCola]

de soldering sucker removal tool is needed if components are to be removed.

I wouldn't bother with a sucker for most of those parts, I would simply elevate the board slightly and use a heat gun on the opposite side... Most of those components will drop right of, the ones that don't will almost certainly pop off if you give the hot board a small jolt or tap...

 

[mechtronics]

i was just putting over an idea thats all!!! i knoe a sucker wouldnt be good enuf really but i just said id put it out there anyway!

 

[shrtrnd]

I think it's generally agreed, that sooner or later, if you want to save the parts, they'll
need to be desoldered. It's not all that scary a thing to do.
If you insist, I suppose you could hacksaw the board, but you might damage some of
the parts you're trying to save.
If you're thinking to cut the board, and try to sell it for parts, I don't know how many
people are going to be interested in a hack-job to obtain used parts.