Dumpster Diving

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by dubious elise

My brother did this for the past year in Madison, WI. While he was training for the Chicago marathon, he would take long runs all around the city and see bikes in various stages of (dis)repair chained up or abandoned in front of buildings. His rule of thumb was that if a bike was left out for more than one week in the same location, it was his to take (the city claims them after 10 days).

I see that as far different than dumpster diving. I've left my bike chained outside for more than a week. The fact that it is locked up clearly indicates that someone intended for it to stay there and that they will be coming back for it.

I left a car at home, parked on the street for a whole semester once. Not fair game for anyone to take.

Wetzel

[i like dirt]

Our team's greatest find this year, would have to be our trailer, that were going to use to build a float on for homecoming. We found it in the junkyard behind our schools machine shop, (its where the janitors put old equipment and machines). It was in great condition. The trailer hitch was perfect. The only thing it needed was to reinforce the wood on the trailer floor because their could have been termite damage. After we found we just asked the janitors if we could use it for our float and they said yes.

[Clark Gilbert]

Back in August right before school started I had DJ Fluck help me "pull out" my latest dumpster dive. Didn't have to do much diving, but it was a pain to get into my apartment.



After we got it inside we cleaned it, painted the case, put new lights in it, and a new power cable. Now I have a working arcade machine in my apartment!

[Eric Finn]

Originally Posted by Mercury Rising

Could I do a multi monitor setup with this card? If so how, if not what would be required for me to get to create a multi monitor setup? Would me having an extra Radeon 9200se 128mb help me in this matter?

Getting a 2nd video card will not help at all, unless you have a video card that can do Crossfire, which does not include the 9000 series
(A full list can be found here: http://www.ati.com/technology/crossf...ldyourown.html).
EDIT: Oops, see post below.

Take a look at the back of your video card.
If it has the standard VGA monitor port and a DVI port that looks like this:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/img/data...5/dvi_port.jpg
Then you can do a dual monitor setup with an adapter like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814999201

If you don't have the 2 ports, then get a different video card that has 2 ports.

Anyways, back to the topic:

I've never managed to find anything good in the trash, most likely because I've never bothered to look. I guess I should start looking occasionally, though, since it appears as if many people throw out good stuff.

[Cuog]

You can use multiple video cards for multiple monitors, they will not combine thier computing power for one monitor like crossfire.

[JohnBoucher]

Here is information on the program that Flexcon offers...

Yes, we do have a program called "School Stock." Anyone can just come in and take whatever they want from what happens to be there on any given day. There is usually a large supply of rolls and sheets of various pressure sensitive films like polyesters and vinyls in white, clear, silver, and sometimes colors or patterns.

The hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and Saturday from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

For details and directions call 508-885-8480

Originally Posted by KathieK

If you live up this way, a great place to check out is Flexcon in Spencer, MA. They manufacture pressure-sensitive films. Like in window "cling" material and bumper sticker material, or the stuff that goes on bus windows that you can print on but see through. I haven't been in a few years, but they used to allow non-profits and youth groups to take away leftover material. It's great for teams making spirit items, etc.

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” - Thomas Edison

[[527]phil]

One time a friend of mine who works at a nearby waldbaums told us that one of the stored in that mall was throwing out alot of computers. So we went to the dumpster behind the store that night and found about 20 P3 IBM's, so we took them and nothing happened. A month or so later a few kids from my Engineering class went dumpster diving for some building materials that had been thrown out, the guy who was renting the dumpster contacted the school and the kids who did it were told not to do it anymore. The school said that if they were caught doing it again they would get detention. So personally I think it doesn't just have to do with legal or illegal, but depends more on who your taking the stuff from.

But stuff I've gotten from garbage piles:
countless computers, VCR's, TV's, 2 arcade machines, Stereos, a broken TRI-D chess set, lawn mowers, dirt bikes(asked before taking), snow blowers, monitors, and a bowflex(needed a little welding, but good as new).

[Cody Carey]

I have quite a few things tat I've found in the garbage over the past few years, and I'll have to settle for name as many as I have time for:

Floor stand Radial arm saw
1.5 ghz Compaq with 512 ram, 40g HD and the full bundle
3 18 inch monitors (I'm using one on this comp right now)
numerous speaker/mouse/keyboard sets
The 20" T.V./VCR combo I have set up in my room . (soldering required )
A trampoline
400watt car amplifier with subs
too many <1.0ghz computers to remember them all.
Many Many Many bikes.
Home theatre speaker system, (soldering required )
A slot machine


The garbage is a wealth of treasure, and to avoid getting in legal troubles, I (almost) always knock on the person's door and ask if they would be OK we me taking their garbage... I have never had a person tell me that I couldn't, and in fact, most people are very nice about it

[Cody Carey]

Originally Posted by Mercury Rising

This leads me to a pressing question.
I would really like to do a multi monitor setup. What is required for me to do so? I have a GigaByte Radeon 9600pro 256mb on WXP SP2 in my comp. Could I do a multi monitor setup with this card? If so how, if not what would be required for me to get to create a multi monitor setup? Would me having an extra Radeon 9200se 128mb help me in this matter?
I have contacted ATI yet they will take forever to respond.

If you have an onboard video card on your mobo, then you may be able to just plug a second monitor into that... It will probably only be useful for standard windows programs (no MAX or Inventor), but it is still handy.
Depending on your machine, It is likely that the onboard is turned off in the bios and needs to be turned on, which is simple enough. This was the setup we used on My friend Bemis's computer and it worked just fine