Gold Tip Connector Ends

**Bobby** · 10-02-2011, 08:28 AM

thansk for this post! I feel like I am just starting to get a grasp on the whole topic colecting and sorting e-waste, cord ends I would have to say have been the most diffuclt to really understand ( go figure something as simple as a cord end causing o much confusion!) honestly I have been pulling brass from power cords but throwing most pc/IT ends in the trash, I had no clue! not untill recently have I started throwing them in a bucket, hopefuly I will get a good enough understanding soon so that I can seporate tese correctly.

**newattitude** · 10-02-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by rca987

Good idea. I usually put a pair of channel locks on the rubber and use dikes to pull the brass out. Fairly easy.. I'll grip the brass, then sort of bend it over the side and it pulls the copper out with it.

Same here, but when my old arthritic hands get sore I can use another suggestion which I will try the boiling thing, I never thought of that. Would make it easier to soften the rubber and pull the ends out easier.

**Bryank930** · 10-02-2011, 01:03 PM

Are the pins in PC power supply (internal) connectors brass? It's hard to tell by looking at em if they're tin coated copper or some sort of brass.

**Mechanic688** · 10-02-2011, 02:05 PM

Like the other post suggested, they will be whatever the other end that plugged in was, usually brass.

**bjybjy** · 12-10-2011, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by PartTimeScrapper

Dont forget about the monitor cables too.

What about female monitor cable ends like this:

Gold or no gold?

**parrothead** · 12-10-2011, 05:26 PM

gold

**happyscraper** · 09-17-2012, 12:05 AM

So, I'm still confused on one thing, are the plugs on the telephone wire gold or not? I've been searching and found this thread but still no definite answer but this thread did help with some ends that I've been throwing away but will start saving now. Thanks for all the info on this thread.

**Mechanic688** · 09-17-2012, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by happyscraper

So, I'm still confused on one thing, are the plugs on the telephone wire gold or not? I've been searching and found this thread but still no defante answer but this thread did help with some ends that I've been throwing away but will start saving now. Thanks for all the info on this thread.

Why throw any of them away? If nothing else their dirty brass at the yard I would think.
Got this from a phone site;

Modular plugs are made in three basic sizes:

The smallest plug, known as 4-position, 2-conductor (or 2 wire), is used for handset cords. A "position" is a groove molded into the plastic that could contain a little bit of gold-plated wire to make contact with wires inside the jack.

**Mealane8** · 05-10-2013, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by newattitude

but brass looks like gold and vice versa. To me anyways. The computer cable ends I've seen look the same color as where the memory sticks and cards plug into the motherboards and those are not gold as I've been told by e-waste folks so you can see where the confusion comes from. I just assumed the ends were brass like any other plug end. *shrugs*
rocket science to some maybe but not to others.

Actually, I have come to believe that the ends of circuit boards, and also some of the connectors between two or more circuit boards are indeed gold. So, who told you that they weren't? It seems to me that some gold (electronics, precious metals) refiners are willing indeed to buy them as such, so who told you that they weren't?
Of course some of the scrap that you mentioned only contain a very small amount of actual gold (they often are no-where close to 24-karat).

**hobo finds** · 05-10-2013, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Mealane8

Actually, I have come to believe that the ends of circuit boards, and also some of the connectors between two or more circuit boards are indeed gold. So, who told you that they weren't? It seems to me that some gold (electronics, precious metals) refiners are willing indeed to buy them as such, so who told you that they weren't?
Of course some of the scrap that you mentioned only contain a very small amount of actual gold (they often are no-where close to 24-karat).

**eesakiwi** · 05-11-2013, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by easyrecycle

I have had the power cord ends as well in my gold end box...but as he said....there really no list that can be posted...its something you have to check...it only take a sec or two to check them.

I have seen the 'TV power cords with Gold clips on them" too. Its a subject that has come up a few times.

They do LOOK like Gold, not like Brass at all, a deeper 'Gold' colour than Brass has. After saving a bunch (5 pairs?) I decided to scrap them as Brass instead.

Its the two pins on the end of the (NZ) 240V AC cord where its attached to the CRT TV's board, after its gone thru the Off/On switch.

**drozenski** · 05-11-2013, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

I have seen the 'TV power cords with Gold clips on them" too. Its a subject that has come up a few times.

They do LOOK like Gold, not like Brass at all, a deeper 'Gold' colour than Brass has. After saving a bunch (5 pairs?) I decided to scrap them as Brass instead.

Its the two pins on the end of the (NZ) 240V AC cord where its attached to the CRT TV's board, after its gone thru the Off/On switch.

A usual rule of thumb with connectors is.

If it has power no data then the connector will be brass,copper or another type of metal.

If the connector pass's data 1's and 0's then it will be gold.

It's not 100% but i have found it about 98% accurate.

**Mechanic688** · 05-11-2013, 11:54 PM

eesakiwi, I give a good glance at every brown board before I throw it in the pile as I have found those gold legged transistors and some big round pins where a 2 pin plug plugs into it. The pins are as big as a pencil lead and about 1/2" tall. Those go in my misc. gold jar. The transistors will have some multi-color stripes on the back of them.

**NHscrapman** · 05-13-2013, 07:34 AM

Dont forget the females

**Mechanic688** · 05-13-2013, 12:29 PM

Those are some nice close up pic's, pretty self explanatory.

**Enoch43** · 05-13-2013, 03:00 PM

I have some pretty gold connectors, auction ends in about 40min.

Im asking $5 an ounce for mine, though. Probably won't get it today....there is always tomorrow

High Grade Telecom Gold Connectors 94 1 grams Very Nice | eBay

**kuller00** · 07-04-2013, 05:53 AM

Hi,

I got question about ATA connector. Some i have found are all yellow, so all gold plated i assume. But what about ones that are not all golden.
Back side is all white, pulled one out and theres small tip one side golden. Are those still good for gold recovery? And what type metal white one is?

**Mealane8** · 07-11-2013, 01:25 PM

Hi, and thanks for contacting me!
As for your question about ATA (such as IDE) cables:
You said:
"Hi, I got question about ATA connector. Some i have found are all yellow, so all gold plated i assume. But what about the ones that are not all golden. Back side is all white, pulled one out and theres small tip one side golden. Are those still good for gold recovery? And what type metal white one is?"
Okay, to answer your questions:
(Just so you know, I probably haven't stripped more than a few dozen IDE cables in my time...)
The "pins" found in IDE cables can vary a lot in type from one connector to another. The type you refer to as completely yellow, I believe are indeed entirely gold-plated. The gold plating used on computer "pin" connectors (computer pins) I believe to generally be about 22-24 karat gold. However, of course, there isn't much on them. The metal they are plated onto is often steel; but copper or aluminum may also often be used!
Check them with a magnet. Also, if the materials is entirely "white" or "silver-ish" it most likely is either steel, aluminum or some other non-ferrous material. So, do you have a strong magnet? If so, use it to test the pins to determine what is the base metal used in the pin connectors--stainless steel may be used, and therefore a very strong magnet should be best!
As for the partially-plated pins (with only a small portion covered with gold-plating) they are still worth recovering. I often remove the main portion from the gold-plated part, so as to reduce shipping costs when I send them to a refiner.
Gold plated pins can go as high as $50 or higher per pound, but the refiner I have been selling them to has bought them from me at about $30 a pound: this is certainly not bad, as some refiners will only offer $5-$10 a pound!

Also, the wiring used in these ATA cables can either be (as I am aware of so-far) copper-plated steel, tinned, nickel or silver-plated copper, or just plain copper wire.
The wire from these cables probably isn't worth your time to strip. However, you may be able to sell it for up to about .60 per pound (this is the price I got for insulated copper number two where I live, the last time I sold it) as insulated copper number two.
Thanks so much for your time!

**themicrorecycler** · 12-07-2015, 03:00 AM

how about the houseing of a usb cable ? is it stainless steel , anyone know

**miked** · 12-07-2015, 10:26 AM

Test it the same way you test other materials you suspect are SS. Does it stick to a magnet does it make "small" sparks when you hit it with a grinder? "Small" as compared to steel.

If you are going to get involved in scraping you need to learn this test and lots of other things. Read the old threads to educate yourself. You will learn things you didn't know you should know. You will make more money sooner, you will be glad you did do the studying. If you doubt me read this thread first:

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/gener...formation.html

73, Mike

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