mystery boards, maybe gold?

**TheSheenyMan** · 07-14-2013, 01:37 AM

I was wondering if these boards contain gold. The first two images are of the same board ( front and back) and I found it inside a cast aluminum body of a billboard light. The second two images are of a board I found inside a small cast aluminum box which had 3 hookups for coax wire.

**NobleMetalWorks** · 07-14-2013, 01:39 AM

I can't tell just by pictures if that is gold over copper, or just copper...

You might want to invest in an acid precious metals testing kit. They are inexpensive and can tell you a lot about the material you have questions about.

Can you tell us where these boards came from?

Scott

**robsrecycling** · 07-14-2013, 03:32 AM

they came from satellite amps I think

**NobleMetalWorks** · 07-14-2013, 03:56 AM

If the application uses high amps, they might be only copper plated, but I would still check.

If there is a mask, or what is sometimes called a solder mask, a protective coating over the played metal, you might try to peel or scrape it off to better see the metal plating underneath.

It also looks like there are MLCCs on the boards, if so they almost surely will contain palladium and/or silver.

Scott

**pcscrapper** · 07-14-2013, 03:58 AM

I've seen these boards, from a company called dactronics, and it's gold plated over copper... but still a good find.

**TheSheenyMan** · 07-14-2013, 04:10 AM

i guess mechanic688 found one of these already. If I had been lazy these boards would have been tossed into my dirty cast aluminum pile!

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...amp-board.html

that is the url to the page. That is the exact same board I have. I definitely be holding onto these.

Thanks for your help guys.