PELTIER (THERMALELECTRIC) DEVICES

I've never actually seen what all the Peltier's I have came out of. Apparently some type of beverage cooler. Whatever, I don't expect to stumble across one of those in my lifetime, so I got my TEC's from www.meci.com They were about $15 US each, and as we're still having problems getting them below 5 degrees Celsius with nothing but a heat sink and fan, I can't say they were a good deal. I've heard they burn out and I really hope these ones haven't. I'm using a 12V 6A power source and they are barely pulling 1.8A. Anyhow, the online electronic supply places seem to have most of the thermoelectric devices these days, so I'd get them there rather then running around the city trying to find a place that sells used TEC's. All Electronics Corp. - www.allcorp.com, Cost $17 MECI - www.meci.com , Cost $10 - $18. Murphey's Surplus sells a TEC package that looks really good, but I haven't been able to scrounge up the $125 their asking to test it out. ;-(

THERMISTORS

How many of us have a laptop, quite a few I bet. How many of those who have a laptop have a battery that is dead to the world - just about everyone I'd imagine. Well believe it or not there is a use for those toxic paperweights. Thermistors! Thermal switches too! The IBM ThinkPad I have is blessed with a battery that doesn't do much aside from counter balance the screen. After carefully cracking the little battery box open (you really, really do not want to short out those batteries or puncture them) there were two thermistors and two thermal switches inside - used to monitor the battery during operation and prevent it from potentially becoming a 'lapmine.' I have since used those thermal probes when over clocking to monitor temperatures. Feels good to bring new life into those old computer parts. Cost $0

FLOPPY DISKS

The 1.4Mb variety that is. I have just one word to say to those perpetually looking for something to make a Win 98 boot disk with. AOL.

WIRE and CONNECTORS

Motherboards usually have nice three pronged connectors to attach fans or thermal sensors to. All fansink combos come with the plastic connectors, but your scavenged thermistors don't. Would anyone sacrifice some $6 fans for a two cent plastic part so they can tell what the temperature of their CPU is - of course not. VCR's (the old JVC's are the best) and old monitors are an excellent source for these tiny plastic connectors and come conveniently packed with metres of useful wire and maybe even a heat sink or two (especially in flat screen Cathode Ray Tubes these days). Next time one of these things is about to be chucked, grab it and crack it open. Same goes for the monitors, just be careful about what you touch inside, as some components can contain residual electricity of deadly strength (obligatory safety warning).

We hope this little guide helps anyone out there go looking for stuff cheap. The less money spent on stuff to help over clock a system the better! If you have any suggestions where someone can get their tweaking supples for next to nothing, !post it too the BBS Someone else might have for that very thing you're looking for....