Antique Electronics

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Jan 27, 2008
3,092
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
I have a hand held Micrologic Loran C unit that I have been using as a backup to my GPS for about 25 years. Just wondering what this unit might be worth on the open market, maybe for a collector? If they shut down Loran C as planned the unit will be pretty much worthless otherwise. A museum might be another thought where a nice charitable deduction could provide a tax entry on my Schedule A?
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Not old enough. Now if it used vacuum tubes like our loran base station in the Philippines had then it might be desireable.
 

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I think that unit will fit nicely in the dumpster next to that Atari computer.
 
Jan 4, 2010
2
Morgan M25 Port Charlotte
On the same subject I have an antique hand held GPS. It's a first generation Motorola. It still works. I met a salesman at West Marine in So Cal that used the same model on a ferry trip from Hawaii to California. Anybody interested? When the year 2000 came along I was sure it wouldn't work. I called Motorola and they showed me how to fix it over the phone.
 

kenn

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Apr 18, 2009
1,271
CL Sandpiper 565 Toronto
What is this - Ebay ? ;)

Boaters seem to have a love for things that are traditional or that harken back to some gilded time, but they have one basic requirement for the loved object - the thing's gotta work.

So I expect that outside of a museum or collector, there wouldn't be much interest in the Loran, sorry. Re an older GPS - I used to do some marine repairs back when a Magellan GPS was the size of an army walkie-talkie and cost $5000. Today's GPS units are several generations more advanced, and more reliable, so again, I don't think an older GPS would have much value beyond nostalgia.

Please don't just throw electronics in the garbage; most electronics contain recoverable metals and can leach toxins when in a landfill. Please try to get them recycled (if your town has recycling) or find someone who can still use it if it works, or a kid who might be able to pull some salvageable bits out of it. Thanks.
 
Nov 28, 2008
35
Catalina 30 Northport, NY
Local Museum

I have a hand held Micrologic Loran C unit that I have been using as a backup to my GPS for about 25 years. Just wondering what this unit might be worth on the open market, maybe for a collector? If they shut down Loran C as planned the unit will be pretty much worthless otherwise. A museum might be another thought where a nice charitable deduction could provide a tax entry on my Schedule A?
Maybe you can see if your local museum would take it.:)
 
Nov 28, 2008
35
Catalina 30 Northport, NY
Maybe your local history museum or historical society would take it if you can't just dump it.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,092
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
I plan to package it up and ship it to a congressperson from my district that voted in favor of discontinuing its' use and making my very valuable working unit worthless without compensation. This is equivalent to emminent domain where they just take your house, throw you out on the street and give you 50% of the value except in this case I got 0% of the value. I loved that LORAN and it guided me many times in pea soup fog to exactly where I was going without smashing me up on the rocks. Try to find your way through Watch Hill passage when you can't see the front of your boat and not hit the rock reefs. I did this more than once with my trusty LORAN. I am thankful that my representatives, that must know a lot more than me, are watching out for my interests and legislating for my benefit.
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
Old PCs

I have a few old PCs that Bill Gates obsoluted and not gave me a red cents for it.

On the other hand, if all the users want to retain the use of Loran-C, uncle sam can levy a charge by dividing the total operating cost by the number of users to share the cost. Tax payers are paying for the GPS.

They actually charging me an environment disposal for new electronics now. So it's lucky you are not charged to get rid of the old Loran-C box.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,092
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Alexco38, so basically your logic is I was robbed and I should be thankful that they didn't kill me too? If I was you I would package up all my old PC's all the way back to my 8086 and send them directly to Bill Gates in Washington. He will know what to do with them. I'll bet some poor kid in Africa would love an 8086 PC to play with.
Meanwhile I plan to use my LORAN-C unit one last time to navigate up route 95 to Washington where I will donate it to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum as a National Treasure.
 
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