The T.O.E.C.F.U.E. Project

A new project has been borne.

It's dubbed the TOECFUE Project...an acronym standing for "Tricked Out Entertainment Center Featuring Used Equipment."

The idea came the other day as I was perusing through a second hand store in Idaho, and ran into a piece of stereo equipment that I would have paid $150 for 10 years ago...but now it's available for a mere $20!

Granted, it's a Sony dual cassette deck, and nobody uses cassette players anymore...but it fits into an idea of a grandiose entertainment center concept that I've had for quite some time...here's the details.

The TOECFUE Project lends itself to both hi-fi and classic lo-fi equipment. Here's what's on the list:

1. HDTV (min. 40")
   
2. stereo receiver (acquired via donation)
   
3. Blu-ray player
4. DVD /DVD-A /SACD player
   
5. CD carousel or bundle changer
6. dual cassette deck (acquired via purchase...1990s Sony TC-W411...cost = $20)
   
7. direct drive turntable
8. 8-track player (acquired via donation...1976 Lloyd's)
9. 5.1 surround sound system
   
10. traditional front speaker system (acquired via donation...early 90s)

Total cost toward the budget so far: $20

In addition to the list, there's some criteria to this project that will make it both interesting, challenging, and requiring some patience:

1. Work with a budget of $500.
2. Gifts and donated hand-me-downs (fully operating...please?) are graciously accepted.
   
3. Acquire all items on aforementioned equipment list.
4. Find a way for the components to operate carbon-neutral.
   
5. There are no time constraints.
   

It's assumed that most of the acquired components will be used equipment...and that being said, it's expected that some (hopefully a small percentage) of the equipment picked up at second-hand stores or yard sales will possibly need fixing, won't always work as expected, or operate at all.

In terms of the green element of trying to make the equipment operate carbon-neutral, I guess you can look at such a challenge along the lines of Neil Young's LincVolt Project, where he's trying to convert a 1959 Lincoln Continental into a vehicle from using less than 10 MPG to over 100 MPG...except, of course, this is stereo equipment.

So that's it...the million dollar question being whether or not I can attain the equipment under a $500 budget. Should be interesting to see!