PT2399 Keep on the LOOK OUT!!

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I was building the PT80 for a friend from JDs GGG website and I ran into a BAD rut with the PT2399 chips that I had. I had 3 "spare" chips on hand and was confident that I would knock it out with no problem.
To make a long story short, I ended up going through ALL 3 chips before pilfering one from my personal PT80 unit. All 3 chips were BAD for the same reason (bad voltages on Pins 8-15 according to the PT80 build report)
I found a chip from that order kicking around and noticed something odd between that one and a few chips from a recent order.
The OLD chip has the PTC logo, PT2399, and numbers 0327Z stamped on them.
The NEW chips (straight from a Princeton Distributor) have another line on them. In addition to the PTC logo and the PT2399 stamp, there are TWO lines of numbers

If you are using these chips in a build, I HIGHLY recommend that you look for the 4 pieces of info on the chip.

1) PTC logo
2) PT2399 stamp
3) 6-character code directly beneath the PT2399
4) Another 6- character code beneath the first one

The faulty chips were probably a cheap overseas knockoff!

Just some info I thought would be helpful!   

[.Mike]

Thanks for the tip.

I just checked all of mine from Tayda, which I've already tested in a Rebote 2.5. They all have the PTC logo, say PT2399, and have two six digit codes.

Care to tell us where you got the bad ones?

Mike

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I wish I could remember Mike. I believe I got them from a distributor at large meaning that it was probably just a name that came up when I googled.

[Scruffie]

Oh Come onnn, I have some PT2399 chips that came from e-bay, I thought they were safe from Relabelling due to the general cheapness anyway... gunna have to dig them up as I have planned builds for them... *Fingers crossed.. got good MN3007 from ebay*

[fretzburner]

Just checked my 2pcs PT2399 purchased from Mammoth which only have PT2399 label and 6digit code,no logo and no 2nd set of 6digitcode.All two are non functional.Thanks for the info now i know what to look when purchasing PT2399's.

[Mich P]

My only one and i'm not trying it yet.
Seems ok
but hell only five character code under the first one !
What you think ?
Mich P.

[cpm]

i have used a lot of PTs with the white lettering, and one-line short number... i think these are the suspect ones...
however, they all have worked right for, even compared with the "classic" ones (like that on Mich picture) in the same circuit...

[deadastronaut]

hmmm.. i have 10 pt2399's with..

PT2399
PTC   CSI 1OY
         AU1 T90

what  do you think....not able to test at the mo...


i have 1 pt2399, from a batch of 2 , one of which ive used and was fine..

it just has

PTC 9952    thats all....hmmmm....

[R.G.]

It's funny. When I started down the techie path, pretty much every tech item you could think of was as advertised. Counterfeit chips, assemblies, and *bolts* were unknown. The condition is reversed today. I consider it to be possible that every technical part I buy might be counterfeit.

It gets worse. There is a rising and very ugly trend to counterfeit medicines. Try not to think about that next time you see a doctor.

[Earthscum]

It's funny. When I started down the techie path, pretty much every tech item you could think of was as advertised. Counterfeit chips, assemblies, and *bolts* were unknown.

The part I find amusing is that the counterfeiting started with the discontinuance of the original parts that you mention.

... what? Doctor? That's the guy who comes to let your family know if you're dead or not, right? Our longevity today is primarily from the sanitary conditions, not as much from the 'Advanced Medicines' as we're led to believe. "Old World" remedies, like fighting lung infections with boiling onions, actually work better than most meds of today... especially when combined with sanitary conditions, and the ability to bathe and clean away the dead skin and dirt and everything that lives on it.

ETA: what I originally got on here to say is that I do believe that Princeton is making an "econo" version of the 2399, which we've been bricking many of around here lately. I can pop a PT from smallbear into the One Chip Chorus, and it works great, but the ones from 'other' sources, most notably Tayda, don't play well.. or you may get one out of a batch that works great. I wondered if the alleged 'counterfeits' weren't just a bottom of the barrel thing, but considering how popular the 2399 is, I could see it being copied. It amazes me, though, what people go through to make mere pennies on the dollar. It's not like these cost 5c each, plus the "can" at another 10c each, and they get to mark it up as NOS, $10 each.

[Dirk_Hendrik]

Good read:
http://www.aeri.com/counterfeits.html