What are the odds of getting dozens of bad CA3094 chips?

[nirvanas silence]

So I have a Small Stone with a bad EH1048 in the LFO.  I ordered 2 CA3094 chips from an ebay reseller.  Both don't work.  He sends more, still no good.  I order one from a well known retailer and that one doesn't work either.  The reason I'm baffled is that I socketed the IC and can put a known working EH1048 chip in and it works every time but these CA3094 chips that were purchased online from two different sellers (and different brand ICs) are both bad.  Also did the same with one of the chips in the audio signal path and same results.  EH1048 works flawless everytime, the CA3094 do not.  Any thoughts?

[zombiwoof]

So I have a Small Stone with a bad EH1048 in the LFO.  I ordered 2 CA3094 chips from an ebay reseller.  Both don't work.  He sends more, still no good.  I order one from a well known retailer and that one doesn't work either.  The reason I'm baffled is that I socketed the IC and can put a known working EH1048 chip in and it works every time but these CA3094 chips that were purchased online from two different sellers (and different brand ICs) are both bad.  Also did the same with one of the chips in the audio signal path and same results.  EH1048 works flawless everytime, the CA3094 do not.  Any thoughts?

Is it the can version or the 8 pin DIP version in your pedal?.  Are you using the same type or doing a conversion from one to the other?.

Al

[smallbearelec]

So I have a Small Stone with a bad EH1048 in the LFO.  I ordered 2 CA3094 chips from an ebay reseller.  Both don't work.  He sends more, still no good.  I order one from a well known retailer and that one doesn't work either.  The reason I'm baffled is that I socketed the IC and can put a known working EH1048 chip in and it works every time but these CA3094 chips that were purchased online from two different sellers (and different brand ICs) are both bad.  Also did the same with one of the chips in the audio signal path and same results.  EH1048 works flawless everytime, the CA3094 do not.  Any thoughts?

I think there are few NOS CA3094 left out there. The last time I ordered, many were socket pulls and some were DOA. I will not attempt to order this chip again. If you got it from me, let me know. I will replace with one that I have tested in a pedal or return funds.

[soggybag]

Could be counterfeits.

[zombiwoof]

Seems impossible that all those chips from different sellers, different brands could be bad.  So it's the DIP version, I guess?.  They also used the metal can version in the early pedals.  There's a lot of info out there about this, and the CA3094AE is supposed to be the same as the EH chip, so this is pretty bizarre.  If they were mislabeled 3080's I could see them not working, but this is mystifying.

Al

[smallbearelec]

Seems impossible that all those chips from different sellers, different brands could be bad.

It is actually not so surprising. I have some related experience of recent years with buying obsolete devices from wholesale sources, especially from China. As the supply of good specimens an obsolete part diminshes (and its price therefore rises) there is more opportunity for selling crud that has the correct part number (or can be re-labeled with that number.) As I said, I suspect that many of the devices that you have been seeing are removed from gear, not new, and may have been damaged either in use or in being removed. It's a shame, but it is reality.

[nirvanas silence]

Seems impossible that all those chips from different sellers, different brands could be bad. 

Steve sent a known working replacement and it works flawlessly.  Looks like a variety of bad chips from different manufacturers is very possible and likely in this situation.