advice on sourcing large lots of germanium transistors

[loss1234]

If i wanted to purchase 100-500 ge transistors....
What are my options?


I have heard many people dismiss ebay as a bad idea.

Do you agree?

Where else?



Thanks for any help

[Joe Hart]

What do you need them for? I believe most people dismiss eBay because you'd have to buy a bunch to get a couple of "good" ones and it's generally cheaper and easier to just buy from Small Bear. But if you're buying 500 in hopes of getting 100, say, Fuzz Face pairs, then you'd be in a much better position money-wise.
-Joe Hart

[R.G.]

The only good reason is that it's a flower in the process of blooming.

[rnfr]

  

[Toney]

Your best bet for bulk would be the Russian ones.
Just be very careful with claimed HFE levels. There's a lot of searchable info here on the forum.

Are you about to venture into commercial or semi-commercial building?

[markeebee]

The only good reason is that it's a flower in the process of blooming.

Dan's flower has bloomed already and is enjoying the sunshine. He is the guy behind Snazzy Effects, which are as cool as moosehooves.

My reading is that he has always been upfront about his endeavours, and intends to repay any 'intellectual debt' to the DIY community in the form of boards/kits at some later date, once costs have been recouped.  Also, it seems that all the hard yards have been his own, and the questions he's asked have never been of the "tell me how to steal your brain" type.  Fair play, I'd say.

Sorry, I have no idea where to source hundreds of ge trannies.  But I do have about ten pairs that I will trade for one of your pedals. Dan?  Dan?

[darron]

i'd look into buying silicon transistors instead.



then use said transistors to make a reliable time machine


i hear silicon is taking off though...

[petemoore]

   Picks from fresh batches old eggs which yeild ''good eggs'' may already have been picked over once, or twice.
  I have some 'spares' becuase I have 2 FF's and a TB, that's 7 out of probably 20, a few are very nice, I also have [10?] Russian ones that are good. Some other members may have achieved FF nirvanas with many shelf-spares, personal preference is that rare Q'  find homes circuits while they're 'young'.
   Ge goodness and problems seem like a personal thing to me though, requiring much more setup, tweeking and high tolerance or understanding of their 'occasional misbehaviour', while Si can be made to be extremely reliable for instance.
  It was difficult to find suitable matches that held bias over 'normal' operating temperature ranges [for me that includes thawing in winter through >110 farenheit [galvanized color box in direct sun. Way outside any ge operating temperatures I could wrestle into bias.

[Nitefly182]

Investigate the verious parts mining houses on the web. Send then queries for parts that you want and at those quantities you may be able to get a reasonable price on a large lot. Of course you'll have to test them all and may need to spend $5 a piece still but its a good way to get a large number of devices that may still be in sealed original bags. Also just looking for sealed bags is a good bet. If its original packaging you are more likely to get a high yield then if you buy a ziplock baggie of transistors from an ebay seller.

[EATyourGuitar]

I just got 45 russian MP16B (МП16Б) PNP germs on ebay for $12 shipped. Hfe 55 to 95 with most at 70. leakage .15ma on average. I didn't get any good sharp buzz fuzz. tried them in like 3 different fuzz circuits with endless mods. I think they are just junky and dont have the fast switching. even in a rangemaster oc44 hfe 60 vs МП16Б Hfe 60. the russians felt like less gain. I still want to try a FZ1 or FZ1A but I need to source the AA battery compartment. so far I'm a little disappointed with this batch. I have lots of sources for matched pairs but I'm trying to do it all my self and find something unique. I might make a silicon/germ NPN PNP hybrid darlington so I can use russian mojo in a neg ground fuzz face.

[LucifersTrip]

I just got 45 russian MP16B (МП16Б) PNP germs on ebay for $12 shipped. Hfe 55 to 95 with most at 70. leakage .15ma on average. I didn't get any good sharp buzz fuzz. tried them in like 3 different fuzz circuits with endless mods. I think they are just junky and dont have the fast switching. even in a rangemaster oc44 hfe 60 vs МП16Б Hfe 60. the russians felt like less gain. I still want to try a FZ1 or FZ1A

I've noticed a few things with the Russian ge's.

1) they are usually considerably lower hfe's than advertised (or on a datasheet) . if shown as 80-150, you have a good chance at 60-90 for most

2) they don't sound quite as warm/soft as the US or Japanese ones

3) i believe they are manufactured up to the 80's or even 90s(?) and usually have very low leakages...so not good for an FZ1 or FZ1 variant

4) the base is rarely in the middle (sorry, had to add that one)