NTE replacement bits...opinions?

[rockgardenlove]

So I have this electronics store nearby that stocks mainly NTE parts...and I'm wondering how good their parts are, especially their germanium transistors...I'm probably gonna pop one of their OC44 replacement transistors in my rangemaster.  So yeah, how do the NTE replacements compare?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

First, NTE is very expensive (even counting postage from other places).
Secondly, NTE are designed for radio & TV service guys, so often the parts are only 'close' to what you want (and, if you know enough to tweak things, you can probably get there).

[rockgardenlove]

Yeah, they are expensive.  I don't pay postage though.  It's about 3 bucks for a germanium transistor thats supposed to be like an OC44. 

[vanessa]

I think the problem with the price is the fact that you'll need to buy up 25 to 100 of them to sort through unless the person that is selling them to you is testing for gain, leakage and will be sending you ones in the "magic" ranges.

[rockgardenlove]

Hmm, how do you measure leakage with a multimeter?

[twabelljr]

  Try this:  http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/ffselect.htm

[rockgardenlove]

It's more ecenomical to just buy them from smallbear then or what?

[smallbearelec]

NTE silicon devices are often workable, but their germanium is notoriously leaky, and even more than usually variable in gain. If you are doing one or two pedals, you can buy from my stock list with the knowledge that the devices will work. Banzai Effects is another source for tested parts, and he has some types that I don't carry. If you are looking for a bulk lot that would give you enough devices to sort and test, I also have that, or I have seen these advertised on E-Bay.

Regards
Steve Daniels

[rockgardenlove]

Yeah, I saw a lot of OC-44's on eBay, and I'm considering buying them.  Like 6 days left to wait though

[Mark Hammer]

It's more ecenomical to just buy them from smallbear then or what?

Probably.  The thing about Ge types is they vary so much that often you have to buy more than you really need, in order to find one with the right specs for the intended application.  Happily, Steve takes care of that for you,  Unhappily, NTE doesn't, so you may be looking at purchasing several at inflated NTE prices in order to find a single unit that makes you sonically happy.

That's not to diss NTE components.  They are as "good" as anyone's but just keep in mind that they are meant to be generic and replace MANY similar devices.  When you see in the cross-reference catalog that it serves as a replacement for an OC44, what you don't see is how many other transistors it also replaces, many of which are nowhere close to what a well-selected OC44 would be.

Think of it like buying tires.  Just because a tire has the same general physical measurements only means it fits the rims.  It does not imply anything about peformance or special qualities like rain handling, snow/ice handling, durability, etc..

[jmusser]

I believe it was R.G. that said that pedal builders are really the only ones that care what the particular gain ranges are, and for all other applications they work as advertised. I know I have been irritated many times that a particular transistor converts to either a 3906, or an AC128, which esentially don't tell us anything. But, from what R.G. is saying, the NTE cross reference weren't meant for finicky pedal builders.