Help me identify these diodes

[olsen_lars]

I hope this is a right place to post this.

I found some diodes that I got sent without my knowledge when I bought some germanium transistors through eBay.

I hope the pictures are clear enough to see them!

I'm not sure, but I think they are germaniums (0,4V on forward voltage, a bit higher but close)... But which type?

Or they are completely something else? I hope you can help! Thanks in advance!

[willienillie]

I think the dual yellow banded ones are likely Russian D9Is.  They match the image here:

http://diy-tubes.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_64&product_id=755

No idea on the single white banded ones.  Good chance they're also Russian.

[duck_arse]

I dunno - the Russians like to band their Anodes, whereas I think I can see the die/kathode under those bands. Ivan might know.

[italianguy63]

I have some of the yellow ones.  They are Germs... Eastern Blok.  I think I got mine from Romania or Bulgaria... They are quite good.  Some of mine have 2 yellow bands.  Others have one yellow and one white band.

I have had some that look like the others... Those were German made Germs.  Also good.

MC

[bool]

Did anybody note this weird thing: that almost anything that comes from Germany and/or Russia tends to sound good?

[italianguy63]

Did anybody note this weird thing: that almost anything that comes from Germany and/or Russia tends to sound good?

I agree... I recently picked up hundreds of Russian D9x's dirt cheap, and they are great.  You just have to be careful because many of them are marked backwards from what we are used to.

MC

[willienillie]

I dunno - the Russians like to band their Anodes, whereas I think I can see the die/kathode under those bands. Ivan might know.

On closer inspection, I think you're right, Mr. Arse.  From what I've seen some of the old American (and maybe other) Ge diodes used color bands like resistors, to indicate the digits that follow 1N.  So, two yellow bands could possibly be old 1N44s.  That number currently refers to a zener type, but apparently it was used for a Ge some time ago.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_1n44.html

[duck_arse]

that radiomuseum site is a gold mine [germanium mine?] of parts porn. from my experience, the "OA" series diodes would part number w/ colour bands, to some extent. I think.

and why weren't the Soviet Bloc countries following the home country's practise? or did the Russians opposite-mark just to indicate the russianness of the production? will we ever know?

[Rob Strand]

The way they are all lined up like that makes me think they are Russian military parts  .

[bool]

Brezhnev Doctrine!

[BluffChill]

In an old radio parts shop recently I also got some totally unmarked diodes. A huge bag of about 100 for 50p. They don't all meter very well on my little ATmega tester and I threw a load away. The ones that did work I marked with a black sharpie along the cathode. A very slow, boring task!

I've just picked one out at random and it gets me 657mV forward, compared to a 1n270 at 319mVf and a jellybean 1n914 at 690mV, I'd suggest they were silicon. Still, I'm sure they'll come in handy SOME day...

[italianguy63]

The German Germaniums I had that looked like that were made by "RFT"