New germanium?

[fowl]

I stumbled across these last night:

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/transistor-ac127-germanium-1-case-npn

They claim they are current production.  Anybody know who makes these, and/or how well they perform?  No datasheet, no mention of hFE.

[zesak]

click on measurements and specs tab

[tonyharker]

If these are new production (which I doubt) they will be using modern production methods not the old diffusion process. So they may not perform like the originals.  The package shown is correct ( I have NOS Mullard ones ) So you takes your choice.  At the price shown its probably worth the gamble, though the gain is a bit low they could go up to about 120 Hfe.

[fowl]

click on measurements and specs tab

Doh!  I looked right past that min. 50.  Late night surfing, y'know.

[fowl]

If these are new production (which I doubt)

Somebody asked in the linked page, they said new production.

[imJonWain]

 I wouldn't be surprised if they did a bulk deal to order some germanium trans with specs similar to an old part and put the old number on it.  There's companies that exist just to produce parts from old dies on old processes such a Rochester Electronics and they'll definitely sell. 

[fowl]

$2.95 each isn't exactly cheap, but not ridiculous either.  I might grab a few next time I order from them, just to test out.  NPN is appealing for obvious reasons.

On a side note, I noticed that CTS pots have increased in price.  Not surprising, "supply chain" problems, inflation, made in Taiwan.  But Alphas are also made in Taiwan, AFAIK, and they seem to be the same price as usual.  I hope I can stock up on the CTS pots before the invasion from the mainland.  Alphas are easily substituted for, but nobody else makes anything like the CTS, and nothing else will hold up as well in a guitar.

[amptramp]

There are a number of companies that buy up old processing plants and equipment so that when a semiconductor company opens a new plant and modernizes its production, the old plant still has some value.  In the military and defense market, a number of companies have sprung up that do exactly that to ensure that parts specified for old equipment remain available.  We had a presentation from one such company once and I remember the salesman's name: Rusty Key.  I thought that was an ideal name for someone selling obsolete components.

What strikes me about these devices is that they are using the old (and expensive) package with its drawn steel cap, plastic header and long leads.  This is definitely a copy of how things used to be done.  Maybe germanium cannot tolerate an epoxy package since Ge cannot be passivated but I would bet the package is more expensive than the transistor die itself.

Unless this is being made in Russia, I doubt any old germanium facilities still exist - the equipment would have been sold off long ago.  A germanium foundry might buy in its packaging but not many old diffusion process pieces of equipment are still around.  I suggested a long time ago that diystompboxes should buy up an old foundry and set up germanium valley but so far no one has made any move in that direction.

[mdcmdcmdc]

$2.95 each isn't exactly cheap, but not ridiculous either.  I might grab a few next time I order from them, just to test out.  NPN is appealing for obvious reasons.

On a side note, I noticed that CTS pots have increased in price.  Not surprising, "supply chain" problems, inflation, made in Taiwan.  But Alphas are also made in Taiwan, AFAIK, and they seem to be the same price as usual.  I hope I can stock up on the CTS pots before the invasion from the mainland.  Alphas are easily substituted for, but nobody else makes anything like the CTS, and nothing else will hold up as well in a guitar.

The Tayda house brand 16mm pots are decent quality, seem comparable to the alphas, and they still come with the insulator included.

[duck_arse]

if you do get some them new germs, cut the can off one so's we can all have a squizz* inside.


* squizz, a butchers, a butcher's hook, look.

[fowl]

if you do get some them new germs, cut the can off one so's we can all have a squizz* inside.


* squizz, a butchers, a butcher's hook, look.

Will this work?