An irrational fear of Soviet components?

[soulsonic]

For another topic, would could discuss the relationship between the Worms and the Spice.....

[MartyMart]

I recieved a box of GT308's last week (RT308 - cryllic ) and did some testing :
The results gave me an "irrational respect" for Soviet components !!!
Dozens of perfect FF hfe values and such low leakage values, they put everything else I have to shame 
I'll be using all my crappy AC128's etc as diodes from now on !
...... oh and about 35 cents a piece too .......
MM.

[mac]

We appear to have branched into quantum phyisics! What other topics will this DIYStompbox forum cover next? 

Or maybe we could join ideas to create a quatum pedal. Because uncertainty principle it could be a Fuzz Face for a moment and then, suddenly, a TS808...

I recieved a box of GT308's last week (RT308 - cryllic ) and did some testing :
The results gave me an "irrational respect" for Soviet components !!!
Dozens of perfect FF hfe values and such low leakage values, they put everything else I have to shame 
I'll be using all my crappy AC128's etc as diodes from now on !
...... oh and about 35 cents a piece too .......

I re-measured my russians transistor. Same readings as in the last test. It seems the weather played a joke on me... 
In fact they are so BIG that it takes a loooot of time to reach a steady state.

I always had a great respect for russian tech. It may not look fancy, in fact these transistors seem like UFOs, but they are reliable. Russians have a say, "if it works then do not change it".

mac

[soulsonic]

I love Russian tech stuff - it's all designed to either survive a nuclear war, or be shot out into space, or both. How can you beat that? It may be tragic that the selling off of old Soviet military goods has contributed to the chaos and bloodshed in places like Africa, at least the DIY community has seen some benefit from the availability of this stuff. It's not enough of a "silver lining" to cancel out the abomination of genocide, but at least it gives poor folks like me a chance at some nice gear which could hopefully help improve my life some day.

And where would we be without Russian tubes? 'Nuff said.

[RaceDriver205]

It may be tragic that the selling off of old Soviet military goods has contributed to the chaos and bloodshed in places like Africa, at least the DIY community has seen some benefit from the availability of this stuff. It's not enough of a "silver lining" to cancel out the abomination of genocide, but at least it gives poor folks like me a chance at some nice gear which could hopefully help improve my life some day.

"old Soviet military goods don't kill people, people kill people  ". (No Im not starting a debate!)

[snap]

Brad, if you don't have a Geiger counter...   

I have some transistors I purchased from a dealer overseas [U.K.]. Others on the forum also purchased these from the same source so I had a way to measure my results. I had a problem with the hfe values going all over the place about a year after I purchased them. Others said they did not have this problem in anyway.

I have a good friend who holds a PhD in physics who I asked about the issue. He told me that this issue of this rapid degrade of these germanium transistors could have easily been caused by exposure to even a small amount of radiation such that is found in airport security x-ray machines.

If your Russian transistors are all over the place hfe wise it could be possible that they might have been exposed. I have some [Russian] that have really tight hfe's and have not varied from the date of purchase a couple of years ago. The U.K. transistors are know almost useless now (OC140's everyone bought a few years ago).

-Van

I knew it:
http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/Publications/2008/be07-08/ns64_july08.pdf
http://www.elektor.com/magazines/2008/july-047-august/the-oc171-mystery-(solved).531775.lynkx

[Celadine]

Hmmm...

A) All semiconductors are sensitive to static electricity.  The random degradation of some 20-50 year old semiconductors from god knows where could come from static damage. 

B) Not to start OTing, but blaming the old commies for 'African genocide' is simplistic at best.  Its almost 2009, can't we stop blaming the USSR for everything?  Sheesh.    <obviously a pet peeve>