Socket electronic components?

[funkymonk95]

Hey everyone,
I keep encountering stuff like 'you should socket your transistors' or 'socket capacitors'.
Can anyone explain how to socket those components, especially transistors?
Thanks in advance!

[arawn]

yeah everybody sells "sockets" generally for dip8 or more ic's, sometimes specific ones for tranny's you want the pin type if you get dip sockets just cut'em up with diagonal cutters.

[CynicalMan]

SIP socket cut to your desired length.
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=101

[Gus]

Sockets are not a good idea for effects if they are used on the road.  The parts can/will fall out.

[ubersam]

Sockets are not a good idea for effects if they are used on the road.  The parts can/will fall out.

yup, happened to a friend's modded ts9. worst part was that it happened during the show (good thing he had a back-up od). as a quick fix we hot-glued the ic in place and planned on soldering it direct to the board when we got back home. but i don't think we ever did.

[LucifersTrip]

Hey everyone,
I keep encountering stuff like 'you should socket your transistors' or 'socket capacitors'.
Can anyone explain how to socket those components, especially transistors?
Thanks in advance!

here you can see a variety of sockets for transistors:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=transistor+socket&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1663l5270l0l5443l17l15l0l6l6l0l199l1612l1.10l11l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=666&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

I don't socket much, but when I do, I use this type:


You simply solder the socket to the board and then you can plug & unplug all the transistors you want...

[nexekho]

I used a pair of ordinary pin headers to socket my Arduino Nano:

I guess you could use them with resistors/LEDs/capacitors/etc.

But socketing other components?  My usual supplier has transistor sockets, don't know how good they are.


And standard DIP sockets.  They're nice and simple.

[Steve Mavronis]

I use the pin headers that have the grooves so you can snap them off 3 pins at a time. Then I can mount plastic transistors into them. You end up with it looking something like my illustration below. The photo shows it better after I figured out an easier way to bend the legs to get closer to the board. See tip below:




Tip: To spread the transistor legs perfectly without ugly crooked bends do this; take an old PCB with at least 3 holes drilled in a row spaced 0.1" (100 mils) apart. IC pad spacing is good for this. Slightly spread and feed the 3 legs through the holes and push down to the height above the header you want. Straighten the legs sticking out on the other side of the board you used as a spacing template. Remove and trim the legs to desired length!

[dano12]

Why not build the whole circuit on a socket? 

[egasimus]

hahaha, you win

[LucifersTrip]

Why not build the whole circuit on a socket? 

...and a turret board layout

[nexekho]

Oh, man, I've gotta try making some circuits like that.  Actually, would that slot into another socket?  Could a modular pedal be built with a row of sockets with standardised pin locations for ground, V+, V-, input, output to next stage?

[Tony Forestiere]

Oh, man, I've gotta try making some circuits like that.  Actually, would that slot into another socket?  Could a modular pedal be built with a row of sockets with standardised pin locations for ground, V+, V-, input, output to next stage?

Search for the FXBus here. http://www.geofex.com/ . Pretty cool.

[Steve Mavronis]

Wouldn't you end up with basically a breadboard in a box?

[nexekho]

Goddamnit.  Every idea, beaten to the punch.  :/

@Steve
It'd be useful for onboard electronics in an instrument.

[Tony Forestiere]

Goddamnit.  Every idea, beaten to the punch.  :/

A friend once told me "Hey. I wrote a new Blues song". I said "No you didn't".