TO-92 JFETs - many being discontinued?

[culturejam]

I noticed that Fairchild and OnSemi have marked several of their TO-92 JFET parts as "Last time buys being accepted", including J201, MFP102, 2N5457, and 2N5458.

What's the deal with this? Are they really being discontinued, or am I just misinterpreting the meaning of the product status? Will there be a replacement, or are they just being obsoleted?

Here's an example:
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/pf/2N/2N5457.html

[R.G.]

The effects world has always ridden on the coattails of the rest of the electronics industry. There has never been enough volume in guitar effects to justify their own parts. As a result, when the larger electronics industry does not generate enough return on investment per part, the part is taken out of the active manufacturing line. This is one manifestation of what I call MBA Disease.

In this, the ongoing life of discrete JFETs in TO-92 cases will mimic the demise of germanium transistors. The manufacturers quit making them, then they are dumped for essentially zero cost onto the secondary markets, then if there is any small need they will be hunted down for huge prices. IF there is any small need, like for effects.

Musical electronics is very much an insignificant pimple on the wider electronics industry.

[culturejam]

Thanks, RG.

I figured that was the reason, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I think that the beloved 2N5952 is on the chopping block with Fairchild as well 

[bean]

Well that's just a kick in the balls right there. The J201 and 2n5457 are pretty damn essential to stompboxes....and me!

[DavenPaget]

Checking availability on element14 ... Surely all will go into smoke 1 day  
2N3819 .. Definitely ended long time ago . Only 288 left .
2N3820 ... Worse still only 20 left .
2N5461 ... 350 left
2N5486G ... 107 left
BF244 ... 349 in UK
BF244B ... 970 left
BF245A ... 1033 left in UK
BF245A,112 ( NXP) 193 left
BF245B ... 30 left WTF !
J108 stocks nearly exhausting ... 495 ( Vishay )
J111,J112 ... 5 and 314
J113 ... 24 Luckily there aren't much engineers in my land .
J175 ... 1200
J177 ... 13 ( Vishay )
J309 ... 26
PN4392 ... 10233 ( ALOT ! )
2N3820 ... 110 locally but 2526 in UK
2N5458 ... 1990 Hmm , that's quite alot .
2N5459 ... 44 but 426 in UK
2N5460 ... 53 but 485 in UK
2N5461 ( I had been sold this instead of 2N5457/58/59 by some bastards at a electronics tower before ) ... 185
2N5484 ... 175
2N5485 ... 372
2N5486 ... 490
2N5486.. ... 247
2N5951 ... 669
2N5951.. ... 2510 in the US
2N5952 ... 255
BF246A ... 1966 in UK
BF256C ... 80
J105 ... 78
J107 ... 23
J108 ... 228 in UK
J109 ... 524 in UK
J111 ... 5371
J112"D74Z ... 585 in UK
J174 ... 114
J176 ... 320
J177 ... 25
J177"D26Z ... 1676 in US
J201 ... 1044 Locally + 2955 UK + 3705 US
J202 ... 70
J211"D74Z ... 1840 in US
J270 ... 148 in UK
J310 ... 4252 US , 1740 UK , 93
J310G ... 135
MPF102_D27Z ... 226
PN4117A ... 101 , 3428 in UK
PN4392.. ... 22
PN4393 ... 275
NTE parts ? Don't bother , too expensive for a JFET . But you can choose one of them , seems like they all have been discontinued  

[culturejam]

Well that's just a kick in the balls right there. The J201 and 2n5457 are pretty damn essential to stompboxes....and me!

Tell me about it. I'm glad I already bought a shitload of J201/2N5457 a couple months back. But I suppose we should get handy with SMD soldering if we want to continue using JFETs in the long term.

I'm betting Steve at Smallbear knew about this with enough time to buy a boatload of each part. I think we'll be in good supply for the foreseeable future. If not, well, then I suppose RunoffGroove is a lot more Mojo than it was yesterday. 

[Mark Hammer]

All the more reason for all of us to get to know and trust each other, eh?  It won't be long before WE are our only sources of such things.

[DavenPaget]

Sadly element14 hasn't brought in MMBFJ201

[culturejam]

Hey, maybe CoolAudio will start making the V201, V5457, etc. 

[smallbearelec]

I'm betting Steve at Smallbear knew about this with enough time to buy a boatload of each part.

I did, and I have been working on securing supplies of what we Must have to support DIY. But it is going to be difficult down the road.

[Jorge_S]

ok, I just stocked myself with 200 x j201 (I'll need for the spitfire!!),100 x 2n5457 & 100 x 2n5458, lets hope they last a while :-)

[Ice-9]

ok, I just stocked myself with 200 x j201 (I'll need for the spitfire!!),100 x 2n5457 & 100 x 2n5458, lets hope they last a while :-)

Jorge, can I ask where you got the J201's from ?

[B Tremblay]

I think we'll be in good supply for the foreseeable future. If not, well, then I suppose RunoffGroove is a lot more Mojo than it was yesterday. 

[bean]

This seller has quite a few JFETS in quantity. Prices are not the cheapest, but not terrible, either: average is 15-20 cents per piece.

http://myworld.ebay.com/kimfashion4/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

I'm sure Steve will come through with a good supply, too.

[Jorge_S]

This seller has quite a few JFETS in quantity. Prices are not the cheapest, but not terrible, either: average is 15-20 cents per piece.
http://myworld.ebay.com/kimfashion4/?_trksid=p4340.l2559
I'm sure Steve will come through with a good supply, too.

That's the supplier I just bought my stuff from. $25 per 200 j201's ($0.125 a piece) + free international shipping. He sells a lot of other stuff too, with 99.9% positives.
Since I am in South America the free shipping made it for me.

[crane]

Whats the big fuss about?
SMD FETs will still be availible and the are not hard to solder

[Jorge_S]

Whats the big fuss about?
SMD FETs will still be availible and the are not hard to solder

Try socketing them...

[bean]

Whats the big fuss about?
SMD FETs will still be availible and the are not hard to solder

Try socketing them...

Or breadboarding them.

[snap]

soon available: gooped smt fets in a leaded tin can?