can't find info on these particular TIP508 transistors

[dentaku]

I found these ancient looking TIP508 transistors downstairs in a little bin.
They all have three coloured dots on them and a white stripe on the top.
I have found datasheets for TIP50x transistors and these look like they're PNP but I haven't been able to find exactly what these particular one's are because I haven't found datasheets for ones that come is this particular package.
It's not that I need to use them for anything, I'm just curious.

Was it common in the past to put colour bands and markings on transistors?
 

[Rerouter]

The markings may be binning, my old tek scope had a similar thing done to all of its transistors,

as for infom all i typed was "TIP508 Transistor" and found this
http://alltransistors.com/transistor.php?transistor=46919

[dentaku]

yeah, that page is where I found that it's a PNP but I still don't see a .PDF for the TIP508 with images of the pinout.
All the datsheets I find are for TO-220 parts and none are even named 508.

The one link on that page that actually says TIP508 links to a .PDF for the TIP47/TIP48/TIP49/TIP50 NPN Silicon Transistor which is obviously the wrong thing.

I don't know? 

The markings may be binning, my old tek scope had a similar thing done to all of its transistors,

as for infom all i typed was "TIP508 Transistor" and found this
http://alltransistors.com/transistor.php?transistor=46919

[Rerouter]

pin out is very easy to determine, take a multimeter and use diode check, that will get you the base pin, then for the collector and emmitor take a generic AAA and a low value resistor, (10K for base aswell),

pull the base down with a 10K to the negative, put your first guess for the emitter to the battery positive and your first guess for the collector to battery negative through that low value resistor, if its right you will get a small voltage above battery negative on the resistor if its wrong, no voltage

(otherwise if you have a cheapo $10 multimeter they have a transistor tester that you can use to work it out)

[dentaku]

Yes, I tried the transistor tester on my meter and it's still a mystery It has 8 holes labeled EBCE under NPN and EBCE under PNP.
I've used it before to figure out the pinout of salvaged transistors and it usually works well.

If I plug a regular 2N2907 in there the hFE reading is around 200, connected backwards it's 0020 or so, then if I plug it in completely wrong (just to see what would happen) I get 1600 or so which I have never seen before with a transistor.

The mystery transistors either gives me nothing or the strange high readings and I think I tried every combination. I even crossed the leads to make sure I tried it every possible way.

Oh well, I was just curious. It's not like I have any use for a few old rusty transistors.