Poll

Do you still use transistor substitution manuals

Yes, regularly
3 (16.7%)
About once in two months
0 (0%)
It's on my bookshelf gathering dust
4 (22.2%)
I just "Google" substitutes.
11 (61.1%)

Total Members Voted: 18

Voting closed: June 18, 2011, 10:07:54 am

Author Topic: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?  (Read 5473 times)

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Offline hannobisschoffTopic starter

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transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« on: June 11, 2011, 10:07:54 am »
I recently bought a Towers International Transistor Selector. So I just wondered, was this a stupid idea to buy this book (a bit late hey?), or am I going to use it regularly. Please let me know if this purchase was a mistake, or if this is one thing in electronics that hasn't been replaced by the internet.
 

Offline dimlow

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2011, 05:05:23 pm »
i have never used a transistor :o is that unusual ?
 

Offline bilko

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2011, 07:09:52 pm »
I recently bought a Towers International Transistor Selector. So I just wondered, was this a stupid idea to buy this book (a bit late hey?), or am I going to use it regularly. Please let me know if this purchase was a mistake, or if this is one thing in electronics that hasn't been replaced by the internet.

A useful reference especially for the older stuff, not a waste of money, however google is good at finding specs too.
 

Offline Kiriakos-GR

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2011, 07:42:41 pm »
I own the VRT ECA1 & ECA2 series of books, yes it is more handy having the book next to you on the bench.

I would use the Internet for an IC , but not as regularly as I use my books.

 
 

Online Zero999

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2011, 08:15:46 pm »
i have never used a transistor :o is that unusual ?
Yes, what are all your projects purely MCU based with no high power stuff?
 

Offline tekfan

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2011, 08:16:56 pm »
Substitution books are priceless for older stuff especially if the company used some weird name for the transistor.
Even more useful when trying to find a germanium transistor equivalent.
One can never have enough oscilloscopes.
 

Offline dimlow

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2011, 08:47:42 pm »
Substitution books are priceless for older stuff especially if the company used some weird name for the transistor.
Even more useful when trying to find a germanium transistor equivalent.

Basically, Yes, used some fets but not discrete transistors.
 

Offline hannobisschoffTopic starter

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2011, 11:49:12 pm »
i have never used a transistor :o is that unusual ?
What!!! Yes, that's very unusual...
 

Offline hannobisschoffTopic starter

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2011, 11:52:20 pm »
Substitution books are priceless for older stuff especially if the company used some weird name for the transistor.
Even more useful when trying to find a germanium transistor equivalent.
What makes a germanium transistor good? What I'm trying to ask, is what makes a germanium transistor better than a Si transistor. Are they better for a certain job?
 

Offline tekfan

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2011, 12:47:45 am »
Substitution books are priceless for older stuff especially if the company used some weird name for the transistor.
Even more useful when trying to find a germanium transistor equivalent.
What makes a germanium transistor good? What I'm trying to ask, is what makes a germanium transistor better than a Si transistor. Are they better for a certain job?

Apart from a lower voltage drop not much else. The thing is that you can't just put in a Si transistor in a 60 year old device that uses Ge's and expect it to work.
One can never have enough oscilloscopes.
 

Online Zero999

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2011, 08:27:06 am »
Basically, Yes, used some fets but not discrete transistors.
FETs are transistors by definition and I assume you're talking about MOSFETs not JugFETs?
 

Offline dimlow

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2011, 08:45:45 am »
Well yea! Most intelligent people would have picked up on that. I didn't need to spell it out.
 

Offline hannobisschoffTopic starter

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2011, 02:47:58 pm »
Substitution books are priceless for older stuff especially if the company used some weird name for the transistor.
Even more useful when trying to find a germanium transistor equivalent.
What makes a germanium transistor good? What I'm trying to ask, is what makes a germanium transistor better than a Si transistor. Are they better for a certain job?

Apart from a lower voltage drop not much else. The thing is that you can't just put in a Si transistor in a 60 year old device that uses Ge's and expect it to work.

OH, I see.
 

Offline vk6zgo

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Re: transistor substitution manuals OVER THE WALL?
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2011, 04:20:47 am »
I recently bought a Towers International Transistor Selector. So I just wondered, was this a stupid idea to buy this book (a bit late hey?), or am I going to use it regularly. Please let me know if this purchase was a mistake, or if this is one thing in electronics that hasn't been replaced by the internet.

Equivalents books can be useful,but some of them quote equivalents which are more obscure
than the original one.
In many cases,you can find a replacement by the use of a little circuit analysis.

Ask yourself these questions:-

(1) What does the device do?(Is it a critical circuit,or just some thing like a relay driver or LED driver?).

(2) What device does another Manufacturer use in a similar circuit?

Many simple circuits use things like 2n2222s & BC108s in very similar service,so in many cases,these may be regarded as equivalents,although the Equivalents Book may not list them as such.

Back when I was fixing a lot of Sony Profeel 68cm picture monitors,we used to use BD651A
transistors in place of 2SC1413s.

After looking at the equivalent section of the Philips TV,we had a pretty good idea that it would work,so we tried them with no problem.

VK6ZGO




 


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