Dead Thread - Mods feel free to remove.

[synthiaks]

This is fantastic Reading Winston!!

Thank you

 

[Winston OBoogie]

Removed.

 

[CJ]

there are still some toshiba fets on evilbay from time to time, but what a crap shoot, probably either counterfeit or rejects for noise, kind of like shopping for 6386 tubes,  :-\  : ??? :-[ :'(

 

[rackmonkey]

there are still some toshiba fets on evilbay from time to time, but what a crap shoot, probably either counterfeit or rejects for noise, kind of like shopping for 6386 tubes,  :-\  : ??? :-[ :'(

All but one or two batches I’ve bought off eBay over the last couple of years have been obviously out of spec, either rejects or outright relabeled counterfeits. I’ve bought at least 10 (probably more) different lots from various countries and traced them out against my stash of Mouser-purchased 170-GR, 170-BL and 170-V parts (baselined with 20 transistors of each grade). Some are almost certainly re-labeled 2SK-184s. Others are wildly off and trace out close to J111 or 2N3819. A couple of batches didn’t even have a consistent grouping and were all over the place. I did find one or two sellers selling matched pairs for much higher $$ that tested as they should have. But they weren’t as economical as buying LSK-170s from Trendsetter.

Did the same with 2SK-369s (Toshiba’s successor to the 170) hoping the situation would be better with those, but they are rarer and still quite inconsistent.

In the end, I’ll stick with LSK-170s if I ever run out of Toshibas. Even at $8 apiece for A grade, it’s not worth the risk to go elsewhere. And 2SK-184s usually work well enough as a sub in a pinch.

It’s starting to even get this way with J-201s, which are the popular go-to for guitar pedals. Not as bad as the 170 situation, but it’s headed that way as supplies of real parts dwindle. I’ve tested two or three obviously out of spec batches from eBay in the last few months (I don’t have as many 201s as I do 170s so I’m always looking, but luckily there are more subs for these than 170s).

I keep wondering when someone is going to get smart and start selling SMD parts pre-soldered to 3 pin surfboard adapters. Quite a few great JFETs are still made in SMD and demand is still there.

Edit: Winston posted while I was typing this and it appears we’re in agreement on the subject.

 

[pvision]

Curve tracer sitting on the curb. Sounded like a geek trap to me. 

Talking "Geek Traps" - watch this: If you haven't see the IT crowd, do watch it. It's very funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M46HvyAG2k

Nick Froome