NTE and ECG replacements - any good ?
Buck Buchanan
> > ?
> > Are they as reliable as the originals they replace ?
>
I've never tried ECG replacements but personally I've found that NTE parts
suck puke (pardon my french). And they're terribly expensive.
Having been (previously) in audio/video service for 2 years, I can think of
at least 5 cut and dry cases where NTE "replacements" were found to be the
ONLY cause of the problem. When the NTE "replacements" were pulled and the
original (usually Japanese transistors) parts replaced, the piece in
question was cured.
We never determined (we never tried) whether or not it was the parts that
were bad or simply the NTE sub book that was not accurate. In all
fairness, I should mention that I've seen more NTE parts work properly in
their application than not. But a few bad experiences are all it's taken
for me to swear them off.
For Japanese transistors, try Dalbani. I don't have their address off hand
but I can get it if you wanna email me.
Take it easy,
Buck buch...@qualcomm.com
Marc Stein
buch...@apprentice.qualcomm.com (Buck Buchanan) said:
>I've never tried ECG replacements but personally I've found that NTE
>parts suck puke (pardon my french). And they're terribly expensive.
>For Japanese transistors, try Dalbani.
Of four "recommended" NTE substitutions I used this year, two were packaged
very differently from the original (TO220 instead of TO3, for example) and
one, 'though packaged right, simply did not work. Is this typical NTE?
Marc
CC01...@brownvm.brown.edu
buch...@apprentice.qualcomm.com (Buck Buchanan) said:
>I've never tried ECG replacements but personally I've found that NTE
>parts suck puke (pardon my french). And they're terribly expensive.
>For Japanese transistors, try Dalbani.
I got the address for Dalbani from someone else and a catalog
is headed my way. Mouser too is well stocked on Japanese semis.
The original output darlingtons in the amp
I'm bringing back to life was already replaced with ECG247/248.
I have no idea what the originals was.
I figure the 12A/100V rating of the above darlingtons was
far too low in a 100W or so amp and I'm looking at 20A darlingtons
(NTE251/252). Or, I might rewire the circuit and split the
darlingtons into a driver and an output bjt.
They are expensive but available: I could have had the amp up
and running within an hour, *if* I had been willing to pay
$$$ for the replacements. I'm not and I see there are a few
pwr darlingtons available from Harris and Motorola.
pwr darlingtons available from Harris and Motorola.
thanks,
john
Bob Levitt
Ż On 12-Oct-94, smashed keys to All about:
> From: CC01...@brownvm.brown.edu ()
> How do people feel about NTE and ECG replacement transistors
> ?
> Are they as reliable as the originals they replace ?
> john
I have found them to be very good reliable but very expensive replacements.
Wherever possible, I have always used the original part number (unless it is
one of those untraceable House Numbers).
Booth, Thomas G.
I can't agree w/ Buck Buchanan's "French" regarding NTE parts - I've never
had a problem w/ NTE parts (though as always, YMMV). As for his cost
comment, I've not found NTE parts prices to be out of line w/ respect to
other replacement semiconductor lines (Philips ECG, RCA SK); but if you're
comparing NTE prices to surplus semiconductor prices, there's no way NTE or
any other replacement semiconductor line will be competitive.
Marc Stein's issue with repackaged replacement devices is a fact of life w/
the NTE, SK, ECG, etc. lines. It isn't cost effective for them to try and
match electrical AND package characteristics for every semiconductor
device, particularly for devices which are no longer made by OEMs.
Repackaged devices also occur with manufacturer parts too - I had to
replace a TO-66 transistor in a TV with a plastic device which was a TO-220
variant; the plastic device came from the TV manufacturer & had the same
part number stamped on it as the TO-66 device! As for the one NTE device
which "simply did not work", I don't have enough information to reply
authoritatively - perhaps the circuit requires a "selected beta" version of
the original OEM part to work and neither the NTE device or a random
version of the OEM part will work in circuit.
Don't get me wrong; one should replace dead semiconductors w/ the same type
whenever possible. Sometimes though, you get forced to go w/ NTE type
parts when availability of original parts is low/none.
BTW, I believe 2Sx transistors can be had from MCM Electronics in addition
to Dalbani.
TGB
\\ The opinions expressed in this posting are my own. //