Anyone build an amp with NTE317 transistors?

[Onelasttime]

I recently fell into a great deal. I got 8 of them at $24 each NOS still in the plastic retail bags like you would get at electronics store back in the 1980's. Imagine you walked into your local TV repair shop/radio repair shop!

You can not get MRF455's for less than $79 each. I figured I can figure it out or ask for help on this site when I go to actual use them should I run into anything I can not figure out.

I am guessing they where made by Motorola, Toshiba, TRW, Phillips, ST or some other non-China traditional fully accountable semiconductor manufacture in the past so cheaper than HG's and likely more durable.

I understand it is always better to find the origanal name brand part but given our choices today maybe people should reconsider these NOS options and stop focusing on just Toshiba's, Macoms, and HG's!

 

[nomadradio]

Haven't seen anyone counterfeit a NTE part yet.

At least it's probably old enough to be an original-production american-brand part.

Not sure it matters so much which original part so long as it works in an amplifier.

73

 

[Onelasttime]

I agree parts are parts if they work as intended or the crcuit can be uned to make non-origanal parts work!

Up until recently I could get a great deal on MACOM MRF454's at a good price point so I used them to replace the insanely priced Toshiba 2SC2879's in my gear. I have HG2879's but have not built with them and I am not eager to build them so long as I can get USA made, Japan made or European made NOS transistors. I am grateful that we have had the affordable HG transistors available to keep vintage gear going but have not used them yet even though I own some. Those are my last ditch apocalpse transistors.

I understand the quantum leap in quality control between NOS transistors made in Japan, Europe and USA compared to anything made in China. It is not that HG in CHina can not make a decent transistor it is that you can not trust them to do the QC to weed out the faulty units. That is why I bought 4 matched quads and a few singles and pairs because you just do not know what your getting under that ceramic lid!

I value solid design, construction, validation, and durability over a few more watts.

 

[nomadradio]

I value solid design, construction, validation, and durability over a few more watts.

Darn shame the people who buy linears don't.

73

 

[Onelasttime]

That is why I bought one designed by Brian Griefy(sp) and then proceded to purchase circuit boards from him to build my own. The only way it could have gotten any better would be if JRC sold kits! LOL

In a perfect world it would have been RF Fet based, band tuning, legal limit, and swr pwr fold back protection but I do not believe in perfect people or a perfect world! LOL

If you need a 50HP continious duty cycle engine you build a 250HP to 300HP engine then limit the rpms to get 50HP. What you do not do is build a 50HP engine then run it at 100% duty cycle and expect it to live a long life!

In the world of electronics does not matter if it is rf hobbies or audio hobbies people seem to forget that obvious fact!

The big differences above a Part 95 FCC friendly 4watt CB output signal are 25w, 100w, 400w and 1500w. So if I am going to make the jump it will be at those levels from one to the next and designing in extra capacity above those numbers is not to actual use that extra power it is about having headroom in the design so you can reach those standards points of output power with out pushing the gear hard. Other than talking over someone else at the local level so called "dropping the maul" there is no point is pushing the gear hard to get to a level in between those standard power output levels mentioned above. The ability to be heard by another human being for 2 way communication is not going to be improved by a significant amount.

Science is a wounderful thing as is logic and discerning thought when they are unchained and allowed to produce results!

Just like our society there are a lot of very ignorant people and by ignorant I do not mean electronic circuit design level of ignorance because that would include me rather they do not even understand really simple things about the hobby. They do not understand what to look for in a radio, why certain design elements are bad, how to select an amp intelligently, how to use an amp intelligently, how to select coax, what best practices are etc.....You do not need to be a medical doctor to know that washing your hands before you eat or touch your mouth or eye's is a good thing. You do not need to be an automotive engineer to understand why you should change your oil regularly or not to put your car in park and hold the car and wide open throttle. People treat electronics as if they are an appliance but appliances like a refrigerator are designed to be almost idiot proof. Imagine how many fewer drivers we would have on the roads if all cars and trucks had to be intellegently operated like a Ford Model T? I could not trust my wife to remeber to push in the manual choke. Imagine if she had to hand crank the car and had to adjust the timing manualy!!! LOL

Sadly each passing generation is getting dumber and dumber and has a harder time doing anything that has more than 2-3 steps!