NEC 2SC959 Replacement

LBPete

LBPete

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I'm working on a Marantz 1060 that has one bad driver transistor, 2SA959. The recommended replacement is ST Micro 2N3440. Have you priced these transistors lately? Mouser lists ST Micro 2N3440 as obsolete and unavailable. They also list Microsemi 2N3440L at $21.61 and Central Semi 2N3440 at $2.03. What secret sauce is Microsemi using to make them 10x more expensive. Any opinions on the Central Semi brand?

- Pete
 
I looked, the 2SA959 is a PNP TO-3 100V 100W transistor but with no spec on fT, so I look up digikey and this one is a much higher voltage, much higher power and current, fT=4MHz. Take a look and see whether that will work for you. I only take a quick look at the dimension, check more carefully:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/on-semiconductor/MJ21195G/MJ21195GOS-ND/919460

http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/MJ21195-D.PDF

Here is the datasheet of your original 2SA959: http://datasheet.octopart.com/2SA959-Inchange-Semiconductor-datasheet-15978292.pdf
 
I think the secret for Central Semiconductor is the fact they specialize making this older stuff. Since 2 dollars street price is also good money for a small semiconductor.
Afaik it is a well known brand.

I guess the bigger manufacturers just still make stuff like that it because they might HAVE to support devices for specific contracts where support was part of the deal.
But of coarse, this is just a guess.
In the list on Mouser, you see it is mostly JAN and JANTX milspec types remaining for those obsolete metal-can parts.
 
LBPete said:
That's the one supplied by Central Semi. Anyone have experience with that manufacturer?

- Pete
Click to expand...
They are all good, it's only $2, just buy one and try it. The datasheet looks the same as 2N3440L to me!!! It's not as if you have others to pick.
 
The Central Semi stuff has worked fine for me. If you want to try a different package (TO-225) look at the MJE3439G which is a 2N3439 (high voltage bin of the 2n3440) in a plastic package. For that matter, you might look at the KSC2690A.
 
Central is a big...I mean BIG company, they make a lot of replacement transistors. All the big companies are good, don't buy into some advice that some are better than the others. Look at the datasheet, if it fit, it's good.

I looked at the original datasheet of 2SC959, it's in japanese, but there are enough English on the terms. If 2N3440L is a substitute, 2N3440 that is available for $2 is good.


More importantly, DON'T buy on ebay or even Amazon, there are a lot of fake semiconductors selling there. They cannot control every single seller. Go ONLY to reputable places like Digikey, Mouser, Newark ( I don't know who is reputable in Europe or other countries) in US.
 
Over here Mouser is popular too, since they also sell to private consumers and if buying for over fifty Euros shipping is free (below 50 Euros shipping is 20 Euros which is too much by default).

RS, Element14(which includes Newark) and Digikey do not do hobbyists, they sell to businesses only. They may not think hobbyists are important, but what happens?
If I need to order components at work, the first I try is Mouser and only if they do not have it or serious money is involved I might have a look at the other ones....
 
Ha, Digikey sell to hobbyists here in US, they ship fast also, usually 3 days max. Mouser is good also and in general is cheaper than Digikey, but selection is not as good as Digikey....at least here. Mouser shipping is getting faster also, it used to be like a week, it's getting faster like Digikey now, my last shipment is 3 days only. But we don't get free shipping for buying over any price.
 
2sc959
120v 80v 5v .7A .7w 50mhzmin 20-200hfe

NTE128
140v 80v 7v 1A 5w 15-300hfe 4dbNF
http://au.element14.com/nte-electronics/nte128/bipolar-transistor-npn-80v-to/dp/1703992?ost=1703992&searchView=table&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http:en-AU/Element14_Australia/search

Its got a bit more gain but not too much to give grief

I dont usually recommend NTE parts but since ST disappeared a few yrs ago ive tried NTE and been happy with results
also the quasi compli driver is sa606 (pnp) NTE129 -(don't get P variety)


Alan0354 said:
But we don't get free shipping for buying over any price
Click to expand...
we do in Oz!
gslikker said:
RS, Element14(which includes Newark) and Digikey do not do hobbyists
Click to expand...
they do in Oz
 
gslikker said:
Over here Mouser is popular too, since they also sell to private consumers and if buying for over fifty Euros shipping is free (below 50 Euros shipping is 20 Euros which is too much by default).

RS, Element14(which includes Newark) and Digikey do not do hobbyists, they sell to businesses only. They may not think hobbyists are important, but what happens?
If I need to order components at work, the first I try is Mouser and only if they do not have it or serious money is involved I might have a look at the other ones....
Click to expand...
with rs simply add electronics after your house name ? hope i dont lose my account now ... :D
 
I really think if you get one with higher voltage, comparable hfe, fT, Cobo, Cibo and power, just try it. Particular this is a TO66 type stand alone, you can get any comparable transistor in TO126 or TO220 etc and just stick it in!!! Then you have a world of choices to choose from. You don't have to be stuck with TO66, they have been obsoleted already.
 
Alan0354 said:
I really think if you get one with higher voltage, comparable hfe, fT, Cobo, Cibo and power, just try it. Particular this is a TO66 type stand alone, you can get any comparable transistor in TO126 or TO220 etc and just stick it in!!! Then you have a world of choices to choose from. You don't have to be stuck with TO66, they have been obsoleted already.
Click to expand...
i thought it was 2sc959 ?
 
petehall347 said:
with rs simply add electronics after your house name ? hope i dont lose my account now ... :D
Click to expand...
They need a certain "kvk"number for businesses over here. It is not a problem working that way but I am afraid getting entangled in paperwork.
I hate paperwork so when I really would need something from RS or Element14 or Digikey I can always ask the logistics guy at the company I work for buy it, then they just deduct from my salary so I am all good without paperwork :).
Presently, everything I need myself I always have found at Mouser.
 
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Thanks for the input. They are cheap enough I can buy several and match them. I saw the NEC transistors on eBay but have no confidence they are real. There are two different vendors using the same image, one in the US and one in Hong Kong.

- Pete
 
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