They look suspicious to me.
That's why I bought samples from a real distributor.
I wonder RS has listed them. If I knew I hadn't bought from the ebay guy.
The transistors I received from RS look completely different. The print is not grey but has a warm tone in it, a little bit orange. The plastic is high gloss instead of matte. They aren't bulk but taped.
I think the parts from "electronics-salon" are fake. What else can be expected from a chinese vendor?
That's why I bought samples from a real distributor.
I wonder RS has listed them. If I knew I hadn't bought from the ebay guy.
The transistors I received from RS look completely different. The print is not grey but has a warm tone in it, a little bit orange. The plastic is high gloss instead of matte. They aren't bulk but taped.
I think the parts from "electronics-salon" are fake. What else can be expected from a chinese vendor?
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yes the OPs look better than your "fakes". One Chinese guy currently selling these parts on Ebay shows a Toshiba shipping box in the background FWIW I don't know. Seems it would be more profitable faking power devices than these TO-92.
When did you purchase these suspicious guys and is he still doing it?
When did you purchase these suspicious guys and is he still doing it?
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@ infinia :
My fakes look really bad.
I'm not used to buy semiconductors on ebay. At work I buy from reputable distributors and never had problems with fake parts.
Faking power devices is for sure much more profitable but for a small signal transistor the Japanese ones are comparably pricey and thus maybe "worth" faking.
Parts used in audio seem to be way overpriced anyway.
What makes me even more suspicious is that the ebay guy has a 100% rating.
(Otherwise I had never bought anything from him.)
However I tend to trust RS.
@ prairiemystic :
I noticed that most parts from the ebay guy have fully solder covered legs but some have not. This looks like it has happened accidentally.
The taped parts are solder dipped so that there's a constant gap between solder and housing - for all parts equally. This looks like it has happened intentionally.
I have to put them under a miscroscope to confirm.
@ EUVL :
Measuring is most likely the best way to find out but I'm lazy and don't have access to good measurement equipment. I'm sure many diy-ers have better equipment at home than me at work. And think it could be possible to tell from the appearance. A fake has to be cheap; otherwise the profit from faking diminishes.
My fakes look really bad.
I'm not used to buy semiconductors on ebay. At work I buy from reputable distributors and never had problems with fake parts.
Faking power devices is for sure much more profitable but for a small signal transistor the Japanese ones are comparably pricey and thus maybe "worth" faking.
Parts used in audio seem to be way overpriced anyway.
What makes me even more suspicious is that the ebay guy has a 100% rating.
(Otherwise I had never bought anything from him.) However I tend to trust RS.
@ prairiemystic :
I noticed that most parts from the ebay guy have fully solder covered legs but some have not. This looks like it has happened accidentally.
The taped parts are solder dipped so that there's a constant gap between solder and housing - for all parts equally. This looks like it has happened intentionally.
I have to put them under a miscroscope to confirm.
@ EUVL :
Measuring is most likely the best way to find out but I'm lazy and don't have access to good measurement equipment. I'm sure many diy-ers have better equipment at home than me at work. And think it could be possible to tell from the appearance. A fake has to be cheap; otherwise the profit from faking diminishes.
I would be real careful here about which are fakes, RS has and does sell fakes, unknowingly was their responce to me once before I stopped completly purchasing from them
In your case I would say the ones you got from Ebay look more like the real thing. I checked what these parts look like from an old pioneer amp Ive got and they look more or less the same than these. Those RS parts look very different. Even the markings on my Toshiba Jfets are similar to the ebay parts.
Maybe they are both real. One also has to keep in mind that the manufacturers nowadays have more than one factory producing and some outsource the manufacturing to other companies.
In your case I would say the ones you got from Ebay look more like the real thing. I checked what these parts look like from an old pioneer amp Ive got and they look more or less the same than these. Those RS parts look very different. Even the markings on my Toshiba Jfets are similar to the ebay parts.
Maybe they are both real. One also has to keep in mind that the manufacturers nowadays have more than one factory producing and some outsource the manufacturing to other companies.
It's very interesting to hear that you bought fakes from RS.
I use RS for samples since parts are expensive but they offer free shipping. Perfect for he case I need one or two transistors worth 15 Cent, pay 1,20 Euro each and don't have to pay 8 Euro for shipping.
You could be right that both parts are genuine. One could be the bulk version, the other one the taped version. One factory uses grey paint, the other one the slightly orange one and the next might use laser to mark them.
This topic is getting interesting. I'll try to buy some more transistors and compare appearance. Measuring isn't possible at the moment anyway because both multimeters are broken and I have to buy new (and better) ones.
Only the oscilloscopes are still working.
I use RS for samples since parts are expensive but they offer free shipping. Perfect for he case I need one or two transistors worth 15 Cent, pay 1,20 Euro each and don't have to pay 8 Euro for shipping.
You could be right that both parts are genuine. One could be the bulk version, the other one the taped version. One factory uses grey paint, the other one the slightly orange one and the next might use laser to mark them.
This topic is getting interesting. I'll try to buy some more transistors and compare appearance. Measuring isn't possible at the moment anyway because both multimeters are broken and I have to buy new (and better) ones.
Only the oscilloscopes are still working. 
The part on the right looks fake to me. According to the datasheet, genuine Toshiba's 2SC2240 don't have bended leads.
you had me going there DP... no 2sa970? these PNPs are lower noise, use em' for diff amps
Ask Toshiba about... buying from Ebay, I can hear them now.
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The part on the right looks fake to me. According to the datasheet, genuine Toshiba's 2SC2240 don't have bended leads.
Good point!
Late in the evening after a hard day I'm a bit slow sometimes.
Good idea to contact Toshiba. I will do so (and don't tell them the left one is from ebay
).I've seen the GR grade at Mouser and had better bought some. I was too fixed on the BL grade.
I forgot to reply about Electronics-salon. Wrong m8! This is the only seller I would recommend on ebay regarding genuine transistors. I've bought a bunch of transistors from him and they never failed. Look at these images bellow. I took these pictures today.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I think this picture tells a thousand words.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Breakdown voltage measurements aren't really accurate cuz the current is only 1mA, otherwise device would be destroyed. Anyway it's not far away from the real thing.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
...and measuring the hfe gain shows that it's in the range of 80-160 according to Toshiba datasheet. Current 2A.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
That's all folks and oh... knatta, you owe me $6 USD for destroying my two transistors.
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So I judged the Chinese guy wrong.
Sorry. Thanks for the images and the info about electronics-salon.
Then it's RS who sell fakes.
Toshiba will be amused to find out.
The part on the right looks fake to me. According to the datasheet, genuine Toshiba's 2SC2240 don't have bended leads.
You can't judge it by the bended leads.
I have numerious Toshiba TO-92 JFETs that are obtained directly from authorised distributor in whole reel/boxs.
The tape and reel type always has bended lead, and the bulk pack always has straight lead.
The datasheet simply does not tell the full story.
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Check also pictures here: Counterfeit Transistors This is the only counterfeit/fake transistor webpage I know, from Elliot Sound Products
Makes sense.
With a poor datasheet that does not describe the part correctly the situation is more complicated.
I'm used to bad datasheets. Always be careful with datasheets. They might contain errors or lack (or hide) information. Schematics might be wrong and formulas, too. Minors errors are often and can be spottet by common sense but there are also really bad ones. Why shouldn't it lack packaging info?
the 2240bl/970bl from RS are made by Magnatec. They might appear different
But they are not fakes but autorised copies.
The power 126 units with the lettering H SD are from the Chinese faktory
HI SINCERITY. Not fakes but their best efford to produce some obsolete Japanese transistors, and they are working in the open.
It would be nice though if somebody have tried the products and want to share their experience here
But they are not fakes but autorised copies.
The power 126 units with the lettering H SD are from the Chinese faktory
HI SINCERITY. Not fakes but their best efford to produce some obsolete Japanese transistors, and they are working in the open.
It would be nice though if somebody have tried the products and want to share their experience here
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