Does anyone know do they make zeners in a TO220 package? Trying to replace some 5W zeners that are running hot enough to brown the board below. All I can find is up to 5W in a normal through hole package and then they start going to some type of stud design. How about any type of heatsink for the standard package.
In general, it is better not to dissipate power in semiconductor devices. Either design the circuit to avoid dissipation, or dissipate it in a suitable device, ie. a power resistor.
TV sets of the 60's 70's dissipated huge amounts of power, mainly in resistors and also tubes, which tend to be pretty inefficient. This has changed, fortunately.
If you really opt for that path, you can use bolt-type, DO-5 zeners, I know they are available, I cannot cite an example for now, but a better solution is a) redesign, b) use an amplified zener: a low-power zener + a transistor and a resistor.
The transistor can be TO220 or anything else, and the performances will be greatly improved compared to a true zener or avalanche diode
TV sets of the 60's 70's dissipated huge amounts of power, mainly in resistors and also tubes, which tend to be pretty inefficient. This has changed, fortunately.
If you really opt for that path, you can use bolt-type, DO-5 zeners, I know they are available, I cannot cite an example for now, but a better solution is a) redesign, b) use an amplified zener: a low-power zener + a transistor and a resistor.
The transistor can be TO220 or anything else, and the performances will be greatly improved compared to a true zener or avalanche diode
Forty-Two Dollars? Man, supply chain collapse sucks.
The 1967 BSA 250cc motocycle just put a huge Zener across the dynamo as a "regulator". It was stronger than the dynamo, also stronger than the wiring. Once the connection went bad, the Zener did nothing, 19++ Volts on 12V lighting blew every bulb on the bike.
If you can get small Zeners and good heat-tab power transistors affordably you can do the amplified Zener. Again, Google is filling-up with crap, so I have to invent artwork.
Agree. Also you can use TO220 PNP with the advantage that you can attach to a grouded heat sink whitout isolation