I just raised this question on another thread, concerning high quality electrolytic capacitors. But I think it should concern other parts.
China has a bad name for having made fake parts for many years, both passive and active ones.
The only Chinese brands I have seen being offered were electrolytic capacitors, and some really dirty practices were used by many, but mostly on parts using a false name and being really fake. Like putting a small capacitor inside a larger case, which can be considered criminal because of the dangers implied.
But what about those with new, unknown brand names, trying to sell a legitimate product, good quality ones?
Let's talk about passive parts first: resistors, capacitors and inductors. What we diyers should forget is that any of those potential or existing manufacturers will setup a production of old, non-SMD parts, which will demand a serious learning on how to solder SMD parts from old-timers like me. We are too small a market to attend to.
So we are left with at least someone making the bigger size types, which now I think it is 805, am I right? Can you find a discrete type resistor or capacitor or diodes that is larger than that?
And then we get to active parts. China seems concentrated on the digital application, computers and communications and similar. Nothing mentioned on linear devices, like discrete transistors (particularly FETs) or advanced linear opamps that can be used for audio analog stages. Am I wrong? Is there any Chinese brand interested in that market, if there is any?
Until quite recently the concern was about regular side linear parts becoming SMD types, now it seems the concern is out very existence as DIYers. Do we have a future?
Will the fake market become legit and make active parts that up to the ones we are buying from Mouser or Digi-Key? They already warn that some parts can't be exported and their very high prices are also a concern for us. We find many active parts being offered on AE which we do not know the origin of, are they legit or fakes? Are there exceptions? Will there ever be?
What are our options for those living outside the USA?
China has a bad name for having made fake parts for many years, both passive and active ones.
The only Chinese brands I have seen being offered were electrolytic capacitors, and some really dirty practices were used by many, but mostly on parts using a false name and being really fake. Like putting a small capacitor inside a larger case, which can be considered criminal because of the dangers implied.
But what about those with new, unknown brand names, trying to sell a legitimate product, good quality ones?
Let's talk about passive parts first: resistors, capacitors and inductors. What we diyers should forget is that any of those potential or existing manufacturers will setup a production of old, non-SMD parts, which will demand a serious learning on how to solder SMD parts from old-timers like me. We are too small a market to attend to.
So we are left with at least someone making the bigger size types, which now I think it is 805, am I right? Can you find a discrete type resistor or capacitor or diodes that is larger than that?
And then we get to active parts. China seems concentrated on the digital application, computers and communications and similar. Nothing mentioned on linear devices, like discrete transistors (particularly FETs) or advanced linear opamps that can be used for audio analog stages. Am I wrong? Is there any Chinese brand interested in that market, if there is any?
Until quite recently the concern was about regular side linear parts becoming SMD types, now it seems the concern is out very existence as DIYers. Do we have a future?
Will the fake market become legit and make active parts that up to the ones we are buying from Mouser or Digi-Key? They already warn that some parts can't be exported and their very high prices are also a concern for us. We find many active parts being offered on AE which we do not know the origin of, are they legit or fakes? Are there exceptions? Will there ever be?
What are our options for those living outside the USA?
Chinese Samwha capacitors are considered good here (India) amongst DIYers. Local brand Keltron is also good here.
Dont know about quality transistors from china. High fT output transistor manufacturing is advanced process isnt it ?
Dont know about quality transistors from china. High fT output transistor manufacturing is advanced process isnt it ?
Samhwa is short lived.
Stick to Keltron, Japanese, Vishay, Sprague etc.
China will do volume work, analog output devices are getting rare in production, unless they have another use. They are not interested in small quantities.
Mospec, CRC-Micro, and some others make more units than ST and On Semi, but will not sell in retail, so you need to find a dealer in your area.
Or simply buy Japanese parts, not much different in price here in India.
We have CDIL and BEL for local source in India.
And in any case, how many amps will you make?
50? That is like 200 transistors...at most $300 in India for matched pairs.
Not a big quantity to interest a major maker.
Stick to Keltron, Japanese, Vishay, Sprague etc.
China will do volume work, analog output devices are getting rare in production, unless they have another use. They are not interested in small quantities.
Mospec, CRC-Micro, and some others make more units than ST and On Semi, but will not sell in retail, so you need to find a dealer in your area.
Or simply buy Japanese parts, not much different in price here in India.
We have CDIL and BEL for local source in India.
And in any case, how many amps will you make?
50? That is like 200 transistors...at most $300 in India for matched pairs.
Not a big quantity to interest a major maker.
Hi! I'm from Brazil and I understand your frustration.
Buying from Mouser, Digikey, Farnell etc is indeed too expensive due to the freight and taxes.
I don't know any other authorized retailer from where we can safely buy original components in small quantities at a reasonable price.
About some options, I can comment about operational amplifiers, specially the TL06xx, TL07xx and TL08xx.
In 2022, I needed some of these opamps and bought some units from known local online stores (Soldafria, Proesi, BauEletronica, Multcomercial etc).
I received the components with a fake Texas logo. After testing them, they were horrible, worst than a 741 and strong crossover distortion with load.
Then I tried another online store - Same thing.
I repeated that trying about 4 other store, ALL were fake - almost 40 pieces totally unusable (TL071, 072, 074, 084, 061 etc) went to trash.
I was about to give up when I tried some op amps from Eletrodex marked as being from UTC - Taiwanese company.
I ordered some units to try.
For my surprise, the op amps were identical to the original Texas TL line regarding the parameters that affected me (audio pre-amplifiers, EQ, buffers etc).
Parameters I've tested: input impedance, slew rate, output current and distortion with load.
So if you need these opamps in Brazil, UTC may be a good option and you will find them in Eletrodex.
I bought additional units for my future DIY projects. Who knows if it will continue to be sold.
Other components such as capacitors, audio IC's, transistors etc are just a gamble.
You never know what you are going to get.
The discrete transistors and opamps I'm interested in are much more sophisticated and recent than those from Texas.
You are confused, if you want recent developed parts from China.
They tend to make slightly older parts with big volumes in sales.
Maybe Class D, which I am not interested, no idea what they are doing.
Be more specific, it is not clear as to your application, and desired quantities.
They tend to make slightly older parts with big volumes in sales.
Maybe Class D, which I am not interested, no idea what they are doing.
Be more specific, it is not clear as to your application, and desired quantities.
So there's a Chinese electronics brand manufacturer, like Analog Devices or Texas in China?
My desired quantities are minimal, for specific projects. Audio projects.
And I am not confused, I might be misled or wrong. Just that. And willing to learn what electronics parts I can buy in China, in minimal quantities, that are similar to those made in the West.
Maybe that's not a market China is interested in.
Are there any DIYers in China? Where do they buy good parts from, not just fakes?
My desired quantities are minimal, for specific projects. Audio projects.
And I am not confused, I might be misled or wrong. Just that. And willing to learn what electronics parts I can buy in China, in minimal quantities, that are similar to those made in the West.
Maybe that's not a market China is interested in.
Are there any DIYers in China? Where do they buy good parts from, not just fakes?
After producing absolute garbage Lelon seems to produce good electrolytic caps now.
At least I don’t replace them rücksichtslos anymore 🙂
A point with Chinese and today also western brands is that longevity often does not seem to be a key parameter anymore. Except when it is for automobile, space, aircraft and medical use.
At least I don’t replace them rücksichtslos anymore 🙂
A point with Chinese and today also western brands is that longevity often does not seem to be a key parameter anymore. Except when it is for automobile, space, aircraft and medical use.
A LOT of OnSemi and even Toshiba parts are made in CHINA these days.
And we pay tariffs on them at Mouser.
And we pay tariffs on them at Mouser.
I don’t, must be the country you live in 🙂
Today I received Kta1381/ktc3503 from profusion in UK. Canada post did not even ask for taxes upon import, even though value in USD was clearly marked on the package, lucky day or the ladies at the post office like me -🙂
Today I received Kta1381/ktc3503 from profusion in UK. Canada post did not even ask for taxes upon import, even though value in USD was clearly marked on the package, lucky day or the ladies at the post office like me -🙂
It’s inconsistent anyway. For a while, whether or not they slap the tax on a line item was a good indicator of where it came from (when they were singling out Chinese semiconductor imports) but now the waters are muddied.
If the 1381/3503 are the new UTC offering, they are Taiwan. Which may or may not be treated differently. They have traditionally been high quality, and most of us are waiting to hear field reports on the new (replacement) 1381. Not me so much, as I did a lifetime buy of Fairchild units years ago in anticipation of TO-126 completely going away. It was at the same time ON announced EOL on the C3902, which was my go-to 120-140V TO126 driver/predriver dating back from when MCM carried the original Sanyo. They still sell the same die in a damn SMD. Probably in a China fab these days, too.
But I am curious as to how well UTC did with the C3503. It will be an indicator of things to come - especially as the linear audio market continues to shrink and ON drops more stuff.
If the 1381/3503 are the new UTC offering, they are Taiwan. Which may or may not be treated differently. They have traditionally been high quality, and most of us are waiting to hear field reports on the new (replacement) 1381. Not me so much, as I did a lifetime buy of Fairchild units years ago in anticipation of TO-126 completely going away. It was at the same time ON announced EOL on the C3902, which was my go-to 120-140V TO126 driver/predriver dating back from when MCM carried the original Sanyo. They still sell the same die in a damn SMD. Probably in a China fab these days, too.
But I am curious as to how well UTC did with the C3503. It will be an indicator of things to come - especially as the linear audio market continues to shrink and ON drops more stuff.
The parts I received from profusion UK are manufactured by KEC, (KECcorp.com) coo identified as Korea. I’ll find out in a few days how they compare to the onsemi versions in one of my designs and report back. I know of a few that say they tried them and they work fine.
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I guess KEC is making them too now. I have some of their TO-220 Sanken clones but haven’t had a chance to do anything but look at beta, capacitance and consistency. They seem normal. The real test would be using them as drivers in a completed amplifier. That may be a ways off yet - the lab is still shut down.
Samwha is a Korean capacitor company.
It seems to have a subsidiary in China, so it probably has a factory in China as well.
Leshan Radio - LRC Here: https://en.lrc.cn/
Foshan Blue Rocket Electronics: http://www.fsbrec.com/Eng/
Jiangsu Changjing Electronics Technology Co AKA JSCJ: https://en.jscj-elec.com/
Walsin: https://www.passivecomponent.com/
These are 4 I can recommend from direct experience. Note that the lion share of components from the above suppliers will be SMD. (I keep forgetting that many hobbyists are not enthusiastic about SMDs)
There are a number of others I can recommend, but need to dig through my archives, and that's not happening while I am on my all too brief holiday.
My DIY projects are all SMD based with a small mix of through hole parts - mostly electrolytic or film capacitors, and power devices. I have been doing this for > 10 years now and am in my late 60's - if I can manage it I think almost anyone can.
I use 0603, 0805, 1206, 1210, 2512 resistors, some additional intermediate sizes in capacitors. I use SOT-323, SOT-23, SOT-223, TO-252. etc. SOIC and TSSOP packages. Diodes 1206, SMA, SMB and some weird ones I don't remember. Pots, connectors, and LEDs are generally TH.
Foshan Blue Rocket Electronics: http://www.fsbrec.com/Eng/
Jiangsu Changjing Electronics Technology Co AKA JSCJ: https://en.jscj-elec.com/
Walsin: https://www.passivecomponent.com/
These are 4 I can recommend from direct experience. Note that the lion share of components from the above suppliers will be SMD. (I keep forgetting that many hobbyists are not enthusiastic about SMDs)
There are a number of others I can recommend, but need to dig through my archives, and that's not happening while I am on my all too brief holiday.
My DIY projects are all SMD based with a small mix of through hole parts - mostly electrolytic or film capacitors, and power devices. I have been doing this for > 10 years now and am in my late 60's - if I can manage it I think almost anyone can.
I use 0603, 0805, 1206, 1210, 2512 resistors, some additional intermediate sizes in capacitors. I use SOT-323, SOT-23, SOT-223, TO-252. etc. SOIC and TSSOP packages. Diodes 1206, SMA, SMB and some weird ones I don't remember. Pots, connectors, and LEDs are generally TH.
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A few years ago i bought some MTM50N05E in China, which are unavailable in the West.
I got semiconductors with smaller cases than the original Motorola ones, and the prices were not cheap.
I have never used them and i don't think i will.
I knew they were fakes, but not that bad.
It was a stupid purchase.
I got semiconductors with smaller cases than the original Motorola ones, and the prices were not cheap.
I have never used them and i don't think i will.
I knew they were fakes, but not that bad.
It was a stupid purchase.
Samhwa took over the capacitor business of Samsung, and are a Korean company, with factories abroad.
They were already making capacitors when Samsung decided to stop making them, and sold the their equipment etc. to Samhwa.
They are only slightly better than cheap Chinese brands.
I had a TVS Proton printer go random, would stop printing and reset.
Opened it, found two Keltron and one normal looking Samhwa, which was replaced with a Keltron 470uF, that restored normal function.
This happened after 15 years or so, can be random failure.
In my opinion, the project cost is not much affected by using good caps, and bad caps can play hell in a new circuit, testing may not be possible.
Put good parts, for peace of mind.
They were already making capacitors when Samsung decided to stop making them, and sold the their equipment etc. to Samhwa.
They are only slightly better than cheap Chinese brands.
I had a TVS Proton printer go random, would stop printing and reset.
Opened it, found two Keltron and one normal looking Samhwa, which was replaced with a Keltron 470uF, that restored normal function.
This happened after 15 years or so, can be random failure.
In my opinion, the project cost is not much affected by using good caps, and bad caps can play hell in a new circuit, testing may not be possible.
Put good parts, for peace of mind.