I took a 2 year break from audio to get a brain break and enjoy a few other hobbies. I have spent the last few weeks looking around the Pass forum and see not much has changed, except the semi's have tripled in price since 2020. I am not in a position to fork out $400 for a pair of Tokin SITs or Sony VFETs so I'm going to throw out an idea for those of us in the same boat.
These devices first made mainstream in the 70's, and were used in a lot of industrial applications, inductive heating, inverters, motor controls etc, anything high powered and high voltage were the targets for the mfrs at the time. The scrap yards must be full of these things, and like the two main offshore guys who seem to control the market, you know who they are, can't be the only resourceful people out there.
I'm suggesting that there are plenty of guys here retired, or otherwise who have the time to research this, find some known manufactures who used these, put together a list of applications or devices that would be loaded with SITs and let's get out there and find some cheap devices. I live in a small town but am only 4 hours away from major cities with many salvage yards.
Anybody interested or am I off my rocker? Well, I know I'm nuts but I thought I would at least throw this out there for the masses to consider.
One other thought....there must also be some modern devices suitable, maybe even readily available. I know United semi and Infineon names have been bantered about here.
My silly season is slowing down and I soon plan on spending a lot of time researching these devices. I hope to build a few amps this winter that use these devices....just ordered a quad of the Edcor xfrmrs....
So what do you think?
Cheers for now!
These devices first made mainstream in the 70's, and were used in a lot of industrial applications, inductive heating, inverters, motor controls etc, anything high powered and high voltage were the targets for the mfrs at the time. The scrap yards must be full of these things, and like the two main offshore guys who seem to control the market, you know who they are, can't be the only resourceful people out there.
I'm suggesting that there are plenty of guys here retired, or otherwise who have the time to research this, find some known manufactures who used these, put together a list of applications or devices that would be loaded with SITs and let's get out there and find some cheap devices. I live in a small town but am only 4 hours away from major cities with many salvage yards.
Anybody interested or am I off my rocker? Well, I know I'm nuts but I thought I would at least throw this out there for the masses to consider.
One other thought....there must also be some modern devices suitable, maybe even readily available. I know United semi and Infineon names have been bantered about here.
My silly season is slowing down and I soon plan on spending a lot of time researching these devices. I hope to build a few amps this winter that use these devices....just ordered a quad of the Edcor xfrmrs....
So what do you think?
Cheers for now!
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completely logical thinking
I mean - I practically grew up on local scrap yard
my buddies kept going to play ball, I was bicycle guy, visiting scrap yard at least twice per week
I mean - I practically grew up on local scrap yard
my buddies kept going to play ball, I was bicycle guy, visiting scrap yard at least twice per week
I shudder to think about the time when only SMDs are available! Advancement has brought about the NEED to use special equipment like microscopes, specialised fluxes, specialised solders, specialised soldering tools, ... For a hobbyist a soldering iron and good-reliable solder were enough, and there were NO lead poisoning incidents taking place to make this an issue even for electronics repair technicians who spent their best years working using such solders.
In my humble opinion, any technology which has proven itself to work, should be continued for customers who want to continue using it.
In my humble opinion, any technology which has proven itself to work, should be continued for customers who want to continue using it.
When I lived in Vancouver in the 80's and 90's, I was building many tube amps and our little audio group had a few favorite recycling places, before the word recycling was being used....One shop in particular always seemed to have tons of MIL surplus, xfmrs, tubes, sockets, wire, metalwork, 2 floors to choose from, a never ending selection of everything we needed to scratch build amps. Those were fun days.
That and good restaurants are about the only things I miss being in the big city, much prefer the country life now. 🙂
Cheers
I think it'll be nice if some of these parts can be salvaged from scrap equipment, giving them new life.
Some of the datasheets here show applications so that might a place to start.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/v-fet-sit-data-sheets.369005/#post-6565288
Some of the datasheets here show applications so that might a place to start.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/v-fet-sit-data-sheets.369005/#post-6565288
It's true that there are two really common requests across almost all of the builder threads:
It's a lot of work, but I must admit a reliable table of transistor alternatives would be a real boon.
- X is unavailable what would be a good alternative?
- I want to buy X but can't get it on Mouser, Digikey etc (delivery in 2122) , does anyone know of a reliable supplier
It's a lot of work, but I must admit a reliable table of transistor alternatives would be a real boon.
I seem to remember reading early on during the SIT feeding frenzy that some of the Tokin were being used in elevator applications?
No idea how to find out what manufacturers in that capacity used them or what process would be involved in salvaging them.
I have seen used working pulls being sold by one of the eBay vendors.
Edit: Weren’t Semisouth originally used or designed for use in the solar power industry?
No idea how to find out what manufacturers in that capacity used them or what process would be involved in salvaging them.
I have seen used working pulls being sold by one of the eBay vendors.
Edit: Weren’t Semisouth originally used or designed for use in the solar power industry?
Being someone who managed through his own reviews to make a 100 bucks amplifier and two 50...100 bucks cassette players sell now for 10 times more, I'll tell you that your biggest ennemy is Google.Once you post an information nobody did before you will raise the price of the equipment involved before anyone buys it for 5...50 times judging by the price of those transistors nowadays.
Take my advice if you really are smarter than me: if you know something Google doesn't , don't tell anyone online, don't write a single word until you manage to buy it!
Well, the power JFET LU1014D is available. Turned out those aliexpress were real deal, even they looked mix of some sorts.
On ebay now:
Are these real? They have 96 left at $14. each. Somebody should get them quick if they are real.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/333952198017
Two pieces here, are they real?
https://jimsaudio.com/lu1014d-n-channel-power-j-fet-2-pieces-for-se-amps-and-pass-f3/
Are these real? They have 96 left at $14. each. Somebody should get them quick if they are real.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/333952198017
Two pieces here, are they real?
https://jimsaudio.com/lu1014d-n-channel-power-j-fet-2-pieces-for-se-amps-and-pass-f3/
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What makes you think this is a good deal? I'll never consider a good deal a price for a transistor past 5 bucks, no matter what it is...I bought Hitachi trains inverters pcb for 0.2 pounds/kg from scrap metal...each of them containing about 20...high voltage high power mosfets, 10 ...15 high voltage high power diodes/3 kg..etc...bought about 400kg of cd players, cassette players and turntables this way... 5kg x 0.2 pounds of it was listed for 1000 pounds on ebay...
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If you want to build an amplifier with that unobtainable device, $14 for a NOS part seems reasonable to me.
Not everyone wants to buy truckloads of used stuff, or has the money or space.
Not everyone wants to buy truckloads of used stuff, or has the money or space.
Well..for 14 bucks I can buy 50kg of scraped industrial components worth probably around 5000 bucks in components judging by your standards..