Reply by RST Engineering - JIm●October 31, 20092009-10-31
Isn't Oliver Germanium still around?
Jim
"Fred" <frederick.brown@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:0a31b4f9-c50d-4d0c-95c6-68cc63498b19@b18g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
> Does anybody know of any germanium transistor for audio use that are
> in current production?
>
> Also are the NTE102 and NTE103 or any other NTE offerings any good for
> audio, fuzz boxes etc?
Reply by ChrisQ●October 31, 20092009-10-31
Don Lancaster wrote:
> ChrisQ wrote:
>> Robert Baer wrote:
>>
>>> ..You mean that you are NOT in the market for a working CK722?
>>
>> No, but even in the uk, I recognise the part number from late 50's
>> radio-electronics mags. Sort of uk equivalents of the period were the
>> red spot for audio and white spot for rf, though neither were very
>> good compared to the mullard 0c44, 45, 71 and 72 series.
>>
>> My dad made our first transistor superhet radio in 1957 using that
>> type of transistor and my first transistor radio, if it deserves the
>> name, used a red spot transistor augmenting a crystal detector.
>>
>> How a mis-spent youth can have a lifetime's effect :-)...
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Chris
>
>
> The nice thing about the CK722 was that you did not have to worry about
> bias.
>
> IC0 took care of it for you.
>
The early uk types had similar characteristics. That first transistor
radio had the diode detector feeding into the base with no biasing and
hi Z headphones in the collector to a 4.5 volt battery.
Used to spend all available time building stuff, but there was little
else to do and nothing like the distractions that kids have to face
these days...
Regards,
Chris
Reply by ChrisQ●October 30, 20092009-10-30
nuny@bid.nes wrote:
>
> Great Ghu, another one! I was given a "line" in 1971 which had no
> noticeable effect on me, despite others claiming it was "really good
> sh*t".
>
> <rant>
>
I was a student in the 60's and it was hard work avoiding coming into
contact with various temptations. In the early 70's, I worked in pro
audio design in London, connected with music where you needed a strong
constitution to keep your head straight. Many, many got completely
burned out with the excess. Fortunately, I discovered micros in 1977
while working in the states and was earning a new living and moved out
of London within a couple of years. It's paid for lunch ever since, but
have no regrets at all about those times, just good memories...
Regards,
Chris
Reply by Fred●October 30, 20092009-10-30
On Oct 29, 11:35 pm, Damon Hill <damon1S...@comcast.netnet> wrote:
> Fred <frederick.br...@gmail.com> wrote in news:0a31b4f9-c50d-4d0c-95c6-
> 68cc63498...@b18g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Does anybody know of any germanium transistor for audio use that are
> > in current production?
>
> > Also are the NTE102 and NTE103 or any other NTE offerings any good for
> > audio, fuzz boxes etc?
>
> At one time, Germanium Power Devices Corp. was making germanium transistors
> and devices for an admittedly niche market. Us long-timers might remember
> "Oliver Germanium" in company ads. The company is apparently still in
> business, but not making transistors as such:
>
> http://www.gpd-ir.com/
>
> Mixed silicon-germanium transistors are being made, but I suspect that's
> not what you're looking for.
>
> --Damon
I'll have to look into that further. Supposedly that's the new tech,
mixing a little germanium in with the silicon. They could be just the
thing.
I read about GPD when looking to sources. :)
Even if the NTE102As work with audio, there still reamins the matching
issure. I guess I'll have to look into that further too.
Reply by Don Lancaster●October 30, 20092009-10-30
ChrisQ wrote:
> Robert Baer wrote:
>
>> ..You mean that you are NOT in the market for a working CK722?
>
> No, but even in the uk, I recognise the part number from late 50's
> radio-electronics mags. Sort of uk equivalents of the period were the
> red spot for audio and white spot for rf, though neither were very good
> compared to the mullard 0c44, 45, 71 and 72 series.
>
> My dad made our first transistor superhet radio in 1957 using that type
> of transistor and my first transistor radio, if it deserves the name,
> used a red spot transistor augmenting a crystal detector.
>
> How a mis-spent youth can have a lifetime's effect :-)...
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
The nice thing about the CK722 was that you did not have to worry about
bias.
IC0 took care of it for you.
--
Many thanks,
Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss: http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: don@tinaja.com
Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Reply by nuny...@bid.nes●October 30, 20092009-10-30
On Oct 29, 8:36=A0am, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-I...@My-
Web-Site.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:59:40 +0000, ChrisQ <m...@devnull.com> wrote:
> >Jim Thompson wrote:
>
> >> Sno-o-o-o-ort ;-)
>
> >You should really go easy on the recreational substances Jim. They may
> >provide a short term buzz, but the long term side effects are
> >irreversible :-)...
>
> >Regards,
>
> >Chris
>
> Naaaah! =A0I'm just old and prone to snoring due to recurrent sinus
> problems... when I laugh I make such a sound ;-)
>
> As for "snorting", a "friend" gave me a "line" around 1980. =A0What
> useless stuff, I think you have to be an addictive personality already
> to find that stuff "uplifting" :-(
Great Ghu, another one! I was given a "line" in 1971 which had no
noticeable effect on me, despite others claiming it was "really good
sh*t".
<rant>
Afraid I almost certainly have to part ways with Jim re: "nature's
herbal muscle relaxer", marihootchie. It's infinitely less harmful
than its nearest "competitor", alcohol (which I despise); it doesn't
make me party-goofy, it calms me and lets me think more deeply than
usual. I can't wait for Cali and other states to decide they just
can't do without the pot(!)ential tax revenue and LEGALIZE IT!
</rant>
Mark L. Fergerson
Reply by ChrisQ●October 30, 20092009-10-30
Robert Baer wrote:
> ..You mean that you are NOT in the market for a working CK722?
No, but even in the uk, I recognise the part number from late 50's
radio-electronics mags. Sort of uk equivalents of the period were the
red spot for audio and white spot for rf, though neither were very good
compared to the mullard 0c44, 45, 71 and 72 series.
My dad made our first transistor superhet radio in 1957 using that type
of transistor and my first transistor radio, if it deserves the name,
used a red spot transistor augmenting a crystal detector.
How a mis-spent youth can have a lifetime's effect :-)...
Regards,
Chris
Reply by Robert Baer●October 30, 20092009-10-30
ChrisQ wrote:
> Fred wrote:
>> `Well they sound more transistiory than toobs, although they do sound
>> smoother and sweeter than silicon.
>>
>> There is a niche market for them in guitar effects. The trouble with
>> them is that you have to buy a lot to find the ones with the proper
>> gain and leakage, and at two bucks a piece and up that just
>> prohibitively costly to do with NOS.
>
> That's true, they have a softer turnon characteristic than silicon and
> are usually much lower gain overall, all of which which contributes the
> right kind of nonlinearity to the sound.
>
> Depending on the volume, you might find good stocks on Ebay if you have
> patience, but they will all be old. The ge types tended to deteriorate
> more than silicon in any case, though the mil spec ones will be better
> due to screening and process.
>
> Perhaps a Russian company ?. They were some of the last people to make
> valves in any quantity...
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
..You mean that you are NOT in the market for a working CK722?
Reply by Damon Hill●October 30, 20092009-10-30
Damon Hill <damon1SIX1@comcast.netnet> wrote in
news:Xns9CB3D183216A2damon161attbicom@127.0.0.1:
> Fred <frederick.brown@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:0a31b4f9-c50d-4d0c-95c6-
> 68cc63498b19@b18g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:
>
>> Does anybody know of any germanium transistor for audio use that are
>> in current production?
>>
>> Also are the NTE102 and NTE103 or any other NTE offerings any good
>> for audio, fuzz boxes etc?
>>
>
> At one time, Germanium Power Devices Corp. was making germanium
> transistors and devices for an admittedly niche market. Us
> long-timers might remember "Oliver Germanium" in company ads. The
> company is apparently still in business, but not making transistors as
> such:
>
> http://www.gpd-ir.com/
>
> Mixed silicon-germanium transistors are being made, but I suspect
> that's not what you're looking for.
>
> --Damon
>
Some further research about GPD reveals they were making germanium
Schottky rectifiers with even lower foward drop than silicon Schottkies.
I'd guess very low on-resistance power MOSFETs operated as syncronous
rectifiers probably beats that (but who's actually doing it?).
Try asking diyaudio.com and see what the inmates are doing with
germanium--we'll try almost anything!
--Damon