Your favourite Transistor, Mine the 2N2926G

[Coastwatch]

How I wish I hadn't found this forum, now I'm neglecting everything to try and catch up with the threads.

Anyway this has also started me reminiscing on my past electronic history and the change over I made from valves to transistors and then from Germanium to Silicon and I have to say that of all the transistors I have used (and abused) my favourite was the 2N2926G as it was the first Silicon NPN transistor I use.

As a teenager this transistor seemed to do everything I wanted it to do, Guitar sound effects, TRF radio, and with a BFY52 my first fm transmitter, got my Dad to drive around with his B&O Beolit 700 to check the range (a patchy 1 mile) Ah! happy memories.

So I wonder what is your favourite Transistor and why.

Cheers n Beers,

David.......

[Martin G7MRV]

The BC108, the J310, and the 2N3055H, in that order

BC108 'cos its a GP beast that will do most things, although these days i use the less 'transistory' looking BC548. The J310 - pressed into RF service everywhere i go, and the 3055, because, well, 'cos its a beast that can take the heat!

Never really thought about favorite devices. Im a child of the years when 555's and 741's were everywhere, although if we talk ICs them favorite is definately the NE602

[Andrew2]

Indeed, the 2n2926 was the device of choice when we were teenagers messing about making amplifiers, oscs etc. BC109 also. These days I've got a huge reel of BC548's which will probably last me 'til I croak!
Back in the late 60's, we'd get the bus into Manchester and pick up ex-computer boards containg rows of ASZ21's, PNP Germaniums good to 300 MHz and make portable 'telly-jammers' with them. Great fun standing outside the TV shops watching the tellies swirling and rolling.
And the NE602 mixer - it makes me wonder what I did before they came along!

[electroanorak]

Mine.....

The good old BC182 and BC212. And of course the great and reverend 2N3055. I now use the 2N4401 and 2N4403's now and the BS107, 2N7000 and BUZ11 MOSFETS more.

Fav IC's.

PIC,s and still the 4000 CMOS logic and 74C logic series.

[Skywave]

If I'm designing or repairing something and I want low-power, general-purpose devices, I instinctively reach for BC109 (possibly BC107) and BCY71. If I need medium power, BFY52 and BFX29. After that, 2N3055 (easy when you have a box of them!).
For low-power RF applications, BFY90; occasionally, 2N2369A.
2N3819, 2N3823/4 when FETs are required.

Otherwise, it's look up the spec. (Towers and / or the 'Net) and choose accordingly, which is certainly helped when you have a large range to choose from. The biggest problem is finding medium-power PNP silicon with high Vce.

Al. / Skywave.

[McMurdo]

BC107 is my favourite all-purpose project transistor, base in the middle, emitter by the tab and collector the other one.

[murphyv310]

BC107-9 great little transistor, BD131/132 are very useful too with a reasonable ft. 2N3055 of course and 2N3819's
Mind you I have enough BC547 & BC548 to last for years.

[davegsm82]

BC108 Is possibly the thing which first got me into electronics.

For higher power, it was then the BFY50-51, 2N3055/TIP3055 progressively.

Just recently i've made up a plastic divider box with different types and their basic credentials written on the lid. Current favourites (all TO-92 types)

BC182 (NPN) - 50v - 0.1A
BC556 (PNP) - 65v - 0.1A

2N6517 (NPN) - 350V - 0.5A (for high voltage switching)
2SD965 (NPN) - 22V - 5.0A (for high current switching)

BC337 (NPN) - 50V - 0.8A
BC237 (PNP) - 50V - 0.8A (Both good all rounders).

The 2SD965 is an excellent choice for battery driven transformer/inductive converter circuits, it switches well and can carry huge currents for its size.

Almost out of 548's

Favourite valve was the first I ever bought, an ECC83, bought from maplin about 16 years ago, that thing did some work!

Dave.

[Lucien Nunes]

ZTX653 (NPN) & 753 (PNP) are two of my favourite toolbox transistors.
Ic max 2A, Vceo 100V, typical hFE >150 @ 10 - 800 mA and >200 @ 500mA, fT 175 MHz, Ptot 1W without heatsink or 2W with Tc=60 deg.
All in the dinky E-line package less than 0.1" thick that will pack tightly on stripboard and slot into places a TO92 package won't. Not the cheapest small transistor by a long shot, perhaps a bit old hat now, but a good allrounder that has often come to the rescue.

Lucien

[Steve_P]

Mine are the AF11x series, because if you see them then 9 times out of 10 you've found the fault....

Cheers,

Steve P.

[robjkmannering]

Mine are the AF11x series, because if you see them then 9 times out of 10 you've found the fault....

Could not agree more Steve.

Think my first transistors were BFY51 because they were used in a book of projects and I liked the larger metal TO18? shape.
Must addmit to have a strange obsession for OA81 diodes at the age of 7 which Dad had to order through RS for me till I discovered Maplin.

Regards,
Rob

[ppppenguin]

Many years ago I used to think that metal cased transistors were always better than the cheap and nasty plastic ones. BC548 and BC558 are now my first choice unless I need something bigger or faster.

[peter_scott]

I used to like 2N5179, Ft ~1G for VHF stuff and 2N3904, Hfe ~200 for general LF stuff.

Peter

[Skywave]

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

Many years ago I used to think that metal-cased transistors were always better than the cheap and nasty plastic ones.

Ditto. But, maybe, when the 'cheap and nasty plastic ones' first came along, the then metal-cased ones were superior: I'm not sure.

Al.

[jim_jobe]

OC71 RULES!! OK!
Jim

[Coastwatch]

Originally Posted by jim_jobe

OC71 RULES!! OK!
Jim

BlueTac em' to the spin drier, top to the drum, & spin for 10 mins then scrape off the paint........

Presto a OCP 71

Don't ya just love em'

In the interest of impartiality I should point out that this works with other similar transistors

[rmslt56]

The MOD only bought metal encapsulated ones,Plastic ones were thought not to be water tight.
I have some OC71 clear glass and unmarked but full spec.
Pm if you would like one for the cost a large stamp.
Doug

[kalee20]

BC107 / BC109 - metal can NPN's (and PNP complements). But these days it's more likely to be BC547 / 9 as the metal can types are getting expensive,

ZTX450 (and now ZTX650 / ZTX850) - astonishing current capability NPN's in E-line package (and their complements).

TIP31 series - TO220 medium power GP transistors (and their complements).

BD131 - really low saturation / pretty fast switching in TO126 package (and their complements).

ZTX600 - low current Darlington.

TIP112 - medium current Darlington.

2N3819 N-channel FET (and complement 2N3820). These are pretty symmetrical.

Unlike most folks above, I don't reach for a 2N3055 when needing a fair bit of power. TO3 isn't a nice package to mount!

But now I'm off to start a 'Favourite Valve' thread.

[Skywave]

Originally Posted by kalee20

. . . .
But now I'm off to start a 'Favourite Valve' thread.

Ah! I was just going to do that - before 'domestic issues' got in the way!
Pipped at the Post again!
Never mind - see you there . . . .

Al.

[jim_jobe]

Originally Posted by Coastwatch

BlueTac em' to the spin drier, top to the drum, & spin for 10 mins then scrape off the paint........

Presto a OCP 71

Don't ya just love em'

In the interest of impartiality I should point out that this works with other similar transistors

I bought 100 unmarked OC71s for £1 about 30 years ago and they all had the clear filling so made great OCP71s with the paint scraped off. I still have a few if anyone wants a couple,
Jim