Finally Got One Lot of 2N4401s from Ebay

[Watson A.Name \Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\]

I won the bid on these before xmas, but the address he shipped them to
was bad, so we finally got that straightened out. So it took only a
month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what
the count was, so I counted them, came to 186. So I can't complain.

They're labeled (view with courier font)
--------
-----| (2) 2N |
leads -----| 4401 |
-----| |
--------

where the (2) is the number 2 inside a circle. I checked the transistor
logos at two different websites, and I couldn't find it. I thought
maybe someone might have a clue as to who the maker is. He said they're
new old stock, but how old? Here's the auction URL
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2581180711

I tested a few dozen using an el cheapo DMM, almost all were between 120
and 300 beta, found a couple that were below 100. As I expected, and
nothing out of the ordinary for these transistors. The Rohm 2N4403s
that y'all[1] helped me ID a few weeks ago all had betas down in the low
to mid 100s, like they had been picked over and the high ones had been
taken out.

Any ideas about the logo? Thanks.

[1] Hey, I'm from the south: Southern California!

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
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goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
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Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I won the bid on these before xmas, but the address he shipped them to
was bad, so we finally got that straightened out. So it took only a
month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what
the count was, so I counted them, came to 186. So I can't complain.

They're labeled (view with courier font)
--------
-----| (2) 2N |
leads -----| 4401 |
-----| |
--------

where the (2) is the number 2 inside a circle. I checked the transistor
logos at two different websites, and I couldn't find it. I thought
maybe someone might have a clue as to who the maker is. He said they're
new old stock, but how old? Here's the auction URL
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2581180711

I tested a few dozen using an el cheapo DMM, almost all were between 120
and 300 beta, found a couple that were below 100. As I expected, and
nothing out of the ordinary for these transistors. The Rohm 2N4403s
that y'all[1] helped me ID a few weeks ago all had betas down in the low
to mid 100s, like they had been picked over and the high ones had been
taken out.

Any ideas about the logo? Thanks.

[1] Hey, I'm from the south: Southern California!

Sprague marked a lot of their parts like that.
--
We now return you to our normally scheduled programming.

Take a look at this little cutie! ;-)
http://home.earthlink.net/~mike.terrell/photos.html

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Paul Burridge]

I won the bid on these before xmas, but the address he shipped them to
was bad, so we finally got that straightened out. So it took only a
month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what
the count was, so I counted them, came to 186. So I can't complain.

What frequency are they good up to?

 

[Watson A.Name \Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\]

What frequency are they good up to?

Well, 2N4401s are supposed to be good up to a couple hundred MHz,
depending on current. If you want to know what these particular
transistors will do, well, I haven't tried to use them in anything yet,
not even audio. They _are_ each marked 2N4401, so they _should_be_
2N4401s. I've seen some other guy on ebay selling 2N4401s that are in a
bag marked 2N4401, but every transistor is not marked or marked with a
house number, so I wouldn't trust them at all.


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
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[Terry Pinnell]

"Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\""

I thought
maybe someone might have a clue as to who the maker is. He said they're
new old stock, but how old?

I think Motorola made these a long time back, but I reckon they're
long since obsolete.

 

[Paul Burridge]

Well, 2N4401s are supposed to be good up to a couple hundred MHz,
depending on current. If you want to know what these particular
transistors will do, well, I haven't tried to use them in anything yet,
not even audio. They _are_ each marked 2N4401, so they _should_be_
2N4401s. I've seen some other guy on ebay selling 2N4401s that are in a
bag marked 2N4401, but every transistor is not marked or marked with a
house number, so I wouldn't trust them at all.

I wonder if anyone in the far east has come up with the scam of taking
the cheapest and nastiest T05s, scuffing off the designation and
re-marking them with the type number for the highest spec device?
I'm sure the economics would stack up, given the rates of pay some of
those people are happy to work for. ;-)

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

I won the bid on these before xmas, but the address he shipped them to
was bad, so we finally got that straightened out. So it took only a
month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what
the count was, so I counted them, came to 186. So I can't complain.

They're labeled (view with courier font)
--------
-----| (2) 2N |
leads -----| 4401 |
-----| |
--------

where the (2) is the number 2 inside a circle. I checked the transistor
logos at two different websites, and I couldn't find it. I thought
maybe someone might have a clue as to who the maker is. He said they're
new old stock, but how old? Here's the auction URL
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2581180711

I tested a few dozen using an el cheapo DMM, almost all were between 120
and 300 beta, found a couple that were below 100. As I expected, and
nothing out of the ordinary for these transistors. The Rohm 2N4403s
that y'all[1] helped me ID a few weeks ago all had betas down in the low
to mid 100s, like they had been picked over and the high ones had been
taken out.

Any ideas about the logo? Thanks.

[1] Hey, I'm from the south: Southern California!

Sprague marked a lot of their parts like that.

I noticed the Sprague logo at at least one website, and it's
essentially their name in a box. I've also noticed that a lot of the
logos are what one would see on the box or package but not on the
device. Like the Rohm logo is the full name spelled out, but on the
transistor itself all you see is just the stylized R. Same for
Toshiba, all you see is the T.

Thanks.
--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Watson A.Name \Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\]

I think Motorola made these a long time back, but I reckon they're
long since obsolete.

AFAIK, Motorola, which is now On Semi, still makes 'em.

http://www.onsemi.com/site/products/summary/0,4450,2N4401,00.html

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
F
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[Watson A.Name \Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\]

I wonder if anyone in the far east has come up with the scam of
taking the cheapest and nastiest T05s, scuffing off the designation
and re-marking them with the type number for the highest spec device?
I'm sure the economics would stack up, given the rates of pay some
of those people are happy to work for. ;-)

Well, have you ever noticed that NTE, the highest priced semi seller,
does exactly that. I go to Fry's to check out on occasion the NTE
display, and I notice that some of them have had the original markings
buffed off and the NTE number then stamped on. A good example that I
remember was the NTE2363.

Anyone remember the Workman 99 Power?

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
F
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[Michael A. Terrell]

Watson, did you see the Sprague image I posted on ABSE?

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

Watson, did you see the Sprague image I posted on ABSE?

I just checked and saw a couple other things, but nothing from you.



--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[none]

I won the bid on these before xmas, but the address he shipped them to
was bad, so we finally got that straightened out. So it took only a
month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what
the count was, so I counted them, came to 186.

You have way too much time on your hands. Maybe you need a girl friend?

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

You have way too much time on your hands. Maybe you need a girl friend?

Yeah, people have tole me that. The only woman who wants anything to
do with me is 91(!)


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Lewin A.R.W. Edwards]

month. He sells one 'lot' of transistors, thus I didn't know what

You have way too much time on your hands. Maybe you need a girl friend?

You need to revise your ideas of what women find exciting. My wife
gets all hot and bothered when I talk geek

Perhaps the OP is constructing a sequined leather fetish outfit with
transistors instead of the more usual metal studs. The leads of the
transistors poking through would provide additional titillation.

 

[Pooh Bear]

"Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\""


I think Motorola made these a long time back, but I reckon they're
long since obsolete.

Motorola did indeed but Motorola doesn't make discretes anymore. They
offloaded that side of the business ( along with commodity ICs ) to On
Semiconductor.

2N4401s and indeed 2N4403s are still widely available.

http://www.onsemi.com/site/products/summary/0,4450,2N4401,00.html

http://www.onsemi.com/site/products/summary/0,4450,2N4403,00.html

Fairchild make them too. I'm sure they aren't alone. You can't kill a good
device.

250MHz Ft for someone who asked.


Graham

 

[Robert C Monsen]

"Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\""
The first datasheet in the back of AoE 2nd edition is the 2N4401...

Fairchild still makes them, I think:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/2N/2N4401.pdf

Regards,
Bob Monsen

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

You need to revise your ideas of what women find exciting. My wife
gets all hot and bothered when I talk geek

Perhaps the OP is constructing a sequined leather fetish outfit with
transistors instead of the more usual metal studs. The leads of the
transistors poking through would provide additional titillation.

Sssssss! OWWWW!


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

The first datasheet in the back of AoE 2nd edition is the 2N4401...

Fairchild still makes them, I think:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/2N/2N4401.pdf

*Everyone* makes 2N4401s and 2N4403s - they're as common as dog doo-
doo! They're probably the second most common transistor, after the
2N3904 and 2N3906. Some of the ones I got say

T 2N
4401

Which I think are Toshiba! Philips makes them, etc., etc., etc....

Regards,
Bob Monsen

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Mark Zenier]

*Everyone* makes 2N4401s and 2N4403s - they're as common as dog doo-
doo! They're probably the second most common transistor, after the
2N3904 and 2N3906. Some of the ones I got say

T 2N
4401

Which I think are Toshiba! Philips makes them, etc., etc., etc....

As I understand Central Semi's web site, there are some specialist
companies that make commodity discretes and then they're OEMed to some
of the big name companies.

Mark Zenier [email protected] Washington State resident

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

As I understand Central Semi's web site, there are some specialist
companies that make commodity discretes and then they're OEMed to some
of the big name companies.

Yeah. But what'e the actual lineage of the chip? In other words, did
the commodity discrete maker make the chips or did they buy dice from
a big name company and send them overseas to be assembled and tested.
Another Q - is the commodity discrete company buying their dice from
one big name company and selling the final product to another?

Like I notice that the Philips TO-92 transistors are not the same
shape and size as the usual TO-92s from other mfrs. And electrically
I see differences between the same transistor type from different
manufacturers. Presumably, most of the transistors are assembled in
low labor cost countries, and there aren't that many different plants
that do that work.

Ferinstance I know that IBM used to buy 5.25 inch FDDs built to their
specs from a local company called Tandon, and a guy I knew would go to
that company and buy the parts and assemble the same drives himself
and sell them at a profit. But that was back when 5.25" drives were
several hundred dollars each.

Mark Zenier [email protected] Washington State resident

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@