Hello all.
I'm in the progress of building the leach superamp and have been trying to source some good quality to-3 sockets like schaffner km 340z, but they're discontinued all places I looked, ebay has some noname but to be honest they look really cheap, and I would appreciate a stable contact between transistor and socket permanent, any suggestions? I've been considering to solder wires directly, bad idea?
I'm in the progress of building the leach superamp and have been trying to source some good quality to-3 sockets like schaffner km 340z, but they're discontinued all places I looked, ebay has some noname but to be honest they look really cheap, and I would appreciate a stable contact between transistor and socket permanent, any suggestions? I've been considering to solder wires directly, bad idea?
I have dealt with these folks since the 1960's -- here's a TO3 socket used by Hafler:
Search results for: 'transistor socket'
obviously you'll have to pay VAT etc.
Search results for: 'transistor socket'
obviously you'll have to pay VAT etc.
Great.
Quality looks like the schaffner, I have orded 16, cost me 50 us all inclusive, fair enough.
Thanks jack.
Quality looks like the schaffner, I have orded 16, cost me 50 us all inclusive, fair enough.
Thanks jack.
That's what most amp manufacturers are doing for many years.
Ok You could use some type of slide connector on the transistor's pins.
I don't seem to understand how the sockets help in with thermal dissipation, since the transistor case isn't directly in contact with the heatsink.
The socket goes on the opposite side of the heat sink from the transistor.
How to mount/attach transistor to heatsink (2N3055/TO-3 package) - YouTube
How to mount/attach transistor to heatsink (2N3055/TO-3 package) - YouTube
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TO3 pins are same-as 7 and 9 pin miniature tube sockets.
I remember SWTP sending a phenolic 7-pin, telling me to break it up and use it for the TO3 B and E pins.
I don't see any use in using these transistor sockets. Quite the opposite, I'd say. Soldering directly to the pins and a collector lug completely avoids contact issues etc. In addidtion I'm scratching my head about how long the emitter contact may withstand the current sufficiently and reliably?
Best regards!
Best regards!
I see your point kay, pins shift temperature, expands and contracts, only a question of time, I might try and solder them.
As was mentioned, soldering TO3's pins remove any probability of faulty connections, and was the way manufacturers did things to insure reliability.
A good quality slide-on connector such a tube socket pin soldered on the wire and TO3 pin makes things easier if the connection ever needs to be removed for transistor replacement.
A good quality slide-on connector such a tube socket pin soldered on the wire and TO3 pin makes things easier if the connection ever needs to be removed for transistor replacement.
I suspect you have not replaced a LOT of TO3 parts.
Or Germanium, which are easy to kill.
TO3 sockets certainly have their place. Whether that place is in the 21st century is obviously open to opinion.
We never thought about emitter current. Mini tubes didn't draw even an Ampere, while TO3 transistors claimed 10A-30A (and actually worked fine past 4A). Some of this may be the excellent heat-sinking at the base of the pin. And yes we did sometimes find the wire burned-off "for no reason", but we lacked the gear to log actual time*current.