Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?

Mon Jul 2 03:25:16 EDT 2018

Lee,

very interesting. Many thanks for that valuable info! BTW is there any 
easy, cheap and quick method to test the J310, possibly without need of 
dedicated complex 'test jig'?

73,
Martin, OK1RR

Dne 2.7.2018 v 02:39 Lee STRAHAN napsal(a):
> Thanks Tony,
>     Agreed the 2N5109 will be around for a long time however as you point out they are or will be very expensive. At present I use 100's of 2N3866 transistors which are very close to the same die if not selected from the 2N5109 process. My cost in 100 quantity has gone from about $1.60 each to currently $4.00 each in about 2 years' time for 2N3866's. The 5109 is currently priced less at $2.22  where the 3866 used to be less. From all this I conclude that the 2N5109 will follow the huge price increases. I could be wrong but I will not plan on using the 5109 especially where most things are going to surface mount also. Even J-310 FETs have gone from <$.20 to $2.41 at 100 level. Worst thing is 20% of the off brand j-310s don’t meet spec. The only way to solve this is to go to surface mount where you can still get the good J-310 and other great devices. One can often use more than one SMD device in an amplifier having it cost less than one expensive leaded  device. For the hams building a single amplifier the 5109 makes a lot of sense right now. Semiconductor times are changing rapidly. I make lots of top-band antenna systems using lots of already expensive electronics. For this reason I have to do as well as I can to predict the future for my products. My observation is that leaded parts are disappearing rapidly and this will continue.
> 
> Lee    K7TJR
> Hi-Z Antennas
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: N2TK, Tony <tony.kaz at verizon.net>
> Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 2:03 PM
> 
> To: 'Lee STRAHAN' <k7tjr at msn.com>; martin at ok1rr.com; topband at contesting.com
> Subject: RE: Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?
> 
> The 2N5109 will be around for many years. It is widely used in the military and space community.  It is listed as a JAN part. But it ain't cheap.
> 73,
> N2TK, Tony
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Lee STRAHAN
> Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2018 2:15 PM
> To: martin at ok1rr.com; topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?
> 
> Hello Martin and all,
>      The 2N3553 device was plagued with a low Ft (high at its introduction)  making it mostly a low frequency device with questionable high gain high frequency use in typical ham preamps. It is no longer available through the original manufacturers. Also perhaps you are thinking of the BFQ18A and not the BFQ19A device. The BFQ19 is at end of its life cycle and in addition the 18A is widely used now in the MATV industry for wideband amplifiers. I have some experience with the 18A using it in a wideband Norton style amplifier where it is providing 10+dB of gain with a measured noise figure of 2 dB on 160 meters. Its typical IMD is at least listed at UHF on the data sheet. My IMD testing setup is not adequate to test the range of this device but I can say that it exceeds any other amplifiers I have built to date. I typically use the 2N3866 which unfortunately is pricing itself out of the market now. I suspect the 2N5109 will follow as inventories shrink.. A pair of the 18A devices at ~$1.00 USD each single price in a push pull Norton configuration would in my opinion make it worth trying as a killer wideband amp.
> Just my $.02 USD.
> Lee   K7TJR  OR
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband <topband-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Martin Kratoska
> Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 9:51 AM
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?
> 
> The 2N3553 is a brutal 7 watt device in a TO-39 metal package. Chris Trask, N7ZMY mentioned some unparalleled IM characterics
> 
> '... The BFQ19 (made by NXP née Philips) and the NE46134 (made by NEC) are both highly popular within the CATV industry, and are virtually identical in terms of linearity. They compare favorably to the 2N5109 in terms of linearity, though they pale in camparison with the 2N3553 (as do all the others)...'.
> 
> See
> http://www.home.earthlink.net/~christrask/Bipolar%20Transistor%20Evaluation.pdf
> 
> 2N3553 is often mentioned in transmitting applications but I was unable to find some other details like IM, noise and gain characteristics in high DR preamps for receiving purposes. Any experience?
> 
> 73,
> Martin, OK1RR
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> 
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> 