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Re: Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Any experience with 2N3553?
From: Martin Kratoska <martin@ok1rr.com>
Reply-to: martin@ok1rr.com
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2018 09:25:16 +0200
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
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@verizon.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 2:03 PM

To: 'Lee STRAHAN' <k7tjr@msn.com>; martin@ok1rr.com; topband@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@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Lee STRAHAN
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2018 2:15 PM
To: martin@ok1rr.com; topband@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@contesting.com> On Behalf Of Martin Kratoska
Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 9:51 AM
To: topband@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
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