HISTORY:
Sustainability is the name of the game! Anything (that has been tested and still functioning properly) should be repurposed creating saving in wasted Ee and reducing the poisoning our environment when items are buried in the earth at the local tip needlessly.
Never heard of Ee? It is a concept that creates a measurement of ALL things (not just electronics) that humans have made and the energy used in obtaining the raw material, processing the materials right through to a finished product and even should include the shipping of the item to the distributors/retailers.
If you would like to know more about Ee values, please take a look HERE
This electronic component is NEW, old (very old, around 1960's era!) stock.
How long since you've seen some Germanium transistors? These were in common use way back when I was a teenager in the late 1960's, I cut my teeth on devices such as this - it was the beginnings of the "new fan-dangled" semiconductor technology around that period, dang these were super touchy little things - far less forgiving than good ol' valves, but we had to move with the times...
Up until this time in the 1960's valves were "the" thing, then along came these little beasties!
This transistor is one of the VERY EARLY RCA devices (clearly identifiable on the top of the can)
RCA - Germanium Transistor
Made in ???
Circa 1960's
Type: 2N388A
Batch code: F S B 8 (I take these to be batch codes, stamped into the top area)
NPN
Germanium junction semiconductor
General purpose, medium speed switch
The information above is an extract from the very old datasheet, full datasheets are readily available online.
TO-5 style case with the small side tab (the lead nearest this is the Emitter)
Case is metal (light oxidisation only)
Funny enough, on the underside (where the leads exit the can) there is a "dot" for another lead, at first I thought this was a drain or screen lead but the 2N388A never had one of those - it looks as though RCA used a die with four little exit points (dots in the resin) but only 3 have been used. Never noticed this before!
The legs are all simply nickel plated
WARNING!
If ever the new owner was considering using this device, NEVER bend the leads less than 1.5mm from the body. The packaging used in the early days of transistors was often quite delicate and if you make a bend in the lead which is too close to the body, the lead is likely to snap off!
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Amazing after all these years sitting in my spare parts drawers quite frankly!
NO physical damage
Legs are straight 33mm length each (NOT cut)
While the legs are not a brilliant shine, they are perfectly fine for use immediately - not all crusty with oxidisation!
TESTING:
It would have been nice to test these with a semiconductor curve tracer to get a much better idea about suitable circuit design but alas, my curve tracer has already found a new workshop to live in! Best I can do is test it with a simple transistor tester to determine the basic characteristics of Hfe and device type.
Hfe test result is 86
Even though very old, I thought "maybe, just maybe one day I might use this", so I have always kept it in a nice little clear plastic box to protect it from the ravages of my spare parts drawers! It will be supplied in this same container.
