Duocast Transistor

Knotty Pine

Active member
Hey gang! I just ordered a Duocast PCB and I am super pumped! As I am sourcing parts I am having a hard time finding an OC71 - However I have a random assortment of Ge transistors from 3pdt. Is there a way to socket Q2 so can experiment with different transistors? Like, should I just solder individual pins from a sip socket? According to a few builders having a Ge transistor with an hFE around 80 seems to be ideal. Thanks for any and all information you can provide.
 

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Hey gang! I just ordered a Duocast PCB and I am super pumped! As I am sourcing parts I am having a hard time finding an OC71 - However I have a random assortment of Ge transistors from 3pdt. Is there a way to socket Q2 so can experiment with different transistors? Like, should I just solder individual pins from a sip socket? According to a few builders having a Ge transistor with an hFE around 80 seems to be ideal. Thanks for any and all information you can provide.
the new ones made by Hudson are using Russian transistors...I think they’re mp20...
 

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This kind of socket is really what you want. I’ve noticed plenty of old germaniums don’t quite fit into SIP sockets (enough to test, but nothing I’d leave in for good). Search around for To-5 3 position sockets.
 
Russian ge transistors can easily be had for 25 cents each. They seem to have a much higher usability rate than euro and US transistors. Out of the last three lots of a hundred Russians I bought only ONE piece didn't work. The market of euro and US ge transistors today is almost entirely culls. Unscrupulous dealers sell "untested" ones for up to $10 each just because the same badge may have been used in a beloved vintage effect. Electrons don't care about the branding.
 
Which one did you like best?
I didn’t end up with any of the transistors because my orders were cancelled/refunded due to int’l shipping restrictions (Bulgaria, Russia) from Covid. I ended up using an oddball Chinese transistor (3AG1D) with an hFE of 85 that sounds pretty good. Gonna dial in the gain trimmers today
 
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