Si NPN recommendation (400-600hfe)

[mdc]

Hi folks,

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestions for a Si NPN transistor that consistently reads in the 400-600hfe range. I had a small number of 5088s I bought at my surprisingly well-stocked local hardware store that were all in that ballpark (including one very spooky 666hfe), but the bag I ordered from tayda all read much lower. If anyone has a go-to NPN (especially one that Tayda stocks), I'd be really grateful for the tip!

 

[Jovi Bon Kenobi]

Wish I could give you an answer but, regardless of what you end up using, I'd definitely recommend putting a socket where they go so you can swap em out until your preference is met. Fwiw, Smallbear has some of the hfe specs on their site for Si NPNs.

What's it for?

 

[music6000]

2N5089 is next inline to 2N5088 but Tayda is Out Of Stock, Pinout 1.E 2.B 3.C
Tayda has BC549B or BC549C, Pinout 1.C 2.B. 3.E so they need to be turned 180 degrees!
There only 5c, so grab a dozen of each.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Tayda is not your best source for transistors. Mouser has 2N5089s for much lower cost and they are factory fresh. With BCxxx transistors, the A/B/C suffix indicates the HFE range, C being the highest. MPSA18 is another good option.