TO-5 Sockets
- Thread starter JamieJ
- Start date
Betty Wont
Well-known member
$1.70 at stompboxparts and small bear are the cheapest I've seen them.
JamieJ
Well-known member
Thanks @Betty Wont
Guardians of the analog
Papi Fuego
I mean, you could just solder them 
Laundryroom David
Keyboard Cowboy 🤠
I don’t always solder direct to the board, but when I do, I prefer heatsinks.I mean, you could just solder them
Feral Feline
Well-known member
Yup — I prefer the little pucks but don't think they're worth the bucks, bend over here come the ...
... solder them you say. What if I want to try some other transistors and experiment a little or a lot?
... solder them you say. What if I want to try some other transistors and experiment a little or a lot?
Guardians of the analog
Papi Fuego
Isn't why everyone is always talking about breadboarding it first? I've only heard a difference in a couple circuits and most pedals sound and play the same regardless what gets put in. Of course YMMV and all that.
Harry Klippton
Well-known member
I just went through this, and what I did was install a socket, try some transistors, removed the socket and soldered the transistor in
JamieJ
Well-known member
I have a Tonebender board I am putting together and I want to be able to play around with transistors before committing and I don’t want a circuit to live on a breadboard permanently. I think I might have one board as a tester board with sockets before soldering the transistors into another board.
Laundryroom David
Keyboard Cowboy 🤠
I feel your pain. I was going through this too. I swear with germaniums there’s a difference in sound between testing in the circuit on the breadboard and then in the circuit on pcb or point to point or whatever. Sockets are the way to go and I wish the TO-5s weren’t so bloody expensive.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
No Knead with sockets...
Seriously, though, there are times I breadboard (gonna change-up/try a ton of shite) ...
and other times I prefer to socket (build is done/fixed).
Instead of wasting time on breadboarding the whole circuit when I know all I want is to try different transistors.
Yes, most of the time the circuit sounds the same whether you stuff in a 2N3904 or 2N5088 — but not if its a BC239, maybe, sometimes.
Smrtokvitek
Well-known member
If you have SLA 3D printer you can print them and use pins from the inline socket header. I had the same problem and made it like this.
www.thingiverse.com
TO5/39 transistor socket by Smrtokvitek
This is TO5/39 transistor socket printable with MSLA printers. I have used Elegoo Mars 2. Pins can be used from a regular precision header row.
www.thingiverse.com
Silver Blues
Well-known member
Tayda also has them for $1.75 apiece.
finebyfine
Well-known member
Not for the visual perfectionists but you can use double row SIP style sockets, snap off a 3x2 section and then snip off 1 bottom pin on one side and 2 on the other side. Sorry in advance for shit photo, was running out the door!
You can also do this with double row headers but they’re more work than snapping, but you can also just gank the unused pins out really easily.
A TO-18 can be made the same way by snipping off a corner pin on a 2x2
You can also do this with double row headers but they’re more work than snapping, but you can also just gank the unused pins out really easily.
A TO-18 can be made the same way by snipping off a corner pin on a 2x2
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giovanni
Well-known member
cdwillis
Well-known member
$1.75 at Tayda
www.taydaelectronics.com
Transistor sockets 3 Position 5.08mm Gold Plated
Lead Free - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping
www.taydaelectronics.com
fontoponto
Well-known member
Remove the plastic from the inline sockets and solder them separately. Looks nice.
