-=> Roy J. Tellason said to Greg Mayman
 -=> about "*BIG* TRANSISTORS" on 01-14-04  04:06.....

 RJT> I've seen that on some data sheets.  I also remember some germanium
 RJT> parts being particularly pitiful when it came to their specs.  It's

Yes, I remember germanium power transistors as being about the
worst in that respect.

And terribly expensive! The first transistor radio I saw in the
early to mid 1950s, was handmade by the owner and used six
germanium transistors that cost 39s 6d each, the equivalent of
$3.95, which would be about $80-$100 each in today's money when you
allowed for inflation!

 RJT> amazing they even bothered to sell such stuff.  :-)

When there is nothing else, you use what you can get. Nowadays we
are thoroughly spoiled with the availability of high performance
parts at relatively speaking VERY low cost!

 RJT> I would tend to go toward a higher-rated part that wouldn't be pushed
 RJT> so close to saturation,  but then I don't tend to try and operate much

If you want to realize the maximum performance from power
amplifiers, you need to go pretty close to saturation, which
happens to coincide with maximum current in the particular
transistor.

OTOH with transistors and other components so cheap today, you
can always run the outputs WAY under their limits.

But back in the early 60's when you paid lots of bickies for
stuff with specs that we'd sneer at today, you had to get
as much as possible out of what you could afford.

From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia
   "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E

... Better be too credulous than too skeptical. (Chinese proverb)
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