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What are these things?

dafivehole

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Aug 20, 2013
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556
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Mansfield, TX
Sorry for the dumb question but I acquired a huge lot last weekend with tons of old Ham Radio and other electrical stuff in it and I was wondering what these were? I also got an Apple IIplus, TI-99, Tandy TRS-80 Model 1 and a Model 4, and three IBM (5150) clones in this lot.

Thanks for the answer in advance!

Roger

View attachment 30662
 
Well aside from a TO-3 component package that Bendix model number doesn't ring a bell for me. More than likely they are either a high voltage switching transistor or a voltage regulator.
 
Sorry for the dumb question but I acquired a huge lot last weekend with tons of old Ham Radio and other electrical stuff in it and I was wondering what these were? I also got an Apple IIplus, TI-99, Tandy TRS-80 Model 1 and a Model 4, and three IBM (5150) clones in this lot.

Thanks for the answer in advance!



Roger

View attachment 30662

They appear to be power transistors (TO3 package), and were commonly used in power supplies, switching circuits, etc. They can be easily trouble shot in circuit with a DVM or scope by checking for AC ripple voltage on the case (collector).
 
Yeah, just pointing things out about TO-3s in general. I think that there were even SCRs done in TO-3.

At any rate, Bendix was in the consumer products area in the 60s, include auto radios. By the general look of the devices (thick flange, tinplate, flat top), I'll take a stab at saying they're gernanium PNP power transistors used in the audio output stage of an auto radio. So they're probably Moto units under the skin.
 
If they are Germanium RF Power Transistors , and its possible they are from around that era, then they may contain Beryllium Oxide, so its not a good idea to try chopping the tops off.
 
Well I sure can't find a datasheet for it!
"660032" could be a date code: 32nd week '66, but more likely the part number.
"USA 1012" is present on a lot of Bendix TO-3 devices - factory nr.?
"1.48" - could it be a 1.48V zener diode or zener pair?
 
Motorola, AFAIK, made all of the Bendix power semiconductors. Use an ohmmeter to verify the gender of the transistor.

Here's a guide

The collector is always the case; if you face the device so that the flange holes are in a vertical axis and the pins are below the centerline, emitter is on your left and the base is on your right. A guide to components

My money's on PNP, given the vintage.
 
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