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are dei transistors any better now?

groundwire

Sr. Member
Jul 19, 2014
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i want to click the order button on a new texas star dx1600 sweet sixteen amplifier but im a little apprehensive. the output transistors are dei and i know they don't have a good track record. my texas star 500 with dei's has been running flawlessly so far. now that its been quite a few years have the dei transistors gotten any better as far as reliability? i know that if you run them within spec there shouldn't be a problem, which is how i run my gear but i don't want to pay the million dollars to put Toshiba's in it.
 

Treat it like you do your DX500 and you'll probably be okay.

Best I can tell the DEIs got their bad reputation because they won't tolerate abuse like the Toshibas.

But clearly you haven't abused the DX500 or it would have failed by now.

Making very, very sure that the antenna and coax connectors are all solid is just as important for the DX500 as for the DX1600.

Only the cost of being sloppy is higher.

73
 
First things first do you have enough alternator in your car or truck to handle minimum 200A draw from the TS Sweet 16+Radio+Driver amp+headlamps+ignition system etc????? Do you have welding cables and connectors that can handle that?

On the DEI front. If you keep them bellow 15V and do not overdrive them they should work fine. Notice I said should? Quality control costs money and the Chinese are not known for their quality control.

Keep in mind that designs have characteristics it does not matter if it is an electronic part or a mechanical part. In this case, you have a part that has nothing in common with the part it is replacing. There is no such semiconductor company as DEI or PP100 etc....

If you buy questionable parts you ought to stock up on them as you might well need them sooner than you think! So factor in 8 spare matched transistors.Would you buy a generic heart or kidney and hope for the best? Would you put a generic no-name cheap camshaft in your car or truck and hope it held up and did not take out the rest of the engine? The most expensive parts in any HF amp is the transistors and human labor if it is hand stuffed and soldered. They are the heart of the amp.

So just go into it knowing that and pay accordingly. Why anyone would pay top dollar to a company using poor quality parts is beyond me. If people stopped buying TS amps then the company would do whatever it took to renew sales or go out of business.Have you considered having someone build you an amp with name brand reputable semiconductors while you can still buy them?

Soon this conversation will not matter because you will not have any choice. That said you still have Toshiba, Motorola, Macom,Phillips etc....
 
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hmm, well that's to bad. it been like at least 3yrs plus since they came out, i would have thought all the kinks would be ironed out but i guess not. pshh, figures, Chinese made crap. well i guess im not gonna get a new 8 pill. bummer, that sux
 
Nothing wrong with DEI's as long as you don't push them over 15v's....My 1x4 XForce base amp has all DEI's, and I never had a problem with them yet ( over two years now)...Although I don't think they still make the DEI's...I know XForce quit using them.
 
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hmm, well that's to bad. it been like at least 3yrs plus since they came out, i would have thought all the kinks would be ironed out but i guess not. pshh, figures, Chinese made crap. well i guess im not gonna get a new 8 pill. bummer, that sux
If it's for base use go tube amp. If mobile, you can still opt for Toshiba transistors but with an 8 pill you will pay a premium.
 
no, its going in the suburban, and thats the thing, if i get an 8 pill box with Toshibas its gonna be like $1500 or something. that kind of money is not worth it for just 1200w-1500w. i think im gonna just go for it and whatever comes in the box i will deal with it. i just hope it lasts a very long time like the gear from the old days. i run standard 14vdc and loaf my amplifiers so i have plenty of headroom as well so we shall see i guess.
 
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no, its going in the suburban, and thats the thing, if i get an 8 pill box with Toshibas its gonna be like $1500 or something. that kind of money is not worth it for just 1200w-1500w. i think im gonna just go for it and whatever comes in the box i will deal with it. i just hope it lasts a very long time like the gear from the old days. i run standard 14vdc and loaf my amplifiers so i have plenty of headroom as well so we shall see i guess.
I see the same output with the DEI's as I do with the Toshiba's...Only difference is the DEI's can't handle the volts like Toshiba's...Keep it stock volts and you won't have a problem.
 
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I wish Palomar would make a drop in replacement for the Toshiba.

Ignorance is bliss. Palomar does not make anything today! You think they are spinning their own transistors. The fact that the company that is making them for them is not listed tells you all you need to know. If it was Toshiba, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony, Fuji, Motorola, Mitsubishi they would have that enlarged and brag about it!!! The fact that they hide the name of the company tell me it is some questionable Chinese brand. It also tells us it is a production part not anything special. If they told you anything more about it they would not be the exclusive reseller anyy more and their goes the gravy train! That does not make them bad but it makes them suspicious and less than trustworthy. If I would not be willing to trust my life or my oldest son's life ( In the Army) to it I do not want it in my gear! BRand names sometimes matter because it goes to past track record of quality control and consistency in manufacturing. Everyone makes some lemons but some companies make a lot more lemons per 1,000,000....Also, some let a lot more of those lemons leave the factory than other companies.

Then again compared to the shit that goes into Chinese made radio's these parts have at the very least been stridently tested and abused at the factory level to make sure they are up to scratch.

If you so concerned about getting a good part than buy Toshiba's, Macoms, Motorola's, NXP, Phillips etc while you still can. Stop wishing for Palomar to sell you Chinese made parts when you can still buy name brand parts.That is like eating a soyburger when you can still buy steak!
 
no, its going in the suburban, and thats the thing, if i get an 8 pill box with Toshibas its gonna be like $1500 or something. that kind of money is not worth it for just 1200w-1500w. i think im gonna just go for it and whatever comes in the box i will deal with it. i just hope it lasts a very long time like the gear from the old days. i run standard 14vdc and loaf my amplifiers so i have plenty of headroom as well so we shall see i guess.

I almost wet myself laughing..... In a Suburban....That is to redneck key down people what the white van is to pedophiles! Can it get any more cliche or stereotypical? LOL The very idea of a lot of amp with very little ear's is anti-social and the opposite of a community based two-way radio communication hobby! LOL
 
I got a used DM 8 Pill with all Toshiba 2879's for $500. Not saying you will find that exact deal, but maybe you are not looking hard enough? Craig's list, Facebook, eBay, Let Go, CB & HAM radio forums... and many, many more sites have the potential for providing you with the right used amp without having to settle for falsely advertised products. Ham fests are another resource.

A DEI, PP or HG 2sc2879 is not a real 2sc2879. PERIOD.

You know, it shouldn't be past the realm of possibility if they (the Chinese) can make reliable exact duplicates of the venerable 3-500z & 572B vacuum tubes but can't the get the 2sc2879' transistors right yet. Who knows, Patent issues? Toshiba threw away the dies? Beryllium? Lead? Not enough demand? Maybe 10 years from now? Wake me up when they do make them again or I'm going to have to switch to 50V.
 

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