Check your Germanium diodes!

Discuss Yocto construction and related issues
  • I ordered some new diodes but when i got them they were 1N60-p diodes instead of the ones supplied in the kit.
    (They look like regular 1N4148's but a tiny bit bigger.)
    So the question is if this would make a difference when i put them in the Tom section?
  • Hi,

    The major difference I see is the I FSM, ie the forward surge current on the P version is higher, which should be no issue I think.
    Also the junction Capacitance is different, don't know what that will do to the sound..

    http://tydiodes.com/manage/product/pic/ ... 233549.pdf
    http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_3/3.html

    Edit: Seems like the 1s188fm originals in the 808 are more towards the 1n60p than the 1n60 regarding Ifsm and jC. Hard to find a datasheet for those.
  • Hey Jeroen,
    thank you for your response.
    I'll just give them a go and see/hear what happens.
    I've been looking for those original diodes (1S188FM) but the only thing i found
    was a site that stated to have an equivalent namely the NTE109 at the cost of 1.70$ a piece
    and'/or the OA70 at 1.64$... on another site they said the AA119 would a good substitute at the price of 0.71 Eurocent.
    I guess i'll have to dig into the data sheets to find the perfect substitute if the ones i have don't work properly.

    http://www.weisd.com/test/GenericParts_ ... d1=1S188FM

    http://www.weisd.com/test/GenericParts_ ... itid1=OA70

    http://de-onlineshop.nl/index.php?route ... uct_id=559

    http://www.banzaimusic.com/AA119.html
  • Hi ikke,

    Yes, I saw that. That NTE109 has about the same specs as the 1N60p's. So I think it shouldn't be a big issue and probably you won't hear a difference.
  • Thanks a lot for thinking along Jeroen!
  • I have just had the same issue.

    1 out of the 6 Germanium diodes were bad, luckily I had read this post before starting the build and it must of stuck in my mind ;)
    So checked all the diodes before soldering and found the bad one.
    Again as luck would have it , I had a few kicking around in my parts bin :)

    Steve
  • I measured mine and the values were:

    .296
    .293
    .327
    1.640
    .691
    .644

    Isn't around 0.3 normal? Whats up with the 1.640 one?
  • What unit are these measures. Or what/how did you measure? Is this resistance or voltage drop Vf?
  • This is forward voltage drop in V.