noirengineer
- Sep 29, 2009
- 6
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2009
- Messages
- 6
Hi all.
I'm mike. I'm a new member here.
Very cool forum you guys got here!
_____________________________________________________________
Anyway, introductions aside, I have a serious conundrum.
I enjoy buying vintage parts (i.e. IC's, Capacitors, Germanium/silicon Transistors,
tubes, etc.) All for the purpose of recreating vintage audio circuits, signal processors,
or, in many cases, re-creating vintage or modern types of stompbox guitar FX pedals. etc.
Look, I get it! I'm no dummy.
I mean, I understand the risks involved in buying vintage electronic components online!
But for the most part, I've learned to offset this practice (of buying duds and fakes) by
using my trusty test equipment (which cost me a small fortune btw, but was
100% worth it IMO)
So for example, if I buy a bunch of Mullard Tropical fish caps or mustard caps, etc.
I can use my trusty ATLAS ESR60 meter (measures ESR + diagnostics,
leakage etc.) to make sure they are legit and working correctly! *Also, a great tool
for 'in-circuit' cap testing, such as shorts, or leaks in electrolytic capacacitors, or for
servicing old vintage guitar amps *that might blow any moment!
It's also great for biasing circuits and such, etc..
That's because the values of the leaky caps or transistors that vary if gain
will be the "MOJO" that makes (for example) the ORIGINAL VOX TONE-BENDER
FUZZ sound good in the first place! this is useful for matching transistors by gain, etc.
biasing circuit to react different before it reaches the op-amps, etc.
So, for example, when I buy 'vintage' or even most 'modern' transistors,
such as 2N5088, to OC74's, OC75's, OC76's, BC109s, NKT-275's, etc. etc. etc.
I'll whip out my ATLAS PEAK DCA55 --> measures HFE, leakage, etc.
FANTASTIC! Right?
Well, almost...
I suspect, I have recently been burned (i.e. "ripped-off") on an auction I won
on the well-known auction site *(HINT: it rhymes with flee-bay)
Anyway, my problem exists here.
I bought several vintage IC's *out of production* -- or more Specifically,
MID-1980's production models Panasonic manufactured vintage 80's IC's
The most specific (and troublesome of these being....)
1) PANASONIC MN3005 / 4096 step BBD delay chips"
2) PANASONIC MN3101 / CLOCK IC's"
I can't fully tell if they are legit or not! They don't sound the same as the verified
chips I've A/B'ed in tests. also there is a significantly different amount of delay
time in Milliseconds between the "REAL CHIPS" vs "IMITATION CHIPS"
_____________________________________________________________________
My QUESTION IS AS FOLLOWS:
-----> IS THERE A TEST TOOL I CAN USE TO NOT ONLY VERIFY IC'S OF SUCH
NATURE, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE THE LEGITIMATE CHIPS.
AND FURTHERMORE! IS THERE A DIAGNOSTIC IC TESTING TOOL, IN
WHICH I CAN DO FURTHER TESTING AND REPORTS ON TO TEST IC'S?
IF SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON SUCH A TEST TOOL
OR TOOLS THAT I'D NEED IN ORDER TO DO THE FOLLOWING TASKS?
__________________________________________________________________
Any Help is much appreciated!
Thanks again!
-mike
aka noir
I'm mike. I'm a new member here.
Very cool forum you guys got here!
_____________________________________________________________
Anyway, introductions aside, I have a serious conundrum.
I enjoy buying vintage parts (i.e. IC's, Capacitors, Germanium/silicon Transistors,
tubes, etc.) All for the purpose of recreating vintage audio circuits, signal processors,
or, in many cases, re-creating vintage or modern types of stompbox guitar FX pedals. etc.
Look, I get it! I'm no dummy.
I mean, I understand the risks involved in buying vintage electronic components online!
But for the most part, I've learned to offset this practice (of buying duds and fakes) by
using my trusty test equipment (which cost me a small fortune btw, but was
100% worth it IMO)
So for example, if I buy a bunch of Mullard Tropical fish caps or mustard caps, etc.
I can use my trusty ATLAS ESR60 meter (measures ESR + diagnostics,
leakage etc.) to make sure they are legit and working correctly! *Also, a great tool
for 'in-circuit' cap testing, such as shorts, or leaks in electrolytic capacacitors, or for
servicing old vintage guitar amps *that might blow any moment!
It's also great for biasing circuits and such, etc..
That's because the values of the leaky caps or transistors that vary if gain
will be the "MOJO" that makes (for example) the ORIGINAL VOX TONE-BENDER
FUZZ sound good in the first place! this is useful for matching transistors by gain, etc.
biasing circuit to react different before it reaches the op-amps, etc.
So, for example, when I buy 'vintage' or even most 'modern' transistors,
such as 2N5088, to OC74's, OC75's, OC76's, BC109s, NKT-275's, etc. etc. etc.
I'll whip out my ATLAS PEAK DCA55 --> measures HFE, leakage, etc.
FANTASTIC! Right?
Well, almost...
I suspect, I have recently been burned (i.e. "ripped-off") on an auction I won
on the well-known auction site *(HINT: it rhymes with flee-bay)
Anyway, my problem exists here.
I bought several vintage IC's *out of production* -- or more Specifically,
MID-1980's production models Panasonic manufactured vintage 80's IC's
The most specific (and troublesome of these being....)
1) PANASONIC MN3005 / 4096 step BBD delay chips"
2) PANASONIC MN3101 / CLOCK IC's"
I can't fully tell if they are legit or not! They don't sound the same as the verified
chips I've A/B'ed in tests. also there is a significantly different amount of delay
time in Milliseconds between the "REAL CHIPS" vs "IMITATION CHIPS"
_____________________________________________________________________
My QUESTION IS AS FOLLOWS:
-----> IS THERE A TEST TOOL I CAN USE TO NOT ONLY VERIFY IC'S OF SUCH
NATURE, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE THE LEGITIMATE CHIPS.
AND FURTHERMORE! IS THERE A DIAGNOSTIC IC TESTING TOOL, IN
WHICH I CAN DO FURTHER TESTING AND REPORTS ON TO TEST IC'S?
IF SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON SUCH A TEST TOOL
OR TOOLS THAT I'D NEED IN ORDER TO DO THE FOLLOWING TASKS?
__________________________________________________________________
Any Help is much appreciated!
Thanks again!
-mike
aka noir
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