common failure mode for digital transisors?

- M
- Maynard A. Philbrook Jr.
  
  Contact options for registered users
posted
10 years ago

Mon, Dec 30, 2013 11:22 PM

I do some repair work now and then and I got a HF transceiver that I once replaced a DTC114ES digital (pre biased) transistor.

It didn't appear shorted, it just wouldn't turn on. I just got a call from the owner and from what he's telling me and from what I can gather in the schematic, it appears that maybe another digital transistor of the same type has failed, but only in a different location?

This unit is rather old, it uses through hole digital transistors. Was there some fab problems back then that made those fail internally over time ?

Jamie

- J
- Jan Panteltje
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
10 years ago

Tue, Dec 31, 2013 9:01 AM

On a sunny day (Mon, 30 Dec 2013 18:22:24 -0500) it happened "Maynard A. Philbrook Jr." wrote in :

I dunno about this transistor, but oftwn tranmitter output transistors fail due to bad SWR, where they get the power right back that should have gone into the antenna. If it is a driver maybe it could be affected too. Normally RF transitors (low power) stay OK.

- M
- Maynard A. Philbrook Jr.
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
10 years ago

Tue, Dec 31, 2013 4:38 PM

No, these have nothing to do with power RF actually.

These are just switching transistors with pre-biased networks in them.

This unit has a slew of them in various places. It's possible the ones that are failing could be exerting more current than others in there.

This one that failed this time actives the early stages for the transmitter, as did the first one that failed but for the VOX.

I used a IR camera on the unit the last time to measure possible heating after I replaced the first failed digital transistor and I saw nothing alarming.

I remember years ago when I was a kid doing TV repair work for side cash, there was a series of TV's that were using this one particular transistor that always seem to fail, those that were not failed you could tap on them and they would fail intermittently.. I can't be sure but these may have been in the audio section as part of a driver. We stocked up on lots of subs for that unit :)

Jamie