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Suggestions on transistor to use to control 120V devices

I have been looking at some circuits using triacs and mosfets to control devices that run on 120V power mains. The mosfets & triacs in these circuits were able to manage about 300 watts. This made me start thinking about power transistors also. What are some transistors (part numbers) that would be able to control 120V devices in the 300 watt range? I know that a trasistors probably are not the best choice for this application, but I want to experiment anyway. Humor me.

Also, what if I want to control some real power like maybe 600-1200 watts. Any suggestions for mosfets, triacs, and transistors in this range?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Reply to
jalbers
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well, 300 W at 120 V means 2.5 Amps RMS, or about 3.5 Amps peak if it's a resistive load. Glancing through a parts catalog, I see lots of BJTs that are spec'd to handle 3A or so, such as the TIP102. But that doesn't have the voltage rating you'd need. The 2N6547 and

2N6678 might work. They have pretty low beta, so you'd need to use them as part of a Darlington or something. Maybe a TIP102 followed by a 2N6678?

Triacs are definitely an easier way to do it, though, if you just want on/off control of an AC-powered load.

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   Wim Lewis , Seattle, WA, USA. PGP keyID 27F772C1
Reply to
Wim Lewis

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