The transistor jan2n1485ccsx (6924) would be a collector's item? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Avelino Sampaio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2021, 10:08:59 pm
content: Hello everyoneI have some very old transistors (new and used). Interestingly, I went to check on Mouser and some of them have them in stock. The 2n1485 (from the microchip) for $42.00.What does this "JAN" nomenclature mean? Is it for military use?His datasheet is nothing special, other than VCEsat =0.7v. Would you use this type of transistor in some special project or keep it as a collectible item?

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2021, 11:12:56 pm
content: Yes, a JAN prefix normally indicates meeting a US militaryJointArmyNavy specification, that specification being MIL-S-19500. Generally this means the part has been specified for enhanced reliability and the usual things like military temperature rating. A JANTX prefix would mean that they were made to that specification and individually verified to meet it.Although nominally they are worth more than the 'vanilla' version of the same part (if there is one) in practice they aren't if you have them without the paperwork that proves their specialness. In terms of normal parameters they are just the same part as the non-JAN part, it's all the extra testing and the paper trail that goes with it that makes them special.

author: Avelino Sampaio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2021, 10:23:34 am
content: Cerebus,thank you very much for your clarifications. What about this number 6924? Is it batch number or manufacturing date (1969)? If this represents the date, the oldest transistor I have is a Jan2n697 (6607). If it doesn't have collection value, I'll think of some projects that give life to them.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2021, 01:26:19 pm
content: Yeah, no way of knowing whether it's a batch number or date code without the manufacturer's part specific datasheet showing how they marked up parts, presuming that they do show that in the datasheet - not that many do. But, sticking a finger in the air it's usually reasonably safe to assume that a 4 digit code is a YYWW date code

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2021, 09:06:43 pm
content: Yes, those are definitely very old - 1969 fits both the part number, packaging, and appearance (especially the colour).

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2021, 02:22:07 pm
content: Mind, these are likely not a store of value -- buyers that really need them, will need them with the paper trail from qualified distributors, manufacturers and etc.It's certainly an unusual(ish?), old part -- TO-8 is rare enough I've never seen one (I think), and a friend had only recently discovered a few in his collection (same series part actually, though he measured Vces ~ 200V, evidently they had some headroom on that spec!).It likely works fine despite the age, you could certainly use it in something. But its specs are unimpressive, handily surpassed by dozens of newer types. You could make a... small power supply, or audio amp or something, with it, but it's kinda like, what's the point?..(Or scrap it for gold, but one piece isn't going to amount to much, that's just plating; maybe worthwhile if you had a bucket of them or something.)Tim