Blown transistor opened up for inspection

In this video we open up and inspect a blown 1950's British made, Mullard transistor. The video shows each step of carefully taking apart the transistor case to eventually expose the germanium crystal which is then microscopically inspected at a magnification of 200 times.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thanks. Tough to take these apart without destroying them.

[@chesterhackenbush]

As a schoolboy, I loved playing with OC71 and OC81 surplus transistors back in the 1970's... the bullet shaped glass OC71 was my favourite as you could scrape off the black paint and convert it into a phototransistor - which were much more expensive to buy ;)

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

The transistor came out of a Perdio transistor radio from about 1960 that was completely smashed and unrepairable.

[@dandaniels851]

Now make a crystal set radio out of it please 😉

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

To quote Dr. Leonard McCoy " I'm just a simple country doctor Jim, not a miracle worker."

[@dandaniels851]

@@FranksPlace-jk7pj You can do it ⚡️✊🏻🤠

[@johnrehwinkel7241]

I think the middle piece is the germanium crystal, and the outer two are the contacts onto it.

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

Interesting concept. My thought was that the ring was maybe the base which held the Germanium piece on place and the two wires were bonded onto the Germanium pice on each side. It would be interesting to have a look at the original Mullard engineering documents.

[@nudebaboon4874]

Thanks for that, very interesting.

[@throttlebottle5906]

it may have got hit with static electricity, as they were pretty fragile.

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

It came out of a transistor radio push pull audio stage so I figured it just died due to thermal runaway, but who knows.

[@BoneHead-Gaming]

telling me what youre going to do before you do it makes me feel impatient, instead.. you could show us first and say here ive done this and that.. just my 2 cents.. Cool content.

[@beakytwitch7905]

The white gunk used to be transparent gunk, and was replaced to stop people using the transistor as a photo transistor.
Interesting to see this. Thank you. 😊

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

Thank You for your input.

[@FranksPlace-jk7pj]

​@@beakytwitch7905Its like silicon caulking.