Obi-Wan Kenobi AHN Lightsaber Buttons - A new hope?

[the.rebel.agent]

I finally received my MAxxx transistors. A little bit late don´t you think?:unsureAnyway, this just confirmed that all MAxxx transistors from MA1xx to MA9xx were TO-5 encapsulated. I the other hand, the Motorola logo from that series looks pretty close to the one used on the IC/transistors used for hilt.

http://picasaweb.google.com/the.reb...ANewHopeLightsaberReplica#5271533703758538578

http://picasaweb.google.com/the.reb...ANewHopeLightsaberReplica#5271533734124237218

So, I am so confidente that those transistors were not the ones used that I am willing to sell them :$. Just pm me for datails.

About the washers, I am still looking for more information. Keep you posted guys.

 

[lonepigeon]

I've found that Tesla makes/made TO-99 encapsulated transistors with model number beginning with MA.
Examples start with MAA, MAB, and MAC.

 

[the.rebel.agent]

Will check that information. Thanks Chris.

 

[TV8]

any further luck with the washers?

 

[the.rebel.agent]

Not yet. I am sorry.

 

[sskunky]

was there any luck in getting the right transistors?
If so do you have a link to where they can be bought?
Or do you have the, for sale?
Any help would be great...
Thanks.

 

[the.rebel.agent]

Not the exact model, just the right encapsulated. And I have for sale my old TO5 MA series for sale if you want. But those are not accurate at all.

 

[sskunky]

so you did find some close looking ones?
I'm looking for fairly accurate ones if poss. I have some similar to the ones you have for sale. Can you tell me where you got the good ones from? Pm me if it's easier.
Cheers.

 

[ATL Kenobi]

A little while back I compile an Excel spreadsheet with every electronic component I could find the had a designation that started with "MA". I ended up with a spreadsheet with over 14000 lines. I isolated all the transistors on that list and then researched that list based on case size, and availabilty in the late 60s or early 70s. The only ones that met the criteria were on this data sheet:
View attachment 22087
This data sheet was copied from an original data book from that time period. (I penciled in all the transistors from that series).


This pictures shows how the Motorola logo could easily be made to look like an "N" espescially considering how beat up it is in the B&W picture. Also, it seems very likely that half of the part number has been removed as well.
View attachment 22088

I found an MA909 from that series:
View attachment 22089

IMHO - This transistor and the 2 that T.R.A. is offering up for sale are EXACTLY the ones we've all been looking for!

ATL

 

[sskunky]

Wow thanks!
T.R.A? Is that a supplier?

 

[the.rebel.agent]

These are the ones I was offering months ago. Really, according my estimations, they are not the ones used on that prop. Could be wrong, but they don't have the right encapsulated type. They are TO5 and should be TO99. Motorola did not manufacture MA series in TO5/39 as far as I know, and I really read very old manuals.

 

[the.rebel.agent]

Wow thanks!
T.R.A? Is that a supplier?

The Rebel Agent, means me.

 

[sskunky]

duh! Thanks ATL Kenobi...
Sorry TRA!
you say you still have some of these? if so I could do with 4.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Hi Sskunky,

there are vintage TO-99 transistors on ebay which are not the correct brand and number but the right shape ... if that helps.

-Chaim

 

[ATL Kenobi]

I should've mentioned that the data sheet I show above was photocopied directly from an early 1970s Motorola data book.

Here is a more recent specification sheet for a TO-99 semiconductor package from National Semiconductor:
View attachment 22324

As can be seen it is a much shorter metal can package, and it has 8-leads more indicative of an Integrated Circuit (IC). This is a international specification - all TO-99 packages have 8 leads.

This is a picture of some TO-99 packages from my personal stash:
View attachment 22325
The MC1558G, shown in a green plastic lead protector, was manufactured in the 36th week of 1980 (3 years after ANH came out and two years before I recieve a Bachelor of Science and went to work as an Electrical Engineer. Motorola ICs (as TRA suggests) start with MC and not MA.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of a TO-99 (left) and a TO-5:
View attachment 22326

And with "washers":
View attachment 22327

Although I don't have any high-res screen caps to justify this, the TO-99 just looks too short to me.

Once again - IMHO - I believe the correct "buttons" on the ANH Obi prop were Motorola MA series (TO-5) transistors.

ATL

 

[sskunky]

Those attachments aren't working for me?

 

[Sym-Cha]

ATL thanks for your inquiry however IMHO it also depends on the kind of washers you use. I've got 2 washers here (see post #9 ... 3rd picture) in which the transistor does not completely sink all the way to the bottom but sticks about half way looking just like your TO-5 set-up. Which means a TO-5 would stick out even more. That being said I also found some vintage TO-5 transistors (2N2320 MOTOROLA DUAL TRANSISTOR TO-5 GOLD LEAD) which seem to be the same size as the TO-99 they are at least not as high as yours.

So could it be there are different sizes in height of TO-5 transistors?

Also I've found a vintage MD5000A MOTOROLA 1973 TO-39 METAL Can Transistor which seems to look like the right size. (I must admit I do not have the mentioned transistors above in my hands so the pictures I see on my PC could be obscuring the actual size depending the point of view of the camera and the angle in which they were taken.)

-Chaim

 

[Caine Drathul]

Thank you for this in depth search for these transistors. I used them on my Obi AFBB. It is much appreciated!

Here is the vid for it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMAll0IFzzc

 

[Gabywan]

Thank you for this in depth search for these transistors. I used them on my Obi AFBB. It is much appreciated!

Here is the vid for it
YouTube - Obi_ANH_AFBB.mp4

hi caine, your work is really awesome!!
Congrat my friend!!

 

[DemonSeed]

wow! great research and photos! Well done!