AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

**** RADIOSHACK. **** THEM **** THEM ****!

Reviews on the transistors I bought and soldered in a week ago:
"The E and C labels are reversed on the TO-92 package. This is no problem when using the TO-92 because one can simply rotate the component; however, I had a board fabricated using the SOT-23 package which cannot be rotated (not symetric) and used the pin-outs indicated on the back label. Be careful this was an expensive mistake."

and

"These transistors are great in electronics projects and definitely a great choice for amatures. The only problem I found with this product is that website lists the wrong parts. It DOES NOT contain 15 2N2222 transistors but rather:
(5) 2N2222, (5) 2N3904, (5) 2N4401 NPN transistors.

For those who aren't looking for specificity, these transistors have almost the same characteristics, however for those who need specifically 2N2222 watch out, as 2N3904 can only support 1/ 10th the current of 2N2222. "


****!

pant pant pant....
*******!

So like, yes, my outputs were all in backwards. I've yet to see if this solves my ignition issues, but my guess is my VICS wasn't working at all, and now I know why the tach wouldn't "go".

gRRRRRrrRRRRRrGRRgggGR

Ben

iTrader: (33)

on top of that, they're ******* expensive

cjernigan

iTrader: (13)

Well this isn't promising. I just built a MS's fan mod with one of the 2n2222 transistors. WTF

Racer46

We've got a place in Orlando called Sky Craft that sells surplus electronic equipment. It's where I used to get all my transistors, diodes etc. There should be someplace like that in San Diego. A quick Google search for "electronics surplus San Diego" came up with these guys http://www.sdelectronicsupply.com/ and others.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Skycraft Surplus FTMFW! That place is absolutely awesome- a friend of mine from Apopka took me down there a couple of times back when I was going to school in Gainesville. It's the only place I know of where you can buy transistors, oscilloscopes, surplus Space Shuttle parachutes, and guided missile housings.

But Abe doesn't need any help finding quality electronic parts in San Diego. He knows exactly where both Fry's Electronics locations are (they're a stocking NTE distributor.) He just chooses not to go there. (ducking)

y8s

iTrader: (8)

frys or digikey and look closer at the products you buy

LOLA - 92

What did you expect from Radio Shack?
I have never purchased anything from Radio Shack that was worth a **** and the people that work there are worthless also.
They sell CHEAP CRAP!

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

Well, coming back from Fry's with a handful of random NTE parts (all NPN stuff, it was laid out pretty terribly - by part number not by component type, and most things they had between 0 and 1 of, I tried to grab only stuff then had 2 or more of), I found that none of them really worked. So I ended up using the rest of the radioshack parts - armed with the knowledge of how to put them in.

Now all that stuff works fine, after some truely hair-raising soldering. I just didn't use the 60mA parts. Big PITA but it's done.

Price was the only thing going for them - a pack of 15 or 20 transistors was $2.99 or something. If they'd all been 2n2222's I'd have been happy. Those they were out of stock on, so I had to get the grab bag.


Still, I'm quite annoyed by the whole thing, really I should have tested the circuit before building 3 of them, or at least laid it out so I could get to parts.

Here's what it looks like now that I'm done reworking.


and

Sigh... A ruined mess. It just sucks since it was a bit cleaner the first time. Oh, and I melted my bootloader jumper. ha. I have like 50 more, but maybe I should wear it proudly like a battle scar - the kind you get playing ping pong when you're off duty. Where's my purple heart?

cjernigan

iTrader: (13)

Grab some acetone and a old toothbrush (Walmart $1 bottle acetone) or where ever and scrub that mess of soldered components/wire. I used 93% alcohol in the past and i prefer the acetone because the alcohol makes the board slightly sticky.
I just recently used some of those same transistors. Hopefully i picked the right ones out of the box. Are the numbers on the components correct? I hate removing/replacing transistors. Seems to take forever with a solder wick and lots-o-patience. I need a vise to hold the board like yours, should have it sent from home.

paul

iTrader: (21)

uh oh, would this happen to be my MS?

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

Yeah - the numbers are right, there's a (I forget) 3904 I think that's servcable, and a another one that is incredably limited. The "n222" are still rated at 800mA, which is pretty good.

Some of the ones I got at frys were FIVE AMPS for $1.50 ea, not bad. Especially since they are still small form factor.

Oh, I have tons of extra "flux-off" at work, I'm sure I could figure something out there. :-)

Oh, and I dropped $20 on the biggest solder sucker they had at Fry's - I felt like a total gimick *****. But when I got home, it definately made itself useful. Very happy with it. Copper braid I can never make work for me, I'm cursed with that stuff.

Have no fears even if it it, as long as you can read the number off it, make sure it's enough to drive the fans. Both mine together only wanted 250 mA or so. So my 800 mA one has me covered thrice over. Even a 600 is WELL enough. Read the number off it, and type it into radioshack.com.

Then leave a flaming bag of **** on their doorstep. Thanks.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

and here i am about to go out and get a TIP120 from them.

cjernigan

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, your fan mod was done with one. Not a big huge problem, you'll be running it in parallel for a while anyway. In the meantime you or jason need to take the top case off and read the number on the transistor in the proto area. We'll then figure out if we need to replace it with a transistor rated for more amps. Hope i picked the right one out of the 15 in the box though.

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

I think you have a 50-50 chance. About 20% of them are 800mA, another soldid third are 600 mA. Maybe as good as two thirds are 600mA plus - which is plenty.

Wish me luck people, going around the block to see if facing my transistors the right way makes me 4300 RPM stumble go away.

Plus, a functional tach for the first time in a week. Awesome.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

ha I looked at the box at Radio Shack, no indication that there would be anything but 2N2222s, shaking the box around and looking at the stamps I could see that wasn't the case. That's kinda lame.

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

I should turn this into a general rant thread. Everyone could use it.

So, what happened today? Well, the f'ing MS got confused. One of the main MS-2x guys said he wanted me to run the latest version. Well, not to make a long story out of it, when I tried to set up my fans like they were before, the f'ing coils cooked. I smelled burning while checking the fuse for the fan.

god ******* **** hole ******* ***.

sigh.

Everything was working so well, too. Then the configuration got messed up, and just everything went wrong. I dunno. I'm reflashing, but that won't bring my coils back. Maybe I got lucky and they lived, but my finger is STILL throbbing from where I burnt it on them.

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

**** Abe sorry to hear this one man. What are you going to do about your coils? are you staying with Miata's? I wish I could help.

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

Meh, I dunno. I haven't been able to test the coil yet, I'm still doing software. Guess I'm going back to the previous beta. I'll keep you posted.

elesjuan

iTrader: (11)

I built three outputs with the 2N2222 from JapShack and all three work perfectly. Am I just lucky?

AbeFM

iTrader: (3)

In theory you're fine.

In reality, one of mine is definately bad, and I was only drawing 250 mA from it. Baring relay 'flyback', I have no idea why it would have gone out. But I get switched voltage on both sides of it. So now, this: