[Boatanchors] Elderly Transistors (was gassy tubes)

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J. Forster" <jfor at quikus.com>

> Actually, not all transistors are still good after being in storage for
> decades.

I can confirm this.  I rebuilt an early solid-state rig with 
Germanium transistors (SBE rig IIRC) and had to discard
several NOS devices that were "leaky."
I don't know why, but I was told this had to do with 
impurities in the early transistors; the doping migrated and
boundries got "fuzzy-"  and also that the contact points on 
the germanium decayed over long periods.

I imagine those made in Western factories to today's standards
could theoretically last for millenia.  Or until some doofuss like me
hooks them up backwards ;-)