2N404 Germanium PNP Transistor, Early Metal Can, Faded Markings, NOS
- 3 photos
Never used. The original pack has been opened, or the quantity was split off a full reel or tube. Leads are original and unclipped.
New old stock, open stock on the grading scaleSend the quantity you need. You get a quote back with shipping before anything is charged.
Video
Filmed on the bench. Sound is stripped from product clips.
- 0:06
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Identification | |
| Part number | 2N404 |
| Manufacturer | Not recorded |
| Condition | New old stock, open stock |
| Date code | Not recorded |
| Package | Early style three lead metal can |
| Country of origin | Not recorded |
| Family | 2N404 |
| Stock number | DK48KRKB |
| Overview | |
| Case marking | 404 clearly legible, remaining characters faded |
| Manufacturer | Not identifiable from the case. See the description |
| Electrical | |
| Polarity and material | PNP germanium, alloy junction |
| Class | High frequency switching, general purpose |
| Construction | |
| Package | Early style three lead metal can |
| Condition | |
| Leads | Full length, never trimmed |
| Condition | New old stock, open stock. Never installed, never soldered |
| Testing | Sold untested. Ask and the exact piece going in the envelope is metered first |
About this part
Sold with its limitation stated in the title, because the markings on this one have faded. The characters 404 are clearly legible on the case and are consistent with the 2N404 family. Other characters are present and cannot be read with confidence, including anything that would identify the maker. That is the whole of what the object supports and the price reflects it: a legible GE marked example sits higher in this same drawer.
The 2N404 itself needs no introduction to anyone restoring equipment of the period. It is a germanium PNP alloy junction transistor from the late 1950s, and General Electric documentation of the time describes it as a high frequency switching device for military, industrial and data processing use where reliability and stability mattered. It turns up throughout early computer logic, industrial control and instrumentation, and it remains one of the more recognisable part numbers of the first solid state generation.
One is on the shelf, in the early style metal can, leads full length and never trimmed. If you need a device whose provenance you can document, buy the marked one. If you want a period correct 2N404 for a circuit, a bench, or a collection and the faded case does not trouble you, this is the cheaper way to have one.
Questions about this part
How certain is the identification?
The characters 404 are clear and consistent with the 2N404 family. Everything else on the case, including any maker mark, is too faded to read with confidence. We are not going to resolve that for you in the title, and the price is lower than the clearly marked example in this drawer for exactly that reason.
What was the 2N404 used for?
Switching, primarily. General Electric documentation of the period describes it as a high frequency switching transistor for military, industrial and data processing equipment where reliability and stability were required. It appears throughout early computer logic and industrial control of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Should I buy this one or the GE marked one?
If you need documented provenance, buy the marked one. If you want a period correct 2N404 to use, to keep as a spare or to have on a bench, and a faded case does not bother you, this one does the same job for less.
Can you read the faded characters under magnification?
We have tried and they remain uncertain, which is why the listing says so. If you want to try yourself we will photograph the case under raking light at any angle you like before you order.