LA3607 likely fakes

[asdf]

I was just to order some LA3607 graphic equalizer chips from this
seller (have other stuff in the cart from them) when realized
that the chips in the photo are almost 100% fakes: there are
traces of use on the left chip pins, and the one on the right
shows clear signs of sanding to remove previous labeling
before applying the new one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182324727078

I'm tempted to tell the seller, just to see how they react

 

[asdf]

On Tue, 27 Dec 2016 17:58:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery wrote:

It seems that many ICs and simiconductors from China off ebay are fakes
or do not work. Local ham ordered 8 RF transistors and they were all
bad.

Case in point: 2SC1969 and 2SC1971 They're very well known power RF
transistors for HF and VHF which are not cheap, but Chinese sellers offer
their fakes for less than 1/10 of their cost from reputable sources.
Chips such as the NE5532 are counterfeit too, whoever buys them from
Chinese suppliers basically gets relabeled TL072s if he is lucky.

I have ordered many of the small devices for a few dollars each that are
made of the China parts and they seem to work.

I can confirm that. Batches of cheap ICs/Transistors etc. are almost
certainly fakes, while modules and small devices usually do work.
I've bought amplifiers, testers, uC modules etc and never encountered
a problem, but try to stay away from active components, save for
those that are so cheap that faking them isn't economically
convenient anymore (LEDs, drivers etc).

 

[John Robertson]

On 2016/12/27 2:05 PM, asdf wrote:

I was just to order some LA3607 graphic equalizer chips from this
seller (have other stuff in the cart from them) when realized
that the chips in the photo are almost 100% fakes: there are
traces of use on the left chip pins, and the one on the right
shows clear signs of sanding to remove previous labeling
before applying the new one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182324727078

I'm tempted to tell the seller, just to see how they react

These days I test a sampling of chips when I order from anyone other
than Digikey (Mouser, etc.). There are a LOT of fakes out there. You are
correct though, these look faker than most. No manufacturers mark,
imperfect plastic body, and the printing looks inferior to most
industrial parts too.

John :-#(#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

 

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <o3uojp$1v59$1@gioia.aioe.org>, asdf@nospam.com says...

I was just to order some LA3607 graphic equalizer chips from this
seller (have other stuff in the cart from them) when realized
that the chips in the photo are almost 100% fakes: there are
traces of use on the left chip pins, and the one on the right
shows clear signs of sanding to remove previous labeling
before applying the new one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182324727078

I'm tempted to tell the seller, just to see how they react

It seems that many ICs and simiconductors from China off ebay are fakes
or do not work. Local ham ordered 8 RF transistors and they were all
bad.

I have ordered many of the small devices for a few dollars each that are
made of the China parts and they seem to work.

Seems like China items are a real crap shoot. I have 2 different brands
of the handi talkies and they both work well, same as about 20 others
that I know of. Some of their other ham radios either do not work
exectally right or quit after a year or so.

 

[John Robertson]

On 2016/12/27 3:31 PM, asdf wrote:

On Tue, 27 Dec 2016 17:58:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery wrote:

It seems that many ICs and simiconductors from China off ebay are fakes
or do not work. Local ham ordered 8 RF transistors and they were all
bad.

Case in point: 2SC1969 and 2SC1971 They're very well known power RF
transistors for HF and VHF which are not cheap, but Chinese sellers offer
their fakes for less than 1/10 of their cost from reputable sources.
Chips such as the NE5532 are counterfeit too, whoever buys them from
Chinese suppliers basically gets relabeled TL072s if he is lucky.

I have ordered many of the small devices for a few dollars each that are
made of the China parts and they seem to work.

I can confirm that. Batches of cheap ICs/Transistors etc. are almost
certainly fakes, while modules and small devices usually do work.
I've bought amplifiers, testers, uC modules etc and never encountered
a problem, but try to stay away from active components, save for
those that are so cheap that faking them isn't economically
convenient anymore (LEDs, drivers etc).

Oddly enough, some of the obsolete parts I have bought off eBay from
Chinese sources have been authentic. Mind you the ICs were very specific
in design and pretty much impossible to fake (had a socket built into
the top of the IC, and they were also ceramic with gold legs). They came
in factory tubes which made it easier to believe they were authentic
when I ordered them. Buying through PayPal does give you protection
against fakes...

I've bought parts from local electronics jobbers that turned out to be
fakes.

There was an article in Popular Science back in the early 90s about
counterfeit parts and the safety of aviation...so this is not a new
problem. Heck even the Romans complained about innkeepers watering down
the wine...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_fraud

"Let's be careful out there!"

John :-#)#
--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

 

[asdf]

On Tue, 27 Dec 2016 18:41:59 -0800, John Robertson wrote:

... Heck even the Romans complained about innkeepers watering down
the wine...

I'm from Rome, the wine fraud has been so popular even in recent
times that it got into a local very well known popular song.
Today in some places they do the same with beer.