Parts · Transistors

NTE103

Ge NPN BJT TH.5 circuits use this part. Listed as: Germanium transistor, NPN, TO-5.

Datasheet · archived copy from NTE; the part is discontinued and the maker no longer publishes it

Substitutes Ge NPN transistor

Matched on material, polarity and the limits below from the transistor parameter database. Pinouts and packages are not in that data: check the datasheet before you drop one in, and expect gain to change the sound.

This part

Part	hFE min	Vce	Ic	Pc	fT
NTE103	90	16 V	250 mA	0.15 W	2 MHz

Used on other boards here

Part	hFE min	Vce	Ic	Pc	fT	Boards
AC187	100	15 V	2000 mA	0.225 W	1 MHz	7
2SD352	100	30 V	1000 mA	0.6 W		2
2N1308	80	15 V	300 mA	0.15 W	12 MHz	24
2N388	60	20 V	200 mA	0.15 W	7 MHz	2
2N1306	60	15 V	300 mA	0.15 W	8 MHz	13
AC176	52	20 V	1000 mA	0.22 W	1 MHz	20
AC127	50	12 V	500 mA	0.34 W	1.5 MHz	15
GT404B	60	25 V	500 mA	0.6 W	1 MHz	1

Closest by the numbers

Part	hFE min	Vce	Ic	Pc	fT
2SC71	100	15 V	200 mA	0.15 W
2SC72	100	12 V	200 mA	0.15 W
AC194	90	15 V	1000 mA	1 W	1 MHz
2SC406	120	18 V	200 mA	0.125 W	4 MHz
NKT738	80	15 V	300 mA	0.15 W	12 MHz
2SC405	60	18 V	200 mA	0.125 W	4 MHz
AC186	60	18 V	700 mA	0.215 W	1 MHz
2N1624	60	20 V	300 mA	0.15 W	5 MHz

Circuit	Based on	Category	Vendor	Box	Knobs	Price	BOM
Polaris Distortion / Sustainer 2N5088 · NTE102 · NTE103 Human Gear Animato · 125B	Human Gear Animato	Fuzz	Aion FX	125B	5	$12.50	73
Human Gear Animato Perfboard Verified 2SC2240 · NTE102 · NTE103 Human Gear Animato · 1590B	Human Gear Animato	Distortion	Effects Layouts (blog)	1590B	3	—	40
Diaz Texas Square Face NTE103	—	Fuzz	Experimentalists Anonymous	—	—	—	11
Diaz Texas Square Fuzz Vero8×10 Verified NTE103 Diaz Texas Square Fuzz	Diaz Texas Square Fuzz	Fuzz	Tagboard Effects	—	2	—	11
Human Gear Animato Vero21×22 Verified 2SC2240 · NTE102 · NTE103 Human Gear Animato	Human Gear Animato	Distortion	Tagboard Effects	—	3	—	33