"honker Diodes" [??]

[petemoore]

  Those big honker diodes that look like, but are larger than the 1n4001/7 diodes, sometimes about 3 times as big...some look like 1n4001's...
  I suppose I could measure the voltage differences using a FF circuit, a battery and a DMM, but for the sake of discussion, size not a big consideration [standing up they can be a 1 space on perf, is there a reason these are not electronically desirable ..

[phaeton]

You mean like those 6A rectifier diodes?



Why not?

Cost maybe?  Size of the leads?  IIRC they all have a forward voltage around 1.5V or so (kinda like an LED).  I've been meaning to get a few and play around with them in some 18V circuits.  I suppose that they'll sound about the same as the 1N400x's but i could be wrong.

[petemoore]

  I'm pretty sure they won't fail as clipping diodes, never tried 'em, the threshold V should tell all if not Most of the story there...
  But for polarity protection...I see them near 100v+ caps so I figure theyre' heavy duty..that and their size illudes to that..
  I just wonder if there's a difference in voltage drop or whatever else that would be an 'undesirable' for use as a polarity protection diode/

[Sir H C]

Leakage I would assume is higher, softer knee for the currents that you will be running at, lower forward voltage for the same reason.  Only would be 1.5V or so if there are two in series in there, as currents go up you want minimum forward voltage and resistance as those are losses in your system. 

[johngreene]

selenium diodes have that extra special mojo inside.

Anyone who's ever been around one that had it's 'special mojo' let out will know what I mean.

--john

[phaeton]

selenium diodes have that extra special mojo inside.

Anyone who's ever been around one that had it's 'special mojo' let out will know what I mean.

--john

Are we talking about "time to call the HAZMAT squad" mojo, or is this more like "I had chorizo and beans for lunch" mojo?

(nm that those two are always exclusive)

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Yeah, I let some mojo out of selenium rectifiers when I was a kid (and didn't really understand the concept of 'maximum reverse voltage... kind of interesting though, just add more diode plates to the stack until you get the voltage you want! and then tighten the stack for optimum curent flow). For the curious, selenium fumes (it's actually the hydride you are smelling, I think) is like garlic. Electric garlic, that is...

[WGTP]

So they are good against electric Vampires?

[petemoore]

  I'm using them for polarity protection. They seem to work fine. I was just wondering if there's a voltage drop, and I'm too lazy to find the number on one of them, look it all up [..cypher and compare the Data Sheets], it'd be just as easy for me to clip*hook in a 1n4001, then, 'whatever I got there' diodes to a circuit and test for the voltage and current differences...but like I say...I'm cheep, eco-sensative, talkative, and lazy.

[Paul Marossy]

Electric garlic, that is...

So, Paul Perry, what you're telling us is that as a kid you played electric garlic?!  Or was that "guitarlic?! He he he