Transistor sockets? is there such a beast?

[oldskool1969]

Is this a silly idea? has it been done?
I have had to do a few transistors, mainly on my STERN games (mainly flipper transistors, we know why  )
One I had to replace was on RBION and the tracks and pads were just about fingered as they had been hacked a few times previously. I fear if it goes again, I might be in trouble.

Therefore I ask the question, is it a good and plausible idea to do a transistor socket thus making these plug and play when they pop?

I personally think it is a great idea.

[Homepin]

The idea is sound but in practice there is too much current through the legs of these driver transistors for the socket to hold up. In the "olden days" sockets were used on signal transistors as they were very delicate and quite expensive.

[oldskool1969]

Thats a shame, thanks for that.
In this day and age you would think with the clamping/connections available there would be a cost effective solution.
I mean christ, they use IDC in 240v-10A applications now and I would think that that is way more critical than a semiconductor application?
Guess this is why STERN are going back to dual windings  , doesn't help us with the older games that will eventually need repairing.

[Homepin]

Thats a shame, thanks for that.
In this day and age you would think with the clamping/connections available there would be a cost effective solution.
I mean christ, they use IDC in 240v-10A applications now and I would think that that is way more critical than a semiconductor application?
Guess this is why STERN are going back to dual windings  , doesn't help us with the older games that will eventually need repairing.

Many of these modern mosfets are rated at 80A or even more - I don't actually know how the wire legs could cope with such a current but sockets that would need to be that size certainly couldn't.

[spacejam0]

I had a problem with a transistor blowing on my board. It took a while to find the problem that was causing it (turned out to be a coil).
Anyway it would blow every couple of months and I was worried about doing damage to the board continually changing it (I'm no service man). Anyway I asked the guy who services my machines if he could install a socket. He said he had never done it but it sounded like a good idea and to let him have a think about it. A few days later he came over with a socket he had made from some old electrical plug soldered it in and it's never missed a beat since.
He is a member here and if you like I could contact him and see if he is able to explain to you what he did? Just let me know.