Product Overview
GE 2N1595 Silicon Controlled Rectifier, TO-39 Metal Can with Gold Leads, New Old Stock in the Original GE Carton
Condition
New old stock, unused. In the photos the black-painted TO-39 can carries the GE name and 2N1595 printed around the side, and all three gold-plated leads are full length, straight, and bright, with no cut ends, no solder, and no tarnish. The gold-plated header on the underside is clean, with two glass-sealed lead exits in the face of the header and the third lead leaving at the header rim as a welded stub. It comes with the original General Electric Semiconductor Rectifier carton, teal and white, stamped 2N1595 on the end panel beside the GE monogram. The carton shows shelf wear at the corners and its end flap has been opened, which is how the part was photographed. The device itself shows no sign of having been installed.
Same or next business day shipping from our Idaho warehouse. Honest pricing, no nonsense.
Online since 1999. We are here for our customers, with a no-hassle satisfaction guarantee.
Product Overview
The GE 2N1595 is a silicon controlled rectifier, a three-lead latching switch you gate on and that stays on until the current through it drops away. It is built in a TO-39 metal can with gold-plated leads, rated at 50V peak repetitive off-state voltage and 1.6A average on-state current, which puts it in the small phase-control and low-voltage switching class rather than the power-cabinet class. This one is the General Electric version, marked GE on the can, and it is still with the GE Semiconductor Rectifier carton it shipped in, back when General Electric was printing "Progress Is Our Most Important Product" on the side of the box. 2N1595 is a JEDEC registered number, so cross-reference data from that era is findable, but gate trigger current, holding current, and surge figures are not confirmed here. Check them against a 2N1595 datasheet before you design it in.
Key Features
- Model: 2N1595 silicon controlled rectifier (SCR / thyristor)
- Manufacturer: General Electric
- Package: TO-39 metal can, three leads
- Peak repetitive off-state voltage: 50V
- Average on-state current: 1.6A
- Gold-plated leads, full length and unclipped in the photos
- Can marked GE and 2N1595, readable in the photos
- Includes the original GE Semiconductor Rectifier carton stamped 2N1595
- Gate trigger and holding current: not confirmed - verify against the datasheet before use
Applications
- Restorer rebuilding a 1960s or 1970s instrument that calls for an original GE metal-can SCR rather than a modern plastic substitute
- Bench engineer breadboarding a small phase-control or lamp-dimming circuit at 50V and under 1.6A average
- Maintenance technician replacing a failed latching switch in a low-voltage trigger or crowbar circuit
- Collector or teacher who wants a period GE thyristor complete with its original printed carton
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the 50V and 1.6A numbers actually limit?
50V is the peak repetitive off-state voltage the device is rated to block, and 1.6A is the average on-state current it is rated to carry. Those two figures are what we can confirm for this part. Gate trigger current, holding current, and one-cycle surge are not confirmed here, so pull a 2N1595 datasheet and check them against your circuit before use.
Are the gold leads original, and do they solder normally?
They are as-manufactured gold-plated leads, full length and unclipped, with no solder on the tips in any of the photos. Gold plating on old leads is there for corrosion resistance and it takes solder fine, but the leads are fine wire and the glass seals at the header do not like being levered, so bend from a point away from the can body.
Does the original General Electric box come with it?
Yes. The teal and white GE Semiconductor Rectifier carton stamped 2N1595 is part of what ships. It has been opened and has shelf wear at the corners, which is what the photos show, but it is the carton the device came out of.
Is this the same as a 2N1595 from another manufacturer?
2N1595 is a JEDEC registered number, so the headline ratings were standardized across the makers who built it in that era. This is the General Electric part, marked GE on the can. If you are matching an original build or a service manual that specifies GE, this is that one. If you are cross-referencing to another maker's 2N1595, compare the gate parameters before you commit.
Why buy this one instead of taking a chance on a surplus lot of unmarked TO-39 cans?
Because there are exactly two of these on the shelf and you can see this one before you buy it. The photos are of the actual device, not a catalog illustration: the marking on the can, the state of the leads, the underside of the header, and the carton it came in. A mixed bag of metal cans from an auction pallet gives you sanding-off markings, unknown lead condition, and a sorting job. This gives you one identified GE 2N1595 with its box, and you buy the one piece you need. Shipping is $8 flat rate, free once your order passes $28, and orders leave our Idaho warehouse the same or next business day.
General Electric printed "Progress Is Our Most Important Product" on the side of this little carton, back in the years when a 1.6A latching switch in a metal can was exactly that. Two left, gold leads still straight - the next thing it switches is yours to pick.
