Germaniums dear this year?

[boater sam]

Whilst fixing a Hacker I need a AC176 transistor.
Now I understand that they have not been made for a long time but the prices that retailers want for them is now getting silly. I suppose its all the wah wah pedel makers pushing the price up.
I am dubious about buying a metal can one as they can suffer from tin whiskers, I will have to use the ceramic ones and change the heat sinks.
Whilst thinking of Hackers, what are others doing about the now difficult and pricy PP9 batteries? I am considering a pack of AA cells as a substitute and remove the PP9 battery clips.
Sam.

[Mike Watterson]

Six AA in two holders (3+3 or 4+2) fit in a PP9. Some newer PP9s are plastic cases. Alkaline give a similar run time.
I've done this with loads of sets (Hacker, Fidelity, Ever Ready, Roberts etc). I also made some custom cases out of card with vintage Ever Ready colour prints glued. It's not just cosmetic because anything other than a PP9 will not stay in place.

O/P germanium transistors are the worst as the rest of AF & RF can be replaced by military Russian parts from Ukraine, or even Silicon PNP. Some circuits have sufficient emitter resistors that no resistor change is needed for the higher Vbe.

[BusyBee]

I've got similar battery holders in a radio of mine, and have done similar with a multimeter which required change of one of those four and a half volt batteries.

Russian parts are still available but I've noticed prices going up and things getting rarer now Russia is not accessible. The suppliers there must be really cursing the war.

Tracy