00:00Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel.
00:03If you're building or troubleshooting a safety project, getting the right optical
00:07components is everything. Today, we're cutting through the noise because I've tracked down
00:11the best deals for the top 5 photo transistors for smoke detector circuits so you can get
00:16reliable, sensitive detection without overspending.
00:19Kicking things off, we have this 5-10 piece pack of 3DU5C metal encapsulated photo transistors.
00:26The best feature here is that rugged metal housing, which provides fantastic shielding
00:31against ambient electrical noise, super important when you want to avoid annoying false alarms in
00:35a smoke-sensing chamber. Sitting at just $1.65 with an impressive 4.9-star rating over thousands
00:42of orders, it's an unbeatable budget-friendly workhorse for your workbench. Next up, we've
00:48got another listing of the classic 3DU5C 2-pin metal package, priced at an unbelievable $0.63.
00:55What really makes this one stand out is its flawless 5-star rating across nearly 5,000
01:00sales, which is crazy rare for individual components. It delivers dependable, high-gain light sensitivity,
01:07making it well worth buying if you want a proven, ultra-affordable option for compact optical
01:11sensor setups. Holding down the third spot is this 5-pack of 3DU5C NPN phototransistor
01:18triodes coming in at $4.35. The highlight here is the consistent NPN silicon design,
01:25which makes biasing and integrating into standard comparator circuits completely painless.
01:30Backed by a solid 4.8 rating, it's worth picking up if you prefer tightly matched parts from a
01:35trusted batch for your critical detector builds. In the fourth spot, we have the L14G series infrared
01:42receiver tubes, priced at $10 for a 3-piece pack. These are purpose-built for smoke detectors and
01:48specialized IR sensors, featuring an integrated lens that focuses light directly onto the detector
01:53chip while rejecting stray room light. They sit at a 4.7 rating, and while the price is higher,
01:59the dedicated smoke detection performance makes them worth every single cent.
02:04Finally, at number 5, we have a 10-piece pack of the PT334-65mm phototransistors for only $1.42.
02:13Their best feature is being matched specifically to the 940nm infrared wavelength, which pairs
02:18seamlessly with standard IR-emitter LEDs in optical smoke chambers. At less than $0.15 a piece,
02:25this pack gives you plenty of leeway to experiment and build out prototypes without stressing your
02:29budget. All the links to these parts are right down in the description below so you can grab the best
02:35deal for your build. If this video helped you out, please drop a like and hit that subscribe button to
02:41support the channel. Drop a comment letting me know what circuit you're working on, and I'll catch you in the
02:47next one.
