I eventually found one here that was the same, so I removed the post to the different one with a different circuit. I really don't care what other users say they have found with this probably with their hobby equipment. What I said was I could not reproduce what they were saying here with the same design, same sketch, same conditions, which is not that hard to do, this is not a complex circuit. The current draw was far less than I have read here, but I took up the cause to see what I could do with my contacts as others here said they had no response.
As I said after "LONG" discussions the company who designed the original circuit is going to change it. even though they see no real need in their opinion. You cannot assume that a transistor and resistor will be cheaper at the point of manufacture or that fitting two surface mounted parts is cheaper than one, or that a series resistor wont waste current draw etc. The cheapest and best method for them following the discussion they decided was to go to the fet. Like it or lump it 