Mike Hyder -N4NT- wrote:
>The first Hercules was the model 444. Its fan is temperature controlled --
>sounds like a small Lear jet when the amp is idle and like a 747 in full
>reverse when it gets warm. Mine caught fire due to oscillations. It also has
>many, many protection circuits (but no smoke detector).
>
>
On the other hand....
The Hercules II is the model 420. It's fan noise is barely perceptable
as long as there is just a little noise coming from the transceiver's
speaker to mask it. (I mostly wear phones, so I don't hear the fan at
all.)The 420 has plenty of protection circuitry. Mine has held up
admirably in contest duty service, and I don't feel a need to keep a set
of spare PA transistors around. The 9420 power supply does get a little
warm in contest service, and I'll probably fabricate a new top panel
with a fan mounted on it someday.
Paragon I and Hercules I are matched sets. Ten-Tec manufactured exactly
as many Hercules I as they did Paragon I. If you can find a pair they
are real collectors items, rare as hen's teeth.
DE N6KB
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