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
|