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Old 24th Jul 2017, 12:44 pm   #1
Oldelectronics
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Default Which Hacker?

I recently purchased a pair of Hacker Heralds a VHF set and a LW/MW set. The VHF set needed little more than a good clean a new handle and a bit of TLC the other set needs new transistors to replace the AF117s but has other issues I can be getting on with while waiting for transistors to arrive. To get to the point! I was so impressed with the VHF set I was looking at getting a Sovereign or Hunter but without AF117 issues! So the Hunter RP38A sounds like a potential or perhaps a Sovereign 3 I have seen a Sovereign 4 advertised so far at a reasonable price but there does not seem to be a semiconductor list I imagine though as a very late set it will have modernish semiconductors but does it fall in the vintage bracket. Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards

Kev
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 1:05 pm   #2
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

Hackers from the silicon era mostly use Lockfit transistors which have problems of their own, though they are normally easy to change.
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 1:26 pm   #3
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

Signal stages of the Sovereign II went all-silicon in the course of the initial model's production, RP25, so if you get one that's an RP25A or B it's bound to be free of the AFs. The Sovereign IV - well, it was introduced 40 years ago so probably can be considered vintage by now, but it is something of an economy model by comparison with the earlier Sovereigns. The separate AM and FM IF circuitry is no more, there's a little solid dielectric tuning capacitor, etc.. It's by some way the biggest of the four Sovereign models as there's room inside for the RPC1's cassette deck. Not a bad radio by any means, but arguably not quite a worthy successor to the others.

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Old 24th Jul 2017, 1:39 pm   #4
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

Thanks for guys that much appreciated. A really dumb question what exactly is a lockfit transistor? My guess probably wrong would be it's a plug in like an i/c mount. I have looked for a picture of one does someone have one. Excuse my ignorance butt I have just run out of room for woody's and am moving on to transistor sets!
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 1:49 pm   #5
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

These fellows:

http://www.markhennessy.co.uk/articl...ransistors.jpg

Not plug-in exactly, just made for easy insertion during production. Mark's whole article where the photo appears is well worth reading,

http://www.markhennessy.co.uk/articl...ransistors.htm
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 1:50 pm   #6
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

I have found a picture now But was wondering why lockfit? Thanks Paul much appreciated that makes sense now. Sorry we crossed on typing.Sadly it says I am 'forbidden' to open the article.
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 2:03 pm   #7
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Default Re: Which Hacker?

Mark's article covers the issues and solutions well. The transistor characteristics aren't critical and they are easy and cheap to substitute if physical access is easy (which it generally is in Hackers).
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Old 24th Jul 2017, 2:04 pm   #8
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My RP38A sounds very good and has been in daily use for about 10 years by me, goodness knows how long before that. Not a thing changed inside AFIK. The instruction manual has 1/6/76 written on it, 41 years old.
 
Old 24th Jul 2017, 4:49 pm   #9
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Into the article now its excellent thank you Paul.
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