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Browning Golden Eagle: MK3 vs MK4!

M

Master Chief

Guest
Apr 5, 2005
1,312
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What is the difference between the Mark III and the Mark IV radio? Why is one better than the other? I'm looking for an educated opinion. Let me explain......

The Mark III is a crystal controlled, 23 channel radio and touted as having the best audio between it and the Mark IV.

The Mark IV is a 40 channel PLL radio. The original Mark IV had PLL issues and was released as the Mark IVa from the factory after the fix. Kits and upgrades were available for the Mark IV to fix the bad PLL circuit.

This is all fine and obviously I already know about this. What I want to hear is WHY one radio is better than the other as far as quality, tube compliment, audio circuit, etc.

What I don't want to hear is that your buddy Billy Bob has one and it rocks. This is useless information! I would like to hear educated opinions based on the build of the radios in question.

Thanks!
 

I have a Mark 3 and it is a great radio. 4s are nice to but always heard from the old timers the power supplys were the weak point on them. I would still love to have one. I can go were I want with the mark3 and a Siltronix slider.
 
MC-

Are you familiar with Grumpy's Olde Time Radio Forum? He considers himself a Browning guy and would probably have an answer.

BTW, my buddy Billy Bob does have one and, in fact, it DOES rock! Sorry, too much of a jump ball for me to resist. 8)
 
I can't get real educated because I am not a tech but I have read where crystal controlled radios have a better audio sound. Why? I do not know. A semi- educated guess would be that the Mark IV went with the more modern PLL circuit in the transmitter. I will go out on a limb and say that tube equipment is the best sounding over any full transistorized rig. One only needs to listen to an old tube stereo console to hear a difference. That is two different birds but it still suffices to say.
Now if crystal controlled boards produce a better sound is a true statement, then IMHO the difference would be something lost by going with the PLL. I have a Mark IVa and it has an incredible amount of and great sounding audio. I got it from a Browning guru that owned a local cb shop in my home town that is no longer doing work. How much he did to it? I don't know. I don't suspect much. It is not all jacked up and modded. One bit of knowledge though is in all my experience, not only with mine but others I know who had the same radio, is that the non amplified D-104 gives the best sounding audio out of that rig.
 
It's a hybrid radio. The IV has the SAME power supply components and needs (basically) as the 3. HOWEVER, the 3 DOESN'T have the 3.3, 5 and 12 volt supplies in it.

The low voltage supplies where the biggest problem. Browning could build tube stuff, the solid state stuff they needed help on, and to point to that FACT, almost ALL solid state browning stuff is actually built by Uniden, after the Mark IV fiasco.

Dennis, #12, designed the original channel 'kit' for them, and can also offer some fixes for the IV's, vs the IVA's.

As to the modulator sections, etc.... It's all in the technician. A simple capacitor in a coupling circuit can make or break a tubed radios tx section and fidelity.

--Toll_Free
 
If you'd like MORE proof that Browning COULDN'T design anything solid state, take a look at the D300 and D80... BOTH pinnacles of achievement on Brownings side, the last radios they really made.

Oh yeah, they are a Cobra 142 and Cobra 140, respectively. Their engineers saw the writing on the wall and realized they couldn't build a hybrid or solid state that could compete.


--Toll_Free
 
No technical reason a PLL would sound any different than crystals when both are working OK.

The 40 channel radios needed a way to limit modulation for type acceptance. They all sounded weak without mods. When these radios first hit the market you could hear lots of folks with weak audio above channel 23.

The older radios had more modulation. Many of the newer radios used all the same tubes and modulation iron and only needed a limiter dialed down.

I had a Mark 4 and it sounded every bit as good as the 2 Mark 3's I've owned. I never opened the lid on the thing to see what was done to it though.
 
Toll_Free said:
If you'd like MORE proof that Browning COULDN'T design anything solid state, take a look at the D300 and D80... BOTH pinnacles of achievement on Brownings side, the last radios they really made.

Oh yeah, they are a Cobra 142 and Cobra 140, respectively. Their engineers saw the writing on the wall and realized they couldn't build a hybrid or solid state that could compete.


--Toll_Free
Click to expand...

Sorry, think you've got your wires crossed a bit, The D300, and D80 Were both Uniden chassis Trams. Browning Sported the Baron.
 
Doc Feelgood said:
Sorry, think you've got your wires crossed a bit, The D300, and D80 Were both Uniden chassis Trams. Browning Sported the Baron.
Click to expand...

You're right... Duhhh.... LOL.

The Baron, the LTD and a couple others. Still, NOT their own designs, when it came to 'top end'.... Their 'entry level' stuff, I've never seen any that survived, so I can't comment.

I like finding the old Polycomm and other odd branded tube stuff. The kinda stuff you NEVER see around anymore. Still kickin myself for taking a Gonset CB and Polycomm N apart when I was younger.

--Toll_Free
 
Toll_Free said:
I like finding the old Polycomm and other odd branded tube stuff. The kinda stuff you NEVER see around anymore. Still kickin myself for taking a Gonset CB and Polycomm N apart when I was younger.

--Toll_Free
Click to expand...

I have an old Polycomm Pro, and a Utica TC3 with the key. I have a few of the obscure old rigs lying around, to bad no one to talk to on the things :sad:
 
Hi Doc,
Do not know where you are located....
Down in the Central Valley in Ca, there is a group of guy`s, out of Fresno.
Old Tube Radio Network
Every Sat night, at 8 Pm they get on channel 11. They have a roll call for SWL numbers, and after that they all stay in there till 10 or 11 at night, talking on old tube radios
Eagles, Sonar, Johnsons, PolyComs,General Radio Telephone,never know what you will hear on there.

73
Jeff
 

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