If you've been in CB for any length of time the subject of Browning radios have surely come up. Whether it be as "Browning", "Mark", or "Golden Eagles" these radios have become legends in certain circles. Most famous of these radios was the MARK III Golden Eagle. And pictured below is the Mark III Receiver unit.

 

 

 Yes, this rig came in TWO pieces; a separate Transmitter and Receiver, but was really a small setup compared to it's predecessor - the MARK II, which totaled six pieces if you counted the business band transmitter and Model 180 amplifier. But I digress....The Mark III came onto the scene around 1971, and although it was replaced by the ill-fated Mark IV series (sometime in 1976), the Mark III continues to be used by operators around the country on a daily basis.

According to Bob Millum (author: The Browning Story, published in the CB Gazette) the early model had no ALC in the transmitter and had a 2-piece panel on the receiver like the Mark II. Eventually they changed this to a one piece panel, different colored speaker grills and two different receivers (one received up to almost 27.600).

Legends aside, the Mark III is a great radio for the 23channel CB Band. Unfortunetely, 40channels is the norm, with many operators jumping off into the freeband area, and you'll need a VFO on the transmitter to acheive this goal (provided you have the extended receiver). Sideband operation is difficult at best when operating a separate Transmitter and Receiver and I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone short of a Browning fanatic! This rig makes a nice collectible showpiece, or, a fine AM station (AM isn't so picky on tuning or drift).

 

 

 This model, with the extended receive, it a particular favorite of collectors, and of course those rascals known as "Freebanders". The Golden Eagle Mark III was the first model to have wood grain cabinets and AM/SSB in the transmitter and receiver.

 

This Mark III dial clearly shows the extended receive capability