BUYER BEWARE - Browning CB Radio

Things to look for and WATCH OUT FOR when considering the purchase of the collectable Browning CB radios so you don't get stuck with THIS ! Buying TIPS and lots of other helpful info from a long-time radio collector & tech. 73-Gregg s9radio

[@antennaandy6893]

Those radios bring back a lot of memories, back in 1972 and 1973, I remember a friend had a set of those. I had Midland and Johnson radios back then, those were our cellphones of the day

[@ON5ALE-Alessio]

A charming ancient cb with tubes and cristals wow

[@ohm8458]

Man I'd be crushed if a flood got into my radio room! Excellent you saved that Mk3. Great video. ⭐ 73 160 Great Lakes.

[@MIKROWAVE1]

I only buy stuff that does not work. That way, I'm never disappointed, plus I get to fix it!

[@s9radio]

That's a big 10-4, me too. I would never buy a rust bucket, a friend made this mistake however most of my equipment was purchased non-operational killing two birds with same stone - purchase price is usually better and then the real fun / sometimes challenge is the repair. I guess the best was the fairly new Yaesu FT-1000 MP I got from a shop that was unable to bring it back to life for $700 at a time they were still fetching $2K. Upon arrival it showed a code on the display that the seller did not disclose. Yaesu told me it was a fatal error, don't waste our time or yours on the repair. Not very encouraging but I was pretty sure before purchase I could part it out recovering some or all of the purchase price. Friends called me crazy spending that kind of $$$ on a DOA rig. A few days later the rave reviews on the transmit audio started pouring in with the Heil PR-40 studio mic. I found several issues. Blown 7808 V-reg that controlled the pair of 2879's bias, pinched wire in the 4-story stack of circuit boards that I believe was a factory fault as there was no evidence of the stacked PCB's ever being tampered with and one other issue I don't recall as it's been 15yrs and I service way to much equipment to remember every detail. What's your favorite revival story & 73-Gregg s9radio

[@mikemoyercell]

love those radios and the feedback defect that people loved so much that browning put it back on later models.

[@dw8840]

When it comes to used high dollar CB radios, I often find where someone has jacked with the AMC circuit or has messed with the trap coils. And yes ive also seen inproper screws used in putting the covers back on.

[@nomadradio]

Hmmm. Retired from service anchoring boats.

[@DandyDon1]

Only the back ends. The front ends were kept above water to be "high and dry" ;)

[@iggystim]

I recently came across on ebay a wonderful looking ( from the pictures) SBE Console V and purchased it. When received I saw that the previous operator was a heavy smoker. Live and learn

[@thevintageaudiolife]

Most if not all of those old radios need some sort of restore, If ya'll expecting plug and play when you buy old vintage gear good luck with that.

[@steveb3885]

These are in good shape compared to what many restorations involve. Lamps do not indicate hours unless you know for a fact the line voltage wasn't high. Renickeling the chassis isn't hard or expensive. 99% of those parts are fine with a cleaning. And why worry about corrosion on a capacitor that will be replaced.

[@Z28videogates]

Good informative video!

[@twoheart7813]

I bought a new SBE 23 channel base at a fleamarket, mic was still sealed in plastic, for a few bucks and the channel selector was sloppy out of the box but it has awesome receive & xmit, looks great in its finished wood cabinet.

[@josephtome9600]

To add insult to injury any grounds secured by rivets only are liable to affect performance if the set lived in a damp environment.

[@s9radio]

Absolutely and I'll add I expect this rig to have future issues as rust never sleeps. It's going to a friend, gifted to him from the owner, I could never sell a rig like this without full disclosure and even then I'd tell them there buying into potential issues. 73-Gregg s9radio

[@michealenochs8470]

Great job bringing those old birds back, glade you removed that toggle switch, what was it for? Again thanks for sharing, great video.

[@s9radio]

it engaged a slider circuit (inductor) to drop the transmit freq.

[@Jor-d2i]

External corrosion on transformers as shown does not always mean the windings are defective

[@mrbyamile6973]

No it does not, it does usually indicate the radio was stored in a high humid environment. That high humidity can effect all types of other components.

[@s9radio]

It's okay for now, but I'm sure the iron core transformer laminations may eventually pierce / rust through the Nomex fishpaper used to wrap the windings with the constant expansion & contraction of the core as it heats & cools. It doesn't take much to short-out vintage HV transformers unless they're of the vacuum impregnated type. The radio is going to a friend, I could never sell something like this as I know it will have issues down the road. Rust never sleeps and I've done enough radio rehab over the last 60yrs to have seen this over & over. Steer clear of rust buckets and radios exposed to heavy cig smoke or else. 73 - Gregg s9radio

[@DandyDon1]

Unless you see the equipment for sale at a public place of sale, many do not want to take the time to open a unit up to take images for an online sale. Especially those who are not knowledgeable of how to remove a receiver from it's case. For example a Hammarlund 180/180A where you can damage one of the controls if you are not careful removing the shell.

[@DandyDon1]

I was very lucky to have recently purchased a Hickok/RD Instruments KS-15874-L2 which belonged to AT&T Long Lines.

[@DandyDon1]

The transformers are most likely destroyed from the water, and/or will run extremely hot (if at all) without immediately blowing fuses.

[@DandyDon1]

I'm sure someone paid way too much for those CE distribution capacitor cans! ;)

[@s9radio]

why do you say that? What do you use in half-wave extremely hi-ripple situations that quickly destroy smaller caps because of their inability to dissipate heat. PS-I'm a former power supply engineer and anyone that is knowledgeable on vacuum tube supplies already knows this. Regular, even low-ESR caps are quickly destroyed in these applications and the AC hum will be on the rise less than 100 hrs after installation as easily seen on a scope. I yank the cheap crap out almost monthly in my restorations that were done WRONG by shops, so-called techs with pissed-off clients sending me their stuff in to have it done right. There's a reason the Mallory FP type caps are still the choice 75 yrs after their inception, they offer unrivaled surge capacity, hum reduction and by far outlast everything due to the huge patch of aluminum oxide that erodes in every aluminized electrolytic cap.

[@DandyDon1]

@@s9radio I repair tone wheel Hammond organs, Leslie speakers and Ahlborn-Galanti analog and digital instruments. I personally do not know about the present, but a tech whom has serviced vintage instruments much longer experience with the CE Distribution manufactured capacitors had "high failure rates".

[@roughrider3772]

Just purchased a Browning 68R receiver, work fine on receive but no audio from speaker, S meter moving and can see people talking, ext speaker screws on back hooked up to an external speaker, but still no sound, thinking maybe audio transformer is bad ,internal speaker works by testing the PA, but the audio transformer was bypassed , still puzzled. All audio tubes are good 6AQ5 and 12AX7. Any suggestions?

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

The really dirty SW-100 I got: Works out of.... Spite? Stubborness? Idk.

[@adambennett2176]

Bankrober waving!!! Stuck in Laredo tx foe the weekend!!!

[@raymondleggs5508]

It's now 10Pm and you are now listening to R.U.S.T.Y radio

[@thesquirrelchroniclesakare7808]

Nice work Greg 👍🏻

[@chezirroy]

Nice radio... lots of history and great job bringing it back to life. one thing I'll never understand is why people like that annoying "ping" …. I wont be able to hold a chat with that constantly on.

[@michealenochs8470]

All do respect sir, you definitely are not a Browning fan, if you were that ping would be music to your ears. I love playing these old birds, I have two MK 3’s and a MK 4A. I try to play them every day. Thank you sir I hope you change your mind about these radios, back in the day (70’s) and even the early 80’s they were King of the air ways! I wish you could have been there!

[@spaceflight1019]

On the video I have on here, the secret to quiet operation with a Browning Eagle is to turn the squelch up. This allows you to keep the peace with your family.

[@s9radio]

Well, it's the most famous sound in 11-meter radio and I suppose if you were active in the 60's & 70's you would treasure the ping as most of the vintage operators do. Brownings were not only 'top shelf' radios of the day, they were also status symbols and the ping let everyone know you were running a Cadillac rig that was just a dream for most due to their price-point. 73-Gregg s9radio

[@chezirroy]

@@s9radio Showing off... That's the only reason people liked it.

[@chrisolson968]

Those weren't under water, unless you already cleaned the sludge off. But they spent some time in a high humidity garage or basement. But you know what, they were pulled out in the nick of time. 73.

[@s9radio]

They were submerged, water spots inside the meters & relay. All that spotting is quite visible on both meters as well as the tell-tail silty residue if one was to look closely at the video.

[@daytonpyro]

529 subscribers, plus 1

[@bugsyjonesband]

I see you seem to have given up on Regency Imperials?

[@s9radio]

the Imperials are my fav 11m rig and I'll be doing an Imperial verse Imperial-II video soon. 73 - Gregg

[@bugsyjonesband]

@@s9radio I have four of them 2- 2’s In varying stages of operation yet all work to a degree. Most of the issues seem to be with frequency offsets. I’m not well educated in electronics so I’ll be watching for that. Also have a really nice range gain 2 that “seems to work ok. Just doesn’t transmit in the channel I’m hearing. I have so many questions yet the years aren’t being very kind to me.

[@s9radio]

@@bugsyjonesband Unfortunately Regency crystals are a huge issue due to them being placed in the cage with a heat generating tube that seems to be the reason so many Imperials & Range Gains have bad or off freq crystals. I bought 5 Regencys with hopes of getting crystals better than the ones I had. On one set, all the crystals had gone bad, I think two worked but were 1/2 kc off. If you want, shoot me an email and I'll try to help, getting ready to throw my Range Gain on the bench, quicky alignment and then on to ebay. 73

[@juststeve7665]

How are you doing with the fire Greg?

[@duaneshuster6366]

Rusty eagle you can wire brush transformers off repain pray radiox still work .

[@adambennett2176]

Lose and sloppy!!?? Thats what she said!!!..

[@s9radio]

get them loose & sloppy 'Lot Lizards' off your mind Bank Robber

[@MrCaveman8]

I hear those bronze fastner screws are hard to find these days too!

[@Tom-qx5nl]

Try McMaster-Carr, they usually have anything you could imagine in all types of material.

[@MrCaveman8]

@@Tom-qx5nl Thank you sir!

[@DandyDon1]

@@Tom-qx5nl You just gave away a trade secret! You are hereby kicked out of the fellowship-of-hardware-buyers club! ;)

[@s9radio]

You can get 10-32 brass screws at Home Depot but like every other vendor, they bare little resemblance to the originals that were a Truss-Head and had what appeared to be a patina finish giving them an antique look even when they were new. 73-Gregg s9radio

[@thomasrobinson182]

Does anyone use CB any more? I got a 40 channel 'emergency' CB as a gift some years ago. Lots of folks playing DJ and least one preaching to his imaginary flock. No one using the frequencies as intended.

[@s9radio]

Yes, it's quite active with lots of long-range skip due to solar activity.

[@thomasrobinson182]

@@s9radio My point being does anyone use CB as it was conceived?

[@ON5ALE-Alessio]

I would had given 50 usd

[@lesjones5684]

Landfill 😅😅😅

[@deforrest5611]

Ass_in _nine Radio is more like it