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). |