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Browning Golden Eagle Mark III SSB help needed with RX

Crambone

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2019
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I received a Mark III set and when I hooked up and turned on the receiver was giving off an odor and then a tiny bit of smoke. I flipped it over and found a resistor that go HOT! I don’t have a Sams for this so I’m not sure what’s going on. Here is a pic of the burnt resistor, I lifted one leg and measured 2.222k
B427EA69-F661-43D0-B3A1-1A0543F68036.pngB427EA69-F661-43D0-B3A1-1A0543F68036.png745C8B16-4D38-4B4A-B303-C48C9D70E467.jpeg
 

Yes, it does appear to be R23.

Two major possibilities. First, a shorted V6, a 6BA6 tube.

Second, a wire inside T4 has come unwound and shorted to the grounded can.

First possibility is easy. Second one not so much.

73
ok, I tested the 6BA6 and it tested good, in fact I tested all the 6BA6 to compare and they all tested the same almost. I tested T4 and shows no shorts to any pins. Im seeing 7 & 7.2 ohms across them.
not sure but I’m seeing a short to chassis on all 6.3vac pins, I know one side goes to ground and I’m guessing it’s just reading through the tubes?
 
I’m seeing a short to chassis on all 6.3vac pins,
It's an AC circuit. The DC resistance you'll read is very low even if everything in the 6.3-Volt AC system is perfect.

I do remember one of these 455 kHz IF transformers that had the wire come loose inside on the side connected to a tube's plate circuit. The wire has insulation but not much. It would rub against the inside of the metal can and blow the 2.2k plate resistor. By the time you had turned the radio upside down to fix it, that wire would pull back away from ground just far enough to clear the short. He got tired of this and wired a 10-Watt resistor in its place. Next time that wire touched ground inside the can, the IF transformer smoked. The half-Watt resistor had been protecting the loose wires inside the IFT when it smoked. The 10-Watt resistor let the IFT's wires smoke. They protected the resistor.

Did finally clear up what was to blame for this symptom on that occasion. The IF transformer's primary winding was dead open.

73
 
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It's an AC circuit. The DC resistance you'll read is very low even if everything in the 6.3-Volt AC system is perfect.

I do remember one of these 455 kHz IF transformers that had the wire come loose inside on the side connected to a tube's plate circuit. The wire has insulation but not much. It would rub against the inside of the metal can and blow the 2.2k plate resistor. By the time you had turned the radio upside down to fix it, that wire would pull back away from ground just far enough to clear the short. He got tired of this and wired a 10-Watt resistor in its place. Next time that wire touched ground inside the can, the IF transformer smoked. The half-Watt resistor had been protecting the loose wires inside the IFT when it smoked. The 10-Watt resistor let the IFT's wires smoke. They protected the resistor.

Did finally clear up what was to blame for this symptom on that occasion. The IF transformer's primary winding was dead open.

73
Ok I will pop the can off and take a look I may put some liquid rubber (tool handle dip) inside the can before re installing just for precaution.
 
It's an AC circuit. The DC resistance you'll read is very low even if everything in the 6.3-Volt AC system is perfect.

I do remember one of these 455 kHz IF transformers that had the wire come loose inside on the side connected to a tube's plate circuit. The wire has insulation but not much. It would rub against the inside of the metal can and blow the 2.2k plate resistor. By the time you had turned the radio upside down to fix it, that wire would pull back away from ground just far enough to clear the short. He got tired of this and wired a 10-Watt resistor in its place. Next time that wire touched ground inside the can, the IF transformer smoked. The half-Watt resistor had been protecting the loose wires inside the IFT when it smoked. The 10-Watt resistor let the IFT's wires smoke. They protected the resistor.

Did finally clear up what was to blame for this symptom on that occasion. The IF transformer's primary winding was dead open.

73
Nomad are you ever wrong? Popped off the can today and sure as sh%t bare wire makes contact when moving around. Took care of that, re-installed and powered on with no issues. Unfortunately work around house had to be done so didn’t have the time to go any further. I’m guessing I will hook to transmitter and see what I get.
 
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Well need a relay, tried cleaning but just chatters So ordered one like it with new base. Also when keyed I’m seeing all channels 2MHz low on all channels. Not sure if an alignment will give me back the 2 missing MHz?
 
but just chatters

A chattering relay is a power supply problem, not a relay problem most of the time.

Or it could be an overload problem, if the final or modulator tube were pulling excess current, pulling down the power supply voltage.

Sounds more to me as if the transmitter still has original filter capacitors and they're not doing the whole job.

The filter caps in the Mark 3 receiver will usually fail before the transmitter. Mostly from the higher internal temperature, I'd guess. The transmitter runs cooler, since it spends most of its time (in effect) on standby waiting to be keyed up. We have seen more than one Mark 3 with new filter caps in the receiver only. When the filters in the transmitter take a dump later on, you'll see this sort of symptom. Hold off on the relay until you're sure the power supply is all there, and all the tubes in the transmitter pass muster.

A new relay isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it will cure the chatter.

73
 
Great info once again, I ordered new filter caps a while back but haven’t revived them yet. I was planning on changing out all the electrolytic. I’ve been testing the HV resistors and all tested in spec surprisingly. Thee transmitter dosent seem to have much use/ time on it as the lid has no telltale hot spots so I’m assuming it sat a bunch. Picked up from an estate sale and they found them in the boxes stored up in a closet. Son didn’t ever remember his dad even using a cb.
 
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