Browning Night Eagle

[mark4]

I came across a crazy looking browning Mark IV and now Mark III. Someone made a label with black face and gold faunt.
"Night Eagle"
With gold plastic piping around the front edge of the covers. (looks like automotive door edge protection).
I guess I would see it as a blinged out browning.

Have you seen it?

[KneeBiter]

I have seen it. cool but not cool. When I was 17 If it bolted on my car I had it. JC Whitney was on my speed dial. Now I like everything stock. And when I see pics of my bling from back then I say what was I thinking. Now I know why my dad shook his head. But its all what the person likes. So to each his own. I think they look cool but I would never do it to one of my radios.

[KneeBiter]

[thehobo]

say hey, the nite eagal brownings were the redone radios that , then, the big knob tecks, were rebuilding for resale.. there the ones who wood put other radios in the big box radios that had seen there day.. i have one of his dak rebuilds that has a 148gtl installed in it.. not a bad radio, i think about a year or so ago he had a forum that feathered his stuff.. but he had alot of problems?? with family so he just quit everything.. his site was called big knob radios.. thats all i no..

thehobo

[2600]

You mean this guy?



This pic is from a visit he made to the shop here a couple of years ago. Had a standing order for any Pride DX300 that I might come across. Since then he has become a widower. Sold all but a few of his radios and took down the Big Knob site.

Goes by the handle "Kelley" and he's getting back on the radio bit by bit. Not sure you'll ever see any of this kind of custom work for sale again, but he's coping with his loss and getting back into the swing of things a little at a time.

The custom radios and gold-plated D104 mikes were a retirement hobby, and never intended to be a business. Had a setup with Deb's Decals for faceplate artwork, but Deb has retired. Fixed up what suited him and sold them to make room for the next project. The popularity of his work became a bit of an irritation at times.

And yeah, he figured out how to put our Mark 3 VFO on a D201A to get around the fatal crystal-selector problem.

Kelley spent decades campaigning to see Vietnam Vets' Agent-Orange injuries recognized and compensated as proper combat casualty. Published a book on the subject "Rain Agents of the Vietnam War". You won't ever hear him blow is own horn about that work, and he's not the only 'activist' to pursue this objective. A lot of people are better off for his efforts. The Veterans' Administration is such a cesspool of entrenched fat-cat bureaucrats that even the smallest victory takes an overwhelming effort to achieve. 

But that's the story.

73

[Sandbagger]

Jul 9, 2017 9:06:27 GMT -5 KneeBiter said:

I have seen it. cool but not cool. When I was 17 If it bolted on my car I had it. JC Whitney was on my speed dial. Now I like everything stock. And when I see pics of my bling from back then I say what was I thinking. Now I know why my dad shook his head. But its all what the person likes. So to each his own. I think they look cool but I would never do it to one of my radios.

I'm the same way. When I was young, I wanted to do every kind of modification I could come up with to jazz up the performance of the radio. Now, I want things to be as close to factory original as I can get. Must be an age thing.....

[mark4]

That goes well beyond my limits of modifications. But if it makes him happy it's his radio.
Looks like a lot of hard work.

The frequency counter installed in my Tram D201A is where I stop.
It is a no hack mod and can be returned to factory.
Not one hole drilled.

But I have no intention of doing it. Especially helpful on SSB.

[gator7]

I guess it looks ok, I had a MK III that some one tried to copy that look with gold tape. It wasn't the best job, and it was a backup radio anyway. I'm more About leaving the face alone.