Beocenter 9000 restoration – 2 issues

[CharlieWednesday]

I just picked up a Beocenter 9000 cheap on eBay, as a restoration project.  It was in surprisingly good order, I was particularly surprised to find that CD and cassette both work (although I probably will replace the tape belts anyway).  Apart from a little scratch on one of the doors, it’s in great cosmetic condition too.

There are only a couple of issues but both things I have never fixed before so I am looking for some advice.

Door Cords: the door for the tape deck is not functioning, all parts are there, they have just come loose. I have never had to re-cord the doors on one of these before and for the life of me I can’t figure it out.  The door cord instructions from B&O which are here are a bit vague.  I can’t even be sure exactly what type of cord I should be looking for to replace it, and the bits where the knots go?  That looks like witchcraft to me!  I’m assuming I won’t be able to re-use the string as it would surely be impossible to re-knot it in the right place?

Speakers 1 output not working:  I only get sound from speakers connected to Speakers 2 outputs, not Speakers 1.  It’s not on mute (first thing I checked!), and the mute button does function but makes no difference – there is no sound coming from Speakers 1, only Speakers 2.  I haven’t had a close look at the amp yet, so maybe it’s just a loose cable, but off that it’s both speakers 1 outputs that are not working.

Just on the off-chance that anyone has experience of either of these issues, thought I might as well post.

[Guy]

Have a good read of this thread about the door strings:  https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/my-beocenter-9500-restoration/

And the Speaker 1 problem does usually indicate that it is time to replace the Mute relay – the contacts are corroded or dirty – best to replace.  You can find a new one at BeoParts.

EDIT:  I managed to get some replacement door strings from this seller but I think he only has the plastic sliders left:  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166490477922

 

[CharlieWednesday]

Thanks – I did figure out the door strings after a lot of messing around (don’t ask me how!).  I’ve managed to get one of the two back in place, the other one is almost there, I just need to get the knotted end into the little slot that holds it there – I’ve had enough with it for tonight, I’ll try again tomorrow.

I’ve just read about that speaker power relay on Beoparts and you’re almost certainly right.  I need to order tape belts from them anyway so I might as well order that too.  I’m assuming it will need soldering in place?  With any luck then I’ll be able to get it into full working order!

[Guy]

Yes it needs soldering – here’s the relay in a BC9500:

[CharlieWednesday]

Ah yes, I’ve found it in my 9000 now (it’s actually pretty big and obvious, now that I see it). I’m not the best at soldering which is why I asked, but my partner has a steady hand – he can do it!

[CharlieWednesday]

Update – I manage to fix the door cord; tape deck door now working!  It also needed a new door belt but luckily I already had a spare.  That took a lot of patience and a lot of repetition (get one bit in place, another bit comes loose…), but I got there in the end.

I’m also even more sure than I was yesterday that you were right about the mute relay @Guy.  Now that I have put it all back together, I have plugged the speakers back into Speakers 1, turned up the volume, and kept pressing mute on and off.  Sometimes I would get some sound from the speakers when mute was off (although it was a poor connection).  I know it’s not the amplifier though as it sounds fine when the speakers are plugged into Speakers 2.

I have a full amplifier unit from a Beocenter 8500 which I broke down for parts (too far gone to repair).  I’m assuming that although that was from a BC8500 rather than a BC9000, it should work?  I will get the mute relay from Beoparts and try to fix the BC9000, but just in case that fix doesn’t work, I could just swap out the whole amp with my spare amp if it’s compatible?

[CharlieWednesday]

Sorry I’ve realised I didn’t phrase this as a question in my last post but there was a question, if anyone knows – would the amplifier unit I already have from a BC8500 fit into the BC9000 as a straight swap?  It looks like it would but I don’t want to risk it and then see smoke coming out of it!

Although the amp is out of a broken BC8500, the amp (and speaker outputs) were definitely fully working, including the mute relay.

[Guy]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

would the amplifier unit I already have from a BC8500 fit into the BC9000 as a straight swap?

I had a look at the service manuals of the 9500/8500 against the 9000 and can’t see any differences, but the amplifier module part numbers are different.  There are statements in the archived forums that say the amplifiers are ‘basically identical’.

It’s the sort of swap I personally would try, but obviously at your own risk! (and be careful not to break anything else as you swap the boards over – those connecting plugs cables etc are getting quite old and brittle!)

[CharlieWednesday]

That’s what I thought – I have a few days off work so have the time to try it.  The connections actually all look in pretty good order.

I do still intend to order the mute relay and see if I can fix the original amp in the BC9000, but just in case that doesn’t work, I have a backup.

[CharlieWednesday]

While I was poking around inside the BC9000 I also decided to try to get the cassette mechanism out and have a look at the belt.  It’s the Type 1 cassette deck; I’ve only replaced belts on the Type 2 before now.

The cassette deck does work, but I also have a Beocenter 8500 which is the one I use, and the tape deck in the BC8500 can be a bit temperamental sometimes, so I want to put a new belt in it. My BC8500 also has the Type 1 tape deck, same as the BC9000.

So, I thought I would take a look around the tape deck in the BC9000 (a restoration project) so I would know what to do when it came to replacing the belt in my BC8500, but I cannot figure out how the get the tape deck mechanism out!  There are three screws (two on the lower edge, and one above, next to the motor), but something still seems to be holding it in place at the bottom edge, that I can’t see it. Has anyone here ever removed one?  What’s the trick to it!? I have checked the service manual but it does not go into the level of detail needed, or not that I can see.

[Guy]

It’s about 15 years since I changed the belts on my BC9500, but I remember a similar problem!  I think there was a probelm with cables snagging at the front, and that you had to remove the multi-plugs from the rear.

Where did you get the belts – did they come with instructions?

[CharlieWednesday]

Thanks – I didn’t undo the cables yet so I’ll have a look and see if that helps.  I haven’t ordered the belts yet as I wanted to know that I could get into the thing first!  They sell them on Beoparts though.  If I can figure it out I might as well get two, and replace the belts on both the BC8500 and the BC9000 too, as they’ve probably never been replaced.  I’ll be ordering the mute relay for the BC9000 from Beoparts too so might as well get everything in one package and save on the shipping.

The Type 2 tape deck in my BC8000 was easier to get out of the unit for servicing (unscrew 4 or 5 screws and it just lifted out), but it had 3 belts and one of them was very difficult to fit.  I’m hoping the Type 1 is easier!

[Guy]

I have sent you a PM with the instructions that I had – please make sure that you give Beoparts the business otherwise I will get in trouble! 😀

(other tape belt suppliers are usually inferior products and they probably don’t include instructions, hence I haven’t shared more widely!)

[CharlieWednesday]

Got it – thanks Guy.  I’ve got it out now – the thing I was missing is that you have to push down on two plastic lugs on the plastic cover, which you can then lift, tilt toward the back of the unit, and remove.  Once that’s off, the tape deck comes out quite easily and I can turn it over and see where to get at the belts (or belt, in this case – Type 1 has just one belt it seems).

I’ll order the belts then (from Beoparts!), thanks, and replace the belts on both the BC8500 and BC9000.

 

[CharlieWednesday]

Finally I plucked up th courage to replace the mute relay that I bought from Beoparts.  You were right @Guy; the mute relay was the problem.  The new mute relay works, but…

In my amateurish attempts to disassemble the amplifier unit so I could get at the back of the PCB for soldering, I’ve obviously managed to cause another problem.  Before I fitted the mute relay the Speakers 1 outputs did not work but the Speakers 2 outputs worked.  Now, the left channel works in for both 1 and 2, but the right channel does not work for either!  I haven’t yet figured out what I’ve done to it, but I’m sure i’ve just dislodged something, I’ll continue to investigate.

Fact is, you were right about that mute relay though, so just wanted to say thanks.

 

 

[Author]

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