Beolink System manuals / Handbooks

[Madskp]

I recently bought this System manaul 1987/88 – Beolink as I was interested to see what that that was about.

 It is in german, but I can understand enough (with a little help from Google translate) to figure that it is kind of like the later Master Control Handbooks (and Masterlink Handbooks for that matter).

But that got me thinking, how many of these kind of systemmanuals / Handbooks was there? Was a new one coming each year or only if larger changes in the product programme and link technology made it nessecary (probably)?

To get a little wiser I have tried to make a list of the system manuals and Master Control Link Handbooks that I know exist in the next post , and then maybe others can chime in with info about other versions and I will update the list accordingly.

As with many manuals from B&O there is not a clear indication of publication year/month/date, so I have tried to make an indicative publication year for each manual based on the naming and/or information in it.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

System Manual 1986/87 ( ~1987)

I do not have acces to this System Manual, but it is mentioned by name in the system manual 1987/88

 

System Manual 1987/88 – Beolink (12-1987)

In the preface of the manual it is mentioned that it gives a complete overview of the Beolink systems and Master Control Link 2 systems from bang & Olufsen.

The system manual specifically mentions the following products:

MCL2A (type 2045)

MCL2B (type 2005)

MCL2C (type 2009)

MCL2E (expander type 2007/2008 )

Beomaster 3300

Beomaster 5500

Beocenter 9000

Beovision LX2500/2800

Beovision LX2502/2802

Beocord VHS 91 / 91.2

Beocord VHS 82 / 82.2

 

System Manual 89 90 – Master Control Link 2 (3/1990)

In the preface of this manual it is mentioned that it focuses in detail on the features of the MCL2 products

The system manual specifically mentions the following products:

MCL2ABLI* probably type 2046 or 2047

MCL2AV (type 2020)

MCL2P (type 1741-1745)

MCL2E (expander type 2007/2008)

* BLI is short for Beolink in this context. It is mentioned that this verison is a replacement for MCL2A (probably type 2045 that was used in the earlier system manual).

In the setup examples the following products are also mentioned/shown

Beovision MX5000

Beomaster 4500

Beomaster 5500

Beocenter 9000

LC1

 

Local Control System -Master Cotrol Link Handbook (~1993)

In the preface it is mentioned that the handbook gives an introduction to the basic rules for the MCL product programme 92/93 and future programmes.

The handbook specifically mentions the following link products:

X-tra speaker kit (MCL2A type 2047 with tranciever))

X-tra active speaker kit (MCL2AV type 2025-2028 with tranciever)

X-tra TV kit (MCL2AV type 2031-2032 without tranciever)

MCL2P (type 1741-1745)

System setup examples are shown with the following audio and video products (not all are mentioned by name but only with a drawing):

Beovision MX

Beossystem 2500

Beosystem 6500/7000

LC2

 

Beolink – Master Cotrol Link Handbook (8-1995)

Beoworld link https://beoworld.org/?a=download&key=cb0ab01d1c665cc9488a8ec9c920f129

In the preface it is mentioned that it is an introduction to the basic rules for the MCL product programme until 1994, which judging by the examples in the handbook also includes combinations with Master Link products.

The handbook specifically mentions the following link products:

X-tra speaker kit (MCL2A type 2047 with tranciever))

X-tra active speaker kit (MCL2AV type 2025-2028 with tranciever)

X-tra TV kit (MCL2AV type 2031-2032 without tranciever)

Beolab 3500 (LCS9000) type 1601-1605

Beolink Converter type 1613/1614

AV9000 Audio kit type 1610

ML/MCL converter type 1650-1653

LC2

System setup examples are shown with the following audio and video products (not all are mentioned by name but shown with a drawing):

Beovision AV9000

Beovision Avant

Beovision MX

Beosound Ouverture

Beosystem 5500/6500/7000

MCP AV9000

 

Beolink – Masterlink handbook – 10-1994

 

Beolink – Masterlink handbook – 04-1997

 

Beolink – Masterlink handbook – 09-1997

 

Beolink – Masterlink handbook – 10-1997 (US Version)

 

Beolink – Masterlink handbook – January 2004

 

Beolink Handbook – version 1.5 date 20150112

 

Beolink Handbook – version 1.7 date 20150622

Beoworld link https://beoworld.org/?a=download&key=5bb5276463dd2219b3bbf9ef28458f01

Beolink Handbook – version 1.9 date 20161122

Beoworld link https://beoworld.org/?a=download&key=38ee698dc610b943009f1007a8d2ef2e

Beolink Handbook – version 2.1 date  20210927

Beoworld link https://beoworld.org/?a=download&key=051253a12a3abc36e98538e973b4862e

• This reply was modified 1 week, 2 days ago by Madskp.

Location: Denmark

[carolpa]

I have a copy of a Mastercontrollink handbook of 8-95… (the paper one I have is presumably older),

and was (presumably) succeeded with a Masterlink handbook (I do have a 4-97 copy).

[Madskp]

carolpa wrote:

I have a copy of a Mastercontrollink handbook of 8-95

Thanks for adding information 🙂 I was curious if the 1994 one was the last one to mention MCL2 systems. Is that month/year shown on the front page or mentioned in the preface?

carolpa wrote:

(the paper one I have is presumably older),

Is it one of those I have mentioned in the above post? I just added pictures of the front pages to make it easier to identify.

carolpa wrote:

succeeded with a Masterlink handbook (I do have a 4-97 copy).

I might also have to go through the different versions I have. Again it that date/month printed on the front page or elsewhere?

Location: Denmark

[carolpa]

Madskp wrote:

carolpa wrote:
I have a copy of a Mastercontrollink handbook of 8-95
Thanks for adding information 🙂 I was curious if the 1994 one was the last one to mention MCL2 systems. Is that month/year shown on the front page or mentioned in the preface?

carolpa wrote:
(the paper one I have is presumably older),
Is it one of those I have mentioned in the above post? I just added pictures of the front pages to make it easier to identify.

carolpa wrote:
succeeded with a Masterlink handbook (I do have a 4-97 copy).
I might also have to go through the different versions I have. Again it that date/month printed on the front page or elsewhere?

MCL Handbook – Dutch version date 1-1993 (paper version) – date last page
MCL Handbook – English version date 8-1995 (digital version) – date last page

ML Handbook – Dutch version date 10-1994 (paper version) – date last page
ML Handbook – Dutch version date 4-1997 (digital version) – date last page
ML Handbook – US version dat 10-1997  (digital version) – date last page
ML Handbook – Dutch version date 1-2004 (digital version) – preface page

Beolink Handbook – version 1.5 date 20150112
Beolink Handbook – version 1.7 date 20150622
Beolink Handbook – version 1.9 date 20161122
(all digital)

 

 

[Madskp]

Thank you very much 🙂 All my versions except the System manual 1987/88 are digital versions.

carolpa wrote:

MCL Handbook – Dutch version date 1-1993 (paper version) – date last page

That might be the same as i call ~1993. No date and year on the last page in my digital version though. Does yours also say Local control System on the front page?

carolpa wrote:

MCL Handbook – English version date 8-1995 (digital version) – date last page

The one I called ~1994 is actually that one. I had not spotted the date/year on the last page before, but that makes it more identifieable. I will make a revision in my previous post.

carolpa wrote:

ML Handbook – Dutch version date 10-1994 (paper version) – date last page
ML Handbook – Dutch version date 4-1997 (digital version) – date last page
ML Handbook – US version dat 10-1997  (digital version) – date last page
ML Handbook – Dutch version date 1-2004 (digital version) – preface page

I have and english 4-1997 and a Danish 9-1997 and both danish and english versions of the 1-2004 version

I will also add all these to the above list

carolpa wrote:

Beolink Handbook – version 1.5 date 20150112
Beolink Handbook – version 1.7 date 20150622
Beolink Handbook – version 1.9 date 20161122

The same goes for these where af version 2.1 is also available with the date 20210927

Location: Denmark

[pl212]

Would it be of interest to get these scanned and uploaded somwhere — or are they already in the Members section?

Location: Silicon Valley

[YannChris]

Here is one:

 

Attachments:

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Location: Brittany, France

My B&O Icons:

[YannChris]

And another:

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

Location: Brittany, France

My B&O Icons:

[pl212]

Here is a scan of the 1989-1990 MCL2 System Guide that I have:

https://archive.org/details/Bang-Olufsen-Master-Control-Link-2-System-Manual-89-90

It’s for the North American market, which may make it of special interest. The NTSC MX5000 and VX5000 are big focus of the publication.  I’d be especially interested in how it differs from the “March 1990” one in @Madskp ‘s post!

Most of the in-wall installation items at the end are European — however, I have some North American wall parts in my collection that I’d like to document as well.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 5 days ago by pl212.

Location: Silicon Valley

[Madskp]

Thanks for the input pl212 and YannChris

Some of these manuals are available in the members section, and some have been before. I will try to update my overview with links to those that are available at Beoworld and see if I can make Multicare make the missing ones that are scanned available too.

Also I will try to scan my German Beolink System manual 1987/88 and send it to Multicare for upload to the archive.

pl212 wrote:

Here is a scan of the 1989-1990 MCL2 System Guide that I have:

https://archive.org/details/Bang-Olufsen-Master-Control-Link-2-System-Manual-89-90

It’s for the North American market, which may make it of special interest. The NTSC MX5000 and VX5000 are big focus of the publication.  I’d be especially interested in how it differs from the “March 1990” one in @Madskp ‘s post!

Most of the in-wall installation items at the end are European — however, I have some North American wall parts in my collection that I’d like to document as well.

There are some differences the front page in your version for example. I wonder if that is the actual front page and the one I have is just missing the real front page. However mine says rev. 1  3/90 which I cannot spot on your version, so probably there is a difference, although the page count is the same so might be minor revisions. I will try to look at the head to head one day in the near future and see if I can spot any changes.

Location: Denmark

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