[CharlieWednesday]

Yes there is a PC in the same room, which is in use all day, and I already do have quite a lot of digital music stored on it.

The Beolink PC2 is going quite cheap on eBay so I might buy it anyway, just to see if it works.  If nothing else, that twin Masterlink cable that’s included with it would be worth having.  If it doesn’t work I’ll just put it back on eBay.

[CharlieWednesday]

Ah, I knew it would be too good to be true!  I was hoping it would have some kind of setting that would prevent it from conflicting, but the manual doesn’t seem to give too much info on the configuration.

[CharlieWednesday]

Actually you know, there’s a very cheap Beolink PC2 going on eBay (which I believe is effectively the same as the Beoport?).  Is there a way for me to have them all connected – Beolink PC2, Beolink Converter 1611, Beolab 3500 and Beocenter 8500?  The Beolink PC2 on eBay has a Masterlink cable included which is split, so it can connect to two other Masterlink devices, so I’m thinking one connects to the BL3500, one connects to the 1611, and then of course my 1611 connects to my Beocenter 8500?  Or am I simplifying it too much!?  I’ve read that the Beolink PC2 acts as a master, so would this interfere with my Beocenter 8500?

[CharlieWednesday]

Thanks for testing.  I’ll stop worrying about the clock then!

As for the HDMI sound, in my setup, even if the TV is playing an HDMI source, you cannot get the sound from that source to play via the AV command on the Beocenter at all.  It will play sound from the TV’s tuner, or from inputs connected via Scart or YPpPr, but not those connected via HDMI.  Probably not surprising given that these 1611 and 1614 converters predate HDMI.

It’s no big deal for me though – the BL3500 was bought for audio only, and it’s the audio system I really care about.  I just wanted to test it all out of curiosity really to see what these things can all do.

I only really bought the BV8 TV on a whim because it was cheap on eBay (local collection – £80!) and included a Beo4 remote.  It looks good, but I rarely switch it on except when I’m in the mood for a bit of retro gaming, so I don’t really mind too much if I can’t connect it all together.

This has all been very educational though – thanks everyone for your help.

[CharlieWednesday]

Me again! The 1614 arrived today so I plugged it in, connecting my BV8 TV to my Beocenter 8500.  It works – I set the TV to V-Opt 1 and the Beocenter also to A-Opt 1, and now if I press AV then CD for example, the CD audio comes from the TV speakers, and if I press AV and then TV, the Beocenter switches to Aux and plays the TV sound through the Beocenter.  This is just as you advised in this earlier message Guy:

Guy wrote:

This is dependent on ‘Option Settings’.  If TV and BC are in V.OPT 1 and A.OPT 1 respectively, each will normally play sound though their own speakers and be controlled directly by the Beo4.  In this setup, if you press ‘AV’ before selecting a source, if will play through the ‘other device’ – i.e TV will play audio through BC8500 speakers (if connected) and BC8500 will play through TV.

One strange thing though – it won’t play HDMI inputs via AV on the Beocenter.  Other inputs will play through the Beocenter (Scart, YPBr), but not the two HDMI inputs.  I’ve messed around with the very complex input settings on the BV8 for a couple of hours but I can’t find an option to make those HDMI inputs work via AV.

I only mention hat out of curiously though – the main thing is I know that both my 1611 and my 1614 work!

[CharlieWednesday]

There does not appear to be any way to set the time on the BV8.  It does display the correct time when you view the programme guide, so I assume it is simply getting the time from the digital terrestrial tuner.  The only time settings I can find in the menus relate to time zone, daylight savings, and the play and sleep timers – no way to actually set the time manually.

[CharlieWednesday]

When connected to the TV, I think the only reason I got no sound was because I hadn’t set the options – there are several config options, I didn’t play around with them, as really I have no need to have the TV sound coming out of anything other than the TV’s own speakers – I was only connecting it to see if it could sync the clock from the TV, and it didn’t!

When connected to the BC9000 I didn’t leave it connected for any amount of time so perhaps I was just too impatient!  I might try that again and leave it plugged in for a time.

[CharlieWednesday]

I’m not sure it’d work now anyway – out of curiosity I connected the BL3500 directly to the BV8 TV via Masterlink, and although it is clearly connected (the display on the BL3500 shows ‘TV’ or ‘SAT’ and so on, depending on the TV source selected), I still get no clock, and no sound out of the BL3500.  Probably a setting I’m not getting right where the sound is concerned, but I’m guessing that if the clock were going work, it would just work.

I also connected my Beocenter 9000 (which does have clock and timer, unlike my Beocenter 8500) to the BL3500 via the 1611 box, and again, no clock!

I’m assuming therefore that foe the clock in the BL3500 to work, it needs to be connected to a more modern B&O audio system that has Masterlink built in, such Beosound 3000.

[CharlieWednesday]

Since I’ve got both a 1614 and a 1611, I might as well use the 1611.  After all, if the BV8 TV ever goes up in smoke I won’t be replacing it with another B&O TV (given that modern B&O TVs start at £6,500!).   Both the 1611 and 1614 were bought cheap so I might as well keep both, just in case.

Yes I think I will look for a cheap ML Distribution Box, especially given that I have two MCL cables already (albeit both quite short) with plugs both ends, so all I’d need is the box, plus one more (long) MCL cable.

I realise I’m going to all this trouble just so I can get the clock to show on my BL3500, which might not seem worthwhile, but I’ll do it for the same reason I fixed the tape deck on my Beocenter – it’s there, so I want it to work!

[CharlieWednesday]

Oh that is useful, thanks @Guy.

If I do want to bring my TV into the Masterlink network, I think I can then, like this:

• Get a Masterlink junction box, like this one
• Get 3 Masterlink cables with a Masterlink plug on one end, bare wires on the other (there’s a couple of places I could get these from, made to order)
• Wire those three cables into the Masterlink junction box
• I’ll then have 3 Masterlink connections – one for the 1611, one for the BV8 TV, one for the BL3500 (I could also add a 4th Masterlink cable and add one of the BL2000s to the network)
• Connect the 1611 to my BC8500 with the aux link cable that I already have

Or, a variation that is a bit more expensive but may be more flexible:

• Get a Masterlink distribution box, like this one
• Use the 2 Masterlink cables I already have with plugs at both ends, and buy another long one, with plugs at both ends
• Connect them all the same was as above, but to the distribution box instead

I’m also wondering (and judging from your previous posts you might know this @Madskp!), if I bring my BV8 TV into the Masterlink network, then the TV becomes the ‘controller’, so to speak, and powers the network, so I could use either  the 1611 or the 1614, but not both?

[CharlieWednesday]

You’re a genius – I didn’t realise all those LIST items beginning with an L meant ‘Link’.  I tried a few until I found one that worked – L.N.MUSIC is interpreted as Tape2 on my system.  Thanks!

[CharlieWednesday]

No you didn’t mis-read – I thought I would be able to use the 1611 and the 1614, but it doesn’t really matter – that’s not why I bought the 1614 – I bought it because it came with a Masterlink cable that was worth more than they were asking for the 1614!

Yes I’ve turned the clock off as you suggested.  The clock is no big deal really, so I don’t think I’ll bother with the Masterlink junction box, unless one comes up cheap.

One weird thing I’ve found though.  I have the BL3500 in the same room as my system, so I have set it to option 4.

I can use by Beo4 to control it, but there is one problem with using the Tape 2 input, which I use a lot, because my streamer is connected to Tape2.

Because the Beo4 does not have a dedicated A>TAPE2 or LINK button and both have to be selected via the LIST button, I don’t seem to be able to select Tape2 directly for the BL3500.  I’ve tried LIST>LINK then LIST>A.TAPE2, but using the LIST twice in a row doesn’t seem to work – it just turns my Beocenter onto Tape 2, playing on the main speakers instead of the Beolab 3500.

The only way around it I have found is to use LIST>LINK then select any other input which has a dedicated button (such as CD), then switch to A.TAPE2, then mute the Beocenter, in order to get sound only from the BL3500.  This means I can’t adjust the volume on the BL3500 while on Tape2 without switching to another input like CD, adjusting the volume, then switching the source back to Tape 2 and then muting the Beocenter again.  quite long winded!  If anyone shas come across a way around this then do let me know.

I do have a Beolink 1000 too, and that does work – LINK>SHIFT>A TAPE selects the Tape2 input on the Beolab 3500, and then also allows me to control the volume on it.  Shame the Beo4 can’t seem to do the same.

[CharlieWednesday]

Picked up the Beolabs today – turned out a better deal than I thought; it’s two BL3500s as expected but also TWO BL2000s – the eBay listing indicated that it was only ONE BL2000.  That’s made my mind up then – I’m keeping a BL2000 too, I’ll find somewhere for it…

Both of the BL3500s are Version 1 (serial begins 14…), with software version 2.0.  I’ve tested all four, and they sound fine, but I’ll have a look inside and check the drivers. They are in great cosmetic condition – one small mark on the centre grille on one of the BL3500s but apart from that, no marks.  Both BL3500s have the rear cowls, and one of them even included the wall mount, which I wasn’t expecting as the seller said none were included (that’ll save me £30).

I’m having some work done in the room before I mount the best of the two on the wall, but I have checked the setup – I have my BL6000s connected directly to my BC8500 as the main speakers, my BV CX50s connected via an MCL2A (soon to be upgraded to an MCL2AV and an MCL2P,), and now the BL3500 connected via the A.Aux and the 1611 converter.  I like that I can decide any combination of which speakers are playing.

The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the clock on the BL3500 – I hadn’t realised it will only display the time if connected to a system that has a timer, which my BC8500 doesn’t have.  Not a major issue by any means but a bit of a shame it’s clock could not be independently set.  I’ve just ordered a Beolink converter 1614 off eBay because it was going cheap for less than£20 and included both the power cable and a Masterlink cable, so I’ll use that to connect my BV8-40 TV to the system, and maybe then, the BL3500 can get the time from the TV?  No big deal if it can’t, but it’d be nice if it did.

I paid £90 for the lot, plus a 2 hour round trip to pick them up.  Proper bargain, that.  In the English countryside too so I even got a nice drive out of it.

[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]

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!

[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.

[CharlieWednesday]

Hi

The material is particleboard – just like they used to use to make flat pack furniture in the 80s (and sometimes still do) before things moved more to MDF.  The top and bottom edges however are lined with an aluminium strip.  They are reversible, the other side is off-white, but on mine, the white side is quite discoloured with age.

Yes, I like your idea about the glass shelf – it would seem more secure.  I might look into that.  Because of the way the underside of the BG8500 is shaped, the shelf would need to be quite shallow in order to remain invisible, but that is possible.

The stand for the Form1 was verify cheap on eBay.  It took a while to arrive (from China) but it does fit the Form1 very well – find it here.  The photo on eBay makes it look thicker and more substantial than it actually is, but it does the job well enough.

[CharlieWednesday]

Well, I’d have to say this went well, and was done on a budget. The SM20 unit only cost me £40 but it was a bit rusty, and did not have the full set of attachments.  Over the last couple of days I’ve rust-doctored it, took as much of the rust as I could off with wire wool, then finished with fine sandpaper.  It came up better than I thought – the left side is worse than the right (the seller had it stood on one side in the corner of the garage for a long time), but where I have it, you can’t really see much of the left side.

Although it wasn’t built for my Beocenter 8500 and Beogram 8500, it suits it pretty well, and the 4 brackets that came with it were enough – 2 for each.  The two brackets for the turntable are only 18cm long which does make me nervous – it does sit well and it is dead level, but just in case I’ve put some double-sided foam tape underneath.  the advantage of those short brackets though it that they are invisible – the turntable seems to float there.

I bought some little hooks from Amazon (intended to hang over your kitchen cupboard doors, to hang your tea-towels on!), but they happen to fit and have a nice steel finish, so I’ve added 6 of those to hold the ‘now playing’ vinyl, CD, and cassette, which you can see on the photos.  It looks a bit busy though so I’m going to take the cassette ones off – I don’t really play cassettes after all.

On the left, under the turntable, I made a makeshift bracket of my own using some metal fittings from a local hardware store bought for a couple of pounds – there’s no weight in the WIIM Pro streamer I have put there, so it works pretty well.  The Philips Hue lamp under that sets it all off quite well too!

There’s quite a lot of wiring at the back.  I have MCL cables connected to the speaker outputs (in turn connected to a pair of CX50s) powerlink connected to my Beolab 6000s, an FM antenna, and all three DIN inputs are in use, but SM20 hides all of that.

I’ve connected a long audio aux link cable to the aux connection, which snakes around the room, connects to a Beolink Converter 1611, from which there is a masterlink cable leading to nothing at all right now, but I pick my Beolab 3500 up on Monday (bought on eBay), then that goes on the wall.

I’ve also only just found out that I can set my WIIM Pro as the ‘default music speaker’ for my google home display, so now I can just voice command google to play thinks on Spotify, and it plays on my Beocenter through the WIIM Pro.

So now I have all of the music.  All of it.

 

[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]

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.

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