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This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
I recently acquired a Beomaster 1600 and could use some guidance with two pressing issues.
I have the schematics which help, but the large black vinyl covered cable coming from the power pack goes nowhere and while I might “guess” where to reconnect the wires (one with a resistor) I would appreciate some hands-on knowledge.
The other issue is the selectors struggle badly to move and I would like to know how to properly address this issue.
Jeff
Beogram 4000, Beogram 4002, Beogram 4004, Beogram 8000, Beogram 8002, Beogram 1602. Beogram 4500 CD player, B&O CDX player, Beocord 4500, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 8004, Beocord 9000, Beomaster 1000, Beomaster 1600, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 4400, Beomaster 4500, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, BeoCenter 9000. BeoSound Century, S-45.2, S-45.2, S-75, S-75, M-75, M-100, MC 120.2 speakers; B&O Illuminated Sign (with crown & red logo). B&O grey & black Illuminated Sign, B&O black Plexiglas dealer sign, B&O ash tray, B&O (Orrefors) dealer award vase, B&O Beotime Clock. Navy blue B&O baseball cap, B&O T-shirt X2, B&O black ball point pen, B&O Retail Management Binder
I never done a BM 1600 so I wont be of much help, but a couple of pics will surely help the experts.
I will follow here and I am glad that you take on a restore job.
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Hi Søren,
Thank you for you interest.
I have several photos to post; the first shows the black vinyl covered wires clearly.
This is the glass facia plate as it arrived.
Another good shot of the "before." This also shows the black wire I am asking about.
You will have to clean up the the other end of the wires so the colors are visible to see from where to where, as I see plugs it should be easy to find a loose connection
The last of the "before."
Søren Mexico: You will have to clean up the the other end of the wires so the colors are visible to see from where to where, as I see plugs it should be easy to find a loose connection
They are CLEAN now, I will get a photo tomorrow.
And now, the "after."
Last "after" photo, and I assure you the insides look every bit as good as the exterior.
But first things first, I need to get this Beomaster to be able to power up before I can move forward.
Getting itchy to start with my own 1600, but have no room for it yet... Tables full of Beograms.
blah-blah and photographs as needed
My niece really likes hers and I certainly like mine, but alas like so much of my kits it sits unused. I have too much.
Electronically it is probably the easiest to Beomaster to work on or sort.
Mechanically it is a different story.
The controls will need rebuilt the clutch will have to be taken apart and new washers installed (Martin has a kit) then once it is all back together will require a lot of tweaks to get the tensions correct. Very east to break unfortunately and may already be or nearly so. The tracker belts and tracker belt rollers are usually the first to go. The clutch spring on the volume Control clutch may be worn as well.
Piaf: Hi Søren, Thank you for you interest. I have several photos to post; the first shows the black vinyl covered wires clearly. Jeff
Could it be for OFF switch? See pic on Radiomuseum
Yes it is the on off switch and it is pulled away/separated from the black housing in front. It will need to be reconnected. that is why you have no power
Ricardo:Yes it is the on off switch and it is pulled away/separated from the black housing in front. It will need to be reconnected. that is why you have no power
Thank you Richard for all the helpful and insightful information.
When I was gifted with this Beomaster 1600 I was assured that the amplifier was “dead.” Well without power, that statement was correct.
The cable from the power supply has two wires, and one still has a resistor in place. I assume once I get back into the 1600 this weekend I will figure out which wire goes where….. but just in case, if there is any clarification as to which wire goes where, boy, I’d really appreciate that.
As for the mechanical problems with the controls, that is much more in my area of (limited) “expertise” than anything involving electronic sleuthing.
I have been interested in the unique looking Beomaster 1600 for sometime, being attracted to the different from the norm yet stunning design, however virtually everyone that came up on eBay “didn’t work.” (I think I know why…. now.)
All cleaned up (inside and out) the Beomaster 1600 is one beautiful receiver. Now if I can get it working…. I am pretty sure I can make good use of Martin’s kit. [As always, I am getting ahead of myself, one step at a time.]
Thank you again Richard for the assistance, which is much appreciated.
Hi Richard,
Would it be possible to take a more detailed photo of the on/off switch connection? I can see from your picture where the wires go, but I can not make out which wires goes where and I am concerned if I get the connection backwards I may do considerable and unnecessary damage.
I know this means opening up your Beomaster 1600, but I sure would appreciate knowing what I was doing.
Thank you.
Piaf: Hi Richard, Would it be possible to take a more detailed photo of the on/off switch connection? I can see from your picture where the wires go, but I can not make out which wires goes where and I am concerned if I get the connection backwards I may do considerable and unnecessary damage. I know this means opening up your Beomaster 1600, but I sure would appreciate knowing what I was doing. Thank you. Jeff
Ok give me about an hour and I will have some for you
Richard, you are a saint! Thank you so very much!
Piaf: Richard, you are a saint! Thank you so very much! Jeff
Here are the pics. the front is the power plug (attached to resisiter. the back is the line back to the fuse box/transformer. left and right should not really matter.
The photos are full resolution so you can click and zoom in for a closer look. hope this helps !
OMG Richard,
Fantastic! That is EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you so very much for going to all the trouble to open your pristine BM 1600 up. I can take it from here for sure.
I can not thank you enough!
Gentlemen, I have your Beomaster 1600 update.
Spent a second day clearing this incredibly dirty Beomaster 1600. Layer after layer of grime revealed new information about this Beomaster.
Took the two control adjustment pulleys off and properly cleaned the rollers, which made a huge difference.
Cleaned the tracks (again) on both sides of the belt paths on both panels and adjusted the belt tensions. Real progress here and all clutches perform perfectly except, and wouldn’t you know it, the volume control clutch; which slips. Disappointing, but Martin has a kit for this so no matter.
Next was the switch which was still connected to the cable from the power supply (I missed this small detail somehow) and found the switch was WAY to bulky in movement for the other controls to move. I thought about taking the switch apart, but decided to see if the amplifier would power-up, set the switch to ON, grounded it and plugged in the Beomaster.
Logic would have it that if the previous owner was concerned with the switch that the amplifier worked….. well not this time as the Beomaster remained helplessly dark and silent.
Time to get out the multi-meter and check the fuse…. it was good.
Now what is needed is to become reacquainted with my trusty multi-meter and test to see if there is power to the switch, if so, the power source is OK. Then check to see if there is power after the switch…. but like Søren experienced with his equally dirty Beomaster 4400, I was exhausted and decided to call it a day.
Disappointed for sure, but we’ll see where this all leads. At least the other gift Beomaster 2400.2 was a complete success and oh boy, did it ever come out better than expected.
Doing good Jeff, go on and enjoy
I saw one of these in Montreal last year and felt in love with this design at 1st sight. It's missing from my collection though, and this thread has reignited my desire of acquiring a nth B&O receiver. But I have to calm down this hoarding syndrome.
I used to have the Beogram matching it but gave it to a friend. The Beogram 1600 is also a beautiful, simple and slick design.
Anyway, congrats on your acquisition. Plus, the aluminum version is the best looking one (in my opinion that is...). Hope you'll succeed in resurrecting it.
Guillaume
Guillaume,
I REALLY share your enthusiasm for the design perfection of the Beomaster 1600; a stunning achievement, even breathtaking.
I have a regular search on eBay for the Beomaster 1600 as well as (you won’t be surprised) a Beocord 5000.
The Beomaster 1600’s are rare as “hen’s teeth” but those that are offered on eBay have function issues sans exception. In addition, for whatever reason, the exterior condition tends to be rather battered, don’t ask me why.
Beocord 5000’s are almost “common” lately on eBay but their cosmetic condition is generally worse than the Beomaster 1600’s In addition, almost all the Beocord 5000’s I’ve seen on eBay are in “as-is” condition, or “for parts,” so I pass.
My Beomaster 1600 acquisition came as a surprise gift from a good friend in California who also sent a Beomaster 2400.2 that is now quite presentable and fully functional.
Next weekend I am going to put my multi-meter to good use. The power interruption could be anywhere, but I suspect the on/off switch has failed.
I have both the Beomaster 1600 and Beomaster 2400.2 sitting on my dinning room table because I take such pleasure in just looking at them. The Beomaster 1600 needs more work, but the Beomaster 2400.2 is ready to be put away….. but I just am not ready to have it relatively out of sight.
With your restraint notwithstanding, I do hope you find a Beomaster 1600 for your collection.
Thank you for your interest.
P.S. Considering your avatar the great friend who sent me these two amplifiers also sent me a Beogram 8000.
Guys,
Here is the culprit, a very badly corroded switch. This is the in-between shot.
The completed switch.
Piaf: The completed switch.
Looks good Jeff. Keep up the good work
Ricardo: Piaf: The completed switch. Looks good Jeff. Keep up the good work
It lives!
Yep, the Beomaster 1600 lives. It brings in FM stations, tunes them, and basically all functions work properly: the vertical FM sliders, selection switches, Bass, Treble, Bass, Balance, and OFF switch. All the LED’s light up (as you would expect with an LED) and the functioning look is absolutely stunning. What a beautiful design.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is both control belts broke, they survived the cleaning and then 24 hours later just fell apart even though unmolested. Also most of the clutches that were working, now slip.
However more problematic for me; there is no sound from this Beomaster, not with speakers or headphones.
If this were Jacques, Martin, Søren, Richard….. or a host of others, they would just have at it seeing this as the challenge it is. Unfortunately amplifier rebuilding exceeds my tinkering capabilities.
If anyone has any ideas for a “simple” fix that I might have overlooked, I am all ears.
Otherwise for the present I must be content in that I brought this 1600 back this far. From where it started: the interior with the “no survivors” look, rust everywhere, misaligned top, none of the sliders working, and crud just everywhere; to its rather presentable form.
And as with all restorations it was an interesting experience and I am pleased my friend gifted me with this opportunity.
Check the 22F1 fuse
If you have power then you should have sound I would think. The design was pretty simple and very "modular" . did you forgrt to plug in one of the boards ? I would open it back up and check to see.
Too bad about the belts I only have one spare. Let me check I may know where to get new re-manufactured replacements but I cant be 100 percent certain of that.
Søren,
There is an obvious bayonet fuse and I checked it. It is fine. It has continuity.
What troubles me most is the headphone circuit is ahead of many potential problems and there is no sound there.
Can you direct me to the fuse to are interested in?
Piaf:Can you direct me to the fuse to are interested in?
Inside on PCB 22 there must be a fuse for the power supply to the preamps F1 I dont have a BM 1600 I can only go after the schematics
Søren Mexico:Inside on PCB 22 there must be a fuse for the power supply to the preamps F1
We are having a bit of a communication problem, whereas what is second nature to you, reading schematics, is Greek to me.
I looked at the schematics carefully and none of the symbols means anything to me, I don’t know what they are and I don’t see fuses. (I am sure they are there, but I don’t recognize them.)
The next best thing for me is to look at the BM 1600. There is, as I said, a large bayonet fuse, which is obvious and I checked that. No problem.
That there is another fuse for the power supply to the preamp makes sense to me.
I know you don’t have a Beomaster 1600, but if I am to locate this fuse I need to know where generally it is located and even more helpful, what the heck does it look like?
If it is a 1” long bayonet fuse like I already found it is most certainly hidden from view under something.
I know you liked that I took apart the on/off switch and got the Beomaster to display all its LED’s and the FM section working. But a switch is mechanical, something I can understand. It was corroded and baldly burnt, so fixing it was sanding, cleaning, and patience.
So if anyone can give me some idea where to look for this fuse and ideally let me know what it looks like, I most certainly will make the effort to find it and test it.
Ricardo:If you have power then you should have sound I would think.
As you can see from the pictures I do have power and although you can’t tell from photos, the FM section tunes in stations rather well.
I didn’t forget to plug in anything (I might have, but I didn’t) and it occurs to me this might be a Déjà vu' on my Seeburg repair in that I took a 16 prong plug and inserted it off one prong, and nothing worked. I was stumped until I pulled it out in frustration and reinserted it correctly and like magic and the lights went on….and the mechanism picked up the selected record.
Of course the 1951 Seeburg plug is a large crude sort of thing as compared in anything in the Beomaster 1600.
Søren gives me too much credit for having electrical knowledge that I simply do not have and then becomes disappointed in me when I am unable to follow his simple instructions.
Some things I can do with relative ease, but if you guys could have seen me take apart my Tandberg reel-to-reel, you would have busted a gut laughing.
I don’t know what I am doing and I KNOW to don’t know, so I take everything very slowly and carefully. I had 5 detailed diagrams I made with drawings so each nut and bolt I removed I knew exactly where it went. Never mind there may have been 10 identical parts, each part I took out was returned to the exact same spot.
I did this with every spring, washer, lamp….. you get the idea. It was ridiculous, but after really cleaning the Tandberg and lubricating the parts that needed it, it all went back together and it WORKED.
The Beomaster 1600 is not difficult to work on, it just takes a bit of time to figure things out. But finding a fuse I didn’t notice in the hour and hours I spent cleaning this dirty beast, well that requires a bit more direction….. apparently.
Thanks for the offer to help with finding some replacement belts. I rally appreciate that, but first I gotta see if I can get the amplifier to provide some pleasing sound. Then we can worry about the belts.
OK guys,
All knowledge is good, so I found a directory of all schematic symbols so I was able to locate several fuses on the schematic.
We’ll give this the “old college try” one more time over the weekend. Once I find the fuses testing them is simple enough.
I don’t want you guys to think that I have lost interest in this Beomaster 1600….. I haven’t, but I have been immersed in a speaker problem with my McIntosh system.
Nothing with these systems is as straightforward as it appears. In this case I have a pair of speakers that is barely audible and decided to match the ohm requirement of these speakers at the amplifier.
So I changed the connections from 4 ohm to 8 ohms and the difference in the speakers was off the charts. Fantastic, beyond belief. An INCREDIBLE increase in bass and treble in both speakers and decent volume to my formally almost silent speakers.
However, it ain’t that simple. The sound is outrageous, BUT the 250 watt per channel amplifier goes into clipping at 70 watts. Disconcerting perhaps but a really good volume level is achieved at 12 watts and bombastic comes at 25 watts.
I talked with the big-wig tech at McIntosh and he was horrified. He told me, “What you have done is FORCE your amplifier to operate at DOUBLE power. Sure you are getting a huge difference with your speakers, but your amplifier is being forced to produce over 500 watts per channel.”
That gave me pause as my “troubled” speakers, 1971 McIntosh ML-2M’s have a maximum capacity of 100 watts. Not good.
As I am dealing with a very smart engineer they have little patience for amateurs “fiddling” with their equipment. After four queries he has gone silent leaving me on my own to figure this out. Fair enough, but inconvenient.
Even pressing this McIntosh 2255 to the edge of clipping the heatsinks remained at about 105° F. so overheating is NOT an issue.
I don’t know why the change to 8 ohms appears to be affecting the VU meters, but THIS is what took my focus off the Beomaster 1600.
I hope you guys understand.
Thank you Søren,
I have found the fuses (with your help) and the plan is to test them all on Sunday and head downtown to the electronics supply house for replacements on Monday, assuming I find one or more blown, which I do expect.
My hope is the on/off switch arching (which it was) was the cause of the fuse or fuses to fail.
If not, then whatever fault caused the fuse to blow is still there and the replacement fuse will blow as well.
Hey, I got lucky with the Beomaster 2400.2…. it could happen again.
The friend who sent me these two amplifiers said just this evening, “Look at it this way, at least it is pretty.” Well so the 1600 is, but I am still hoping to do better than just pretty, I want it to work.
Piaf:I have found the fuses
I like that, moving on to the next step, reading schematics, I really hope Google will make a map for these, because they are just like road maps.
Go on Jeff, I am proud of you
With the schematic symbol guide in hand I find no less than four fuses, however in spite of my best and methodical efforts, I can not locate any but the F1A fuse, which I spotted previously and it tested fine.
Checked again just to make certain, and the F1A fuse is good. Then for fun tried the earphones again on the slight chance I might have inadvertently “disturbed” a loose connection into working. (No such luck this time.)
I will include a couple of photos of the circuit boards just in case something jumps out as something I should further check.
If not, I don’t know how to proceed, other than to thank everyone for your help.
Additional photos of the circuit boards: