ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
When I paid for this Beomaster 6000 4-channel unit, I knew it was chancy. But I'm not complaining: it's useable as is and all those Quadraphonic LPs will make for a delightful winter. But there are a few things that I'm hoping I can make better. I hope it's okay to make a list in hopes I can get your help.
As far as I can tell, everything WORKS!! Speaker outputs all work, all the buttons work, radio sounds good. I haven't plugged anything into any of the inputs, but all outputs are working, even the headphone jacks. (I bought a pair of quad headphones that need some wires re-soldered. I want to replace the Radio Shack plugs with a nicer pair, preferably longer so that they're easier to plug into the hidden jacks.)
1 - The entire LEFT side of the panel does not light up. Right side is OK. I will guess that indicates a power delivery problem to the left side. I haven't opened up the 6000 yet, so I don't know where to look yet.
2 - The FM dial lighting is weak. I will investigate the various postings of Beolover, et al.
3 - One of the tuning arrows doesn't light at all. The green "stereo" light is very dim. I think I can handle replacing all three incandescents with LEDs. I say this with all the courage of a soldier who has not yet seen the battlefield.
4 - I find that all the buttons seem fairly hard to push. I recall reading stuff about the 6000 having light touchswitches. I don't have a lot of experience with body-conductance, etc., so I hope someone can point me in the right direction on this.
5 - My Beomaster 6000, as well as the Beogram 6000 I purchased with it, has a white plinth which really doesn't go with the cabinetry in my living room. Are trades acceptable for posting in the "for sale" section on this fine website? I have a BG4002 that I can swap bases with the white BG6000. Until I hear otherwise, I will presume the white trim could be swapped off of my Beomaster 6000 as well.
Any thoughts, help, suggestions, will be greatly appreciated.
JackM
Either bad spelling, or bad typing ---- in no. 5 it should be a white "plynth" I want to trade for rosewood.
Jack: Either bad spelling, or bad typing ---- in no. 5 it should be a white "plynth" I want to trade for rosewood.
Er... no! Plinth is the correct spelling.
Jacques
Thank, Jacques, at least one question solved.
However, things have taken a turn for the worse since my original post. Now, it doesn't power up at all. I will open it up this weekend, with fingers crossed and hopes diminished.
A white Beomaster 6000 is an object of desire. Should you want another colour, please find another one, don’t peel off the white veneer!
Good luck with the restoration.
You mean someone would actually do that???
No, I'm looking to trade my white trim or case to get rosewood. Although, since my unit suddenly doesn't power up at all, this may be a moot point. I should have time later this week to open it up and try to coax it back to life.
Sorry - Mr. Impatience hit the enter button twice.
jack
Update, of sorts -
I have opened it up and found nothing that looks wrong. Surprisingly clean inside for its age. Nothing looks out of place, tampered with, replaced, upgraded or ever even touched, although there is a tag on the outside of the bottom indicating it received some service in the 1980s. From my readings, it is an "early" 6000 owing to the fact that the "stereo" light is green, not red. I've been dancing around this forum, looking for the name of the B&O dealer in Toronto. Anyone know if they still exist and have a "service department"?
Also, in case anyone has been dying to have their BM and BG 6000s in white, I'd be happy to sell or swap the white plinth of either or both of my units.
Belated Happy New Year to all.
Jack
Hi Jack. Lucky you, I have always wanted a BM6000. The 6000 quad does not have capacitive switches like later products - you're bending those metal tabs and moving a switch underneath. Same as the beograms. Maybe what's underneath has oxidized over the years.
In Toronto we used to have a great B&O service place called All In One electronics but they closed up, retired I suppose. You can get in touch with the company store at https://beotoronto.com/ and maybe they can direct you to someone.
Ryan: The 6000 quad does not have capacitive switches like later products ...
The 6000 quad does not have capacitive switches like later products ...
Capacitive switches - what's that?And which later products have them?
Martin
I would argue the concept pioneered in the Beogram CDX, is a capacitive touch solution.
And I pretty clever one,- simply using the properties of a transistor.
I may be using the term incorrectly. My impression is that "capacitive switches" are like the elevator buttons that don't move at all when you touch them. There is no tactile feel to them, but the elevator arrives at your floor. I also have them on my microwave. Hate them. You're never really sure you hit the button right.
I must have misread an article about some other unit having capacitive switches. Somehow I think I might have liked the tabs on the 6000 being "that way". The 6000 would give you fairly quick feedback. Elevators and microwaves, you practically break your finger trying to push the button hard enough to be sure you "pressed" it.
Ryan -
I owe you a Blue! The company store website has full information regarding their service department. I called and a nice lady said that they do indeed service the BM6000 quad. Very nice, considering I'm only a three-hour drive up the QEW, etc. Beats packing and shipping and hoping (a Dusty Springfield hit?). I'm reasonably familiar with downtown Toronto since we're Buffaloons.
Now I just want to wait for a good day for the drive up, then I'm gone a few weeks on vacation out West, including some serious scavenging for quad LPs and 8-tracks at a couple vinyl stores.
Thanks for your help!
UPDATE - or more like a RE-BOOT -----------------
I have done almost nothing with the BM6000 since this conversation began. I had a bunch of other projects that I needed to take care of before I'd be able to give the 6000 my undivided attention. The 4-channel monster is a bit daunting for a would-be electronic whiz, so I decided to wait until my dance card was empty. That took almost up to New Years Eve. I would've been able to start around Haloween except that I discovered a 1960 toy player piano called a PianoLodeon (cq) - not a toy piano, a toy player piano - that actually plays music rolls using a system much like an old time player piano. Worth the effort as a Christmas gift for my two young granddaughters. Now, finally, I can pick up on the BM6000.
Last time I tried the unit, the lights were dim, but it seemed like things were actually working. Upon opening it up I found that four of the five bands that hold the red marker for volume, bass, treble, up/down and left/right are threaded incorrectly. I'll have to re-route them. I hope it's as easy at it looks on Beolover's instruction video on YouTube. I have already checked the power supply. It seems good, although I need to check the manuals to see if what I'm getting is what I need.
Next step will be to clean up the contacts on the keys. The BM6000 came to me looking like it had been run over by a rusty old Hummer towing a leaky bass boat, with a few of the keys actually bent a bit upward. How do you do that? It wasn't pretty. But I was in contact with Boneofiel who apparently has a magic wand devoted to making the keyboard almost as good as new. It is now a BEAUTY! I just need to clean the contacts and tighten up the mountings on the PCB switches so the keys need to be pressed only the tinyest distance to actuate the controls. Then - I have the correct replacement bulbs for the tuning arrows, etc.. Nothing here sounds any too difficult. As long as I can avoid manhandling the PC boards.
Which brings me to CAPS! A lot of folks seem to think ya gotta replace the capacitors. Power caps - sure! The tantalums....I think I'll hold off til next winter, if the unit sounds reasonably decent. I've built up a fairly large collection of quad LPs over the past year. Time to do some listenin'.
Today's question: anyone want to swap white for rosewood? My Beomaster 6000 4-channel, and matching Beogram 6000, have white bases which really won't look right in my living room. I'd like to swap for rosewood if anyone's been looking for white.
So much for today's dissertation. Comments and/or corrections are welcome as I take a deep breath and heat up the soldering iron.
Happy 2019 to all,