Hi everyone

I have a Beosystem 5500 ( bought in 1988 ish ) with an xtra speaker kit in another room, I have 2 remotes, the large Beo master panel 5500 and a smaller Beolink 1000. This set up has worked for many years, but just recently occasionally they will not work unless you get to about 1 metre away to the infra red xtra speaker kit receiver, other times they work perfectly from the other side of the room. I have a spare receiver which I have tried and does not make any difference. Could it be the unit that the speakers plug into, or could it be the beomaster 5500 ?.

Can anybody throw any light on this problem

Many thanks in advance

A Very Warm Welcome to Beoworld.

Are you saying that both remotes have the same problem using the receiver you have replaced ?

burantek:

Possibly neither. Might you have a plasma TV in the vicinity?

Agreed, that was going to be my follow on question..

Hi

Thanks for quick response.There is a plasma tv above the beosystem 5500.

Both remotes do the same thing, occasionally you have to get within a metre of the reciever in the other room ( no plasma tv )

Tony

So...

Room A: BS5500 + Plasma TV ...no issues w/ either remote?

Room B: Remote speakers controlled by IR -No Plasma TV ...occasional issues w/ both remotes?

Correct

Well, then IMHO it probably is not the TV as the problems would be in Room A...

As you have tried a different IR receiver, then your original diagnosis is sounding correct, either the BS or the xtra box, or perhaps the wiring between the two.

My guess would prob be the xtra box. You had a spare IR receiver to swap out... might you have an extra xtra box? In the meantime, check the wiring and especially their connections.

P.S. Welcome to BeoWorld!

Thanks

I do have a spare MCL box, so I will try that next. Just out of interest what problems do the plasma tv's give

I will let u know how i get on

Tony

tonycox:

I do have a spare MCL box, so I will try that next.

You are making this easy!

tonycox:

Just out of interest what problems do the plasma tv's give

When powered, they will emit and cause interference, most noticeable with poor remote performance! One of the more techie BW'ers could offer more insight...

BTW, I am now curious myself... Does this indeed happen w/ the TV on/off or does it not matter?

Is it possible that the TV could still be causing an issue from another room based on the emission frequencies present? Hmmm...

Before you swap anything else out... just try the remotes w/ the TV on/off.

Hi

Just thought I would update you on progress !

re wired MCL cable from BB5500 to xtra speaker box and inra red receiver, tried both boxes and both receivers that I have. No difference, remote only works at approx 1 metre. Tried remote in room where BB5500 is and that will only operate at approx 1 metre. I reckon problem with Beomaster ? Any thoughts

Thanks

tonycox:

No difference, remote only works at approx 1 metre. Tried remote in room where BB5500 is and that will only operate at approx 1 metre. I reckon problem with Beomaster ? Any thoughts

Well, based on the process of elimination...

The IR receiver on the BM5500 in Room A is responding the same way as remote data flowing thru the link system from the IR receiver in Room B.

My guess would be something common for the IR processing... IC1 in the BM? Hopefully, someone will be along that can provide you more specific information.

Thanks

I suppose an alternatve would be to pick up a second hand 5500, or if anybody can provide specific info on the IR processing I would be grateful

Tony

Thanks

Either repair or replace I guess

Tony

Not really helpful as a solution but many moons ago I had a BM5500 that only responded to the remote about 1m away. I took it to Nobby (site member & repair wizard) where we took off the top and attached it to a oscilloscope and we came to the conclusion it had a faulty IC 'somethingorother'. I didn't get it repaired and sold it on as faulty.

Thinking back I know that my particular model was able to be controlled with a BL1000 as the sticker on the back of the BM indicated but can't for the life of me remember if it worked fine with the BL1000.

InB4 either of the Martins come up, I'd say replace all the electrolytic caps in the CPU module as well as the small caps in the power supply and see if it helped.

The IR and MCL data lines go through separate circuitry to separate inputs on the actual processor, but the faults above may affect the operation of the "brains" in general. And I have had both a BM6500 and a BM7000 (all very similar internally) where doing this fixed remote control range problems. I have to admit I don't understand how the range of the remote in the link room could be affected by any fault in the Beomaster, but sometimes it's best not to think too much

Stonk, the sticker you're thinking may be related to MCL compatibility, see this thread.

Thanks everyone for various theories. I have spoken with our local B&O dealer he is convinced that both remotes are duff, because he is saying both IR recievers are working independant of each other, so it is unlikeley to be the BB55. He is going to lend me a BEO4 remote and see if that resolves the problem, at least this will defenately eliminate the remote problem.

Ill keep you updated on progress.

tournedos:

Stonk, the sticker you're thinking may be related to MCL compatibility, see this thread.

Mika you are of course correct. However my understanding is that some BM5500's had the Beolink sticker/software installed and they could be operated by a BL1000/beo4. Models without the Beolink sticker on the back could only be used with an MCP.

Stonk:

tournedos:

Stonk, the sticker you're thinking may be related to MCL compatibility, see this thread.

 

Mika you are of course correct. However my understanding is that some BM5500's had the Beolink sticker/software installed and they could be operated by a BL1000/beo4. Models without the Beolink sticker on the back could only be used with an MCP.

 

OK, I haven't heard of that - but it's perfectly possible as the BL1000/Beo4 and the MCP use mostly different command codes. These must have been early units in the production though.

Tony, yes it's a good idea to try a known good remote as the first thing. All Beolink 1000s are pretty old by now and often have contact problems especially if the batteries have leaked sometime in the past. I'm not sure how the MCP would get weak in transmission if there's enough power otherwise (display OK?) but you never know.

tournedos:

Tony, yes it's a good idea to try a known good remote as the first thing. All Beolink 1000s are pretty old by now and often have contact problems especially if the batteries have leaked sometime in the past. I'm not sure how the MCP would get weak in transmission if there's enough power otherwise (display OK?) but you never know.

I certainly agree that the first thing I would have tried would be the remotes, even if just refreshing the batteries. However, I took it from the OP's posts that both remotes would act up on occasion and other times be just fine.

Yes the IR circuitry on the BM itself and the circuitry for the link feed are separate... I went after what they both have in common... IC1 as I read it.

I would still like to know if anyone has had issues in link rooms when a plasma is present in another room. I have read (elsewhere) that their emissions can be remarkably powerful and long ranging.

burantek:

I would still like to know if anyone has had issues in link rooms when a plasma is present in another room. I have read (elsewhere) that their emissions can be remarkably powerful and long ranging.

It's still just light, so a closed door inbetween should get rid of it.

But, the processors in these Beomasters are rather slow, and they have to simultaneously keep track of several command interfaces (IR, MCL, and at least two Datalink interfaces). If the IR receiver is badly bothered by a plasma TV, it will continuously feed spurious pulses to the processor causing it maybe to miss communications from elsewhere... but this is now just speculation, and once again should bother the other IR receiver (in the link room) at all ranges.

Getting back to my original bad cap theory, the MCL boxes receive their power from the Beomaster, and so may also suffer from an unstable power supply in the BM. The IR receivers are very sensitive to power supply noise.

Hi everyone

It has been a while since I have updated info, but I have finally managed to get hold of another Beolink 1000, and still no improvement on

remote response, therefore it must be the Beomaster 5500. Next step is to try and located a decent BM5500

Thanks for all your help

Did you ever move your BM5500 to another room and check if it's working there? I had a strange issue two years ago which you can find here.

Edit: Corrected the link (damned copy&paste)!

Hi

Thanks for you response, your link takes me to a page about speakers , is that correct ?

Tony

Hi Tony,

the link should be fixed now!