Hi guys, posting this here on the workbench because it didn't seem to fit the general forum where I posted it at first.
Hope someone can help a newbie with a link problem.

I own a Beosystem 5000 with a pair of Beovox S45 (the '80s version).
To the system I have a MCL 82 with a pair of CX 50 speakers connected. Works fine.

The problem starts when I try to connect another MCL 82 kit. I don't know how to connect it properly. I tried linking them as a chain, just attaching one end of a new MCL cable to the already used terminal strip in the first relay box (as in the picture), and the other end to the new box' terminal strip. That generated smoke in a resistor in the new relay box as I powered up the system. I replaced it and tried again with the same result.

Is this an incorrect way of connecting the pieces or is it even possible to connect two of these at all?

I don't know if it is of any significance but even though the MCL:s are both the same (type 2041), the components inside the relay boxes look slightly different. The 'new' one is also labeled 6,5 V next to the pink wire on the terminal strip, whereas the info on BeoTech states 7,5 - 8,5.

I know there are some real experts out there and I am most grateful for any advice. Thank you.

You should be able to connect the link boxes in a chain.The boxes,as you say,are all connected in paralell.The pink wire is the supply,and the screen of the data wire is the ground return.The resistor burning in your additional box,suggests a short in that box only?

Have you tried connecting the additional box singly,to see if it functions ok?

The data switches are for adapting the box to various different Beomasters/systems

Hi Solderon. Thank you for your reply!

I thougt I had tested the additional box separetly but somehow I mixed them up and it turns out it was out of order as you suggested.

However, I managed to get hold of another one (along with a terminal 5000), I set it up as shown above and lo it worked! Goes great together with my CX100's.

Do you have any idea what could be wrong with the old box? I wouldn't even know where to start looking.

I find the picture of the box a bit strange.

If it's the old Beolink MCL82 which fits Beosystem 5000 and 8000 among others then the MCL boxes looks completly different inside.

The above is the early MCL2 system called MCL82 which can be seen on the trancivers. Acording to the IR code converter manual and the Beotech site this is what should be used for linking of Beosystem 5000.

http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/mcl/mcl2-p05.htm

http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/mcl/mcl2-p06.htm

Now the question is what kind of box is in your picture? I notice that you can setup the box for different use by the blue socket with the pins which depend on the system and setup. 

I know of one box called the IR code converter box used for Beolink 1000 option on Beomaster 5000, 8000 etc. I have one and its totally different inside than the one in your picture.

http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/mcl/mcl2-p10.htm

I do have a an idea on what type of box you got though.

In order to link a Beomaster 5000 you need 1 thing that is the MCL30 link box and tranciver module unless you have the IR code converter kit installed. Now on an Beomaster 8000 you would need 2 things and that is MCL30 link box, tranciver + the Beolab kit nr. 6270295 and I think that the box in your picture is the Beolab kit which does not fit into linking a Beomaster 5000 at all.

Could you provide some more pictures of that box. Maybe it has a number or something?

Glad you have it working.This system was introduced in 1982 to partner the Beosystem 5000 and others.They are useful kits,although the later MCL2 system was much better in terms of speed and immunity to noise etc,using a higher ir carrier frequency etc.

It depends upon which resistor is burnt as to what is wrong with your box.They were pretty reliable generally.

As they use decrete components they are repairable,although I think the main chip is long since unavailable.

Hi Friedmett.

It is definetly a MCL 82. (Type no. is 2041) I know this because the one on the picture has been working together with my BM 5000 all the time and responds to the signals from MCP5000 as well as the termnial 5000. It also matches very accuratly to the box described at the bottom of the BeoTech pages you posted. The MCL 2 is for the BM 5500 and uses BL 1000 IR codes, correct me if I'm wrong? And the MCL 30 is about as old as MCL 82 I think, but only works together with BM 3000 and BM 6000.

The blue socket with pins on the MCL 82 is for switching between use of either BM 5000, BM 8000 or BC700x/BC7700.

Now the IR code converter is most interesting. How well does it work? Do you use the one your picture? How do you conect it to, say a BM 5000?

Glad you paid the matter such an interest. Allways nice to discuss the old stuff!

Well then its a question of what link boxes in that picture I posted. I have never had any MCL82 modules or seen the inside of a relaybox of one. One thing for certain is the trancivers. They are for the MCL82 system. The MCL30 was out at the same time. 

I have not yet used the IR code converter kit as I still need a remote eye and a transformer for voltage.

To connect a Beosystem 5000 it goes from speakerpair 2 and tape 2 play/in. Then it connects to a Beovision 5000 powerlink.

It should work well I guess. The IR code converter kit is just old and rare to find. Nobody really knows them anymore.

Yes, the trancivers are definetly the MCL82 ones. But are you sure they are for the relay boxes in the picture? It's hard to see from the picture, but they don't seem ta have the 7-pin DIN connection for the tranciver. They do however look very similar to this one:
http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=977

The thing that happend was that I looked for the MCL82 box + tranciver on a Danish site. Somebody wrote in the comment section looking for a way to contact me. I then contacted the person and he send me the picture of the 5-6 he had for sale. I did not purchase as the stuff in the picture was all there was in the deal. No covers or anything else.

They do look like early MCL 2A boxes. I got the X-tra speaker kits instead and a Beosystem 6500 as I also need a Beolab kit for linking a Beomaster 8000 which is hard to find these days. The connections in the relaybox are white for the 2045,2046 and 2047(X-tra speakerkit) as far as I know.