[Electronics-talk] on screen menues

Evelyn Weckerly weckerly at i2k.com
Mon Aug 15 14:40:00 UTC 2011 

Hi, Gerald,

This is a McIntosh Labs 8088.

I actually have it here and am dealing with a number of issues--some 
of them not menu related; but rather, old antenna installation 
related. As I have said, traditionally, this company has not been 
much into on screen menues. Their older equipment is mostly still 
circulating and performs extremely well. If push comes to shove, I 
could keep my 32-year-old FM only tuner. It is performing very well. 
However, I'm now realizing that I really must do something about my 
antenna installation. I believe that my antenna amplifier is the 
culprit, may be getting tired, and likely is not insulated again 
interference from all kinds of wireless equipment.

Someone on another list had detailed his experience with Audio 
Classics; consequently, I ended up doing business with them beginning 
in 2005. They sell new stuff, but they specialize in restoring high 
quality equipment and putting it back on the market. Their Web site 
is totally accessible--pictures are even labelled as such. They pride 
themselves in that and have done business with a number of blind people.

Although they can't sell you new McIntosh equipment, I have been able 
to get slightly used trade-ins, or rather, at least one, a CD player, 
which was no problem at all for me to install by myself. They took my 
old one as trade-in at a good trade-in offer. The tuner I'm trying to 
get up and going now is actually new, but it had been returned to 
McIntosh by a dealer that closed down. Even though it was new in the 
box, the company labelled it as "used" and dropped the price %20. I 
don't get the five yeear warranty, but I do get one year, which is a 
good trade-off. Then I'll get another %20 for my trade-in.

As I said yesterday, this tuner has AM, FM/FM stereo, HD 1, 2, and 3, 
and a ready connection for XM.

Evelyn

At 10:14 AM 8/15/2011, you wrote:

>Separate AM/FM tuners seem to be  a vanishing breed these days.  Do 
>you know the brand and model number of the unit you are interested in?
>
>Gerald
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Evelyn Weckerly" <weckerly at i2k.com>
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 10:08 AM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] on screen menues
>
>
>>Hi, Steve,
>>
>>Thank you for a sound advice reply. Actually, I'm thinking that I 
>>may be able to get what I need out of this. When I was read all the 
>>controls, I was not told that the mono button was only the first 
>>setting in what is a menu section on the front panel. I've since 
>>read the manual and know more now. This tune is complex, and some 
>>of it I won't use, but traditionally, McIntosh Labs has not been 
>>much into on-screen menues. Much of the tuner is operational, and I 
>>have learned that I can do key entry from the remote for finding 
>>stations, and I think I may be able to use the presets.
>>
>>I'm going to have to spend a lot more time with the person from 
>>Audio Classics in New York state by phone to get some of this 
>>right. I think that that menu button does revert back to the stereo 
>>setting for the tuner itself and that there is an exit setting at 
>>the end of the menu set. After reading the manual yesterday, I have 
>>some questions to ask. For example, if one holds the on'off button 
>>in for five seconds, all processors are reset. I'm assuming this is 
>>a return to factory defaults.
>>
>>This is a major audio component. I may be able to read the screen 
>>with the KNFB Reader Mobile, but I have not tried that yet. Also, 
>>all this is complicated by a need to make major changes in my 
>>antenna set up. My old tuner needed an antenna amplifier, but the 
>>new one is totally incompatible with it. I can't really do much 
>>without an antenna expert at this juncture.
>>
>>I want to keep this tuner if I can--because of its adbvanced 
>>features and improved peerformance and because I'm getting it at a 
>>very advantageous price.
>>
>>Cordially,
>>
>>Evelyn
>>
>>                 At 09:46 AM 8/15/2011, you wrote:
>>>Evelyn,
>>>
>>>There are no magic answers to this problem yet, and it frustrates 
>>>the heck out of me being one who has always
>>>enjoyed stereo equipment.  I have had to access some menus as a 
>>>result and here are a couple of thoughts.
>>>
>>>First, you will need some time with someone who can read the 
>>>display. With a little luck, though, that time can be
>>>turned into making the device mostly useable.  Get a sense of how 
>>>the menus work.  If there is a menu button, does it
>>>start in the same place?  How do you leave the menus without 
>>>making a change, in other words, what is the
>>>EXCCAPE key.  This is sometimes done by pressing the Menu button a 
>>>second time, for example.  If it doesn't start at
>>>the same place every time, see if it starts at the same place if 
>>>you turn the tuner off and then on.  If it always
>>>remembers where you were rather than starting at the same place, 
>>>this can be a blessing and a curse, but finding out
>>>how to get back to a known place is an important part of the process.
>>>
>>>See if menus work any differently with the remote rather than with 
>>>the buttons on the tuner, assuming you can use
>>>menus in more than one way.  Whether or not the manual says this, 
>>>on occasion, you can jump to a menu item on a
>>>remote by using numbers on the keypad of the remote rather than 
>>>the arrow keys.  It is possible that this could get you
>>>to a known starting position or that it might get you where you 
>>>need to know more quickly.
>>>
>>>I would recomment making a braill list of the menu items.  It is 
>>>possible there might be menu sections you won't need,
>>>but I usually find it helpful to at least no what they are.
>>>
>>>While this all sounds complicated, and it can be, you are likely 
>>>going to find that there are only certain things that you
>>>access regularly, and you may get to feeling pretty comfortable 
>>>about getting to them.  I have found that some things
>>>like setting memories is possible, but I do it only often enough 
>>>to require that I read my notes.
>>>
>>>Finally, some equipment equipment can be connected to computers 
>>>now.  It might be worth seeing if that buys you
>>>anything.  I hope you can get it to work, as it sounds like a fun 
>>>piece of equipment.
>>>
>>>Best regards,
>>>
>>>Steve Jacobson
>>>
>>>On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:46:36 -0400, Evelyn Weckerly wrote:
>>>
>>> >Hi,
>>>
>>> >This is not home theater although you can control a bunch of other
>>> >stuff through the remote. I have owned high end audio equipment for
>>> >years, mostly accessible. Parts of this piece are accessible too.
>>>
>>> >Evelyn
>>>
>>> >At 05:12 PM 8/14/2011, you wrote:
>>>
>>> >>If you want to avoid onscreen menus, then I suggest sticking with a
>>> >>basic, low-end two-channel stereo receiver.  Otherwise, you will
>>> >>need sighted help to navigate the menu in most higher-end home
>>> >>theater receivers and components.
>>> >>
>>> >>Gerald
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Evelyn Weckerly" <weckerly at i2k.com>
>>> >>To: <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> >>Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2011 4:05 PM
>>> >>Subject: [Electronics-talk] on screen menues
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>>Hi, all,
>>> >>>
>>> >>>I am trying to evaluate a new tuner as part of a high-quality audio
>>> >>>system. It appears that some of its important functions are
>>> >>>accessed and set through an on screen menu. I'm wondering how
>>> >>>people deal with this kind of stuff. The tuner has AM, FM/FMstereo,
>>> >>>HD (three bands, and is XM ready, needing only the home kit and
>>> >>>antenna from XM itself. It is a McIntosh Labs MR8088. I know this
>>> >>>is an expensive piece of equipment, but if perchance anyone on this
>>> >>>list has looked at this, I'd like to hear from you. I'd also like
>>> >>>to know if anyone has dealt successfully with onscreen menues and
>>> >>>how you do it. At this point, I don't know if the choice wrap
>>> >>>around or not. If they don't, things will be somewhat easier.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Thanks in advance.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Evelyn
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>_______________________________________________
>>> >>>Electronics-talk mailing list
>>> >>>Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> >>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> >>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> >>>for Electronics-talk:
>>> >>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>/bwaylimited%40verizon.net
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>_______________________________________________
>>> >>Electronics-talk mailing list
>>> >>Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> >>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> >>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> >>for Electronics-talk:
>>> >>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/
>>>weckerly%40i2k.com
>>> >_______________________________________________
>>> >Electronics-talk mailing list
>>> >Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> >To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>for Electronics-talk:
>>> >http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/s
>>>teve.jacobson%40visi.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>for Electronics-talk:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/weckerly%40i2k.com
>>_______________________________________________
>>Electronics-talk mailing list
>>Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>for Electronics-talk:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/bwaylimited%40verizon.net 
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Electronics-talk mailing list
>Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>for Electronics-talk:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/weckerly%40i2k.com

More information about the Electronics-Talk mailing list