[Electronics-talk] on screen menues

Mon Aug 15 20:41:34 UTC 2011

Evelyn,

What is the antenna preamp doing to this tuner, is it overloading it?  It is conceiveable that you wouldn't need an 
antenna amplifier with this tuner if it is sensitive and if it is quieter than what you had.  While it is true that a small signal 
at an antenna can be lost with the loss within the antenna lead-in, but amplifying signals too much can cause noise to 
be added to moderately good signals in my experience.  This sounds like an interesting tuner and I hope you can get it 
to work for you.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:08:08 -0400, Evelyn Weckerly wrote:

>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
>> >>>
>> >>>
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