[Electronics-talk] on screen menues

Gerald Levy bwaylimited at verizon.net
Mon Aug 15 15:38:43 UTC 2011 

Yeah, I remember the good old days of audio when McIntosh built some of the 
finest vacuum tube components around.  I really long for those days when you 
could buy a quality receiver from Fisher, Marantz, Scott or Sherwood and 
operate everything by touch.

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 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] on screen menues


> 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
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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