New Beolover Commander Remote Control System for Beogram 8000 and 8002

I recently completed my work on the Beolover Commander Remote Control for Beogram 8000 and 8002. A few customer requests motivated me to port my Beogram 4002/4004 Commander System to the later 800x models. It seems more and more people aim to integrate these classic Beogram models with their modern B&O setups and remote control is part of the equation.

This is the reason that this time I designed a board that can be switched between using a standard classic Apple remote and Beo4 remotes. But it still needs a different IR receiver to match the 455 kHz modulated B&O remote control signals if a Beo4 is to be used.

Both versions are now available at the Beolover store.

I made a video that demonstrates the new 800x Commander system for both Apple and Beo4 remotes. The video also discusses the installation of the board on the Beogram keypad PCB. Enjoy:

Beogram 4002 (5513): Installation of Upgrades (Beolover SyncDrive and Beo4 Commander Remote Control)

This post describes upgrades that I installed in the Beogram 4002 (Type 5513) that I just restored for a customer in California. The restoration process of this unit is posted here.

This unit received both the Beolover SyncDrive platter motor replacement and the Beo4 enabled Beolover Commander remote control. 

The SyncDrive directly replaces the DC platter motor of all Type 551x and 552x Beograms. These Types often suffer from intermittent RPM stability issues due to dry motor bearings, oxidized RPM relays and trimmers. The Beolover SyncDrive completely bypasses the motor control circuitry, i.e. it is unaffected by the above issues. It also improves the longterm RPM stability due to its digital control system. Installation of the SyncDrive is completely plug and play. No soldering required.

This shows the SyncDrive module bolted into the mounting posts of the original DC motor:

Next came the installation of the Beo4 enabled Beolover Commander remote system. It also installs plug-and-play without soldering. The remote module essentially taps into the keypad connector and so can control the Beogram in parallel with the keypad, which remains functional. The Beo4 version allows seamless integration of a Beogram with a Beo4 or Beoremote One controlled B&O system.

This shows the module installed together with the Beo4 remote switched to Phono:

And then it was time for a little victory lap with this beautiful restored Beogram 4002! I selected a recent acquisition for my vinyl collection, 'Man to Man' by Hot Chocolate (Big Tree Records BT89519). This wonderful album came out in 1976, a perfect contemporary to this Beogram! My favorite track is probably "Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac". Very funky!...;-). Of course this record was cleaned on a CleanerVinyl ProXL setup, which restored it to its original glory with quiet black space and music tracks largely devoid of clicks and pops! 

While I was enjoying some more Hot Chocolate, I focused on the installation of a new reproduction aluminum trim on the brand new hood that this Beogram came with. This shows the hood together with the aluminum trim:

I usually align the trim prior to glueing with my custom designed alignment aids that clip into the hood sides. A strip of residue free blue 3M tape allows making a pencil mark across strip and hood. Here a close-up of one of the alignment pieces:

After glueing the strip in place on top of the hood, the sides can be bent down. Beautiful!:

I will now listen to some more records with this Beogram 4002, and then it will be time to send it back to its owner in California!

Beo4 Enabled Commander Remote Control: Seamless Integration of Beogram 4002 or 4004 with More Recent B&O Systems

A few months ago, Dirk, a fellow Beolover in Berlin, contacted me and suggested that it would be a nice thing being able controlling his Beogram 4004 with a Beo4 remote control. He has a Beosound 9000 in his living room, and wanted to integrate his Beogram in a way that it ideally would behave as a 'Beolinked' source.

I appreciated this idea and figured out how to modify the existing Beolover Commander remote. Basically, it needed a 455kHz capable IR receiver for communicating with a Beo4 and then I had to figure out how the Beo4 'ticks' in terms of codes it sends out in certain operational circumstances and rewrite the firmware.

Since the Beo4 is a fairly complex remote control with many modes, this was not trivial. But in the end I think I was able to arrive at a useful point, where the Commander equipped Beogram would pretty much behave as if it were connected to the Beosound via Beolink. 

I made a short video that demonstrates this system. The video contains footage that Dirk sent me. It shows how his Beogram interacts with his Beosound. He even figured out how to make a Beoremote One work with the Beo4 Commander! Very awesome! Enjoy:

The Beo4 Commander is available at the Beolover Store if you want to try this at home!..;-).

Beolover Commander Enables Control of Beogram 4002 or 4004 with the Beosystem4 and the Beo4 Remote

One of the great aspects of Beoloving is the amazing people one gets to interact with. Martin, a customer in Germany, recently acquired the Beolover Commander remote kit for his Beogram 4004.

After he had received and implanted it, he got in touch and asked me if it were possible to make the Commander work with any Apple remote, instead of just the paired remote I provide it with. Pairing means that the Commander only interacts with the included remote, but not with other Apple remotes that may be in use in a particular setting. This prevents unwanted crosstalk. 

The reason for this request was that Martin was up to something exciting, where the pairing feature was a hindrance!:

He wanted to integrate his Beogram 4004 with his Beosystem4 that he controls with a Beo4 remote. This is possible since the Beosystem4 can be set up to interact with 3rd party audiovisual equipment via a "PUC" table that can be loaded into the Beosystem4. PUC stands for "Peripheral Unit Controller". Long live the use of acronyms for impressing the uninitiated...;-).

Such a PUC table contains the information the Beosystem4 needs to send out codes destined for equipment manufactured by other companies. Like Apple. This means that the Beosystem4 can be setup to control Apple TVs, and since the Beolover Commander uses an Apple TV remote, the Beosystem4 can also control a Beogram 4002 or 4004, provided that the Beolover Commander remote module is installed.

But: The PUC mechanism does not provide for controlling Apple devices that are paired with a specific Apple remote, i.e. the Commander needs to be un-paired to make this work.

So Martin got in touch and I updated the firmware in a way that the pairing feature can be turned off by the user if so desired: Simply press the "Sweep right" button on the black ring 7 times until the Autorepeat LED flashes three times. Done. From this moment on the Commander will take commands from any Apple remote, not just the provided one. For re-pairing simply perform the pairing procedure by pressing the Menu and Select buttons for ~6 seconds until the 33 RPM scale light comes on briefly. If you want to do this and you bought your Commander before January 2022, you will need to send it to me for a free update of the firmware.

At this point you are probably curious how to set this up with the Beosystem4! Since the Beolover mentally mostly lives in the 1970s, I asked Martin to provide a step-by-step description of his process, which he happily provided. This is what he sent me (please, contact him directly if you have additional questions for he lives in the present and understands newer B&O equipment):

Martin's Set-up Instructions:

"The Idea was to connect my Beogram 4004 with my Beosystem4 for full remote control with the Beo4 remote. This will also work with multi-room option in your system. 

I’ve heard about the remote control commander of the beogram 4002/4 created by beolover (https://beolover.blogspot.com/2021/09/commander-remote.html) 

What I really like with B&O is 'one Remote for everything'. B&O is providing a 3rd Party control with PUC (Peripheral Unit Controller) on some Beovision and Beosystem. (i.g. Beosystem4, Beovision 11 and Beoavant, with Beosystem3, Beovision7,8 and 10. You'll need to get the PUC Table installed by your B&O dealer!) 

The only thing you need is an IR-blaster cable (can be ordered by our B&O dealer) 

After installing the remote control commander of Beolover you just need to bring the PUC IR blaster transmitter to the Commander IR receiver, and connect the audio cable of the Beogram via an RIAA pre-amplifier to your Beosystem/vision and configure the system accordingly.

Set-Up Process:

Step 1: Install the Beogram Commander Remote Control as shown in the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfhm93kIU1k&list=PLQ 7T0PlkOsiMEDx1rs1uoK496Ww38hqb8) 

Step 2: Connect the IR-Blaster to the Beogram. This shows a stock photo of B&O IR Blaster cables:

The Blaster transmitter end of the cable needs to be attached to the Commander IR receiver that pokes out from underneath the plinth:

This shows the 'wiring diagram' of the setup:

So it is quite simple to physically connect the Beogram with the Commander to the Beosystem4 controller!

Step 3: Setup:

1. Un-pair the Beolover Commander from its dedicated remote: 

• The Beogram needs to be plugged in and in stop position (the arms are 'home' at the far right) 

• Un-pair the Apple Remote: Press 7 times ’carriage 
to right’ (the right Function on the black ring of the Apple remote). 

• The auto repeat LED blinks 3 times and the pairing feature is disabled. 

• Now the Commander is un-paired and will take commands from any Apple TV remote

2. Configure the Input(AVIn) of the Beosystem/vision with the “Apple TV 2 and 3” PUC 

• Press ‘menu’ on the Beo4. 

• Select “SOURCE LIST” from the menu. 

• Select “AV” source, press ‘red’ button for setup. 

• Select “DEVICE”. 

• Press ‘select’ on your Beo4. 

• Select “YES” for operate the AV access with your 
BANG & OLUFSEN remote .

• Press ‘select’ on your Beo4. 

• PUC Tables will show up. 

• If you already have downloaded the “Apple TV 2 and 3” PUC Table select this and press ‘select’ on your Beo4, otherwise download the Table – select “DOWNLOAD MORE” – “FROM THE INTERNET” – “SEARCH” – “BRAND NAMES” – “Apple” – “Apple TV 2+3” –Select and press the ‘green’ Button select “Apple TV 2 and 3” and press ‘select’ on your Beo4. 

• If you connected PUC 1A IR Sender/Blaser then select PUC 1A and Press ‘select’ on your Beo4 remote, otherwise select the connected PUC and press ‘select’ on your Beo4 remote. 

• Select one “STANDBY OPTIONS” i.e. “OFF AT SOURCE CHANGE” and press ‘select’ on your Beo4 Remote.
• Select “BUTTON” in the menu and press the Joystick to the right select the “SOURCE” Button with witch you would like to start the Turntable i.g. “A.MEM” press ‘select’ on your Beo4 Remote 

• Select the “SOURCE NAME” and change the name by pressing the ‘green’ Button on your Beo4 remote. i.g. “Beogram 400x”. 

• Store everything by pressing the ‘select’ Button on your Beo4 Remote.
• Finish the configuration by holding ‘BACK’ Button
If you now press your selected Source in my example ‘A.MEM’ You should be able to operate the Beogram by the Beo4."

And that is it! Back to the Future with the Beogram 4002/4! Very Beolovely! Thank you Martin for sharing!