McIntosh MR-500 Owners manual

Contents

SERVICE CONTRACT INFORMATION 1

INTRODUCTION 2

INSTALLATION 3, 4

BACK PANEL CONNECTIONS

USING THE FRONT PANEL

HOW THE CIRCUITS WORK 9, 10

PERFORMANCE CHARTS. . . .12, 13

AND CONTROLS 5, 6

CONTROLS 7, 8

PERFORMANCE LIMITS 11

BLOCK DIAGRAM 14

FM STATION LOG 15

The Mclntosh compact Family

TUNER
FM

DIGITAL

MR 500

The MR 500 Digital FM Tuner complements the per­formance and appearance of all Mclntosh products. It
is specifically designed to match the industry's
leading compacts — the Mclntosh MC 502 Power Am­plifier and the Mclntosh C 504 Preamplifier. Separate,
flexibile Mclntosh quality components that are par­ticularly useful where space is limited.

1

The MR 500 FM Tuner is designed to

perform to its specifications for many
years. If you have any questions, please
contact:

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.
2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, New York 13903-9990
Phone: [phone]

Take Advantage of 3 years of
Contract Service...

Fill in the Application NOW.

MclNTOSH THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT

An application for A THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT is included with this manual.

The terms of the contract are:

1. Mclntosh will provide all parts, materials
and labor needed to return the measured
performance of the instrument to the
original performance limits. Because
battery life is dependent on conditions

over which Mclntosh has no control,
they are not covered under the service
contract, nor is any shipping cost to and
from the authorized service agency or
the factory.

2. Any Mclntosh authorized service agency
will repair Mclntosh instruments at nor-

mal service rates. To receive service

under the terms of the SERVICE CON­TRACT, the SERVICE CONTRACT CER­TIFICATE must be presented when the

instrument is taken to the service agency.

3. Always have service done by a
Mclntosh authorized service agency. If

the instrument is modified or damaged
as a result of unauthorized repair, the
SERVICE CONTRACT will be cancelled.

Damage by improper use or mishandl­ing is not covered by the SERVICE
CONTRACT.

4. The SERVICE CONTRACT is issued to

you as the original purchaser. To pro-

tect you from misrepresentation, this
contract cannot be transferred to a se­cond owner.

5. To receive the SERVICE CONTRACT,
your purchase must be made from a

Mclntosh franchised dealer.

6. Your completely filled in application for
the SERVICE CONTRACT must be post­marked within 30 days of the date of
purchase of the instrument.

7. To receive the SERVICE CONTRACT, all
information on the application must be

filled in. The SERVICE CONTRACT will
be issued when the completely filled in
application is received by Mclntosh
Laboratory Incorporated in Binghamton,
New York.

8. Units in operation outside the United

States and Canada are not covered by
the Mclntosh Service Contract, ir­respective of the place of purchase. Nor
are units acquired outside the U.S.A.
and Canada, the purchasers of which
should consult with their dealer to
ascertain what, if any, service contract
or warranty may be available locally.

Copyright 1983 (C) by Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.

2

Installation

any position. The recommended minimum space for
adequate ventilation is 17 inches (43.2 cm) wide, and 4
1/2inches (11.4 cm) high, 15 inches (38.1 cm) deep.

To install the instrument in a Mclntosh cabinet,
follow the instructions that are enclosed with the
cabinet. For any other type of installation follow
these instructions:

1. Unpack from carton
Open the carton and remove the PANLOC brack-

ets, hardware package, and mounting template from
the carton. Remove the MR 500 from its plastic bag
and place it upside down on the shipping pallet;
then unscrew the four plastic feet from the bottom
of the chassis.

2. Mark the cabinet panel
Place the mounting template in the position on

the cabinet panel where the instrument is to be in-

stalled, and tape it in place. The broken lines that
represent the outline of the rectangular cutout also
represent the outside dimensions of the chassis.

Make sure these lines clear shelves, partitions, or
any equipment. With the template in place, first
mark the six A and B holes and the four small holes
that locate the corners of the cutout. Then, join the
four corner markings with pencil lines, using the
edge of the template as a straigtedge.

The PANLOC system of installing equipment
conveniently and securely is a product of Mclntosh
research. By depressing the two PANLOC buttons on

the front panel, the instrument can be either locked
firmly in place or it can be unlocked so that the
chassis can slide forward, giving you easy access to
the top and rear panels.

The trouble-free life of an electronic instrument is
greatly extended by providing sufficient ventilation to
prevent the build-up of high internal temperatures that
cause deterioration of component parts. You should al­low enough clearance so that cool air can enter at the
bottom of the cabinet and be vented from the top. With

adequate ventilation the instrument can be mounted in

3. Drill Holes
Use a drill with a 3/16 inch (5 mm) bit held perpen-

dicular to the panel and drill the six A and B holes.

Then, using a drill bit slightly larger than the tip of

your saw blade, drill one hole at each of two
diagonally opposite corners. The holes should bare­ly touch the inside edge of the penciled outline.

Before taking the next step, make sure that the six A
and B holes have been drilled.

4. Saw the Panel Cutout
Saw carefully on the inside of the penciled lines.

First make the two long cuts and then the two short
cuts. After the rectangular open ing has been cut out,
use a file to square the corners and smooth any

irregularities in the cut edges.

3

5. Install the Mounting Strips
In the hardware package you will find two mount-

ing strips and two sets of machine screws. For
panels that are less than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) thick,
use the 3/4 inch (19.1 mm) screws; for panels that are
more than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) thick, use the 1 1/4 inch
(31,8 mm) screws.

Starting at the right-hand side of the panel, insert

a screw of proper length into the center hole in the

panel, marked B on the template. On the back of the
panel, align a mounting strip with the holes in the
panel and tighten the screw in the center hole until
the screwhead is pulled slightly into the wood.

Repeat this procedure to attach the mounting

strip to the left side of the panel.

6. Attach the PANLOC Brackets

Use two screws of the proper length in the A holes
on each side, attach the PANLOC brackets to the
cabinet panel; the short flange is mounted against
the front (face) of the cabinet panel. The screws
pass through the PANLOC bracket flange, the
cabinet panel, and then through the mounting strips

previously mounted.

7. Install the Instrument

Guide the AC power cord through the panel open-

ing to the back of the cabinet. Then, slide the instru-

ment into the opening, carefully, so that the rails on
the bottom of each side of the chassis engage the
tracks on the mounting brackets. Continue to slide
the instrument into the cabinet until it is stopped by
the adjust position latches. Press the latches in­ward, this permits the instrument to slide into the

cabinet until its front panel is flush with the cabinet

panel. Depress the PANLOC buttons at the lower left

and right corners of the instrument panel to lock the

unit firmly in the cabinet. Depressing the PANLOC

buttons again will unlock the instrument so that it
can slide to the adjust position; if you press inward
on the adjust position latches then you can remove

the instrument from the cabinet.

4

Back Panel Connections and Controls

Use of the back panel connections and controls
will be described from right to left when looking at
the back panel.

MANUAL AFL

Automatic Frequency Lock (AFL) is a Mclntosh
design which assures that the station remains ideal-

ly tuned regardless of any influences that might
cause the station to drift. Because the AFL circuit
does not affect the high quality performance of the

MR 500, the switch should be used in the NORMAL

position. There may be occasions when it would be
desirable to deactivate the AFL circuit for manual
tuning. With the MANUAL AFL switch in the OUT

position, and when using the tuning knob, the AFL
circuit is disabled. The AFL circuit is always active
when the SCAN tuning and the feather touch preset
station selection push buttons are used.

AUDIO OUTPUTS

Use the FIXED OUTPUT jacks on the rear panel to
connect the MR 500 to a stereo control preamplifier
or other equipment which has its own volume con­trol. The position of the VOLUME control does not
affect the loudness of the tuner at the FIXED OUT-

PUT jacks. The output level is 1 volt for 100% FM

modulation.

Use the VARIABLE OUTPUT jacks to connect to
equipment such as a power amplifier or a tape
recorder where control of the volume is to be at the
tuner. With the VOLUME control turned completely
clockwise, the output at the VARIABLE OUTPUT

jacks is 2.5 volts for 100% FM modulation. There is

no difference in the signal quality at either of the
pairs of output jacks; and, both pairs may be used
simultaneously. The output impedance is very low
so that long audio cables can be used without a loss

of high frequencies due to cable capacity.

SCOPE

The vertical and horizontal SCOPE jacks are pro-

vided to connect to a maximum performance in­dicator or an oscilloscope which can then indicate

FM multipath and signal strength. Connect the ver-

tical jack to the vertical input of the indicator and
the horizontal jack to the horizontal input.

REMOTE SCAN

The REMOTE SCAN jack provides an input for the

cable push button assembly supplied with the

MR 500. Plug the cable into the REMOTE SCAN jack

to provide SCAN tuning at a convenient location
remote from the tuner. If REMOTE SCAN tuning is
not used, leave the jack free of any connection.

CONNECTING AN FM ANTENNA

One of three antenna systems can be used: (1) an

outdoor FM antenna, or (2) a VHF-TV antenna, or (3)
the indoor dipole supplied.

An outdoor antenna is recommended for optimum
performance in all areas. For best results in fringe
(outlying) areas, use a highly directional FM antenna
in conjunction with a rotator. If the antenna uses a
300 ohm down lead, connect it to the ANTENNA
300ohm

reception can be effective. Connect the down lead
from the VHF-TV antenna to the ANTENNA 30012 FM
push connectors.

na connects to the rear panel ANTENNA 75ohm FM
type F coaxial connector.

antenna for use in urban or high strength signal
areas. Connect it to the ANTENNA 300ohm FM push
connector. The flexibility of the twin flat wire
assembly permits it to be placed under a rug, tacked
behind the stereo or placed in any other convenient
location. In some cases, it may be necessary to
"position" the antenna for best signal reception. Do
this before it is permanently located. Avoid locating
the antenna next to other wires or metal objects. Any
indoor antenna may be ineffective in houses having
metal siding or metal foil insulation.

120V AC OUTLET
watts available for additional equipment that has its

own AC power switch. The outlet is not fused.

AC POWER CORD

Hz power line receptacle. The power used by the
MR 500 is 15 watts.

FM

push connectors.

A VHF-TV antenna designed for both FM and TV

The coaxial cable of an unbalanced 75 ohm anten-

Supplied with the tuner is a flexible folded dipole

Provides a 120 volt AC power outlet with up to 300

Connect the AC power cord to a 120 volt, 50 to 60

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