Scribd
Upload
102 views

Basic 100v System Wiring Guide

1. 100v systems use high impedance wiring instead of low impedance (4-8 ohms). Speakers must be wired in parallel to the amplifier outputs and each other. 2. It is best practice to wire from the amplifier to the first speaker, then continue wiring additional speakers in a loop. 3. It is recommended to load amplifiers below their maximum rating for reliability, such as loading a 60w amplifier to 50w by using various lower wattage speakers that add up to just below the maximum.

Uploaded by

haijdkropwe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
102 views

Basic 100v System Wiring Guide

1. 100v systems use high impedance wiring instead of low impedance (4-8 ohms). Speakers must be wired in parallel to the amplifier outputs and each other. 2. It is best practice to wire from the amplifier to the first speaker, then continue wiring additional speakers in a loop. 3. It is recommended to load amplifiers below their maximum rating for reliability, such as loading a 60w amplifier to 50w by using various lower wattage speakers that add up to just below the maximum.

Uploaded by

haijdkropwe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

passound E: [email protected].

uk
engineering T: 0845 430 0546

Basic PA System Advice


100v Systems
100v is a theoretical value based upon the system being driven flat out into a full
1 load, it is not constant. In reality this is a high impedance system as opposed to a
low impedance system (4/8 ohms). So don’t be fooled into looking for something
that doesn’t exist!

Speakers must be wired in parallel to each other and the amplifier outputs (which
2 are usually marked Common & 100v). Speakers do not need to be wired back to
the amplifier individually unless they are wired into separate speaker zones.

3 It is normal practice to wire out from the amplifier to the 1st or nearest speaker, and
then on to any subsequent speakers. Looping in and out is best practice, although
if you need to wire off to an existing circuit, teeing off is perfectly acceptable.

Speaker loadings! It is normal practice to load a commercial 100v amplifier below


4 its maximum rating to ensure long life and reliability. As an example a 60 watt
amplifier could be loaded as follows:
2 x 15 watt speakers 30 watts
1 x 10 watt speaker 10 watts
2 x 5 watt speakers 10 watts
Total load 50 watts
The 10 watt margin also allows for the odd extra speaker being required in the
future.IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AMPLIFIERS ARE NOT DRIVEN WITH A
GREATER LOAD THAN THEY ARE RATED!
Add up your speaker wattage settings and ad just them if necessary to just below
the amplifier rating. As a rule speakers COME SET TO THEIR MAXIMUM SETTINGS
and often these want reducing prior to installation.

As most commercial speakers come with adjustable wattage settings (multi-tapped


5 transformer) it is possible to adjust a speaker to suit its location. More often than
not, a speaker only needs a small amount of power in a quiet location such as an
office and a moderate amount in a warehouse. Always try to keep back as much
power as you can by keeping tappings as low as you can in order to do the job,
then if you need to adjust one speaker “UP”there is headroom in the system to do
it without problem.

Page 1 of 2
passound E: [email protected]
engineering T: 0845 430 0546

Basic PA System Advice


100v Systems
Speaker wiring can be done best with a double insulated twin flexible cable such
6 as 2182Y available from most electrical wholesalers and RS Components.
It is important to wire all the speakers in the same polarity to ensure correct
phasing. Failure to do this will result in some speaker cones moving out, whilst
others move in, this results in a thin sound, lacking quality, level and tonal
response.
Please refer to the table below for recommended sizes of cable and their maximum
distances.
0.75mm² 1.0mm² 1.5mm²
30 Watt Load 800m 1066m 1600m
60 Watt Load 400m 533m 800m
120 Watt Load 200m 266m 400m

It is industry practice to wire the 100v common output as the negative or blue
7 conductor within the cabling. Keeping this arrangement throughout ensures all
connections to speakers are made in phase.
Ensure all speaker connections are well made (particularly those where there may
8 be disturbance in a ceiling) and secure,this will reduce the risk of a cable being
pulled, connection broken and ultimately creating a short circuit on a speaker line
which can result in a damaged amplifier. A short can be detected audibly if there
is low volume and a distorted output.

9 Amplifier inputs – Usually channel one is the paging microphone input, and
connection via the Din plug will provide the access switching to automatically switch
off any background music that is being broadcast thro ugh the system. The
microphone can be extended away from the amplifier if required, we suggest using a
2 pair screened cable such as Belden 9502 or equivalent to extend with. It is
impotant to remember that this is two pairs of conductors plus a screen/drain wire
and each pair has a function, one pair is audio, one pair is switching, the screen
keeps the whole lot quiet!

10
Set the amplifier levels to a moderate level to start with when powering up for the
first time, this will avoid feedback and frightening anyone who happens to be close
to a speaker at the time!
Suggested starter wattage settings for speakers, these are not correct for every
application but will get you going in the right direction.
Quiet Room/Area Average Area Noisy Area
Ceiling speaker 0.75 – 1.5 w 3w 6w
Wall cabinet speaker 0.75 – 1.5 w 3w 6w
Small projection spkr 2.5w 5w 10 w
Large projection spkr 5w 10 w 15 w
Horn speaker 2.5w 5w 10 w
Pendant 5w 10 w 20 w

Page 2 of 2

You might also like