Industrial and Commercial Installations
6
CIRCUIT BREAKER
For commercial and other installations where sustained high-power operation is required, the ampli- fiers should be mounted in a standard 19” rack. It is not necessary to leave a rack space between each amplifier in the stack since each fan pulls air in from the rear and exhausts the hot air out the front. However, an adequate cool air supply must be provided for the amplifier when rack mounted. The inter- nal fan must have a source of air that is not preheated by other equipment. The amplifier will start up in low speed fan operation and will normally stay at low speed unless sustained high-power operating levels occur. Then, as temperatures in the amplifier heat sinks increase, the automatic thermal-sensing circuitry causes high-speed fan operation. Depending upon signal conditions and amp loading, high- speed fan operation may continue or the fan may cycle continuously between high and low. If cooling is inadequate, however, the amplifier thermal-sensing system may cause temporary shut down of the unit, indicated by the PWR LEDs on both channels going dark. Inadequate cooling may be due to preheated air, reduced air flow resulting from blockage of inlet/outlet ports, severe amplifier overload, or short circuit conditions. Depending upon available cooling air, operation should be restored relatively quickly, and the power LEDs on both channels will again be illuminated. In any event, action should be taken to correct the cause of the thermal shutdown. If the amplifier is not severely overloaded or shorted and air flow is normal in and out of the amplifier, then steps should be taken to provide a cooler environment for all the amplifiers. As a general rule, providing adequate ventilation to electronic equipment extends its service life.
While in most low to medium-power applications, your amplifier can be mounted anywhere, Peavey® recommends locating your PV 1600 at the top of an equipment stack. This will prevent possible over- heating of sensitive equipment by the hot air rising from the power amplifier. Most home and studio requirements will never cause high-speed fan operation. High-speed operation may indicate that you have not taken the necessary steps to provide adequate cooling.
NOTE: When fully closed up in a cabinet, a PV® Series power amplifier will have severe cooling prob- lems, even at low power levels.
