Niles Audio VCS HUB8 User's Manual
Contents
1. INSTALLATION amp OPERATION GUIDE VCS HUBS NILES alice Audios a Volume Control Distribution Hub Hes Audio Corporation nilesaudio com 2003 Niles Audio Corporation All rights reserved Niles the Niles logo and Blending Technology and Architecture are reg istered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation Decora is a registered trademark of Leviton Manufacturing All other trademarks 12331 SW 130 Street are the property of their respective owners Some of Niles products or components thereof are manufactured under one or Miami Florida 33186 more U S Patents foreign equivalents and or pending patents see product for details Because we constantly strive to improve Tel 305 238 4373 our products Niles reserves the right to change product specifications descriptions and prices without notice The technical Fax 305 238 0185 and other specifications of information contained herein is not intended to set forth all technical and other specifications of Niles products Additional information can be obtained at www nilesaudio com or by calling Niles at 1 800 289 4434 Printed in China 7 03 DS00312BCN BLENDING HIGH FIDELITY AND ARCHITECTURE VCS HUB8 amp TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Features and Benefits Installation Considerations Installation Specifications Contents Uj NILES MOL UME CONTROL DISTRIBUTION HUB INTRODUCTION The VCS HUBS is a speaker distribution hub that mounts in a structure2. cabinet using convenient snap in Christmas tree plugs supplied On a wall or other flat surface secured with drywall screws not supplied Wiring Requirements 14 18 gauge two individual runs of two conductor speaker wire or one run of four conductor speaker wire Unit Dimensions 6 85 wide x 3 high x 1 3 deep DISTRIBUTION HUB CONTENTS VCS HUB8 e VCS HUB8 Snap in Christmas Tree plugs X2 e Removable speaker connector X9
3. d wiring cabinet or on a wall It connects between the speaker level output of an amplifier or receiver and the Niles volume controls that adjust the sound level of your speakers A system with volume controls for multiple speaker pairs connected directly to an amplifier or receiver requires a large number of connecting wires This creates an unsightly and often inconvenient installation and increases the potential for connection errors The Niles VCS HUB8 eliminates such problems Simply run a single set of wires from the amplifier or receiver to the distribution hub and then connect each of the volume controls to the distribution hub With the VCS HUB8 you can distribute the output from your amplifier or receiver to the volume controls for up to eight pairs of stereo speakers VOLUME CONTROL FEATURES AND BENEFITS The VCS HUB8 offers a number of improvements over other speaker distribution hubs e Rustproof weather resistant housing of high impact injec tion molded plastic e Removable connector blocks for convenient wire connections e Small size and compact footprint designed specifically to fit into a standard structured wiring cabinet e Snap in Christmas tree plugs supplied for quick and easy installation in a structured wiring cabinet e Also suitable for wall mounting e Ideal for home and commercial sound installations e UL rated to comply with all local building codes e 10 years parts and labor warran
4. his translates into a drop in the maximum volume capability of about 9dB at the 8x setting Type of Speaker Wire We recommend 16 gauge stranded copper speaker wire for most connections and 14 gauge wire for runs longer than 80 feet Don t use speaker wire larger than 14 gauge because larg er wire may not fit into the connectors Never use solid core aluminum or Romex wire with an IM volume control For speaker wire runs within walls most U S states and municipal DISTRIBUTION HUB ities require a special type of speaker wire with a specific CL fire rating such as CL 2 or CL 3 Consult your Niles dealer building contractor or local building inspection depart ment if you aren t sure what kind of wire is best for your application Mounting Location The VCS HUB8 is designed specifically to fit into a structured wiring cabinet with snap in Christmas tree plugs for conven ient installation Figure 4 Alternatively you can mount it on a wall a basement floor joist or some other unobtrusive location INSTALLATION 1 Run all necessary wiring to the VCS HUBS Label the wires for future reference 2 Secure the VCS HUB8 in a suitable location In a structured wiring cabinet use the convenient snap in Christmas Tree plugs supplied to mount it in the cabinet frame On a wall or other flat surface remove the snap in plugs insert drywall screws not supplied through the resulting ho
5. les and secure VOLUME CONTROL the screws to the mounting surface TAKE CARE NOT TO OVERTIGHTEN THE SCREWS WHICH COULD DAMAGE THE HOUSING 5 Locate the connector plugs and remove them if they are plugged in 4 Strip 1 4 of insulation from the end of each wire Tightly twist the end of each wire until no frayed ends remain vi Use a small flathead screwdriver or your thumbnail to raise the locking tabs exposing the holes on the removable con nector plug 6 Insert each wire into the appropriate hole on the removable connector plug and snap the locking tab down NOTE Maintain proper phasing Connect the positive termi nals on the VCS HUB8 to the positive terminals on the ampli fier or receiver and on the volume controls Connect the neg ative terminals on the VCS HUB8 to the negative terminals on the amplifier or receiver and on the volume controls To help you avoid improper phasing the connector plug is keyed Insert the smooth side of the connector plug into the smooth side of the socket Don t force the scalloped side of the con nector plug into the smooth side of the socket DISTRIBUTION HUB 7 Plug the connectors into the VCS HUB8 as shown See Figure 4 The single connector plug at lower right is the input from the amplifier or receiver The other connector plugs are the outputs each leading to a specific volume control VOLUME CONTROL SPECIFICATIONS Mounting In a structured wiring
6. r and type of speakers in your system 1 Count the number of pairs of 4 ohm speakers and the num ber of pairs of 8 ohm speakers you are connecting Count pairs of 6 ohm speakers as 4 ohm pairs 2 Determine whether the amplifier should see a 4 ohm load or an 8 ohm load You should find this information in the owner s manual of the amplifier 3 Read the correct switch position from the charts on the next page See Figure 2 if your amplifier can drive a 4 ohm load See Figure 3 if your amplifier must have an 8 ohm speaker load 4 Set the switches on all of the controls to the same position 1x 2x 4x or 8x Limitations in Volume with High Magnification Settings Using an 8x setting limits the power to each speaker pair to one eighth of the amplifier s output CONTROL VOLUME In a typical application of IM volume controls a system has eight pairs of 8 ohm speakers through out the house Each pair of speakers is connected to an IM volume control TECH TIP with its switches set TAM PCmeior cect moans for 8x AWG American Wire Gauge number The lower the AWG number the larger the wire Thus 12 AWG wire is physi cally larger than 14 AWG With eight pairs of speak ers one eighth of the amplifier s power is avail able to any pair Therefore an amplifier rated at 100W per channel RMS into 8 ohms will deliver up to 12 5W to each of the eight pairs whether you play all eight pairs or just one pair T
7. ty DISTRIBUTION Hus Speaker outputs Amplifier to volume contrds input To Speaker outputs to volume contrds Snap in Christmas tree plugs INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS Figure 1 Calculating the Impedance Magnification Setting To ensure optimal operation of your amplifier or receiver your speakers must show it a load that it can handle safely and effectively This requires the use of impedance magnifying IM volume controls TECH TIP Some speakers have selectable impedance Before you proceed please confirm that any selectable impedance speakers in your system are properly set for the system you are installing VOLUME CONTROL AMPLIFIER S MINIMUM SPEAKER LOAD IS 4 OHMS 8 OHM Speaker Pairs 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 4 OHM Speaker Pairs Figure 2 AMPLIFIER S MINIMUM SPEAKER LOAD IS 8 OHMS 8 OHM Speaker Pairs 4 OHM Speaker Pairs Figure 3 CAUTION Every speaker pair in the system must be con nected to an impedance magnifying volume control and set to the same magnification When you install the VCS HUB8 and connect the volume controls to it doublecheck the switches on the volume controls DISTRIBUTION HuB to verify that they are set correctly for the impedance load of your speakers Use the following instructions and the accompanying charts to select the correct switch setting on the volume controls for the numbe
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