Niles Audio AVDA-3 User Manual

B LENDING H IGH F IDELITY AND A RCHITECTURE

®

A VDA-3

Audio/Video Distribution Amplifier

Niles Audio Corporation

www.nilesaudio.com

12331 S.W. 130 Street Miami, Florida, 33186 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

©1999 Niles Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Niles, the Niles logo and Blending High Fidelity and Architecture are reg­istered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation. Because we strive to improve our products, Niles reserves the right to change
product specifications without notice. The technical and other information contained herein is not intended to set forth all tech­nical and other specifications of Niles products. Additional information can be obtained on-line at www.nilesaudio.com or by
calling Niles at 1-800-289-4434. Printed in USA 10/99 DS00256A

AUDIO

Input impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100K

Output Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 ohms

Frequency Response . . . . . . .flat from DC to >20KHz

Signal to Noise Ratio . . . . . . .>80 dB reference 1 volt

Crosstalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .070 dB at 1 KHz

Total Harmonic Distortion . .0.003% 20Hz to 20 KHz

Maximum Signal Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Volts RMS

Output Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UNITY

VIDEO

Video Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DC to 7MHz

Maximum Input Signal . . . . . . . .2 volts peak to peak

Input Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 ohms

Output Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 ohms

Output Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UNITY

Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 VAC 500 mA

ESD Protection . . . . . . . . .meets IEC 1000-4-2 level 4

Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.81" x 3.875" x 1.35"

SPECIFICATIONS

TROUBLESHOOTING

1. LED Power indicator is not illuminated:
Make sure the 15V AC power supply
(included) is plugged into a “live” 120 V
outlet. Also, check to make sure that the
15V AC power supply’s plug is seated cor­rectly in the power jack of the AVDA-3. If
the LED still fails to illuminate, use a volt­meter to measure the 15V AC plug and
verify proper voltage. Replace the adapter
if necessary. If voltage is correct, replace
the AVDA-3.

2. LED power indicator is illuminated but
there is no picture or sound: Verify proper
connection of input and output cables.
Test the source component for proper
operation.

3. Audio signal exhibits an audible low fre-
quency hum: Hum is most commonly
caused by what is termed a "ground loop".
Ground loops cause a constant and audible
60 Hz hum on the audio signal. This prob­lem occurs when the ground potential of a
particular connected component in the
system differs from that of any other con-

nected component. It is most commonly
caused by incoming Cable TV feeds or con­nected components powered by separate
AC power circuits. Correcting the ground
potential difference at its source is always
the best (but not always the easiest) way to
correct a ground loop. Using signal isola­tion transformers offers an easier (but per­haps more costly solution) to this problem.

4. Picture has horizontal bar that moves up
or down vertically: This is the effect a
ground loop has on a video signal. See
Troubleshooting #3 for details on ground
loops.

5. Picture and/or sound quality is distorted

or dim compared to the original source sig­nal: This is most likely due to signal loss on

the audio or video cables connecting the
components, especially if they are longer
than 15 ft. Verify proper connection and
operation of cables and, if necessary,
bench test the AVDA-3 with short cables to
verify normal operation. Replace any long
runs of cable causing signal loss with
upgraded cable.

INTRODUCTION

The Niles AVDA-3 is a source-level audio and base-band video distribution amplifier. It
incorporates an audio input (right and left) and a video input, which are actively distrib­uted to three audio/video outputs. It is especially useful when connecting an audio/video
source component to multiple zone amplifiers and/or RF modulators.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

■

IC operational amplifiers for clear, stable video images and smooth, accurate sound.

■

Gold plated RCA connectors for reliable performance.

■

Audio/video cascade outputs feature with automatic video impedance matching for
simple system expansion and optimal picture quality.

■

Space saving, inline power adapter for cleaner installations.

■

Ideal for residential and commercial installations.

■

100% factory tested.

■

Limited two year parts and labor warranty.

■

Proudly made in the U.S.A.

INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Type of Cable

The AVDA-3 performs best when using
shielded audio and 75 ohm coaxial video
cable. Use low capacitance audio/video
cables for runs that exceed 15 ft. to mini­mize signal loss. Wire runs greater than 50
ft. are recommended only with cable that
has been specifically designed for such
applications. Contact your cable manufac­turer for a specific cable recommendation
when wire runs exceed 50 ft.

INSTALLATION LOCATION

The AVDA-3 has been designed for both
shelf and wall mounted installations.
Mounting flanges are provided for wall
mounting while rubber feet enable it to be
placed securely on a shelf. Avoid place­ment near potential sources of electrical or
radio interference such as lighting controls
and high voltage appliances.

INSTALLATION

Mounting the AVDA-3

Once you have decided on the ideal loca­tion for the AVDA-3, make sure that the AC
power supply and all signal cables are dis­connected while mounting. It can be
either mounted on a wall using screws or
placed on shelf using the included adhe­sive rubber feet (See Figure 1).

Making the Connections

Once the AVDA-3 is securely mounted
follow the steps listed below.

1. Connect the distributed source compo­nents A/V output signal cables to the
RCA input connectors (L audio, R audio,
and video) (See Figure 2).

2. Connect the AVDA-3’s output RCA con­nectors to the signal cables leading to
the source signals destination (i.e., the
A/V input of an AM/FM receiver, RF
modulator or television etc.) (See
Figure 2).

3. Connect the included AC power
adapter’s voltage output plug into the
AVDA-3 and then plug its AC power
cord into an unswitched AC outlet.

4. The power LED should be lit solid to
indicate that the AVDA-3 is receiving
power and operating normally.

Note: If your system only requires either
"audio only" or "video only" distribution, the
AVDA-3 can safely operate with either its
audio or its video sections unused.
Termination is not required.

SYSTEM EXPANSION

The AVDA-3 provides a Cascade Out con­nection for both audio and video. It
enables the connection of additional
AVDA-3’s for further distribution of the
connected A/V source component. As
many as four AVDA-3’s can be connected
together using this feature. Follow the
steps listed below to utilize the Cascade
Output feature.

1. Connect the first AVDA-3 as previously
described in Making the Connections
steps 1 and 2.

2. Connect the Cascade Output connec­tors of the first AVDA-3 to the RCA input
connectors (left audio, right audio and
video) of the additional AVDA-3 (See
Figure 3).

3. Repeat step 2 using the Cascade
Output of the additional AVDA-3’s to
expand to a maximum of four.

4. Connect the included AC power
adapter’s voltage output plugs into the
AVDA-3’ s and then plug their AC power
cords into unswitched AC outlets.

5. The AVDA-3’s power LED’s should be lit
solid to indicate that they are receiving
power and operating normally.

DVD1

FM 105.9

Figure 1 The AVDA-3 can be either mounted on a
wall (A) using screws or placed on shelf using the
included adhesive rubber feet (B).

Figure 2

Typical installation of a single AVDA-3

ZONE 1

ZONE 2

ZONE 3

ZONE 4

ZONE 5

ZONE 6

Figure 3

Typical installation of a two
or more AVDA-3s using the
“Cascade Output” to pro­vide signal to more than
three components.

DSS

AVDA-3

Home Theater Receiver House Wide Receiver

RF Modulator

Output 1 Output 3

Output 2

DSS

AVDA-3

Zone 1 Receiver

Output 1

AVDA-3

Output 2

Output 3

Zone 2 Receiver

Zone 3 Receiver

Zone 4 Receiver

Zone 5 Receiver

Zone 6 Receiver

Output 1

Output 2

Output 3

Cascade
Output

A

B

Main Input

Main Input

Main Input