VORTEX OWNER’S MANUAL FOR VORTEX MODELS: 2.6, 4 & 6 © Copyright 2001 by CAMCO Produktions-und Vertriebs-GmbH Fischpicke 5, D-57482 Wenden, Germany Telephone +49 (0)2762 408-0 P.
EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS ! CAUTION ! RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION - HIGH VOLTAGE HAZARDS EXIST WITHIN THIS PRODUCT.
SAFETY 1.0 Read Owner’s Manual When shipping the VORTEX amplifier, always use the original shipping carton and packing materials. For maximum protection, repack the unit as it was originally packed at the factory. 8.0 Object And Liquid Entry Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. 2.
SAFETY restore the product to its normal operation. If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for a service. 13.0 Servicing Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Please refer to your dealer/distributor. 14.
EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY EC Declaration of Conformity in accordance to EC Directives: electro-magnetic compatibility (Council Directive 89/336/EEC, as amended by Directives 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC); low-voltage electrical equipment (Council Directive 73/23/EEC ) Manufacturers Name: CAMCO Produktions- und Vertriebs- GmbH Manufacturers Address: Fischpicke 5 57482 Wenden Germany Declares that the product with the model name: CAMCO Power amplifier VORTEX 2.
CONTENTS P.7 P.3 P.4 P.6 P.7 P.8 EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS SAFETY DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY CE CONTENTS 1.0 WELCOME 1.1 Welcome to CAMCO 1.2 Unpacking 1.3 Features (Introduction) P.10 2.0 FACILITIES 2.1 Front Panel 2.2 Rear Panel P.11 3.0 INSTALLATION 3.1 ON/OFF Switch 3.2 Precautions 3.3 Mounting 3.4 Cooling 3.5 Ground Lift 3.6 Wiring 3.6.1 SPEAKON Connection 3.6.2 E.U.I. and XLR Connection 3.6.3 Stereo Operation 3.6.4 Bridge-Mono Operation 3.6.5 Parallel-Mono Operation 3.
1.0 WELCOME 1.1 Welcome to CAMCO Established in 1983, CAMCO has gained worldwide experience with professional sound reinforcement technology. Within the audio market, CAMCO specialises in the production and marketing of high quality power amplifiers and sound systems for use both on tour and in static installations. The success of the LA, DL and DX series power amps has made the CAMCO name synonymous with professional quality, high performance and utterly reliable power amps.
1.0 WELCOME 1.3 The amplifier The VORTEX is a Class-H power amplifier with a power output of 3 kW per channel / 2 Ohm load (6 kW in mono / 4 Ohm load) for VORTEX 6, 2 kW per channel / 2 Ohm load (4 kW in mono / 4 Ohm load) for VORTEX 4 and 1300 W per chanel / 2 Ohm load (2,6 kW in mono / 4 Ohm load) for VORTEX 2.6. It is supplied by Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS). These SMPS’s radically reduce the weight and size (only 2U) of the amplifier.
2.0 FACILITIES 9 10 11 1 2 3 VORTEX - The Front 1 ON / OFF Switch 2 Volume Control - Channel A 3 Volume Control - Channel B 4 On / Failure Indicators 5 Signal Indicators 6 Clip / Output Current Indicators 4 56 7 7 Removable Air Filter System 8 Cooling Air Inlet Vents 9 Enter-Switch (behind Front Panel) 10 Operating Mode Indicators 11 CAI Status Indicator 13 12 P.10 CAMCO USER MANUAL VORTEX POWER AMP SERIES 14 8 15 VORTEX - The Rear 12 AC Power Cable 13 CAMCO Audio Interface (C.A.I.
411,0 mm P.11 CAMCO USER MANUAL VORTEX POWER AMP SERIES 3.3 Mounting Use four screws and washers when mounting the amplifier to the front rack rails. Rear support is also recommended, especially in mobile and touring use. 10,5 mm 465,0 mm 442,0 mm 3.2 Precautions When mounting or connecting the amp always disconnect it from mains. 436,0 mm 427,0 mm 76,2 mm 10,5 mm 88,1 mm 3.0 INSTALLATION 3.1 On/off Switch NOTE: This switch does not isolate the appliance from mains.
3.0 INSTALLATION 3.4 Cooling Under normal operation of the power amp, overheating should never be a problem. The temperature of the cooling air will depend on the immediate environment (e.g. an enclosed rack, direct sunlight) and on whether the front filter is clogged. If the amp is installed in a case, the open area at the back of the case must be at least 140 cm². This area should be in line with the amp. If this can not be achived a forced ventilation system has to be used.
3.0 INSTALLATION 3.6.2 E.U.I. and XLR Connection XLR: Pin 1 Ground (or lifted via 15 Ohm resistor) Pin 2 Hot Pin 3 Cold Always use symmetrical (balanced) shielded cable to connect the amplifier wherever possible. To Gnd Lift Switch 3.6.3 Mode Indicators On the front panel there are two yellow LED’s to indicate the mode that is set. In stereo mode none of them will be lit. In Parallel Mono the (PM) LED will be lit and in Mono Bridge, the (MB) LED will be lit. To Ch. A input stage To Ch.
3.0 INSTALLATION 3.6.5 Stereo Operation Two fully independent amplifier channels (normal operating mode). MODE BRIDGE STEREO PARALLEL MONO VORTEX WARNING! RMS output voltages as high as 230 V are available at the output. Wiring to the speaker loads must conform to NEC Class 3 safety standards. 3.6.7 Parallel-Mono Operation Parallel operation of the two channels together. MODE BRIDGE STEREO PARALLEL MONO VORTEX 3.6.6 Bridge-Mono Operation One-channel mono bridged operation.
3.0 INSTALLATION 3.7 Input Signal Chaining The input signals to the XLR connectors can be hard-wired in parallel using a switch on the E.U.I. (See 3.6.2, Switch 1, 5.1, Extended User Interface and 5.1.1, Input Signal Parallel Switch). This serves as a replacement for an external short XLR female - XLR male cable for parallel linking the signal inputs. Switch S1 CAUTION: Linking channels together can cause damage to system components if for example two inputs are used with separate ‘LF’ and ‘HF’ feeds.
4.0 OPERATION 4.1 Precautions Only connect the VORTEX amplifier to a appropriate AC circuit and outlet, according to the requirements indicated on the rating plate label. improved noise characteristics. The implementation is comparatively simple: the volume potentiometers pass the relevant control information (quieter or louder depending on the adjustment made to the potentiometers) to the microprocessor.
4.0 OPERATION LIMITER OFF SpP SpP Clip Left position: Clip Limiter: OFF & Speaker Protect: OFF (See 4.4.1,Clip Limiter and 4.4.3, Speaker Protect Limiter) 4.3 Indicators 4.3.1 On / Failure Indicators Under normal operation, after the amp has started, the green power LEDs are permanently lit. A variety of different sequences of flashing LEDs are used to indicate other operating states and errors in one of the channels of the power amp. (See 6.0, Trouble Shooting) 4.3.
4.0 OPERATION 4.4 Power Amp Protection Systems 4.4.1 Clip Limiter If the power amp is overdriven, the clip detection circuit triggers the microprocessor. The processor reduces input signal level by controlling the DAC. The strategy is implemented in software. For sinusoidal signals the microprocessor limits the input signal level with the result that the non-linear distortion factor never exceeds 1 %. The clip limiter can work on each channel independently (except in monooperation).
4.0 OPERATION 4.4.6 DC Servo To Prevent DC-Offset at the Speaker output the VORTEX is fitted with two DC-Servos. (Hence there are no capacitors in the signal path!) 4.4.7 Power Amp Over Current Protection Over current is permanently controlled in the output stage. There are two limiting levels of over current depending on output voltage. These limits will be set automatically. This improves reliability without degrading sound quality when driving complex loads. 4.4.
4.0 OPERATION 4.7 Fans The fans mounted in the VORTEX operate permanently, but as long as the temperature remains below 40 °C they run at their slowest speed and can hardly be heard. The highest detected temperature from either channel controls the speed of the fans: above 40 °C the speed is increased until it reaches its maximum value. 4.8 Filter Cleaning A removable filter system is provided on the air intakes to the cooling system.
5.0 OPTIONS 5.1 E.U.I. (Extended User Interface) The E.U.I. slot contains the Rear XLR Panel and the Input Signal Parallel switch as standard. Other input cards are available (See 5.1.3 Accessories) Always switch off and unplug the VORTEX from mains, when working on the E.U.I. The switches described below are not readily accessible and cannot be checked visually from the outside. To remove the E.U.I. unscrew the two Phillips head screws at the left and right end of XLR-Panel and carefully slide out the E.
5.0 OPTIONS NOTE: Ensure you return both pots to their original position after address selection is complete, otherwise the amplifier will change its volume level to the new pot positions! 5.2.4 To Activate CAI Address Selection Procedure Briefly press the ENTER -Switch. This push button switch (Enter - Switch) can be accessed through the 3mm hole in the front panel located between the main power switch and the LEDs.
6.0 TROUBLESHOOTING 6.1 On LED Flashing Sequences When switching on the amp the Power LEDs flash twice accompanied by a flash of clip LEDs. This is normal for the ‘Start’ sequence of the VORTEX. When switching off the amp the Power LEDs flash several times followed by a flash of clip LEDs. This is normal for the Shut Down sequence of the VORTEX. (It is the same as the loss of the mains voltage.
6.0 TROUBLESHOOTING 6.3 Problem: No Sound Indication: On LEDs not lit Clip/Output Current Indicators not lit Check AC plug. Confirm that AC outlet works by plugging in another device. Indication: On LEDs lit Signal LEDs not lit Make sure the signal source is operating and try another cable. Check Position of Volume Pots. Indication: On LEDs lit Signal LEDs responding to signal level Check the speaker wiring for breaks. Try another speaker and cable.
6.0 TROUBLESHOOTING 6.6 Problem: Distorted Sound Indication: On LED lit Signal LED responding to signal level Clip/Output Current indicator lit only green A faulty speaker or a loose connection could cause this. Try another speaker and check the wiring. The signal source might be clipping. Keep the VORTEX volume pots at least halfway up so that the source does not have to be overdriven. Try changing input sensitivity from 1,4 V to 32 dB or 26 dB at the Gainswitch. 6.
7.0 SPECIFICATION VORTEX 2.
7.
+150 +26 +100 +25.5 +25 +50 +24.5 +24 deg dBr 8.0 MEASURMENTS +27 +26.5 +23.5 +23 +22.5 -100 +22 +21.5 +21 10 +0 -50 -150 20 50 100 200 500 Hz 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 50k 100k 10 20 50 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 50k 100k -40 -20 -50 -30 -60 -40 -70 -50 -60 -80 dBr dBr 500 Figure 7.3 Phase vs. frequency (Ch1, Ch2) (Measurements of a typical performance) -10 -70 -80 -90 -100 -90 -110 -100 P.28 200 Hz Figure 7.1 Gain vs.
1000 100m 800 Damping factor 50m Ohm 8.0 MEASURMENTS 300m 200m 20m 10m 5m 400 200 2m 20 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k Hz 0 20 50 100 200 500 Hz 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k Figure 7.7 VORTEX 6 damping factor into 8 Ohm equation: damping factor= loaded impedance / amplifier output impedance (Measurements of a typical performance) -20 -20 -30 -30 -40 -40 -50 -50 -60 -60 -70 -70 dB dB Figure 7.5 Output impedance vs. frequency @ 1 Amp RMS injected current.
-30 -40 -50 -60 dB 8.0 MEASURMENTS -20 -70 -80 -90 -100 -110 -120 100u 200u 500u 1m 2m 5m 10m 20m 50m 100m 200m 500m 1 2 6 Vrms Figure 7.9 CCIF difference frequency method (10,5 kHz and 11,5 kHz) vs. inputlevel @ 4 Ohms (Ch1, Ch2) (Measurements of a typical performance) -20 -30 -40 -50 dB -60 -70 -80 -90 -100 100u 200u 500u 1m 2m 5m 10m 20m 50m 100m 200m 500m 1 2 Vrms Figure 7.10 SMPTE intermodulation distortion (60 Hz and 7 kHz) @ 4 Ohm vs.
8.0 MEASURMENTS 5000 4000 3000 3090 2000 2113 2000 Distortion limited output power 1458 Peak power 1257 1000 Peak power 0 2 Impedance (Ohms) 4 Distortion limited output power (0,1 % THD) 8 988 1000 755 Watts 528 450 Distortion limited output power Peak power Peak power 0 2 Impedance (Ohms) 4 8 Distortion limited output power (0,1 % THD) Figure 7.12 VORTEX 2.6 (Measurements of a typical performance) P.
9.0 WARRANTY INFORMATION 8.1 Summary Of Warranty CAMCO guarantees the VORTEX Amplifier to be free from defective material and/or workmanship for a period of three years from the date of sale. Provided that the amplifier is returned to your distributor/dealer in a factory pack with a copy of the proof of purchase, i.e., sales receipt, CAMCO will repair faulty products under this warranty when a defect occurs under normal installation and use.
10.0 SERVICE INFORMATION PLEASE ENCLOSE THIS COMPLETED FORM WITH THE AMPLIFIER DO NOT SEND SEPARATELY 9.1 Owner’s Information Company Name: 9.2 Nature Of Problem Please describe the conditions that existed when the problem occured and what attempts were made to correct it: Contact: Address: Telephone: Facsimile: eMail Address: Model: Serial Number: Purchase Date: 9.3 Expired Warranty If the warranty has expired, payment will be: Cash/Cheque Other equipment in your system: VISA MasterCard 9.
11.0 COMPANY INFORMATION Mailing Address: CAMCO Produktions-und Vertriebs-GmbH Fischpicke 5 D-57482 Wenden Germany Telephone Numbers: +49 (0)2762 408-0 Facsimile Numbers: +49 (0)2762 408-10 Internet: www.camco.de Email: postmaster@camco.de ISSUE: VORTEX MANUAL 12/01 P.
