We were sent out to add 3 paging speakers at a factory. They have a Bogen c-100 amp with about 20 bogen speakers (spt15a) hooked up and all are set to the maximum tap setting, which is 15 watts on a 25 volt system(and not supposed to be used for 70v), but they are fed from the 70 volt terminals on the c-100. I guess I'm not sure how this is even working, but they only use it for tornado warning, time clock bells and a few pages once in a while.

I'm afraid to add speakers because, to me, it is drastically over the limit for a 100 watt amp. 20 x 15=300 if I were to hook it up to the 25v terminals on the amp.

I feel stupid telling the customer you need a 4 or 5 hundred watt amp to add my 3 speakers and replace your 100 watt amp that still works.

I checked the line with my Goldline ZM1P Impedance Meter and it reads 230 watts "calculated" on 25 volt setting and off the chart with the 70v setting.

Bogen tech support just says that I need to add up all of the taps and make sure it's not more than 80 percent of the amp wattage.

Do I dare move the speaker output to the 25 volt terminals on the bogen amp. Some speakers are not accessable to change the tap setting.

Do I just add my 3 speakers and hope the amp doesn't overload?

Or just insist on a amp that will push that many speakers?

Thanks for any advice you can give me, im somewhat of a newbie with paging systems, but trying to learn and situations like these just confuse the heck out of me.

Think of paging amp ratings in the same manner of tow capacity of a vehicle.

Which is safer:

• Towing a car behind an RV
• Towing and RV behind a car

Listen to tech support, they do this stuff for a living.

Dean is SO correct on this one!

I would use self amplified horns and stipulate that you have no control over the existing equipment!!

Drastically is an understatement. Actually that little amp is trying to drive 2400W worth of speakers. The 25v/15W tap at 70.7V is 120W!


Screw the idiots. Just add the speakers like they want. You won't have to tell them anything, they will be calling you eventually.

-Hal

I agree with Touch Tone Tommy.

You could also come out of the "Tape" output and go to a new 70v amp for the new speakers.

That said those horns have a rotary tap that numbers 1 through 8. Which number is it set on?

all the horns are set at 8, thanks for all the replies and good advice. I needed someone else to confirm what i was thinking because i second guess myself a lot when things are so screwed up but still work... my experience has been the latter... where its screwed up(garbled, buzzing,ect) and I have it all hooked up the right way.. I get nervous touching existing equipment, because you inherit all of the problems on their system or get blamed for future problems, so i see the wisdom in just using your own self amplified ones or the tape out method to a new amp. I'm probably going to spit the speaker circuit up and use there 100 watt amp and get another bigger amp to just try and do it right.

So the analogy of the car pulling a winnebago, ya maybe the car could pull the trailer move but its not gonna go fast and don't be surprised that the engine blows. does that seem like what kinda going on here?

Thanks Guys!!!

I'm curious that all of the horns are set to tap #8 which according to the manual says it's not used.

Whoever did the original install thought they were volume controls, and turned them up all the way. They sure didn't bother to look at any charts to see that 8 shouldn't be used.

Interesting. I'm not sure what "not used" means if the OP says the speaker works. I can only guess that the switch is 7 position and the marking on the nameplate goes to 8. So the knob is turned fully clockwise and it appears to be on 8 but it really only goes to 7. Easy to make that mistake hanging off a ladder in poor lighting.

-Hal

Sorry for the confusion, I didn't actually count the clicks that it is turned up... they are just turned all the way clockwise. According the the nameplate on the horn, that is 15 watts at 25 volts... i;m guessing there probably isn't a setting 8 and the knob only clicks up to 7