Adcom Channel not Working. Help?

[rolyasm]

My father was using an Adcom GFA 7000. He wanted to connect a sixth speaker to the 5 channel amp and thought he would try some crafty wiring. He took the speaker cable from the sixth speaker and split it four ways, connecting a pair to both left surround and right surround channels (thinking he would split the signal for a nice surround). When he turned it on he said the Distortion and Thermal Protection lights both flickered back and forth between the surround channels. Then the amp shut off. When he turned it back on the right surround wasn't outputing sound. I hooked up the non-functional speaker to another channel, and it works. So I know it isn't the speaker. Anyway, after reading the manual I think that the "Internal Protection" has been engaged. The manual says to seek a dealer. Is there a simple fix for this, or is it to the shop? Thanks all.
Here is a site to the manual.
http://www.adcom.com/data/manuals/gfa7000manual.pdf
Thanks,
Roly

 

[mtrycrafts]

My father was using an Adcom GFA 7000. He wanted to connect a sixth speaker to the 5 channel amp and thought he would try some crafty wiring. He took the speaker cable from the sixth speaker and split it four ways, connecting a pair to both left surround and right surround channels (thinking he would split the signal for a nice surround). When he turned it on he said the Distortion and Thermal Protection lights both flickered back and forth between the surround channels. Then the amp shut off. When he turned it back on the right surround wasn't outputing sound. I hooked up the non-functional speaker to another channel, and it works. So I know it isn't the speaker. Anyway, after reading the manual I think that the "Internal Protection" has been engaged. The manual says to seek a dealer. Is there a simple fix for this, or is it to the shop? Thanks all.
Here is a site to the manual.
http://www.adcom.com/data/manuals/gfa7000manual.pdf
Thanks,
Roly

Not fully understanding what he did

He wired 4 pairs of wire to one speaker and wired it to 4 speaker terminals on that 5 channel amp?
If so, he just wired a bunch of the channels together. I am surprised you still have something standing and not smoldering.

Disconnect all speakers and start from scratch. Attach one speaker only to one channel and see if that speaker is working properly. If so, connect that good speaker to each channel, but only one channel at one time and see if you still have each channels working. If they work, you can only hook up one speaker to one channel, and he should ask questions before he tries to burn the place down.

 

[rolyasm]

I know it is confusing. I had to stop by his place and have him show me what he did. Basically he took 2 pairs of wire, 2 black/2 red, from the speaker and connected the speaker to both the left and right surround channels. So two channels of output into one speaker. I think this would have shorted out the terminals from what I am understanding. He thought that by splitting the left and right surrounds he would get a nice rear center speaker. ugh.
Roly

 

[Nuglets]

Yeah that willl short it out. It is like connecting the wire's from one channel on the amp to another directly. Not good at all. By the way, I have an Adcom GFA 5200 and on of the channels is fried also. I didn't do anything crazy like so I have no clue what is wrong with it but right now I don't have the funds to take it to a dealer. I am assuming after that kind of connection that the channels that were used for it are pretty much done for and you will need some repair on that unit.

 

[rolyasm]

Fuse Issue, I think...

So I popped the top off and checked the fuses. Each board/channel has 2 fuses on it. The lower one, near the power source, looks to be blown. I have actually never seen a fuse like this. It looks like a type of cloth has been woven with the metal around it. So it basically looks like a normal fuse, only instead of just a metal strip in the middle, it looks like a cloth, white/silver strip with a winding of metal around it. The fuse I took out is melted. Do I need to replace it with the same weird fuse, or can I use any 6.3A 250V fuse that fits? Thanks.
Roly
P.S. Should I take the amp away from my father for awhile, or just send him to his room?

 

[mtrycrafts]

So I popped the top off and checked the fuses. Each board/channel has 2 fuses on it. The lower one, near the power source, looks to be blown. I have actually never seen a fuse like this. It looks like a type of cloth has been woven with the metal around it. So it basically looks like a normal fuse, only instead of just a metal strip in the middle, it looks like a cloth, white/silver strip with a winding of metal around it. The fuse I took out is melted. Do I need to replace it with the same weird fuse, or can I use any 6.3A 250V fuse that fits? Thanks.
Roly
P.S. Should I take the amp away from my father for awhile, or just send him to his room?

Not sure but it may be a slo-blow fuse?
Take it to an electronics store, maybe even a Radio Shack to get the same one, or you may have cause a worse problem the next time.
Hopefully this is all the problem you have.
Come back and let us know.

 

[xboxweasel]

As long as you match the current rating, voltage rating, and whether it is a slow or fast acting fuse you should be okay.

I've never seen a fuse with a wire wrapped around cloth. Almost sounds like a resistor.

 

[MDS]

When you get the fused replaced and the amp is working again, use TWO additional speakers wired in series with the surrounds and you won't blow the amp fuses again.

That will give you two additional speakers to play the same content as the surround speakers, but I assume that was essentially the original intent of trying to add a single additional speaker anyway.

 

[rolyasm]

Hey Hey

Turns out that was the problem. Yes, it is a slow-fuse. After looking at the unit more, I noticed another fuse on the center channel had been changed also. Must have blown at some point. Now it works great. Kudos to Adcom for designing the protection into their unit. I think I will just tell my dad to live with 5.1, or we'll get him another 2 channel. Thanks all.
Roly

 

[mtrycrafts]

or we'll get him another 2 channel. Thanks all.
Roly

What do you mean by this?

 

[AVRat]

He means he'll add a 2-channel amp to his father's setup.

 

[Nuglets]

What do you mean by this?

For 7.1 I'm assuming.