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MAX

® 

5100-EX Owner’s Guide

Your audio/video components are constantly
being bombarded by electromagnetic interfer-
ence (EMI) and radio frequency interference
(RFI) through their power cords.  This contam-
inated power can affect audio/video equipment

and will degrade the overall performance of
your entire system.  Common symptoms of
contaminated power include pops, hisses,
hums and visual artifacts.   

The MAX 5100-EX is designed to filter this
noise, supply clean power to your system and
provide noise isolation between the outlet 

banks so that any noise created by an A/V com-
ponent can not contaminate the power going to
equipment plugged into the other outlet banks.  

Sequential Startup/Shutdown:

Complex audio/video systems may be suscep-
tible to voltage transients generated internally
at start-up/shutdown if all of the equipment is
powered on or off at the same time.  This can
cause speaker “thumps” which are not only
annoying but can also damage the speakers.
The MAX® 5100-EX is designed to eliminate
these transients by providing a “start-up” delay
for the High-Current outlets and a “shutdown”
delay for the Switched Outlet Bank.  This allows
the components plugged into the Switched
Outlet Bank to power-up and stabilize before
any amplifiers and powered sub-woofers are
turned on.  This sequence is reversed during
shutdown.  The amplifiers and powered sub-
woofers turn off, their power supplies drain,
and then the equipment plugged into the
Switched Outlet Bank is turned off.

Voltage Sense Trigger:

This feature provides an ON/OFF trigger for the
MAX® 5100-EX using a Direct Current voltage
signal.  Many components such as pre-ampli-
fiers and receivers have a DC trigger built in,
and will transmit a constant power signal when
turned on and in use.  The presence of this
power signal will turn on the MAX® 5100-EX’s
switched outlets.  When the source component
is turned off, the voltage trigger signal is also
turned off and the MAX ® 5100-EX’s shutdown
sequence is initiated.  An AC Adapter of the
appropriate voltage, plugged into a switched
outlet, may also be used if a DC trigger is not
built in.    

The MAX® 5100-EX voltage sense trigger input
uses a standard 3.5mm (1/8") mini-plug jack.
This jack has an electrically isolated switch built
in.  If nothing is inserted into the input jack, the
voltage sense is bypassed and the Power
Button on the front panel has sole control of the
startup/shutdown sequence.  If a plug is insert-
ed into the input jack, the front panel switch is
bypassed and the voltage sense becomes the
startup/shutdown trigger. 

IMPORTANT, Please

Note: 

The unit needs to be plugged in, and in

the powered OFF state before inserting the DC
input trigger mini-plug.

Automatic Over & Under Voltage Protection:

Panamax’s patent pending power monitoring
circuitry constantly monitors the AC line volt-
age for unsafe voltage conditions such as pro-
longed over-voltages and under-voltages
(brownouts).  These unsafe conditions pose a
very dangerous threat to all electronic equip-
ment within the home.  If the MAX® 5100-EX
senses an unsafe power condition, it will auto-
matically 

disconnect 

your equipment from the

power to protect equipment from damage.
Once the voltage returns to a safe level, the
MAX® 5100-EX will automatically 

reconnect

the power.

Protect or Disconnect AC Surge Protection:

When the MAX® 5100-EX is subjected to a
high voltage surge, its voltage output is limited
to a safe level and the high levels of surge cur-
rent are diverted away from the connected
equipment.

• When subjected to a 6,000V (open circuit
voltage) / 500A (short circuit current) surge,
the MAX® 5100-EX limits its voltage output to
less than 330V peak, UL’s best rating.  The
MAX® 5100-EX will withstand, without dam-
age, 20,000A surges, far exceeding the UL
requirement of only 3000 Ampere surges.

• If the magnitude of the surge is greater than
the capacity of the surge protection compo-
nents, the MAX® 5100-EX's Protect or
Disconnect‘ Circuitry will disconnect your
equipment in order to protect it.   The MAX®
5100-EX will need to be repaired or replaced by
Panamax if this occurs.

Application Specific Coaxial Signal Line
Protection:

Panamax's exclusive SignalPerfect™ Technolo-
gy provides application specific protection for
your satellite and cable TV equipment.  One line
of protection is provided for each type.  The
satellite connection is for a coaxial cable con-
nected to a DBS (single LNB) satellite dish.  The
antenna connection is for a non-amplified off-
air antenna or cable TV line.   

The protection circuitry has been optimized for
each application and is not interchangeable.
The jacks are not labeled In and Out.  The cir-
cuitry is bidirectional in both signal transmis-
sion and protection capabilities, making it com-
patible with the latest digital cable and satellite
technologies.

Cable TV (Including HDTV) 

– TV tuners oper-

ate at approximately 10 millivolts (0.01 V) and
utilize the frequency spectrum up to 950 MHz.
The clamping level of the MAX® 5100-EX's
cable TV protection circuitry is 1400 millivolts
(1.4 volts).  That's less than 1 volt above nor-
mal operating levels.  The circuitry is also
shielded to prevent interference.

Satellite TV

- Satellite dish LNB's can require

up to 24 volts to operate and utilize the fre-
quency range of 950 MHz to 2.2 GHz.  The
clamping level of the MAX® 5100-EX's satellite
protection circuitry is 25 volts - just 1 volt
above the maximum operating voltage.  The
circuitry is also shielded to prevent interfer-
ence.

Telephone Line Protection:

Digital video recorders and satellite TV
receivers require a telephone line connection
for TV show scheduling and/or Pay-Per-View
services.  The MAX® 5100-EX also provides
surge protection for this line.  One pair of RJ-
11 telephone jacks is provided for this.  The cir-
cuitry utilizes auto-resetting PTCRs and solid-
state SIDACtors“ for reliability and unsur-
passed protection.  The clamping level of the
MAX 5100-EX's telephone protector is 260
volts.  This will allow typical ring voltage (90-
130VAC) and operating battery voltage (-48DC)
to pass through the circuit and still protect the
modem in your satellite receiver from damage.  

Home Theater Power Conditioner

M5100-EX

POWER AND 

FILTRATION

BANK 1 

ALWAYS ON

BANK 3

ON

WIRING

OK

INDICATOR

LIGHTS

BANK 2

ON

90V   95V   100V  105V  110V  115V   120V

  125V  130V  135V

Key Features

LEVEL 3 EMI/RFI Noise Filtration with Isolation Between Outlet Banks:

Model: 

M5100-EX

INS0785E   Rev A   5/05

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