12v Power problems - is there a simple solution ?

[Jackiep 0]

Hi,

 

Can you please help me with a power problem?

 

I want to install a PTZ IP camera at my parents' home. The problem is that they live in a retirement home and there are countless rules and regulations about drilling holes and extending 240v power sockets etc. This leaves me with the need to run a 12v power extension over a distance of 10m. But this 12v/4A camera suffers a 15% power drop-off when under full load at that distance.

 

I've since learned (via our friend Google) that standard (18 AWG?) extension cables are too thin for this kind of load over 10m, so unless I can overcome the distance problem - I think I need to find some thicker cables. The question is where can I find thicker CCTV power cables?

 

I've looked on eBay, Amazon, Maplin etc, but every cable I find seems to be a standard cables for small bullet cameras. Am I using a wrong search term? or am I missing something else? I'm sure it must be possible to make one myself, but I wouldn't really know what bits to buy.

 

Having looked on this forum, I've found people talking about POE options, various splitter boxes and fuses etc, but to be absolutely honest it goes a bit over my head. All I realy know is:

 

1) I have a PTZ camera with a 12v power adapter that plugs into the back of it (and an ethernet cable that runs from camera>router)

2) the supplied power adapter has a 1m long cable

3) I need a 10m power extension cable to reach the camera

4) I'm looking for a simple solution that doesn't require loads of boxes, splitters, adapters and knowledge

5) From my very limited understanding, I think a thicker power cable might do the trick

6) .. but I can't find thicker cables - leading me to think I might be completely wrong

 

I hope that's enough info.

 

Thanks,

Jackie.

[gb5102 0]

Just pick up some 14awg or larger cable at the hardware store and splice it on. Speaker cable, landscape lighting cable, even a standard electrical extension cord will work(just cut off the ends...)

[shockwave199 0]

Is the camera POE capable? It should be. In which case you could use a poe injector. You run one cat5 cable to the camera and inside you put the injector in line for power and connection to your router.

 

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Gigabit-Injector-compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401135835&sr=8-3&keywords=poe+injector+12v

[Jackiep 0]

Just pick up some 14awg or larger cable at the hardware store and splice it on. Speaker cable, landscape lighting cable, even a standard electrical extension cord will work(just cut off the ends...)

 

That sounds easy enough. Well, cutting the cable should be at any rate!

 

With this method, would I just attach either end of the cable to a male/female jack like one of the following? If so, that sounds like a fairly easy solution for me:

 

http://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-2-1mm-Female-Connector-Camera/dp/B00HPKB6TC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1401137775&sr=8-8&keywords=12v+cctv+jack

 

http://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-5-5mm-Adapter-Connector-Camera/dp/B00J2N0NZI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1401137868&sr=8-12&keywords=SODIAL%28R%29+5.5+x+2.1mm+DC+Power

 

Thanks!

Jackie

Edited May 26, 2014 by Guest

[Jackiep 0]

Is the camera POE capable? It should be. In which case you could use a poe injector. You run one cat5 cable to the camera and inside you put the injector in line for power and connection to your router.

 

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Gigabit-Injector-compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401135835&sr=8-3&keywords=poe+injector+12v

 

There’s certainly no mention of POE in the spec, which just says 12v 4A (same as on the power brick they supplied). I’ll drop the seller a message and ask them.

 

Looking at the secondary diagram for that POE Injector though, it suggests that you can use a POE Injector, and then add a POE splitter to power non POE devices at the other end. Is that an option with a camera like this?

 

Thanks again for the info

Jackie

[gb5102 0]

yes those connectors from amazon should work. Or you could cut the connector off the power supply, splice it on to the end of your new extension cable, then just splice the 'extension' cable directly onto the cable from the power supply

 

But using the connectors would be a little neater way of doing the same thing i guess.

[Jackiep 0]

yes those connectors from amazon should work. Or you could cut the connector off the power supply, splice it on to the end of your new extension cable, then just splice the 'extension' cable directly onto the cable from the power supply

 

But using the connectors would be a little neater way of doing the same thing i guess.

 

Oh, I see what you mean. Thank you.