Bulk CCTV Cable OEM Manufacturer
April 2, 2021
Not all coaxial cable should be used for CCTV camera installations. RG59 coax cable is the industry standard and best choice for CCTV systems and HD over coax systems, however, not all RG59 is created equal. Be sure to read the spec before you buy.
This is what you need to know. Be sure to select RG59 cable with a solid copper core or CCS/ inner conductor and 95% copper or CCA braiding. Look at the specification in the website pages. These two elements are highlighted and the arrows point to the parts of the cable they refer to.
The impedance of CCTV cameras is 75 ohms. In order to have minimum video loss, you should use coax cable that also has an impedance of 75 ohms. Coax cable is also available in 50 ohm and 93 ohm. Do not use these for CCTV installation. Use ONLY 75 ohm cable.
Similar to RG-6, the RG-59 refers to ‘Radio Guide’ while 59 refers to the diameter size, i.e., .059 and uses a copper plate. This type of cable is recommended for a lower bandwidth, therefore, it’s ideal for CCTV installations particularly suitable for flats, apartments, societies, hotels and other interior, relatively smaller places. Hangzhou Aite RG59 coaxial cable is a foaming-based dielectric system. With a super gas injected from the foam insulation, the cable thus helps in providing a better quality signal which eventually helps for better surveillance.
RG6 can also be used for CCTV. It is also available with a solid copper core or CCS/ inner conductor and 95% AL-M or CCA braiding. RG6 can be run farther distances than RG59 without video loss, however, RG6 is a thicker, more rigid cable which is not as convenient to work with (especially around corners). RG59 is rated at 700 feet and RG6 is rated at 1000 feet for analog CCTV. RG59 is more typically used.
Like CCTV, cable television (CATV) is also typically wired using RG59 or RG6 coax cable, however it is not the same type of RG59 or RG6 that is used for CCTV installations. The difference is that the center conductor / inner conductor of CATV grade cable is made of steel or copper plated steel instead of copper. Steel has a much higher resistance than pure copper which leads to video loss at low frequency. Steel costs less than copper, which makes CATV cable cheaper than CCTV.
CATV systems are able to use cable with a steel center because cable TV video uses much higher video frequencies than CCTV. The copper plating of clad cable is thick enough so that none of the radio frequency energy penetrates into the steel core to induce loss. CCTV video uses much lower frequencies which are lost or dropped when using steel or steel clad cable.
To identify RG59 or RG6 for CATV, check the product specification and be on the lookup for terms such as “copper clad steel”, “aluminum foil inner shield”, “aluminum braid shield”. These are all characteristics coax cable that is used for CATV cable and should not be used for CCTV.
What is the max distance that installers can run CCTV cable for video and power?
Here is a question that I received from a customer recently.
Hi Thomas, can you please assist. Is it possible to run power cable together with the video on RG59 Cable for a distance of 250 meters. I am a new CCTV technician who has just faced a challenge on an old installation which is not working properly.
Here is the information that I provided.
Analog CCTV camera video transmission is limited to 213 meters or 700 feet using RG59 coaxial cable, unless you use a video amplifier like this one
Using this amp, you can run CCTV video up to 1000 meters / 3000 feet with RG59.
The max distance that you can run power cable to the camera without voltage drop depends on the voltage, amount of power the camera draws in amps, and the gauge of the cable that you are using. You can use this voltage drop calculator and voltage drop chart.
A: RG-58 is 50-ohm coaxial cable and is typically used for radio communications and thin Ethernet networks. RG-59 is 75-ohm coaxial cable for CCTV and cable TV. Some also use RG-6 for video connections.
Q: What is the difference between RG-58 and RG-59 coaxial cable?
A: RG-58 is 50-ohm coaxial cable and is typically used for radio communications and thin Ethernet networks. RG-59 is 75-ohm coaxial cable for CCTV and cable TV. Some also use RG-6 for video connections.
The RG stands for Radio Guide. Remember that a coax cable is a radio frequency waveguide and the outer radius should not be distorted.
Q:Every once in a while I have a technician who will splinter or scratch a piece of wood or molding when drilling or installing contacts. It can get pretty expensive having a professional carpenter repair these mistakes. Do you have any suggestions on saving some money here?
A: First, make sure your techs are using sharp bits for clean cutting holes. This will reduce the number of splinters. Second, make yourself some wood and furniture repair kits.
This saved me one time when a tech came out of a wall in the wrong place and started to drill a wood dresser. I used to call them “bo bo” kits. This can simply be a box of kids’ wax crayons. There are also professional restoration crayon kits. A little more money, but a better quality of crayons. Make sure to have plenty of earth and wood tone colors. Check with your local distributor for these kits.
If you have any tips to share or have questions about installations or troubleshooting,
