What Type of Wire for a Security Camera?
To reap the benefits a security camera can provide for your home or business, it is essential to maintain the integrity of the video image by installing either coaxial or fiber optic cable.
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Coaxial Cable
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Coaxial cable Coaxial cable---abbreviated coax--is the standard cable for transmitting video signals. It consists of an inner and outer conductor between which the signal is transmitted in the form of electronic pulses.
Fiber Optic Cable
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Fiber optic strands Fiber optic cable consists of transparent fibers through which the signal is transmitted in the form of light pulses. It has greater bandwidth capacity and can transmit over a longer distance than coax.
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Choosing a Cable
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Fiber optic cable is more expensive and fragile than coax. Even a kink can prevent the signal from passing through, so unless you need the extra bandwidth or to transmit over a long distance, coax is a sensible choice. RG-6 coax is approved for use up to 1,500 feet, and RG-11 can be used up to 3,000 feet. For optimal performance, choose a cable with a solid copper conductor at its core, rather than one with a copper-coated aluminum conductor.
Considerations
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If the situation does require you to use fiber optic cable, choose a camera that has a built-in fiber optic interface; otherwise, you will need to connect a short length of coax to the camera and then use a media converter to attach the fiber optic cable.
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References
- Photo Credit two cameras image by Vadimone from Fotolia.com coaxial cable image by Albert Lozano from Fotolia.com fiber optic computer cables image by Andrew Brown from Fotolia.com
