Hi there-

I'm new to the CCTV world, coming from the commercial AV world.

I'm curious as to how installers are connecting power to, for example, indoor dome cams. The cams I've seen come with a female concentric power connector already attached, and a male connector with pigtail for attaching in the field

I've seen, and would like to use, pluggable 'Phoenix' type connector so that during installation/ troubleshooting, the power supply connection can be disconnected easily.

Can anyone lead me to a source for that type of connector? The Phoenix connectors I see listed in most catalogs have the female connector being mounted to a printed circuit board. I need females that connect to a pair of 18ga. conductors.

ANy info is appreciated.

Thanks

Many cameras use terminals for each wire, rather than coaxial power connectors. With those, you can use any type of quick connect if you choose. Or you can just attach the power wires directly to the terminals.

About the most "standard" thing you'll find is the typical barrel-type connectors, but those are pretty much limited to 12VDC cameras and supplies. 24VAC cameras, unfortunately, use a wide range of different connections, sometimes even varying within one manufacturer's product line. Many use screw terminals, some use spring-clips... more are using variations on Phoenix or Molex type connectors, sometimes on a tail out the back of the camera, sometimes in the camera body itself... but rarely are they interchangeable between brands.

Thanks for responding.

I'll be clearer in this post.

Can anyone point me to a pluggable captive-screw Phoenix type connector that accepts 2 conductor 18 and 16 gauge wire?

In the field I've found wire nuts, electrical tape, Dolphin connectors, terminal strips.

Cutting off the concentric molded power connector end from the camera and attaching pluggable connectors to the cam supply wires and field supply wires would enable the power to be firmly connected but able to be disconnected easily for troubleshooting and swapping out.

Any info is appreciated

Thanks

This forum seems to be most helpful.

Ah, now I gotcha.

We sometimes use terminal strips ("European" style) for this sort of purpose, particularly on the test bench.

You could also consider Molex types...

Those are just links from one of our local suppliers... as far as Phoenix connectors specifically, you could always try just contacting themdirectly.

This is what I've used in the past:



Radio Shack 2-Conductor Automotive DC Accessory Cable Model: 270-026

If you want them to be weatherproof, assemble them with a dab of silicone dielectric grease.


I dislike Molex connectors. They tend to oxidize and the females tend to loosen up, causing poor contact.