Winters 0 Posted October 28, 2011 Hello all, I am reviewing new CCTV wire for my company and I am not sure what all the information given to us means. The following is what I was given. 0.61copper+3.7spe+al foil+96*0.12cca braiding+6.0pvc+30*0.15cca red/black pe+4.3 pvc I can break this down a little. 0.61copper I know this is the inner copper cable. The higher the percentage the better? 3.7spe Not sure what this is… al foil+96*0.12cca braiding I know this has something to do with the shielding? 6.0pvc+30*0.15cca red/black pe+4.3 pvc This I assume has to do with the 18/2 cable? If there is someone that understands how to read this, please help me understand what is good and what is bad. Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hardwired 0 Posted October 28, 2011 There's a few red flags there- CCA refers to copper clad aluminum, not solid copper- not what you want for CCTV usage. Also, foil shielding is wrong for CCTV usage. For best performance, and shielding from interference, you want all solid copper conductors for the center conductor and power wires, and 95% copper braid coverage on the coax cable (95% refers to the amount of coverage the copper braid provides over the coax, not the purity of the copper). PVC and PE refer to the insulators on the wire (polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene, respectively-common enough in this kind of cable). The numerical values refer to the diameter of the conductors. Bottom line-Don't use that wire! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted October 28, 2011 Hello all, I am reviewing new CCTV wire for my company and I am not sure what all the information given to us means. The following is what I was given. What brand is the cable? I'd guess the specs probably came from the manufacturer's website or spec sheet, so they might have a description of the terms. Now the following is strictly an educated guess... 0.61copper+3.7spe+al foil+96*0.12cca braiding+6.0pvc+30*0.15cca red/black pe+4.3 pvc I can break this down a little. 0.61copper I know this is the inner copper cable. The higher the percentage the better? I would think the "0.61" refers to the size of the conductor, possibly diameter in mm. al foil+96*0.12cca braidingI know this has something to do with the shielding? I would read it as "Aluminum foil with 96% copper-clad aluminum braid"... is this an RG6 cable? 6.0pvc+30*0.15cca red/black pe+4.3 pvcThis I assume has to do with the 18/2 cable? PVC would be the type of insulation/jacket on the wire. The number probably relates to its thickness. 6.0 I would expect is still referring to the jacked on the coax; 4.3 would be the jacket on the 18/2. That's all I got. Again, find out who makes the cable and check their site. Or ask whoever provided the spec - hopefully if they wrote it, they'll know what it means. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
survtech 0 Posted October 28, 2011 .61mm would be between 23 gauge and 22 gauge. For video, 22/23 gauge is fairly common but 20 gauge (.81mm) is preferred. I also agree that clad cable, whether aluminum or steel core, and anything other than 95%+ braided copper shielding is not suitable for CCTV except for maybe very short lengths (less than 100 feet). From the spec you listed, while it does appear that the center conductor is copper, its small diameter, coupled with incorrect shield, would make it less than ideal. It all has to do with DC/low frequency resistance. Copper is one of the best conductors and since a video signal, being low frequency, travels in the inner part of the conductor, it is essential that the entire conductor be copper. High frequencies, like TV signals, follow the "skin effect". This means they tend to travel on the outside surface of a conductor. "Clad" cables function well for high frequency applications due to the copper coating (cladding) handling the majority of the signal. Clad cables are cheaper to manufacture because copper is quite expensive in comparison (currently aluminum is about $1 a pound, steel is about $.32 a pound and copper is about $3.67 a pound). Finally, the lower the gauge, the thicker the conductor. That means less resistance per foot, allowing longer runs before signal loss becomes an issue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Winters 0 Posted October 28, 2011 Thank you all for that information. This cable is from a manufacture in China. Its RG59, not RG6. After looking over your posts its clear the cable I listed is no good. I have one more question if you will. We were given one more cable to review. 0.81CU+3.66FPE+8*16/0.12CCA(95%COVERAGE)+6.1PVC+2*(4*0.37CU+3*0.37CCA+1.8PE) This cable seems much better than the last, but there are again a few things I don't know what they stand for. Like this part "3.66FPE+8*16/0.12CCA(95%COVERAGE)". Is that "8*16/0.12" some calculation? Is there anything else that comes to mind when looking at this spec? Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
survtech 0 Posted October 28, 2011 8*16/0.12CCA(95%COVERAGE)I believe that spec means the shield consists of 8 bundles of 16 wires (or maybe 16 bundles of 8 wires?), each 0.12mm (about 37 gauge). I would assume that is interwoven (braided) like the picture below. Again, the "cca" means copper-coated aluminum. Aluminum has higher resistance than copper so the shield is the weak link here. Pure copper is still preferred. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Winters 0 Posted October 28, 2011 Thank you for all your help! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted October 28, 2011 8*16/0.12CCA(95%COVERAGE)I believe that spec means the shield consists of 8 bundles of 16 wires (or maybe 16 bundles of 8 wires?), each 0.12mm (about 37 gauge). I would assume that is interwoven (braided) like the picture below. Interesting interpretation... makes sense to me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
