Splice the Wires for a Security Camera
For Power Supply Cable:
Security cameras need two
types of cables to operate.
1.
Power supply
cable and
2.
Video cable.
Wireless security cameras
do not require a video cable but they do require the power supply cable. The
power cable transports 12V DC, low-voltage power from the transformer, which is
plugged into an 220VAC ~ 110VAC power outlet, to the camera. This cable has two
18 gauge wires, a positive wire and a negative wire, both inside a single
jacket. The negative wire will be marked with a black or white stripe. The
video cable is a RG-59 / RG6 / RG11: coaxial cable which is shielded and
requires BNC connectors to protect the integrity of the video signal being
carried.
Instructions 1
Use
your knife or cable cutters to split the two insulated wires apart
approximately three inches from the cut end of the cable, leaving the
installation intact on both wires. You can usually pull these apart with your
hands. Do this on both ends which you intend to splice together. You should now
have two power cables, with two insulated wires coming out of each for a total
of four wires to be spliced.
Instructions 2
Remove
half an inch of the insulation from the end of each of these four wires.
Instructions 3
Splice
these two power cables together, using wire nuts, by twisting the exposed
copper ends together making sure that you twist positive from one cable to the
positive from the other cable and the negative wire, or striped wire, from one
cable to the negative wire, or striped wire, from the other cable. Screw a wire
nut on to the joined or twisted together positive wires and a second wire nut
on the twisted together negative wires. Lay the wire nuts against the cable and
wrap everything with insulated electricians tape.
Instructions 4
Splice
these two power cables together, using Butt connectors, by preparing the cables
just like you did for the wire nut splice, only without twisting them together.
Insert the exposed copper wire from the positive conductor into one end of the
butt connector and crimp that end of the connector down. Insert the other
positive wire into the other end of the same butt connector and crimp it down.
Do the same for the two negative wires using a second Butt connector. Wrap
everything with insulated electricians tape.
For Video Cable:
Instructions 5
Look
at the cut end of the RG-59 cable and you will see four separate parts which
make up this cable. In the center is the copper center conductor wire.
Surrounding the center conductor wire is a polyurethane white insulator. Next
is the aluminum or copper braid. And finally, there is the outer jacket of the
cable. As you prepare this cable for the BNC connector is important that you
prepare each of these four separate parts independently of each other. The
copper center conductor must remain untouched by the braid.
Instructions 6
Take
the BNC crimping tube and hold it alongside the end of the RG 59 cable to
measure your first cut. The crimping tube will have a larger diameter part and
a smaller diameter part. The larger diameter part is the end of the crimping
tube that you want to match against the end of the RG-59 cable.
Instructions 7
Mark,
or just eyeball, the outer jacket on the cable where the large part of the
crimping tube ends and the smaller part begins. This will be about 3/8 or 1/2
inch from the end of the cable. This measurement depends on the length of the
large part of the crimping tube which you have purchased with the BNC
connector.
Instructions 8
Cut
and remove the outer jacket only by ringing it with a pocket knife or using
cable cutters. Be very careful not to damage the aluminum braid which is right
underneath the outer jacket.
Instructions 9
Unravel
the exposed aluminum braid so you can pull it away from the polyurethane
insulation around the copper center conductor.
Instructions 10
Cut
and remove the polyurethane insulation from the copper center conductor. You can
ring it with a knife or use cable cutters and it should pull free towards the
cut end of the center conductor. The cable is now ready for the connector and
the cable should now have only the copper center conductor exposed and the
aluminum braid pulled back over the outer jacket.
Instructions 11
Slide
the crimp tube over the cable with the small end going on the cable first.
Before you can slide the crimp tube on you must pull the aluminum braid towards
the cut end of the cable so the crimp tube can go around it and slide directly
onto the outer jacket of the cable.
Instructions 12
Slide
the BNC connector into place, small end first, with the copper center conductor
and the polyurethane insulation going inside of the small part of the connector
and the aluminum braid and outer jacket staying on the outside of the small
part of the connector. As you push the connector down into the cable it will
pull the aluminum braid down inside the outer jacket at the same time. Looking
inside the connector and make sure that none of the aluminum braid has
inadvertently remained inside the connector and possibly touching the center
conductor. If the aluminum braid is touching the center conductor the
connection will not work.
Instructions 13
Slide
the crimping tube back up the outer jacket until it is touching the BNC
connector. Use your crimping tool to now crimp the larger portion of the
crimping tube and complete the compression placement of the BNC connector.
Instructions 14
Repeat this process,
placing the second BNC connector on the second piece of cable. When you have
completed this you should have two pieces of video cable with a BNC connector
on each piece. Use the BNC barrel connector to connect these BNC connectors
together. The video cable splice is now complete.