What’s the easiest way to get two for one? Use Security Camera King’s PT-6 Power splitter. This little device sounds more complicated than it really is, but it can also save you tremendous amounts of extra cabling time and provide to sources of power from one line as well.
Many of the devices used in a digital video security system also require an ample supply of electrical power. On a standard type system, the Digital Video Recorder or DVR and the monitor usually get their power from a nearby wall outlet. They normally use 115 Volts of Alternating Current (VAC) and draw an electrical load of varying amounts of Amperes or Amps. (Notice we said “Amps” and not “milliamps” or mA).
If we tried to run a digital video security camera directly from house current, it would more than likely over-load the camera and become a potential fire hazard. Not only is that possible, but high voltage wires could be a potential problem waiting to happen if a squirrel or mouse started gnawing on the wires (which happens with many household devices’ wires rather often.)
So, instead of using high-voltage and amperage house current directly, a digital video security camera system normally uses an electrical transformer to “step-down” the power going to the cameras. In fact, most digital video cameras these days only use one of two different types of power, 24VAC or 12VDC. Both of these are sufficient for cameras and accessories (like infrared illuminators for example) and the low voltage is much safer to work with and to have installed.)
However, this also means that unless something is battery operated, each device must have its own power supply. Direct Current is a good choice on one hand because of the safety factor, but DC has the undesirable characteristic of power drops the longer the power cable. AC is great for this because AC power doesn’t degrade as readily at long distances as DC. So AC and DC each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
The PT-6 Power splitter Y Adaptor is excellent for this purpose. It has one DC female power plug jack that is normally plugged into a single DC power supply. The jack is a 5.5 x 2.1 mm standard power jack. On the other end of the PT-6 Power splitter is two male DC plugs, each 5.5 x 2.1 mm. This Y adaptor allows you to safely and effectively split the outgoing (from the transformer to the camera) single power supply into two power supply sources.
There are many uses for the PT-6 Power splitter. It is intended to be used with DC only, hence the great pains that are made to make sure the plugs’ own components do not contact and short out the connection. The female plug has a center metal pin that makes contact with the inside only of the male plug. Furthermore, the outer surface of the male plug makes contact with a cylindrical connection on the inside of the female plug.
Probably, the two most popular uses for this adaptor is to split the power supply for the camera in two. One lead of the “Y” provides power for the camera, the other lead of the “Y” provides power for accessories such as powered microphones and infrared Light Emitting Diode (LED) illuminators.
If you need more information on the PT-6 Power splitter please contact one of Security Camera King’s security experts either via on-line “Live Chat” or by telephone at 866-573-8878 and they will be glad to help you.