Low Voltage Power Drop Charts
When running power over long distances, voltage drop is a critical factor. It's the gradual loss of voltage along the length of a wire, and if it's too high, your equipment may not function correctly. For most low-voltage AC and DC applications, the maximum acceptable voltage drop is 10%. The charts below provide the maximum cable distance in metres for common wire gauges based on this 10% limit.
12V DC Power Drop / Max Cable Distance Chart
The left column lists the current draw of your device in milliamps (mA). Find your device's current draw, then read across to find the maximum cable distance for your chosen wire gauge (AWG). For example, a 12V DC camera that draws 300mA can be powered over a maximum distance of 88 metres using 18 AWG cable.
| Current Draw | 24 AWG | 22 AWG | 20 AWG | 18 AWG | 16 AWG | 14 AWG | 12 AWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100mA | 66 m | 104 m | 181 m | 264 m | 420 m | 670 m | 1069 m |
| 200mA | 33 m | 52 m | 91 m | 132 m | 210 m | 335 m | 535 m |
| 300mA | 22 m | 34 m | 60 m | 88 m | 140 m | 223 m | 356 m |
| 400mA | 16 m | 26 m | 45 m | 66 m | 105 m | 167 m | 267 m |
| 500mA | 13 m | 21 m | 36 m | 53 m | 84 m | 134 m | 214 m |
| 750mA | 9 m | 14 m | 24 m | 35 m | 56 m | 89 m | 142 m |
| 1000mA (1A) | 6 m | 10 m | 18 m | 26 m | 42 m | 67 m | 107 m |
24V AC Power Drop / Max Cable Distance Chart
For AC devices, power is often measured in Volt-Amps (VA). The chart below lists the power requirement in VA with the equivalent current draw in milliamps (mA). For example, a 24V AC camera that requires up to 10VA (417mA) can be run up to 137 metres on 18 AWG cable.
| Power Draw | 24 AWG | 22 AWG | 20 AWG | 18 AWG | 16 AWG | 14 AWG | 12 AWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 VA (417mA) | 31 m | 86 m | 87 m | 137 m | 218 m | 348 m | 552 m |
| 20 VA (833mA) | 16 m | 43 m | 43 m | 69 m | 109 m | 174 m | 276 m |
| 40 VA (1667mA) | 8 m | 21 m | 22 m | 34 m | 55 m | 87 m | 138 m |
| 50 VA (2083mA) | 6 m | 17 m | 17 m | 27 m | 44 m | 69 m | 110 m |
Ohm's Law Calculator
For values not in our charts, you can use an Ohm's Law calculator to determine voltage drop more precisely.
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