Note: for both AC and DC low voltage, generally the maximum acceptable voltage drop is 10%. The below charts assume this.
12V DC Power Drop / Max Cable Distance Chart
The below DC voltage drop cable distance chart works as follows. The left column notes the amount of power that the device you are powering requires . The "mA" after the number stands for milli-amps. For example, say you are using a CCTV camera that requires max 300mA. Using 18 gauge power cable, you can run your cable up to 88 metres.
| 24 AWG | 22 AWG | 20 AWG | 18 AWG | 16 AWG | 14 AWG | 12 AWG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC 100mA | 66 metres | 104 metres | 181 metres | 264 metres | 420 metres | 670 metres | 1069 metres |
| DC 200mA | 33 metres | 52 metres | 91 metres | 132 metres | 210 metres | 335 metres | 535 metres |
| DC 300mA | 22 metres | 34 metres | 60 metres | 88 metres | 140 metres | 223 metres | 356 metres |
| DC 400mA | 16 metres | 26 metres | 45 metres | 66 metres | 105 metres | 167 metres | 267 metres |
| DC 500mA | 13 metres | 21 metres | 36 metres | 53 metres | 84 metres | 134 metres | 214 metres |
| DC 750mA | 9 metres | 14 metres | 24 metres | 35 metres | 56 metres | 89 metres | 142 metres |
| DC 1000mA | 6 metres | 10 metres | 18 metres | 26 metres | 42 metres | 67 metres | 107 metres |
24V AC Power Drop / Max Cable Distance Chart
The AC voltage drop cable distance chart works the same way as the DC one. However, most 24VAC power supplies are measured in voltage amps ("VA"), or watts. Voltage amps / watts can be converted to milli-amps. You can use this voltage to watts conversion tool if the value you need is not in the below chart. We have provided the conversion for you below the VA value in the column on the left. For example, 10VA is the same as 417mA.
Using the below chart, you can see that if you are using a AC powered or dual voltage security camera that requires up to 417mA of power, you run 18 gauge power cable up to 137 metres.
| 24 AWG | 22 AWG | 20 AWG | 18 AWG | 16 AWG | 14 AWG | 12 AWG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 VA (417mA) | 31 metres | 86 metres | 87 metres | 137 metres | 218 metres | 348 metres | 552 metres |
| 20 VA (833mA) | 16 metres | 43 metres | 43 metres | 69 metres | 109 metres | 174 metres | 276 metres |
| 30 VA (1250mA) | 10 metres | 29 metres | 29 metres | 46 metres | 73 metres | 116 metres | 184 metres |
| 40 VA (1667mA) | 8 metres | 21 metres | 22 metres | 34 metres | 55 metres | 87 metres | 138 metres |
| 50 VA (2083mA) | 6 metres | 17 metres | 17 metres | 27 metres | 44 metres | 69 metres | 110 metres |