Can i extend a 12v 1.5 amp transformer wire?
Question:i am installing a cctv camera in my back garden and have ran a plastic 20mm conduit around the perimeter i was going to run a 230 v flex in the conduit and fix socket on the end and plug the transformer lead on to the end which has only a 1.5 m lead on it can i keep this transformer in my house and extend the 12v side of the flex from in the house the run is 20 meters long the transformer flex is about 1mm2 diamater and the flex i have installed is 1.5mm2 the reason i would like to do this is i have a dog which the camera is protecting but if the doggie eats through the conduit she will be meat pie!
Answers:
You would probably need a heavier flex for the 12 volt extension, it depends on the load of the camera in amps?? if it's more than 250ma. or so you will have to calculate the voltage drop for the cable size X the length X the amps to ensure that you still have 12 volts at the end!! Post the load and I can work it out for you.
ADDED---I see thats been done now!!
I saw plastic boxes designed to hold electrical gadgets outside, They had a sealed lid, and were about the size of 2 shoe-boxes, You cannot run 12 volts over that distance, the voltage-drop would be too great. I think the store was B & Q UK
Swap the plastic for Galvanised steel and the problem is solved. You may get too big a voltage drop if you extend the 12v lead only way is to try it
Simplest thing would be to whack an RCD plug onto the house end of the conduit run... Leave the transformer outside.
Pauline
If you ran it in 1mm² cable then the volt drop would be about 3% ie 11.65v which I would have thought sufficient for the camera. So I suggest you try that. If that didn't prove to be the case then upgrading to 1.5mm² cable would lessen the volt drop to 2% leaving 11.77v, a slight improvement.
What you can't do is run a mains cable down your garden in plastic conduit.
HTH
answered simply YES should not be a problem other 12v systems use lengths of 40-100metres
1.5mm cable would be good idea
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