Cables and Passthroughs for Cameras

The quality of the RCA coaxial cables is a crucial factor when choosing the best RCA cable because it is directly proportional to the camera’s output quality. The overall quality of RCA cables is determined using: type of conductor, conductor shielding, the construction of the housing and insulators, and the durability of the connector.

Besides the quality of the RCA coax cables, the price is equally important. Thus I settled on only cables with the highest quality/price ratio.

As for the passthrough RCA panel-mount connectors, I narrowed my search to the connector with gold-plating for the lowest price.

While coming across multiple RCA cables, I noticed a few key terms and values that distinguish these cables apart. These include the: impedance value, specification (i.e. RG59U, RG6, etc.), and shielding. Generally, RG59U cables are for low-power video applications over a shorter distance (<800 ft), while RG6 and higher can be used over a greater distance and carry a higher power. Moreover, RG6 cables are noticeably thicker than RG59U due to the higher gauge conductor in RG6 cables, which can cause issues when trying to maneuver the cable around tight spaces. Since data is getting carried over a relatively short distance, there is no difference between these two types. I have found that cables with a characteristic impedance of 75 Ω are the most common choice; and are recommended for applications carrying low-power, such as video cameras. High-quality cables implement shielding that is wrapped around the OFC conductor to reduce interference and noise. This specific cable uses aluminum-mylar foil as an inner layer and copper braiding as an outer layer. It also passes fire safety regulations, as mentioned in the description.

The above F/F connector should be sufficient to get through the multiple panels.