PT-4 security camera power connectors are used to connect 18 gauge power wire from RG59 Siamese coaxial cable to a 12V DC power adapter. PT-4 power leads can also be used with CCTV security cameras that do not have a power plug type of power input. Most dual voltage security cameras (12V DC / 24VAC) use screw terminals for their power input. They expect two raw wires (positive / negative).
If you are using
pre-made BNC camera cables, you can attach a PT-4 to the camera's power terminals for a clean connection. You can see an wiring diagram here. PT-4s provide about 6 inches of cable and a male connector for CCTV camera power. The diameter of the connector is 2.1mm which is a standard size.
We also supply PT-3 female DC power leads here. Sometimes there is confusion around which is male and which is female. Please refer to this male / female power jack comparison to be sure that you are buying the right type.
PT-4 power leads are sometimes referred to by the following names.
- CCTV Power Pigtail
- CCTV Power Cable Connector
- CCTV Power Jack
- CCTV DC power pigtail - even though they can also be used for other low voltage power supplies such as 24VAC and 5V DC
The above diagram shows how PT-4 leads are typically used when installing CCTV cameras with
pre-made Siamese coax cable. Siamese type cable runs both video and power. The AHD-BL5H HD CCTV camera used in this example is a dual voltage camera, which means that it may accept a 12V DC or 24VAC power supply. Dual voltage security cameras almost always have a terminal blog to connect a power source to, instead of the standard 2.1mm female plug that most 12V DC only cameras have. The PT-4 is used to connect the power cable on the pre-made Siamese cable to the camera. The raw cable end of the PT-4 attaches to the screw terminal block on the camera and the 2.1mm male connects to the female side of the Siamese cables.
In this example, a multi-channel power supply box is used (on the DVR end). So, a
PT-3 female power lead is used to connect the other end of the Siamese cable to the terminal block of the power supply box.
Installing CCTV Power Pigtails with RG59 Coax Cable
If you plan to use individual power transformers (instead of a multi-camera power supply box) with RG59 Siamese coax cable, you must attach a
CCTV power pigtail on the DVR side of the cable run. This allows the 18/2 power cable to attach to the 2.1mm female power lead of the power transformer.
Here is a complete security camera system installation diagram that uses an RG59 cable with an individual power transformer powering the camera from the DVR side of the cable run. You may click on the image for a higher resolution view.
- The RG59 Siamese cable is cut to the exact length required.
- On the camera side of the cable, a BNC connector is attached to the RG59 coax and a PT-3 power lead is attached to the 18/2 power cable.
- On the DVR side, a BNC connector allows the coax cable to connect to the video input of the DVR and PT-4 is attached to the 18/2 power wire with B connectors so that the power cable can attach to an individual power transformer - which has a 2.1mm female power connector.
When it comes to CCTV power connectors, there is a lot of confusion regarding this connector is male and which is female. At first it appears that the female connector is actually the male, but the gender designation goes by the center conductor.
The above image shows a close-up of the male and female jacks on a PT-4 and PT-3 connector. The center conductor on the PT-4 is inserted into the body of the PT-3 which is why the PT-4 is referred to as the male power lead and the PT-3 as the female.
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