DC Wire Extension Question

[wickedweed]

Hello. Just a question to see if anyone can enlighten me on this issue cos I cant seem to find an answer on the internet (probably cos my ability to surf sucks )
Anyway, I have am fixing a small P.A. System speaker on the top of the wall. This unit runs off an AC/DC Adapter with an output of 12Vdc/1.5A and unfortunately the DC wire part is only about 1.5m long. The problem is that the nearest power point is about 4m away so I will have to extend the DC part of the wires by 2.5m.
What should I be looking out for when I extend this? Apart from wire gauge, do I need a beefier power supply (say giving out 12Vdc/2.5A) or do I need to compensate the extra length with more voltage? Appreciate if someone can enligthen me on this. Thanks!

 

[omishra]

IMO 4m should not be any issue if you use wire cross section area >= (2.5mm)square. Watch out for correct polarity. Another option - you extent that 4m AC mains up to speaker and keep extra DC wires wrapped together with adapter there itself.

 

[Hyperion]

IMO 4m should not be any issue if you use wire cross section area >= (2.5mm)square. Watch out for correct polarity. Another option - you extent that 4m AC mains up to speaker and keep extra DC wires wrapped together with adapter there itself.

This is the correct/preferable way to do it IMHO.

 

[whoaru99]

I'd image that extending the AC mains is a fair bit more demanding task and may even require an electrician.

Extended the DC wires by 2.5m using 1mm^2 wire will result in less than 3% voltage drop at 1.5A, and I doubt the camera is using the full/total output of the supply so actual drop will likely be even less.

Observe polarity, solder connections, use dual wall (hot melt liner) heat shrink tube over the connections.