What is RG?

What is RG?

Coaxial cables utilices RG ratings to distinguish between the different kinds of cables. RG is a mostly forgotten and old military term that stands for “radio guide.” The number distinguishes the different cable specifications, but they are randomly assigned, so don’t search for some type of order in the numbers. Literally dozens of coaxial cables have been made over the years, but the only ones that are well known are the RG 6 cable and RG 59 cable. In this article, we are going to compare RG6 Cable and RG59, advantages of RG59 Cables and RG59 Cable for CCTV.

What is RG 59 cable?

RG59 cable has been used for a long time. This cable formerly is what most people used for their cable TV connection and is very often installed in older homes and commercial buildings. Nevertheless, many modern signal requirements have made this cable less popular in the last few years. RG 59 has a smaller conductor than RG 6, which means that it can’t obtain the same signal quality as RG 6. The way its shielding is designed also means that it doesn’t keep Gigahertz level signals inside the conductor very well.

The braided shielding in RG 59 was designed around long waveforms of megahertz interference. That makes it good for lower frequency signals (anything under about 50 MHz). It is used for composite or component video signals (often in the mini-coax variety). That also makes RG59 cable for CCTV suitable and a good option. You can even make your installation easier by getting what’s called “Siamese coaxial cable.” This cable consists of a RG 59 cable merged together with a 2C power cable. By using this type of cable, you can run the video and power for your security cameras simultaneously and cut your install time in half effectively.

Frequency Range of RG59 Cable

Since RG59 cables use a thinner conducting copper wire and have weaker shields, they cannot be used to carry signals with very high frequencies. They are commonly used for signals with a frequency of 50 MegaHertz or lower.

Advantages of RG59 Cables

One of the advantages of RG59 cable is that it is very good at transmitting low-frequency signals.

If you need to transmit signals on the MegaHertz frequency range and need good signal quality, RG59 cables are one of the best options.

RG59 cables also tend to be cheaper. They are also much easier to install as they are often merged with a power cable to reduce installation time.

RG59 Cables Applications

RG59 cables are susceptible to interference if long cables are used. Due to this limitation, they are often used in closed circuit settings and for composite video signals.

The most common application is in CCTV cameras and surveillance. They are cheap and easy to set up, which makes RG59 cables in CCTV an ideal option since cameras make use of lower frequency signals.

Aside from CCTV cameras, they also see use in video projectors and some television systems.

RG6 Cable Vs RG59 Comparison

• RG6 cables have larger conducting wires than RG59 cables. This means they have higher bandwidth and can transfer more data faster.
• RG6 cables make use of aluminum foil shields and quad shielding. RG59 cables make use of copper shielding. Therefore, RG6 cables have better shielding and therefore are less susceptible to outside interference.

• RG59 cables cannot transmit signals in the GHz frequency range because of their lower shielding but are very good at transmitting signals at 50 MHz or lower. RG6 cables can work with frequencies of 1 to 5 GHz but aren’t effective at transmitting signals in the MHz range
• RG59 cables have greater attenuation. it cannot be made too long and are kept short to stop loss during signal transmission.RG6 cables have less attenuation. Therefore, these cables can be made longer without signal loss problems.
• RG6 cables are used for satellite transmission cables primarily and broadband internet connection because of their high bandwidth and great shielding. RG59 cables are used for CCTV surveillance and video projectors.

In relation to price, RG59 cables price is less than RG6 cables. This is because of the better shielding and thicker conductor.

Conclusion: RG59 cable vs RG6

The biggest deciding factor between these two cables is your purpose of using it.

While RG59 cables are cheaper, they can’t be used in place of RG6 cables for radio transmission or broadband internet. Similarly, RG6 cables struggle to carry lower frequency signals with good quality, and you will need to use RG59 cables for that.

So, in the end, the most important thing you need to look at is what is your purpose to use the cable for. Once you have the answer, picking the cable is easy.

Another important thing is the use of RG59 cable in CCTV. RG59 is the industry standard and best choice for CCTV systems and HD over coax systems, however, not all RG59 is created equal. Be sure to read the spec before you buy. This is what you need to know. Be sure to select RG59 cable with a solid copper core / inner conductor and 95% copper braiding.