How much current can RCA plugs handle?

neonblingbling · May 20, 2009

I was thinking of using RCA plugs for power, but I was wondering how much current they can handle since they usually only deal with current for signals... My assumption is that since they have lots of surface area, is it alright to assume they will not be the bottle neck, but the wires they are hooked up to (say, 20 gauge or thinner)?

=XAF=AfterShock · May 20, 2009

I just stripped a few different rca cables to look and I would think they would be about the worst thing to use for current, 75% of the cable is rubber and or insulation and the actual wires are much smaller than even 22 guage unless your using something like THX certfied monster cable.

neonblingbling · May 20, 2009

Thanks for the information, I might just have to take one apart one myself to see what gauge wire I have and if it would be possible to upgrade the wires myself.

Assuming I can upgrade the wires, what is the best way to test that it can handle current? Check to see if the wires + plugs have a similar amount of resistance as an equal length of wire, then find the rated current on that wire?

=XAF=AfterShock · May 20, 2009

I guess it would be easier just to ask what would they be used to power?

neonblingbling · May 21, 2009

I was thinking of powering some fans, such as one of these, 0.35A or so.

MARCI · May 21, 2009

try it, and feel the wires, if they're hot, they aren't good enough

MARCI · May 21, 2009

wires

neonblingbling · May 21, 2009

Plug not good enough, or wires?

MARCI · May 21, 2009

whoa... time warp post .. wires may not stand up to the power, feel em when you run juice.. if they heat up, change them

neonblingbling · May 21, 2009

Hax.

I understand what you're saying. I was just being a little nut and was pointing out that I was curious about the plugs' capacity, not the wires.

danbroke · May 21, 2009

U can buy just the ends and use different wire! Just letting u know. Ive seen old radios that the speakers pluged in using RCA.

neonblingbling · May 21, 2009

danbroke said:
U can buy just the ends and use different wire! Just letting u know. Ive seen old radios that the speakers pluged in using RCA.

Thanks for letting me know, but the thing is that I found a cheapo 5.1 stereo that doesn't work. I was just trying to figure out what parts would be worth scavenging before I toss it.

If I were to buy plugs, I'd probably get something obscure so audio equipment wouldn't be plugged into it. :beer:

Neuromancer · May 21, 2009

MY sister's sony has the option to pass signal to sub on an RCA jack. Up to 150W.

your puny little fan will be no trouble

As for what awg wire you can use...obviously the larger the better. But I think you will find that commercially available wire from your corner store is goign to higher AWG than traditional fan leads. *seriously, if they are even 24 gauge I would be surprised.

Based on simple looking at stuff and guessing

.. .I would say if you are goingto use an RCA plug and those "high powered fans" try and limit yourself to no more than 20 fans on one line.

Not really great atthe whole i=e/r but if volts times amps = watts. And rca can handle 150W.. than 12v times 1/3... .

How much current can RCA plugs handle?

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