HairOnFire

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll stick with the CAT6 and bite the bullet for the baluns. As BPZLE pointed out, it "future proofs" the install. So when I do make the change to MP cams, I won't have to run cable again. Wish me luck! HairOnFire

Hi group, I have been lurking for a while and have gathered enough confidence to try to tackle my installation DIY style. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I am a network admin, so I am pretty familiar with Cat5e/6 pinouts and wiring. I know enough to be dangerous and can handle a punch tool if needed, however you Pro's would punch down a 110 or 66 block in 1/10th the time it will take me. I chose to go this route because I only want to have to cable once, and have plenty of room for expansion. The thought of so many terminal strips also made my hands hurt. I will be installing a 12V 16 channel 800mA per channel central power supply near the 110 block for easy cross connect. I am wondering specifically about baluns. BNC to one pair sounds easy enough to me, but with the four port cards, the 4 port to UTP seems like a no-brainer. No BNC/coax patch cables, ugly runs through the wall to deal with, all UTP. The product appears to be made for CCTV, and states 75ohm BNC to 100ohm UTP - seems right. One post that I read here, someone tested various baluns, with no significant issues, and that was a heck of a lot further distance than I will be running. This is a home install, so nothing fancy (although some will say this is wiring overkill). The baluns pictured are from some online vendors, even some that I have seen linked to here already. I have a really tight budget, so I am trying to keep the infrastructure costs down so that I can splurge on a few nice cameras (maybe even an IP MP cam!). Thanks! Michael

I am doing my own install at the house, and I have run CAT6e (4 pair of 23 AWG + spline). I plan on using passive baluns. I see several different options out there and I am looking for some advice. Several posts on the forum warn about "cheap" baluns. For a residential install with cable less than 60', does it really matter? From what I can tell, I have five choices: A) Small individual baluns on both sides of the cable. I see several "cheap" baluns for $5-$7 a pair all the way up to the 16 port hub for $1,200. If I plan on 8 - 12 cameras, I can do the $60 for 12 of the $5 jobs and connect them each to the DVR card, then I would have to split a single cable into 4 pair, which will probably look like crap. B) I have also seen a 4 BNC jumper cable to single RJ45 connector (see previous post) which may look better, but looks like the only place to find it is out of Hong Kong. So I would be concerned about dealing with someone reputable + extended shipping time. And I would need three of those and still need singles for the camera side... C) I could go with three of the $70 four BNC to one UTP "boxes," and then I still need far end baluns, and then short coax jumper cables...so what to use at the far end? D) A 12 or 16 port "BNC Hub" with small baluns at the far end. These hubs all seem rather expensive. E) Call it a day, use the CAT6 as pull tape and pull siamese cable. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Michael