ChuckE

For that short a run, a 50' pair of #18 gauge wire going to each camera should be o.k. The voltage drop will only be about 1VAC max, which shouldn't be a problem. If your existing power cables use #18 wire then give it a go.

jsampell asked: There are essentially no length restrictions between a device and transformer, as long as the voltage drop in the run does not get excessive. The gauge of the wire and what it is made of determines the resistive loss of the run and the current required for the new camera (up to 2A), will result in some voltage loss in the run. The actual relationship is Voltage Loss = Operating Current (max amps) x Resistive Loss (ohms). To determine the actual voltage loss for your case, we'd need some more information: - what gauge wiring are you going to use? and - how long is the run? It is probably a good idea to not expose any power source (AC/DC supply, transformer, etc.) needlessly to excessive ambient heat. Most transformers are rated for some environmental conditions; but you run less risk of degradation and/or premature failure if you can expose it to significantly less. It is not possible to say for sure, since the old camera max operating current is not listed in the spec sheet. In addition we'd need the same information for your existing wiring; what gauge wire is it and how long is the run. Now on one hand, the voltage loss would be ~1/2 when making the change from 12VDC to 24VAC, assuming the same current is drawn by both cameras. But the new camera has the heater blower that will typically draw a whole lot more current when compared to your old camera. So, to determine the exact answer, we'd need to know what max current the old camera required at 12VDC, what length is the run and what gauge wire used for the run. If I were going to make the splices I'd solder them, and would use good heat shrink tubing over the splice. That way I'd be sure that there'd be no affects from temperature changes, corrosion, or aging and breakdown of the insulation at the splice. [Maybe that's a bit overkill, but hey, it's in an attic -- and who wants to go back into the attic to make a repair, if they don't have to?] ...just my 2 cents.

It's been a while and I hope my math is right; but it looks like the 2 conductor wires made from 12 strands of .2 mm of cu is a little light. .2mm wire is essentially #32 gauge wire and 12 strands would bring it up to an equivalent ~#21 gauge wire: .2mm has an equivalent cross sectional copper area of .032 sq mm, and 12 strands of it would have an equivalent cross sectional copper area of .384 sq mm. .384 sq mm is about #21-22 gauge wire, which is fairly small for the currents most cameras will draw except in very short runs. Most recommend using at least #18 gauge wire for supplying a typical camera anyway. Here's a link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge In addition that cable has an aluminum foil inside the copper; many don't recommend aluminum foil for CCTV because it can cause ghosting or distortion at standard video frequencies. My gut tells me that cable is probably light on the braided copper as well (but I admit I didn't do the calculations), and it likely uses the aluminum foil for controlling signal leakage at cable TV or higher rf frequencies. Most seem to prefer 95% copper braid RG59 for all but the shortest runs for CCTV. But it may work o.k. if the run is fairly short and not near any major sources of electrical or rf noise. Here's a link to a recent post that discusses this a little more: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22433

Based on your description, it sounds like the center conductor of the cable is not inserted all the way into the barrel that guides it into the center pin. That results in the compression ring sliding over the braid and eventually comes out from under the ring. The connector will be loose and you'll have very poor continuity with the center tip and braid when this occurs (the connector may even pull off or twist). I can think of 3 things which can cause this: 1. The center conductor is not going into the barrel when you insert the cable into the connector, and instead is starting to be inserted between the outside of the barrel and inside of the connector. The insulated part of the center conductor should fit all the way into the barrel, so the very tip fits into the center pin, before you compress the connector with the tool. This can happen if the center conductor is bent slightly and you don't reshape it before putting the end of the coax into the connector. -or- 2. The insulated center conductor is not seated all the way into the barrel, so the very end of the uninsulated part of the conductor does not go into the center pin of the connector. If you twist the connector slightly back-and-forth as you push the coax into the connector it will be easier to fit everything into correct position, before using the compression tool. - or - 3. The center barrel is too small to accommodate the insulation over the center conductor, so it won't properly fit all the way in. This prevents the center conductor from seating all the way into the center pin, and keeps the shield from being in the correct position for compressing with the tool. I got some RG59 connectors about 6 months ago in one of the hardware super stores that were actually made for RG-6 cable. The insulation on the center conductor of RG-6 is not as big in diameter as RG-59, so RG-59 insulated inner conductor would not fit all the way into the barrel properly. Funny thing is they were the compression connectors with the blue plastic on them and were supposedly made for RG-59 per the packaging -- while the black plastic was made for RG-6. So somewhere they got something screwed up during manufacture. Fortunately I discovered this when installing the first connector from the package. ---- When you get done stripping all the insulation as you described, hold the cable next to the side of a connector, so the very end of the center conductor insulation is even with the upper edge of the fixed ring on the outside of the connector. Then mark the coax where the very end of connector compression ring is even with the coax. That is where the connector should fit of the coax is inserted properly. The coax doesn't move when you compress -- the compression ring on the upper end of the connector moves in instead to lock the braid in position on the outside of the barrel, so everything is tight and won't move. You shouldn't see any braid on a properly made connector, if you stripped the coax to the correct dimensions as you described.

Cat5e cable uses 4 twisted pairs. Each pair is twisted to cancel electrical or radio frequency noise that can be induced in the length of the run, which can affect the signal. There is a specification for the electrical and physical properties of cat5e cable, that goes into a whole range of characteristics, in order to optimize use for standardized signal handling in specific applications. Regular 4 and 8 conductor telephone wire is not usually twisted the same, and it is likely a different spec if it even has to meet a standard specification for the intended end use. The best Cat5e cable (like good coax or Siamese cable), is often tested after manufacture, to ensure it meets or exceeds the signal handling specifications. Your link for the video didn't show up......

Soundy wrote: Yeah, the 4 conductor phone wire is the give away. Some places might even call it an occupancy detector, optic PIR or ceiling mounted PIR. They typically have 2 power wires and 2 detect/alarm wires running to them. The commercial ones can be aimed behind the dome for specific coverage on a 3 way mount, similar to some cameras.

I'll let someone else address the adjustment angle of the lens, because I've never had to go as far as you describe on any of my VCM-24VF installations. I don't think I've ever had to adjust the angle of a 24VF lens less than 20 degrees from being parallel with the mounting surface, so don't know how much less you could go. However, I have a VCM-24VF that has the entire camera pigtail, power and video connectors, and about 3" of the RG59 Siamese cable mounted in the base beneath the camera assembly. (My wires exit through the conduit hole in the bottom of the base, but could have just as easily exited through the conduit hole on the side.) However, I suggest taping the connectors before coiling the extra wire around the inside of the base bottom, before you re-mount the camera assembly back on it.

I've only had some limited problems with florescent lighting and camera wiring that was within 2 feet. But the size of the light, housing that it was in and brand of cable also seemed to make some difference when I was troubleshooting. So I really can't say what a recommended installation practice would be, because I ended routing better coax in metal conduit anyway, and didn't have a problem afterwards. I'll let someone else give you what they typically use for distance and other details.

From the menu: - Make sure the AGC setting in the Exposure setting is not set to OFF. Then as yakky pointed out, the DNR gain might be adjusted upward to see if it can reduce the noise. - I recall that the intensifiers have a menu setting to turn the intensifier on for very low light service. I'm not sure what camera models and version you have, but It is typically found in the AGC menu option. You might try toggling it off and then back on. - You might look and see if the max AGC setting can moved be down a bit. Sometimes the AGC can try to compensate for low light and introduce more picture-wide noise when in color mode, that crawls around on the sceen. Lastly, maybe BW might be a better option as you approach the lower spec limit of 0.00002 lux? The light source from the initial picture is quite a ways away and does cast some shadows that the camera might be having difficulty in compensating for, the further away you get. You can see what it looks like in BW, by taking the camera from Auto to BW in the menu.

I wouldn't even be able to focus my VBM-24Fs with that ghosting, ground loop, etc.; let alone objectively determine whether I wanted to keep the camera or not. There are hints of a ground loop, but maybe more going on? It almost seems like crosstalk ghosting possibly with another video signal at times. The problem with that, is that the DVR/Monitor might have a difficult time horizontal syncing with the camera vid signal. If that is the case, then "what you see or record may not really be what you actually got" from the camera? ...just a thought

Just curious what DVR you are using with both of the videos. TIA