libram

to make a ground, if hes only got two conductor going out to the tree then hes only got hot and common, while common is technically a ground safe practice is to have a separate redundant ground, especially for something mounted to a tree outside.

wrong type of forum, look to your carrier/provider/supplier.

old camera, no marks, no manufacturer, why bother

the ground isn't from any camera but from the power supplies, its the secondary earth ground. If you ground your cameras you will have issues. Placing a rod near the tree base is fine so long as its driven deep into the ground, the connectors don't really matter so long as they are conductive (metal) and tight. All you're looking to do is provide a solid path for errant electricity to follow to be safely dispersed into the earth instead of you or your equipment.

to make an earth ground is super simple, find a good grounding rod, in the US that would be a 5-6 foot copper alloy rod with a tapered end. Available at Lowes or HD for less than 20 bucks, I'm thinking 6 but I forget sometimes, still less than 20. Hammer that sucker into the ground until its only got 6 inches showing above ground, boom solid earth ground. Put a lug on it and run 6-8 gauge ground wire to any device that needs to be grounded. Basically all you're doing is providing an easy path for errant electricity to escape to earth instead of arcing across anything and causing fire. In a pinch any metal would work even rebar, copper is just more conductive but rebar is still more conductive than a tree unless its soaking wet. Note that its not the cameras that a ground helps but the safety of AC power, it only helps the cameras if the power supplies all share the same common ground on their power source. If you're going to add more cameras in the future you would be best served to install a central power supply and send the 12vdc or 24vdc from it to the cameras instead of running AC to the tree or trees. The lights on the other hand .......that depends on what they are 12vdc/24vdc/110ac/220ac as to how to deal with them.

city or no a simple copper rod sunk into the ground at the tree for very little expense is just a smart thing to do for safety, the tree itself isn't a great conductor. Its a cheap way to get a true level of safety. And outdoor is outdoor, no matter where it is, water is wet and electricity, especially ac doesn't like to work with it and can cause havoc. I get what you're saying, there are literally NO CODES, but that doesn't mean he couldn't try to get some measure of safety that has been dictated by code. You could run 220V over 3 pieces of thick barbed wire but that doesn't mean its a good idea even if there is no code to say it isn't. I'm not disagreeing with the above from tom at all, do what you can, but I prefer more caution to prevent future pain.

theres a lot going on there. general rules and common sense go a long way, power supplies should be outdoor rated cable to them should be outdoor rated an earth ground would be a really smart thing when talking about AC power the connectors on the back of the dvr are standard, the cable is coax but the adapters are odd I havent seen them before, almost look like coax into an f connector, inside a strain relief spring that adapt to BNC, is that what they are?

that looks pretty bad, not really sure its from a ground loop, almost like your dvr channel is set to a different protocol than the camera. Check and make sure that both the dvr channel and camera are in HDCVI mode. Ground can get in anywhere, at the cam, the dvr, in the cable, or even using separate power supplies that hare connected to different circuits. It would be something just erroneous if it isn't power related. A metal screw through the camera base that is touching a metal electrical box behind it little stuff like that. I'd check the mode first though, probably just that.

is that ac power...........on a tree?????????? Tom that doesn't look like an ac to dc converter in the first pic.....it might be but haven't seen one that small and direct wired.

cam setting wouldn't cause lines, sounds like ground loop but more specific descriptions would be helpful. All I've got is you had a dvr it all worked, put in one new cam and it has lines. Just based on that recheck how you put the cam up, did you accidently give another path to ground, with a screw from the cam case, or something small like that.

Ok quick rundown. 16 cameras, CVI, all runs under 300 feet on 5e, Baluns on both ends, all cameras share the same power supply. Camera is mounted to plastic, no accidental ground possible, reterminated the end today. Replaced camera today. What you see below only occurs after about 6 pm, thought it was an IR problem in the old camera, does it on the new camera, switched to color and I have what you see below, in the AM this same color image will be totally clear. No ground loop isolator installed currently. Camera 8 inches away from this one is fine. Look closely at the distortion, it changes speed, slows, stops, and reverses direction. Anyone recognize what this is? I can add a longer capture if needed. https://www.dropshots.com/libram11

no I didn't install it, I got stuck with fixing it after the installer trashed it, not one of the 16 cams was operating correctly, wires were spliced, multiple grounds, multiple cable types, it was a total mess. The salvageable cat 5 runs that did not go to the exterior were reused and reterminated, all of the baluns were replaced, anything that went to the exterior was rerun using exterior grade cable. Anything inside that had a splice or damage was replace with new homerun. The cameras were tried one by one and the ones that worked correctly were salvaged. All were CVI. any cameras that were malfunctioning on a test monitor or had damage and couldn't be focused were replaced with Sony chipset cameras. All cams were verified to be CVI. The original dvr unit had power issues and would constantly reboot, it was replaced by a flir MPX series. Cameras were condensed from 2 large multi channel power supplies and 8 single channel ones to the single 25 amp that was onsite to eliminate multiple grounded power sources. Power supply was then removed from the UPS to eliminate square wave problems. As it sits the DVR works perfectly. 15 of the 16 cams now work perfectly. This last one, shows the weird interference. Not when it changes to IR, not when any other camera changes to IR, not at a specific recurring time. It is set to color only mode right now and shows the interference, at the time listed as sunrise via google, the interference will stop and the picture will be as clear as an tv program. At the time listed as sunset tomorrow night, the cam while still in color mode will pixelate slightly and then the lines will appear again. As evidenced in the video they will band upward increasing in speed, slow then stop, then they begin to band downward increasing in speed then slow and stop. This continues to repeat. Also I know you don't want to hear it, but even using hosted IP phones and not traditional analog lines or digital stations off a phone system they still hear the radio station in the handsets of their telephones and require RFI filters on every one of them. This is per their hosted telco provider, not me. As to why I mentioned the PTZ setting that's is what is in the config under PTZ, the PTZ tab is what is used in the dvr menu to access the OSD of the camera and it does work, you had asked about the data pairs and I was trying to give a complete answer. Had I installed it, I wouldn't be so out of ideas as to ask for the help I needed online as I would have the manufacturer working with me with all of their cameras, and their dvr. I would have much preferred that but I've been trying to help a small business that got screwed over by a shady guy and not ask them for more money. If you would like to see the footage as it changes at sunrise and sunset I can download it and post.

data pairs aren't directly connected to anything that I am aware of (except each end of the balun) the menu does work however. Power supply confirmed as 25 amp and all cable is 24 awg none longer than 100 meters. dvr ->balun>cable-> balun -> cam but the menu works.. the setting in the dvr for ptz control is 9600 8-n-1 using HDCVI protocol.

spec sheet confirmed balun uses 1 pair for video, 2 for power, and 1 for data..... ( I'm thinking thats serial for menu control since it works)

regardless of lights or not its a UL listed approved power/video balun. Please see the edited post above about cable and here is the manufacturer spec sheet for the balun. http://www.snbcctv.cc/UploadFiles/2012-2-16-141825.pdf I'll confirm the amperage of the power supply just to prove this path is incorrect.

Power loss over cable length, yeah its a real thing I get that but again this isn't a problem that comes and goes with activity, or IR usage, or anything else. if I said 26 and I was wrong then fine, I was wrong, truth is I don't pay any attention to my 5e gauge because its always belden or commscope, or another major manufacturer. I've been working with it so long I can tell by feel it its cat 5/5e/or 6 without lookin at the label. Maybe its 22 maybe 24 I really don't look since its not some cheapo cable, I wont use something that doesn't feel like it should and I don't cheap out on cable its what makes things work.

I'm going to try this one more time as rational adult. If tom cant handle that then I don't know what else to say. I posted this issue not because its just something to figure out but because its something odd, not normal, not anything that I've ever actually seen before. The issue is NOT the following as they have all been tried with other replacements with no difference. The camera, the baluns, the power supply, the cable, the cable route, the dvr input, the ir of the camera being on and or off, the camera having a ground loop both via isolating the camera from metal itself and a loop isolator, the lights in the area of the camera and cabling being off. There is obvious visual distortion that occurs if the cam is in IR or color, it disappears at specific times every day. There is an outside source causing the camera to behave this way every single day on a predictable schedule. This is not a hardware issue, its not an install issue, its an outside source that is consistent. Tom if you disagree, I will agree to disagree and lets leave it there. If you do however agree and can provide any constructive advice I will be as polite as possible. As it stands right now there is an actual observable improvement with a cage, I will meet with the site and let them see the images, and them them decide if they see the same. If so they have the option of cam reposition perhaps an inch or two higher and further back under a steel deck can clear it , deal with it, or possibly try a filter if they MUST have that exact angle. Tom you're also technically correct, a balun is a balanced impedence joint, however when power and data or video are pigtailed into a single device its ok to call it a balan even though its technically a power pass through to rj45 24-26 awg pairs over category 5e. That however doesn't really flow off the tongue so balun works ok when they are contained in the same structure.

what standards first off , as far as I see most of you run around and do what you want with little clue as to how communications/electricity/TIE-EIA standards work. You wanna know how to actually install a cctv system over cat5 I'll make you a drawing so you can follow DVR -> balun -> patch cord-> patch panel (now you're using actual standardized wiring)-> cable -> jack or rj45 end-> balun-> camera NO Splices, NO split pairs, NO BULL**** NO PROBLEMS. Unless something is odd.......like this And don't start with where is the power it goes into the balun and you know it. Are you a licensed low voltage tech? Are you a licensed electrician? Do you know the applicable codes and why we use them, have you been working with video and data transmission since its first inceptions of computer modems for data and BRI for video? I do, I AM and I was. So for the last time, beat it with your assumptions, and condemnations I have a friggin radio antennae 600 feet tall 900 feet from my camera blasting 50,000 watts at it with nothing in between and its not RFI and a proven technology that's only as old as Nicola Tesla is a tin foil hat. " title="Applause" />

READ and quit jumping to irrational conclusions the run is like 195 foot, .7 amp is the MAX draw of the camera MAX means MAX it WILL NOT CONSUME more than .7 whats the excess required to push on 195 foot of multi pair 24 awg THATS NOT RUNNING IR!? Its negligible. You came into my own post this time with your crap. Leave it! you're one of the type of installers that I come in behind and fix, spliced wires, stripped cat5 draped all around screw down baluns and the like. I tried to be nice but I'm over it. Go about your business and I'll correct this problem, since I've actually found the issue. Your input and OPIONIONS (not facts) are NOT needed and are COMPLETELY unwelcome! and just for my jollies you go do your pole...............I'm sure your level on actual knowledge qualifies you for dancing on it meanwhile if you would like to conduct a poll that's where you ask a group of people questions and get answers.

jesus man, you cant help but be condescending can you. And without even comprehending the problem. Let me ask this simple question then, if 16 cameras are in operation, and each camera has a MAX draw of .7 amp how would a 12 amp power supply not be sufficient? Since electrical rules are static math .7 x 16 = 11.2 and that would only be the case if every single camera was pulling its absolute maximum power all at the same time. Maybe the baluns are 1 pair for video and 3 for power, or maybe they are two pair and duplexed inside the balun it doesn't really matter, they are engineered, tested, and they work, they've worked on every camera I've put them on. HUNDREDS of cameras. I don't need an opinion of what you like in a balun, or what you don't it has no bearing on the issue that this cam has that I nor anyone else that has read this seems to have seen before. As I said I saw marked improvement using that cage as the only change, this is an RFI problem.

actual run length is probably only 295 foot, baluns use 2 pair for video 2 for power, power supply is 18 channel and either 10 or 12 amps. More than large enough. I didn't design them, they have lights, lightning protection, why not, its just a fast clamping gas tube same as we've used in telco for over 100 years. I could believe it was hardware.......except it does it at the predicted (they change daily) times of sunset to sunrise. I guess its possible the baluns are affected by the signal not the cam but I cant ignore that its not the hardware that is the cause of the issue, only the symptom. Also have already swapped the dvr side of the balun with no change. Signal from the cam is 100% clear 1080p CVI from sunrise to sunset and I don't mean sunrise as in when the IR switches, it does this in IR and color mode. Sunrise like 7:11 AM this coming morning.

https://teledataexpress.com/Item/111326TV these but yes cate5 cctv baluns.

mostly closed faraday cage shows marked improvement, the camera 8 inches away is on the other side of a 1 inch steel I beam, also directly in the path of the radio transmitter that changes from 50k watts Omni to 50k watts directional north and south. camera has clear path to the radio transmitter 300 yards away. Every camera is a single cat5e run with high quality power/video baluns. No runs are longer than 100 meters. All cameras are isolated from building grounds and all cabling is new. Camera still exhibits the same symptoms after trying a new camera and moving the cam to the furthest away from its position input on dvr to see if another frequency was affected. I've pretty well isolated this to one of those unique things, the cam is in the direct path of a 50k watt am radio that goes directional, customer will make the call on changing location, dealing with, or trying a gb-1 rfi isolator (says it kills radio on cctv) from fm systems but its a 250.00 gamble.

update, I think I'm getting close. I swapped the camera from input 5 to input 16 to move its channel as far away from the problem channel as I could think signal channel in MgHz. Still happened. The towers in the video are for 1110 wbtv am and are less than a mile from the cam with no metal obstruction at all. That radio station switches from 50,000 omnidirectional watts to 50,000 north and south only directional watts every night. I'm making a faraday cage for the cam to prove the theory and will test shortly.

sPoE is just a simple marketing scheme it literally means "Simple Power Over Ethernet" it is just PoE and as such any PoE rated injector will work as will any switch port rated 802.3af.