Fiber Optic or Cat 5

[Bob La Londe 0]

I need to bid an installation where ground loop and distance have been an issue. I need to install 11 new cameras on a remote building and a digital recorder at the main building. Distances area as much as 1400 feet, with the closest camera for this application being about 1200 feet. It has been suggest to use baluns and install cat 5, but I am thinking fiber optic runs might be better as t would totally isolate for grounding purposes.

 

My thoughts are to cable the cameras to power and the fiber point with copper on the remote building, and then run fiber from the remote building to the main building.

 

My only worry is that I have never done anything like this before and haven't a clue what equipment is needed to convert upto 16 cameras to fiber and back again. I would like to use multimode fiber because it is so much easier to install and quick termination kits are available that do not require the perfect finish that is required with single mode fiber.

 

Please help.

[rory 0]

Just using baluns wont get rid of ground loops, hums etc, But using Activ UTP Tranceiver with Activ/Passive TXs will. Ive never done Fiber so cant say, but im sure it is alot more expensive than the Active UTP.

 

For those distances, using for example NVT:

 

http://www.spytown.com/nvtnv16porac.html

http://www.spytown.com/nvtnvvitr.html

 

will give you 3000 feet of amplified real time video.

 

Using an active TX will give you 1.5 miles.

 

Another Option would be to install the DVR at the location with the cameras, and run 1 Cat5 cable for a remote keypad,. such as if using Kalatel for example, you can run Cat5 up to 10,000 feet for 1 remote KTD-405 Keypad with full control of the DVR. For the monitor not sure, best to check with the manufacturers specs on that wiring.

[Bob La Londe 0]

Looks like a viable solution, but what about splicing the C5 cable? Standard lengths are only 1000'. I can special order longer reels, but the price jumps substantially because it isn't a normal production length.

[rory 0]

Yeah I know what you mean, special order, like from here:

http://www.lowvoltagewire.com/view_category.asp?cat=34

 

Or Heat Shrink tubing ..? If the end of the 1000' is inside somewhere, maybe pick a location to put in a punch down block and use a cabinet?

 

Also, Cat5 is better, but you can use any twisted pair cable for those distances. as it only uses 1 pair for video. I would power them in the building where the cameras are located.

 

Rory

[Bob La Londe 0]

I was wondering how much loss I might get from a 66 block when I asked.

[cctv_down_under 0]

I would not use Cat5, Fibre is a much better solution and no chance of interference... all you need is a 16ch Muliplexing Fibre Transmitter and a 16 Ch fibre reciever, that is if all cameras come to one point, then you only need to run one cable. But if all over the place then us single ch sender and multi channel recievers..

 

Fibre is good and is actually cheaper to buy than Coax

[C7 in CA 0]

I was wondering how much loss I might get from a 66 block when I asked.

 

Not much at all. There are even Cat5 rated 66 blocks. But considering you are going 1400 ft and rory said you can go over 3000 ft with the NVT's you will be fine. The Category 5 spec even allows an intermediate cross connect point. And since ethernet is only good out to 324 ft it is safe to say your loss at the cross connect will be negligible.

[rory 0]

fiber nodes cost big $$ though...dont know much about fiber myself, just going by prices i have seen online.. Fiber is ofcourse the best, but still with Amplified NVT Tranceivers you ARE guaranteed no interference also.

[cctv_down_under 0]

I dont think you can guarentee no interference when it is such a poorly shielded cable??? Maybe I am wrong but i cant fathom that after all it is just a small wire.

 

Fibre Transmitters are not that expensive at all really.. the only reason fibre hasnt taken off is the cost and training and time involved in making the splices.. you can get good quality muxing transmitters that also do bidirectional data and Audio at fairly cheap prices... I am yet to see long runs on Cat5 even with expensive equipment that have not been subject to small amounts of signal loss or interference...but there may be better out there than i am aware of, but fibre is cheap compared to Copper

[rory 0]

NVT Amplified are really good products. Its the only one I sell right now, there are a couple others also. Remember this is not Passive, or just simple Baluns, its all amplified video, with ground isolators & interference rejection. If you can afford Fiber, or more importantly know how to install in, then that would be the best choice.

 

Rory

[rory 0]

Looking over the recent pricing from GE on their Fiber products, actually its not that expensive, but i wouldnt know where to start with what to get, and like you said, install it! Are there special tools involved?

 

EDIT: Actually read further and found the 16 channel video, ouch, $6,000 for the TX and another $6,000 for the RX, but then thats GE!

 

Rory

[Bob La Londe 0]

The big price step is what I found when I started doing research myself. In fact the NVT stuff is some of what I had been looking at before your original reply.

[cctv_down_under 0]

MAN.. you pay the earth there.... you can simply get one to one sneder reciever cans... they are very inexpensive, I would estimate around $450US to send and reieve each ch.

[rory 0]

thats still $7200?

 

I dont know enough about Fiber so I cant speak of it, I know it is the best though. But would different Fiber products differ in quality, such as different cameras do?

 

Rory

[baywatch 1]

Hi

 

We've used cat5 over the distances mentioned to run 10 x speed domes & 6 x fixed cameras around a transport yard.

Some of the Cat5 cables we've used for 3 x speed domes & telemetry & one has 4 x video signals for fixed cameras.

We merely solder jointed the cables together in a waterproof enclosure.

Been running about 1 year now with no problems or interference (touch wood)

Power supplies for cameras taken at camera end.

In some places the cat5 runs together & I was worried about interference, but none.

[VERSITRON, Inc. 0]

I need to bid an installation where ground loop and distance have been an issue. I need to install 11 new cameras on a remote building and a digital recorder at the main building. Distances area as much as 1400 feet, with the closest camera for this application being about 1200 feet. It has been suggest to use baluns and install cat 5, but I am thinking fiber optic runs might be better as t would totally isolate for grounding purposes.

 

My thoughts are to cable the cameras to power and the fiber point with copper on the remote building, and then run fiber from the remote building to the main building.

 

My only worry is that I have never done anything like this before and haven't a clue what equipment is needed to convert upto 16 cameras to fiber and back again. I would like to use multimode fiber because it is so much easier to install and quick termination kits are available that do not require the perfect finish that is required with single mode fiber.

 

Please help.

 

VERSITRON, Inc. offers 16-Channel video multiplexer systems for use over multi-mode fiber. Your installation would require the following:

 

Qty. 1 - FVTMH003 16-Channel Video Multiplexer Transmitter

Qty. 1 - FVRMH003 16-Channel Video Multiplexer Receiver

 

These devices require just a single strand of multi-mode fiber between them and communicate up to 3 km.

 

You can visit versitron(dot)com for more information or contact Greg at 800-537-2296 Ext. 20.

[vadsys 0]

I would not use Cat5, Fibre is a much better solution and no chance of interference... all you need is a 16ch Muliplexing Fibre Transmitter and a 16 Ch fibre reciever, that is if all cameras come to one point, then you only need to run one cable. But if all over the place then us single ch sender and multi channel recievers..

 

Fibre is good and is actually cheaper to buy than Coax

 

quite right!!

and the cost of fiber equipment also cheaper than before now..try some new, it will be good for your further projects.

[vadsys 0]

Looking over the recent pricing from GE on their Fiber products, actually its not that expensive, but i wouldnt know where to start with what to get, and like you said, install it! Are there special tools involved?

 

EDIT: Actually read further and found the 16 channel video, ouch, $6,000 for the TX and another $6,000 for the RX, but then thats GE!

 

Rory

 

Wow,man, why not try ours fiber Tx & Rx. Better service than GE such a big company, one of the best quality product in China.Our chipsets are also purchased from US, but the price we request is very reasonable.

[rory 0]

 

Wow,man, why not try ours fiber Tx & Rx. Better service than GE such a big company, one of the best quality product in China.Our chipsets are also purchased from US, but the price we request is very reasonable.

 

Hi, thanks for the offer, but this thread was from 2004.

[sviviani 0]

I have done this same install with both fiber and copper, the end result is the same. The main difference is the price of the components, the fiber transievers are more $$$, but very easy to use. You are saying you have to install the feeder, does this mean there are no existing feeders between buildings? if there are existing feeders I would use what is there, if there are not, 1400 feet of fiber is much easier to install than 1400 feet of 25 pair copper.