survtech 0 Posted January 8, 2009 Manufacturers' claims tend to be a bit over-optimistic. With passive-passive on CAT-5 at 1,000 ft. (300 meters), the picture of color cameras starts to exhibit color fringing and other artifacts. You can get useable video up to at least 1,500 ft. but with definite defects. As you near 2,000 ft., the defects become overwhelming - loss of color, poor sync, loss of contrast, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
securityhombre 0 Posted March 6, 2009 I was talked out of running cat5 cable to run siamese rg59 on my runs due to the fact that passive baluns will go bad and that high quality baluns would be better. I don't see the difference from using one type of balun to the next besides price. Any ideas on this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
survtech 0 Posted March 6, 2009 I was talked out of running cat5 cable to run siamese rg59 on my runs due to the fact that passive baluns will go bad and that high quality baluns would be better. I don't see the difference from using one type of balun to the next besides price. Any ideas on this? Passive baluns do not have a short lifespan. While certain electronic parts do have a limited lifespan like electrolytic capacitors, LED's, tubes and certain display devices, baluns are mainly just a transformer and maybe a ceramic capacitor. These parts have a lifespan that is typically measured in decades. The same can not be said for active devices; they contain parts whose lifespan is shorter, like aluminum electrolytic capacitors, which have among the shortest lifespans of any electronic parts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
securityhombre 0 Posted March 7, 2009 I was told that a lot of times after installations the balun becomes loose resulting with the camera losing connection. So the connection goes bad, not the actual part. Are there any variables in choosing the correct fitting the balun uses? I used the Siamese RG59 instead of CAT5 on my last project due to what I was told. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
survtech 0 Posted March 7, 2009 I was told that a lot of times after installations the balun becomes loose resulting with the camera losing connection. So the connection goes bad, not the actual part. Are there any variables in choosing the correct fitting the balun uses? I used the Siamese RG59 instead of CAT5 on my last project due to what I was told. Baluns have the same BNC connector as coax so if the one were to become loose, so would the other. As far as the other side, where the twisted-pair connects, I've seen several types of connections - each has its pluses and minuses. Vigitron and a few others use "screw-crimp" terminals and they can be a pain; I suppose they are the most prone to loosening up. We have used them and found that the individual wires pull out relatively easily. Other types of screw terminals like the ones pictured below are better because the wires go into the terminal at a 90 degree angle: GVI, VBI (Video Baluns Unlimited) and others use IDC connectors and we have never had a problem with them. Still others require an RJ-45 connector be placed on the twisted-pair. That is also a pain but should be OK if the RJ-45 is crimped properly: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
securityhombre 0 Posted March 7, 2009 thanks survtech for the clarification on the different types of baluns. makes perfect sense now. I appreciate the help! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
