bantham1 0 Posted December 3, 2009 I just got my Panasonic CW484s cameras. I tried to hook one up and the picture is scrambled and cuts in and out. I hooked it up via a 10 foot RCA cable and directly to the power adapter and it works. I am thinking the cheap 100 foot siamese RCA cables or power supply is at play. I have a power block rated at 5 amps. What do you think the problem is given it works at the dvr but not at the location? Could it be loosing power through the cheap siamese cables, power supply problem or do you think it is a video loss problem? Thanks for all your inputs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sawbones 0 Posted December 4, 2009 Check your voltage with a multimeter at the end of that long siamese cable. It may be that it's too low to operate the camera. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 At my power supply inside it is reading 38v. Outside at the end of the siamese it is reading around 15v. This is off a 110vac outlet with a 12vdc 1amp converter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ak357 0 Posted December 4, 2009 At my power supply inside it is reading 38v. Outside at the end of the siamese it is reading around 15v. This is off a 110vac outlet with a 12vdc 1amp converter. 38 V ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 My multimeter was set on AC instead of DC.....When I set it on DC, I am getting a negative voltage reading. What do I need to probe with my multimeter? I have a male 2.1mm pigtail end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sawbones 0 Posted December 4, 2009 My multimeter was set on AC instead of DC.....When I set it on DC, I am getting a negative voltage reading. What do I need to probe with my multimeter? I have a male 2.1mm pigtail end. You simply have the polarity reversed. What's the number, irrespective of the positive/negative? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 inside it is fluctuating between -1.4 and -.8v...outside at the end of the siamese it is fluctuating between -160mv and -55mv Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sawbones 0 Posted December 4, 2009 None of that is even close to right. I'm amazed the camera even turns on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 This is a RCA type Siamese. There is no telling what gauge the wire is. I ordered a box power supply and RG59 18/2 95% copper wire. I am going to have to re-wire the whole house but I think I can use the cheap cable to pull the other wires. My attic has about 1.5 feet of clearance and it was a heck of a job. How many volts should it be reading? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sawbones 0 Posted December 4, 2009 The CW484S will take either 24V AC, or 12V DC, depending on which type of power source you elect to use. There is a little pigtail on the power wire (there are three leads) that shows you how to wire it. The power wires are brown, blue, and green. For 12V DC, brown is positive (+), and blue is negative (-). Most barrel connectors are center-positive by convention. the 18 gauge 2-conductor is a fine choice, and will carry that DC voltage far better than the thin-sounding stuff you're currently using... and using the old wire to pull the new siamese is a fine idea... just make SURE you've tied/taped them together solidly before you start tugging. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 I retested by using the center as the positive probe, and I probed the negative to the outside of the male connector. The NEW reading is 12.15v inside and 12.15v outside. It appears there is no voltage drop....I wonder what could be the problem? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted December 4, 2009 check for PAL or NTSC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 Cameras are NTSC...They work when plugged directly into the dvr and power supply but not with the siamese. It may be a video signal loss problem, or maybe under load the voltage is fluctuating? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 4, 2009 Here is another person with a similar problem to mine. I wonder if he found out what happened: http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3015&highlight=484+picture Here is a calculation I found in the manual: 10.5Vdc _< Va - 2(RxIxL)_<16Vdc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bantham1 0 Posted December 6, 2009 Does the ground wire need to be utilized in a 12DC application for the cameras to work? I do not have a good ground available at the mounting locations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites