Cat5E cable concern over contractor installation

[tdrinkwater 0]

We just installed a new security system and the contractor ran outdoor rated cat5e cable from outdoors through conduit then once it entered our main building he said he spliced it with 18-2 wire/cat5e cable utilizing UTP video blauns at head-end. Should we be concerned that they were spliced or by connecting the two wires it is standard? He said their company does this all time. Upon connecting the cameras to the DVR, the feed is bad (wavy and lines are misshaded) and they said they need to place an active transmitter due to the distance between the camera and DVR unit (750 feet). I'm not sure what questions to ask to ascertain the right answer on if this is standard? Our IT tech says that it is ok but our facilities manager disagrees. I am stuck trying to find the right answer for upper management. If I need more details to get the right answer, please let me know and I'll try to get back with them. Any help, is greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

[bpzle 0]

He spliced CAT5 and wire nutted it to 18/2? Wow... Did he run out of wire? What was his reason? Either way, I wouldn't do it. Especially on a long run like 700 feet. I wouldn't risk splicing it at all for a run that long...

Anytime you splice, you add resistance and loose some of the signal. I'd definetley loose the 18/2. That's crazy.

 

 

CAT5 and good passive baluns can supposedly carry video over 1000 feet, although I haven't personally needed to run it that far yet. There's others on the forum that have though.

[tdrinkwater 0]

Ok, so I need to slow down on the coffee. I double checked with IT and they connected (spliced as they say) the outdoor cat5e cable with indoor cat5 cable. They are using 18-2 wire for power to transmit video and power utilizing the UTP video Blauns to receive the video signal over the cat5. We have three cameras in that area. 1 camera they used all outdoor plenum cat5e wire from camera to DVR (750') and then the other two they ran the cable as mentioned above because they ran out of outdoor plenum cable and it wasn't necessary (so they said) to continue that rating of cable indoors. All three cameras have a bad feed as the contractor said the distance is too far and it needs an amplifier.

 

Does this make it better or worse?

[bpzle 0]

Oh, that makes sense now... I thought they were trying to carry video on 18/2. That's good that they used 18/2 for the power.

 

So how are the 2 different CAT5 runs connected?

 

My guess is the only reason you'd need amplified or active baluns is BECAUSE they spliced it.

 

Again, for long runs using passive baluns its a bad idea to splice.

 

Are they going to charge you extra for the active baluns? Their the donkeys that ran out of cable, that's not your fault...

[tdrinkwater 0]

No charge to us for the active baluns. Thanks for the input! greatly appreciate it.

[bpzle 0]

Good. Let 'em install it then!

 

Nice to hear their going to make it right.

[scorpion 0]

Sounds like they run the outdoor for the "outdoors", and they ran plenum for "fire safety".

[rory 0]

We just installed a new security system and the contractor ran outdoor rated cat5e cable from outdoors through conduit then once it entered our main building he said he spliced it with 18-2 wire/cat5e cable utilizing UTP video blauns at head-end. Should we be concerned that they were spliced or by connecting the two wires it is standard? He said their company does this all time. Upon connecting the cameras to the DVR, the feed is bad (wavy and lines are misshaded) and they said they need to place an active transmitter due to the distance between the camera and DVR unit (750 feet). I'm not sure what questions to ask to ascertain the right answer on if this is standard? Our IT tech says that it is ok but our facilities manager disagrees. I am stuck trying to find the right answer for upper management. If I need more details to get the right answer, please let me know and I'll try to get back with them. Any help, is greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

 

Some UTP manufacturers recommend no more then 750' for passive, so its a good idea to install active. Personally I would use Active for anything over a couple hundred feet anyway, but thats me. I cant afford to go back to the job and reorder active, waiting another 2-4 weeks for the product to arrive, if the passive did not work.

 

Ofcourse make sure that is really the problem, make sure it is powered correctly, the camera is good, and the connectors are connected properly. Thats their job ofcourse.

[jeromephone 6]

if they punched the cat5 on a 66 block it will make a better connection, if they wire nutted it they are going to have problems.

 

The best thing to do would be to find( i don't know if they make it or not) Indoor outdoor/plenum and make one solid run. The problem is that usually outdoor cable has to be terminated within 50 feet of where it enters the build if it is not plenum rated. Did they provide any kind of surge/ lightening protection? What does local code call for?Also why not cat 6 ?

[survtech 0]

For video, CAT5 splices are fine if done right. We use "beans" on the wires after stripping them and twisting them together and it works fine. Just make sure you maintain the "twist" as much as possible. That's for individual cable splices. For our 25-pair backbone to 4-pair connections, we use "66" blocks.

[Tailbone215 0]

For video, CAT5 splices are fine if done right. We use "beans" on the wires after stripping them and twisting them together and it works fine. Just make sure you maintain the "twist" as much as possible. That's for individual cable splices. For our 25-pair backbone to 4-pair connections, we use "66" blocks.

 

You guys really got to get back to basics. All this fancy new technology is warping your brains! The proper way to do this is make all your connections with a nice tight "Western Union" splice. Now, if you want to be a true technological rebel you can always hit these "Western Union" splices with some Kester solder and a 15-watt soldering pencil followed by some heat-shrink tubing. Now that's a splice that will never fail or induce problems in your runs.

[Soundy 1]

Now, if you want to be a true technological rebel you can always hit these "Western Union" splices with some Kester solder and a 15-watt soldering pencil followed by some heat-shrink tubing. Now that's a splice that will never fail or induce problems in your runs.

 

Nah, I prefer Xersin multicore solder. Still using a spool I got from Radio Shack some 25+ years ago That Kester stuff is junk!

 

;o)

[hardwired 0]

Now, if you want to be a true technological rebel you can always hit these "Western Union" splices with some Kester solder and a 15-watt soldering pencil followed by some heat-shrink tubing. Now that's a splice that will never fail or induce problems in your runs.

 

Nah, I prefer Xersin multicore solder. Still using a spool I got from Radio Shack some 25+ years ago That Kester stuff is junk!

 

;o)

 

Yeah, I really prefer regular 60/40 rosin core stuff, you just think about it and you can smell it. I'm not really sure about that no-lead stuff, I'm doing just fine after 25+ years of using it. My car keys just run away on their own, that's all...... And maybe my sunglasses.... Wait, what was the subject?

[Soundy 1]

Yeah, and a wimpy 15w pencil iron? Please, that's for girls! This is the only way I roll:

 

 

GO BIG OR GO HOME!

[survtech 0]

OK, but if you really want to get fancy, use the pill bottle splice.