Cable choices for Pelco install

[mikeloew1 0]

Hi all. I have a Pelco Spectra that I will be instaling shortly. My run is about 75' to 100'. What are my options here and will I lose quality on one verses the other? camera has PTZ. So I was thinking of a molded coax cable with power and audio and cutting the ends off the audio to use for the PTZ Tx+ and TX- . If I were to use Cat5 or Cat6 instead would I lose any quality? and if I did use Cat5 I would have two small wires for power two small wires for PTZ and two small wires for video and would have to use Video Baluns. It just seems to me that I would lose quality this way verses a coaxal cable with seperate wires. Am I correct what is my best bet or options? Thanks for any help. Mike

[Soundy 1]

You won't lose any quality using baluns over Cat5 vs. coax. In fact, you likely WILL lose quality using some cheap pre-fabbed all-in-one cable. Size of the wire has no effect on video or control data. Just double-up the other two pairs for power, using 24VAC, and you're good to go.

 

My usual color scheme is blue pair for video, orange and green for power (orange pair for + or AC hot, green for ground or AC neutral), and brown for... whatever else (data, audio, spare, future video, etc.). No specific reason for it, the colors chosen are completely arbitrary.

[mikeloew1 0]

You won't lose any quality using baluns over Cat5 vs. coax. In fact, you likely WILL lose quality using some cheap pre-fabbed all-in-one cable. Size of the wire has no effect on video or control data. Just double-up the other two pairs for power, using 24VAC, and you're good to go.

 

My usual color scheme is blue pair for video, orange and green for power (orange pair for + or AC hot, green for ground or AC neutral), and brown for... whatever else (data, audio, spare, future video, etc.). No specific reason for it, the colors chosen are completely arbitrary.

 

Thanks Soundy, you are always really helpfull, so you think my best bet and cheapest way is to go with cat 5 and 2 baluns? also I should have mentioned I am using a Pelco power supply 24 VAC. That small cat5 wire will handle that plus video and data for PTZ? Thanks again Mike

[hardwired 0]

You probably will want to pull a separate pair of wires for power (16 gauge, more likely 14 gauge), especially if it is an outdoor Spectra, specs for the outdoor model is 73VA, which is only 23 feet on 22 Gauge wire (what you'll have by doubling two 24 Gauge wires).

 

The Pelco power supply has a 28 volt tap that will get you a little further, but not a whole lot.

 

Take a look here for a wire gauge calculator from Pelco, indoor Spectra is 23VA, outdoor with heaters on is 73VA.... http://www.pelco.com/sites/global/en/sales-and-support/downloads-and-tools/tools/wire.page

[mikeloew1 0]

Thanks guys I just found a full spool of 18 gauge 6 conductor stranded shielded wire, my camera will be in the Florida Keys so I dont think my heater will come on to often This is some really good quality wire. Would I be ok using this with baluns to convert to BNC connectors? Thanks Mike

[Soundy 1]

Thanks guys I just found a full spool of 18 gauge 6 conductor stranded shielded wire, my camera will be in the Florida Keys so I dont think my heater will come on to often This is some really good quality wire. Would I be ok using this with baluns to convert to BNC connectors? Thanks Mike

That will work fine - baluns work best over twisted-pair, but they don't require it. I've run them over 18/2 shielded and unshielded, shielded 16/2, and even over station-Z wire (22/4). (Actually, in a pinch once, I powered two 24VAC cameras off one pair of the station wire, and ran video for one of them over the other pair... cheesy, but has been working fine for about three years).

[mikeloew1 0]

Thanks Matt and Hardwired, I dont want to beat a dead horse but I wont be back in the Keys for 6 months, so I want to do things right the first time, but now I am confused, is the cat5 with a seperate 18 ga power wire (that would be two seperate cables) better than a good quality 18 guage 6 conductor all in one shielded wire? and if I do use the 6 conductor wire are two Baluns the only way to convert two of the conductors to a BNC connection? The wire will be exposed outdoors in the hot Florida sun so I was kind of thinking the heavy duty 18 ga might hold up better than cat5 but I dont know. Thanks again and sorry for the rookie questions.

[hardwired 0]

The best choice for outdoor exposure would be to use direct burial type cable, the jacket on it will last longer outdoors than other cable types. My personal choice would be to use direct burial CAT5 cable for the video through baluns, and the PTZ control data, and a separate good outdoor rated cable for power (cheapest heavy gauge wire I've found is the stuff for outdoor low voltage lighting, holds up well outdoors, too).