Cables outdoors..

[JCorona 0]

So Im trying to figure out what the best way to run cables for my outside cameras. Would Cat5 or BNC/Power cable be better? Which one gives you better quality? Will wires sitting in direct sunlight tend to degrade and lose quality? Do any of you guys run your wires in PVC pipe and junction boxes to make it look cleaner?

 

Any info helps me since im a newbie at this CCTV stuff.. Thank You

[Birdman Adam 0]

When done properly, cat5 with baluns, as well as RG59 work equally as well. Cat5 with baluns tend to be cheaper, especially on longer runs! Also, it is easier for new people to do.

 

Wires should not just be ran out in the open outdoors unless they are rated for it. They will probably work fine, but may become soft or brittle, and water may leach inside, eventually causing signal problems.

 

Run any exposed wires in electrical conduit, NMC (the grey PVC) is totally fine. If you need more vandal protection, use aluminum of steel.

 

Typically dome cameras will have threaded holes to accept the conduit with connectors. This keeps the wire secure for the whole way.

[fa chris 0]

If the cable is rated for outdoors, it's fine. You probably already have coax for your tv and cat3 for your phone lines ran on the outside of your house with zero issues, and conduit might look funny on residential.

 

For security, I try to stub straight out of the structure into the camera or a back box for the camera if possible, instead of running any cable on the outside of the structure it's all ran on the inside. Sometimes this isn't possible though, so look for outdoor rated cat5e (or whatever you decide to use) to run on the outside.