Getting video over rough terrain

[jisaac 0]

Hey we got this job coming up for the air force and its a single camera that is going to be on top of radio tower thats about 200 feet tall. Its on top of a hill surrounded by rough terrain around it. We got to get this video, power, data between this tower and the building. We definitly cant dig and bury it for 2 reasons. Rough terrain and Gas and water line run all through the path. They definiltly did not approve that . Cant do wireless. To much interferance. ( "radio tower" ) . The only way we can do is airial. Never done arial that far. Anyone experienced in this? How do I secure it? How do i keep all the birds, squirrells, and every other creature from making the wire its long bungie cord or jump rope? Any ideas would be much appreciated. I can send some pics if you pm me

isaac

[VST_Man 1]

how far between the tower and building?

[jisaac 0]

about 600ft

[rory 0]

Hmmm, what about Fiber

Cable TV here runs most of their fiber above ground from pole to pole ..

[jisaac 0]

I have actually never done fiber. How exactly would you run the wire from pole to pole and keep it tight and able to withstand animals all over it?

[rory 0]

me neither, dont know, but Cable TV has no issues down here .. except during hurricanes Course we have no bears etc ... just a bunch of wild parrots and then the local widelife

[jisaac 0]

I think that fiber is a good idea. I want to put one of those extreme cctv's moondance camera on that radio tower

[rory 0]

I want to put one of those extreme cctv's moondance camera on that radio tower

 

man they got some serious cash to burn hey

I want to try it one day just for fun though, but at current cost, will have to wait until i visit them ..

[qman 0]

You will have to use black fiber. But you must have to power the camera localy, can't run power on fiber. Also remember, fiber stuff is EXPENSIVE.

[jisaac 0]

expensive is not a problem. Application and practicality is the only issue

[rory 0]

you can buy solar for power, extreme sells it if you use their gear.

 

and get some of these ..

http://www.extremecctv.com/products/index.cfm?img=103

http://www.extremecctv.com/products/index.cfm?img=64

http://www.extremecctv.com/products/index.cfm?img=57

 

Rory

[VST_Man 1]

Have the local gov tele office do a site survey, you can get the unit you have the contract with work that out. And you'll have to get that anyway since your installing on a gov installation. That site survey will determine all cable in the ground. You might get lucky and find a spare cable running to the tower? If not, I'd still look at buring the cable in the ground. Unless the ground is all rock, you can bury it if you work it right. What is "rough terrain"? My guess is that the tower is there and there are cables already burried to it?

 

And, since the gov requested this tower as the install location you basically can pass the cable install fee back to them. Given that, taker down town and you'll be happier.

 

600ft. is a long way to run any cable and it will be a maintenance nightmare. Yes, running it via poles/cable will work. Have you seen the site? Has anyne with cable installation experience seen the site? A good cable installer can quickly determine "How to do it".

[WirelessEye 0]

600 ft. is a cake-walk for wireless, even for people who don't know how to work with wireless, can't use interference as an excuse, because you haven't explored different frequencies.

 

Solar can work too, but would not recommend with IR Illuminators. Those puppies take too much power for solar, at least, if you want long range detection. If you're talking military, they'd much rather use thermal anyhow.

[rory 0]

You can still do Solar

 

But depending where you are located will detertmine how many solar panels you will need. Also, with IR you can use a day night camera, while with Thermal it stays the same day and night, just body heat. Thermal is useful for long range like miles for example.

 

also check this out ..

http://www.extremecctv.com/documents/docGet.cfm?docID=25

 

also yeah, just check a different wireless range??

[Cooperman 0]

jisaacmagee,

 

If wireless (microwave) may potentially be problematic, have you considered using a wireless video 'laser link' (using low power infra red laser LED transmitter).

 

No problems with cross channel interference, no cables to run, 600 feet / 200 metres shouldn't be a problem, so it may be worth checking out as an option.

 

VST-Man has made a good suggestion about checking out what if any existing cables are available (surplus), and as Wireless Eye has already pointed out, if you need long range IR illumination, you're going to need one heck of a large solar cell array to power up high output illuminators; after all, even if the camera were pointing straight down to the ground, thats 65 metres range before you start looking away.

 

If money is not an issue, depending on the site and its requirements, you could look at the image intensifier cameras available for military use (not generally available to us mere mortals). If they want true day / night operation, you could possibly strap a conventional CCTV camera / lens combo alongside an optimised night vision package.

 

Not a problem to do, provided you have the bucks

[jisaac 0]

you guys dont get it. This is on a flight line with all different types of frequencies you have never even heard of being used. They WILL NOT ALOW WIRELESS. WIRELESS IS A JOKE! ESPECIALLY IN THIS APPLICATION SURROUNDED BY NOTHTING BUT WIRELESS TRANSMISSION FROM EVERY DIFFERENT FREQUENCY POSSIBLE. THEY WILL NOT ALLOW WIRELESS!

Ok now their is no existing wire going to this tower. It was a tower they built and never actually got it in operation. Already did the site survey like i said their is gas lines and water lines and other communication lines running all over the front of the path between the tower and the destination building. so that is out of the question. And this is just a weather cam. We are putting active infared ptz's at the flight line in a few months. So illuminators will be taken care of

[rory 0]

here is something that may interest you:

http://www.kramerfirm.com/pictures/thumbnails.php?album=2

[jisaac 0]

after reading my last post I was thinking someone might read that and take that as a harsh tone.

Definitly did not mean it that way. Just trying to emphasize what we cant work with. Which is line of sight wireless transmission and or any other wireless.

[rory 0]

no problem, i feel the stress

[VST_Man 1]

if it is just a weather cam. why use the tower? A 75 ft. telephone pole would at the building may work out best......

[jisaac 0]

Ya i mentioned an idea like but they said because it so so close to the flight line that it would take like a year to even get told NO we cant do that. Like I said if you want me to send you some pics just tell me your email. I just dont want to post on the internet for EVERYONE to see pics of military buildings.

[DataAve 0]

This might sound stupid, because I haven't seen the site layout (terrain might go up and over a mountain), but why don't you put the cam on the building you are referring to. Extend it over the building. You said it was only 600 feet away.

[DataAve 0]

If you must utilize the tower, your best bet would be fiber, as Rory said. It would not interfere with signals and signals would not interfere with glass. I have run fiber in this manner. It had to be fiber due to the nearby LaGuardia airport. I used microwave doppler's to trigger motion.

[WirelessEye 0]

We've worked with the military before, at an airbase even. They gave us a list of frequencies in use, and frequencies we could use. Since it was military and all licensed frequencies, our civilian radio equipment was never noticed. It's strange they won't allow you to use it, but if that's the situation, then I agree, fiber would be your best bet. Tough break with the terrain, the only thing they didn't put in the ground are land mines huh? =)

 

BTW Rory- In order to touch the detection range of a "cheap" thermal, it would take (2) 200 Watt illuminators, for approx. 1300ft, per Extreme's web site. Which would take roughly (68) 80 Watt Solar panels, best case scenario. That's approx 23 grand just for the panels, wholesale. The Pan-Tilt Thermal we use, uses only 300ma when moving and 50ma while idle. It requires (1) solar panel.

[rory 0]

the panels are $1000 each, and $1500 for 2 UF600's. Thats $7500, then add a camera, so yeah it kind of comes out to the same as the Ganz which I think is $10K ? But like i said, difference is, you get a real daytime picture, and if its a weather cam, Thermal wont do.