RG59 or CAT5

[edwardw 0]

What are the differences between the 2?

Any difference in quality? Cost?

Or easiness to install?

Thanks

[Soundy 1]

Depends where you shop, but Cat5e tends to be slightly cheaper than coax.

 

Cat5e can carry video and power in one wire (or video, power and audio; or video, power, and PTZ control; or two video and power; or up to four video). With coax, you need a separate power wire (sometimes this comes attached as "Siamese" cable), at an additional cost.

 

With Cat5e you need baluns to "balance" the signal at both ends, which adds a small cost (anywhere from $3 to $50 per camera, depending on the baluns you use).

 

Standard everyday Cat5e is smaller and much more flexible than coax; don't forget to add the thickness of the additional power wire with coax, and if you're pulling several runs through tight places, the two different-size cables (coax and power) can make for a real hassle.

[edwardw 0]

Understood.

I installed CCTV at work not long back, and used cat 5 and cheap baluns, this worked well.

THe only problem i had was the psu and the dvr wernt that close, so i had a big mass of messy wire inbetween where i had to split the pairs in the cat5.

WHats the way around this? Runinng 2 cat5?

Also, ive seen some suggestions that power should be ran over 2 of the pairs, how and why would you do this?

 

WIth regards to pricing, ive seen the shotgun cable (with power) for about £28+vat, where as i can get cat5 for £15, so yes it seems cheaper.

THanks

[tomcctv 190]

i can get cat5 for £15,

 

 

 

i would spend more on a roll of cat5 than £15 $26

[edwardw 0]

i can get cat5 for £15,

 

 

 

i would spend more on a roll of cat5 than £15 $26

Why? its all the same, ive installed dozens of networks with that stuff and its fine

[rory 0]

RG59 Siamese is heavy as hell and a PITA to run when you are dealing with 30+ wires!

[tomcctv 190]

Why? its all the same, ive installed dozens of networks with that stuff and its fine

 

 

 

no its not all the same. are you talking £15 $26 for a 1000ft reel ???

[edwardw 0]

305m yes.

What's the difference then? It's been fine for gigabit network and CCTV so far?

 

 

What's the best way to run cable for them then using cat5?

[tomcctv 190]

It's been fine for gigabit network

 

 

gigabit networks on cheap cat5 ...... you should be at least cat5e or cat6

[edwardw 0]

It's been fine for gigabit network

 

 

gigabit networks on cheap cat5 ...... you should be at least cat5e or cat6

It is cat5e, sorry! The standard now is cat5e so I just refer to it as cat5!

[hardwired 0]

RG59 Siamese is heavy as hell and a PITA to run when you are dealing with 30+ wires!

I did a few grocery stores with 64 camera systems with separate 18/2 and RG59, working with the bundle coming out of the ceiling at the head end was like wrestling with an Anaconda!

[Soundy 1]

THe only problem i had was the psu and the dvr wernt that close, so i had a big mass of messy wire inbetween where i had to split the pairs in the cat5.

WHats the way around this? Runinng 2 cat5?

Well that would kind of defeat the low-cost aspect...

 

Really, there are as many different ways to do it as you can think of. Once site, I just put the PSU and DVR close enough together I barely had to split out anything.

 

One site, I split out by the DVR and used 18/2 to extend the power runs.

 

Another time, I split out by the PSU and used a few more lengths of Cat5e to extend the video runs to the DVR (four video feeds per Cat5e = four UTP runs from PSU to DVR for a 14-camera system).

 

A couple sites now, we've run the cable past the DVR to the PSU, then just split a bit of the jacket by the DVR, extracted the video pair, and tied the baluns in right there - lotta work, but really clean.

 

Last two sites, we've used rackmount combined PSU/balun units like this:

 

http://www.easterncctv.com/accessories/big_icon/ev16p-vps.jpg

 

These are working GREAT, and really helps keep installations tidy.

 

Also, ive seen some suggestions that power should be ran over 2 of the pairs, how and why would you do this?

Most jobs, I'll use the blue pair for video, orange/orange-white together for one side of the power (+12VDC or 24VAC "hot"), and green/green-white together for the other side of the power (ground, or 24VAC "neutral"), leaving the brown pair as a spare.

 

The PSU/balun combo unit above uses wires 1 and 2 for video (orange pair if you wire T-568B); 3, 4 and 5 for power ground (green/white, blue and blue/white), and 6, 7 and 8 for +12V (green, brown/white, and brown).

 

As to why: the thinner a wire, the less current it can carry, and the higher resistance it presents to the circuit. If the camera requires too much current (such as an IR camera), or if the run is too long, you get voltage drop that can lower the voltage at the camera end below its operating voltage...so for example, the camera might drop out when the IRs turn on.

 

Using two or even three pairs for power gives more capacity and less voltage loss. Whether this is an issue depends on the cameras, the source voltage (it's less of a problem at 24V) and the length of the run.

[rory 0]

RG59 Siamese is heavy as hell and a PITA to run when you are dealing with 30+ wires!

I did a few grocery stores with 64 camera systems with separate 18/2 and RG59, working with the bundle coming out of the ceiling at the head end was like wrestling with an Anaconda!

dealing with a 47 cam install, client had existing wire so wanted to use that, in fact they ran it before we got there (copper clad no less, plus some kinked up regular siamese), their in house electrician ran most of the wire in and out of high voltage, through holes in beams, and over and under lighting .. it was a wiring nightmare, literally looked like a spaghetti junction .. so pulled it all back and re ran it at least together and away from high voltage .. just pulled the last part today. Fiberglass insulation was no fun either! And yes I met that anaconda today and it was heavy as hell

[edwardw 0]

Thanks for helpful post mate!