Help with home security/intercom system wiring

[rsingleton 0]

I moved into a new house that already had a Wisecomm VDP-1300 video/audio system installed. THe problem I soon discovered was that the audio and door-bell worked fine. But the video would not come up. So I pulled the handset and monitor off the wall to check for loose wires and was utterly confused at the wire connections (preface to say I'm an IT professional with above average knowledge of wiring, CAT5 cables, etc).

 

First thing I did was disconnect the camera and bring instead and hook directly to the main unit to see if the camera was broke. Everything work fine with directly connected. So that means issue is with wiring connections through the wall.

 

Here is me issue and what I still can't figure out.

 

From the main unit

 

4-conductor cable (brown = video, white = power, black = ground, red = audio)

the main unit then connects into the wall via a Blue Cat5 cable (8 conductors). 4 of the wires (orange, orange-white, blue, blue-white) is connected to a RJ-11 telephone port. The other 4 wire (green, green-white, brown, brown-white) is what is being used to connect to the phone.

 

Now to the outside monitor

Coming out of the wall outside is a white 4-conductor (little thicker) copper wire (red, yellow, black green)

Which then connects to the outside unit with the same conductors as main unit (brown, white, black, red)

 

So my confusion is the cat5 cable used through the wall which must connect to a different cable somewhere b/c I have 8-conductor blue cable inside and a white 4-conductor on outside. And the cable colors do not match up.

 

I used tone generator and led tester to try to test the lines. Tone generator didn't work I was getting either alot of cross talk or every wire seemed to emit same tone on other end.. My Led tester I was able to locate the power and ground wires at both ends. and the audio wire. But the left over video wire still doesn't work. And when I connect the ground wire from the wall to ground wire of the monitor unit, it doesn't work.

 

So that about stretches my knowledge of wiring. My initial assumptions is that there some twisted wiring connected somewhere in the wall and/or maybe i need double cross-ground a wire (or whatever it's called when you ground using power or another conductor wire). Maybe two of the wires need paired together and if so how do I trace or identify which ones.

 

I hope this isn't confusing, but best I can explain. Any help would be appreciated

[justincameras 0]

Manual and installation guide.

 

http://www.cloverusa.com/data/goodsImages/1297728703&&VDP1300_Manual.pdf

 

First, before toning anything check with a volt ohm meter for power both AC and DC. Unplug all power to both the phone inside and the camera outside. Pencil and paper time or take photos and draw your existing wiring. Do not disconnect any wire from any wire or terminal before you correctly diagram what it goes to. That white four wire cable you have is standard POTS line. Normally, Green and Red (tip and ring) are a pair and Black and Yellow are a a pair. It is solid not stranded and will break easily. Check this first for breaks or bad connections. The hum or buzz sounds like interference from an AC source which could be from anywhere along the cables involved and the phone's power supply.

 

As you well know the tone generator does not work on a pair that is connected. You have to separate the wires so they are not tied to anything. From there, it is the process of elimination. You may also have a phone, Ethernet, camera, alarm junction box of some sort. This may be the culprit too. Another possibility is an attic junction buried in insulation.

Looking at the manual, it makes mention of using a coaxial cable if interference is encountered. If it has this capability, run a new coax.

Have fun!