Possible CCTV Cable Problem

[NEWinCCTV 0]

Hello! I wonder if any of you had this kind of problem with a CCTV system. I bought a CCTV system a few weeks ago and had it installed by myself. It isn't a top-of-the-line CCTV, just one of the cheapest ones I could find in a renowned store here in Manila, Philippines that sells various gadgets and accessories.

 

The problem is that a few days ago, my mother told me that no video footage is showing on the monitor everytime she turns it on. It is barely used, recording is very seldom and only for a few hours. I went home and tried to fix it but I can't. I tried isolating the problem. I thought the power outlet for the cameras wasn't working but I tried connecting it direct to the (extra one) camera (without the cable) and it worked. I also tried it direct an existing camera and it worked. But when I course it through the cables, no video is shown as if no camera is installed. I'm thinking that the problem lies in the cables but the cables are new.

 

I have a feeling that there must be something wrong in how I have attached the cables at the corner of the ceiling pathway. The cables are not that long, one is just 10 meters and the other 2 at 20 meters each. I've used the U-type (with nail) of thing that attaches the cable to the ceiling corners and I'm thinking that probably it suffocates the cable. 2 cables were put in the same pathway from inside a room going out of the porch. Thus, they are inside one U-type clip at certain points in the pathway.

 

Do you think it has something to do with that and just separate each one? The other camera's cable (10meters) is just alone in another pathway but it's also not working. Probably at one point I have clipped it a little too tight. I don't know, I'm just new to this and installed the whole system by myself as it costs more to have it installed by experts with their recommended systems. Maybe some of you have experienced this. Would appreciate if you could share or if you have any idea about this. Thanks! Sorry about this novel.

[justincameras 0]

Here are some troubleshooting ideas. Unless you really crimped down on those cables, they should be OK.

You are not suffocating them.

A little more information would be nice.

 

What kind of camera? What kind of cable? What kind of DVR?

Could someone have changed the settings somewhere?

Turned off a camera input?

Changed a termination?

Faulty cable end?

Check the camera cable input. Is it correctly plugged in?

Is record turned on for that camera? Is it selected in the DVR live view?

Is it getting power?

Divide and conquer.

 

S Video?

BNC?

RCA?

CAT5?

 

 

You say you have an extra camera. Replace the suspect camera with the known good camera. If the known good works it is a bad camera. If not the next piece is the cable. Take the known good to the recording device with a new cable into the same input. While doing this, replace the video cable with a known good cable.

Try another input on the DVR, you might have had a surge. I would get a UPS, uninterrupted power supply, for the camera and the DVR.

[aibudo 0]

I have had the "cheap" included "premade" cables bad (crap) in the past. If you can hook a camera directly to the DVR and the video is ok. I would do as suggested above and run a temporary cable from the DVR to one of the camera's and see what you get. You probably don't, but I have a signal generator that I connect at the camera end to check the video cable. Also, make sure that you have the proper camera power at the camera end of the cable. The 12VDC can be down some, but in most cases, not more than 10%.

 

Dennis