Troubleshooting driving me nuts

[kirkdickinson 0]

I have a Costar Fastrax dome camera that I can't seem to get a video signal from. Here are my troubleshooting steps:

 

1. Test that I have power at the Base - Yes (24VAC)

2. Test that the Co-ax cable is good by using Rosewill cable tester - good

3. Swap camera with another camera - camera works in other base

4. Change base out with new base - still no joy

5. Put two brand new ends on cable - no joy

6. Retest with cable tester - Have continuity

7. Hooked camera with same base to DVR directly - both work

 

I have pretty much decided that even though the cable has continuity, it is not working. This sucks because I will have to fish new cable through the attic. But possible.

 

Why would a cable have continuity and no signal? Cable is only about 20 feet long.

 

Thanks,

 

Kirk

[the toss 0]

I have a Costar Fastrax dome camera that I can't seem to get a video signal from. Here are my troubleshooting steps:

 

1. Test that I have power at the Base - Yes (24VAC)

2. Test that the Co-ax cable is good by using Rosewill cable tester - good

3. Swap camera with another camera - camera works in other base

4. Change base out with new base - still no joy

5. Put two brand new ends on cable - no joy

6. Retest with cable tester - Have continuity

7. Hooked camera with same base to DVR directly - both work

 

I have pretty much decided that even though the cable has continuity, it is not working. This sucks because I will have to fish new cable through the attic. But possible.

 

Why would a cable have continuity and no signal? Cable is only about 20 feet long.

 

Thanks,

 

Kirk

 

What tests does your cable tester perform? If there is a s/c between inner & outer you will still have continuity

[vector18 1]

Sounds like your not putting the ends on correctly.

[kirkdickinson 0]

The tester can be used for Cat5 and sends a ping down each wire that gets a corresponding return from the other end. On Cat5, there are 8 pings. With the BNC, 6 of those pings are dead, but there is two separate pings that come back.

 

I don't know if it would show me if the inner and outer were connected. Guess tomorrow, I need to get out the continuity tester and test it with both ends disconnected. Didn't think about that today. Maybe there is a nail through the cable somewhere.

[kirkdickinson 0]

The tester I have looks like this. I thought it said Rosewill on it, but maybe not. it isn't here in front of me.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Network-Ethernet-Tester-10Base-Signal/dp/B007CO2JGU/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376714147&sr=1-6&keywords=Cable+Tester+bnc

[vector18 1]

If you can power the camera with the wire you ran, than plug in a small monitor directly into the camera, that would help.

[tomcctv 190]

1. Test that I have power at the Base - Yes (24VAC)

2. Test that the Co-ax cable is good by using Rosewill cable tester - good

3. Swap camera with another camera - camera works in other base

4. Change base out with new base - still no joy

5. Put two brand new ends on cable - no joy

6. Retest with cable tester - Have continuity

7. Hooked camera with same base to DVR directly - both work

 

 

hi. can you give cable length ???

 

also 24v but what amp is your unit

[kirkdickinson 0]

hi. can you give cable length ???

 

also 24v but what amp is your unit

 

Cable is less than 20 feet. DVR is in attic and this is the nearest camera to it.

 

24vac 50A power supply

[tomcctv 190]

hi. can you give cable length ???

 

also 24v but what amp is your unit

 

Cable is less than 20 feet. DVR is in attic and this is the nearest camera to it.

 

24vac 50A power supply

 

 

 

 

hi try swap power supply for that camera.

[kirkdickinson 0]

hi try swap power supply for that camera.

 

I didn't list that as one of my troubleshooting steps, but I have done that.

 

Actually, I ran a new cable just 30 minutes ago and it is now working. That was the only camera on the entire system that I could have run a cable that easily, so I guess that is a blessing.

 

Kirk

[the toss 0]

So much for your new fangled cable tester. Sometimes the old & tried ways are the best.

[kirkdickinson 0]

So much for your new fangled cable tester. Sometimes the old & tried ways are the best.

 

The newfangled cable tester works really good on Cat5, even showed me which wires were switched when I had one not working. Guess not so good for BNC. The proof is in the picture.

 

Kirk

[tesc_cctvpro 0]

Not quite understanding the terminology - Base.

 

You have one camera on the cable that doesn't work...have you connected another complete camera to the same cable? I assume so and it doesn't work either.

 

I assume you are getting 24V at the cable end without the camera connected. Connect the camera to the cable and test the voltage -- likely less than 1V.

 

Replace the cable.

[kirkdickinson 0]

Not quite understanding the terminology - Base.

 

You have one camera on the cable that doesn't work...have you connected another complete camera to the same cable? I assume so and it doesn't work either.

 

I assume you are getting 24V at the cable end without the camera connected. Connect the camera to the cable and test the voltage -- likely less than 1V.

 

Replace the cable.

 

The base is the base of the PTZ camera. The base mounts to the ceiling and the camera twists into the base.

 

I ran a new video cable that that fixed it. The power cable tested 18v and was good.

 

Thanks,

 

Kirk

[tesc_cctvpro 0]

Good News,

 

I have had similar which caused us to really scratch our heads - after everything we tried, everything pointed to the cable.