Cable Design Experts and all members, please helps.

[darkulti 0]

Please be patient to read and provide your comments. I do respect all your opinions.

 

I have a five-floor building with a fireplace-like in the middle of the building. The building has 40'W x 80'L , and each floor including fireplace from the 5th floor roof are about 12' hight. The fireplace-like a space of 14' x 14'. One floor has 12 virtual (no walls / no partitions) completely dark rooms (normally 0.00 to 0.50 lux from my lux meter), each room is 20'W x 13.33'L. Corners of virtual rooms have pillars.

 

I'd like to set up (below can be modified)

1) 5 cameras / each floor (tot. 25 cams)

2) 2 cams in the fireplace chimney (one surveys outside of the chimney and another looks down from top to the first floor inside the building.

3) 4 outdoor cams outside the building

4) 1 cam at the fence.

Tot. 32 cameras.

 

 

My questions are:

 

1. Since I don't know the exact place to put my cameras on yet, I think I will wire CCTV 5 cables for each floor and 2 cables at chimney. Each cable will have 2 outlets to connect a camera (one for spare) Is this a good idea?

 

2. If so, I do need (5 cables x 5 floors) + 4 cables = 29 cables. Can we simutaneously run more than one camera from a cable?

 

3. How long do I need (cable)?

 

4. What cable should I buy? I have read this forum, several ppl suggest Siamese cable RG 59/u. Is this cable reasonable to my case.

 

 

Thank you for all your time and kindness.

[VST_Man 1]

1. Since I don't know the exact place to put my cameras on yet, I think I will wire CCTV 5 cables for each floor and 2 cables at chimney. Each cable will have 2 outlets to connect a camera (one for spare) Is this a good idea?

 

only thing that bother me here is why a chimney cams? ever hear of a smoke detector and a good annual chimney cleaning?

 

depends on the cable used. RG.nope, one camera signal per cable. UTP (CAT5) can pass 4 video if you power the camers at each camera location, or floor. If you plan on powering the camera's via the cable I'd recommend using Hub's.

 

2. If so, I do need (5 cables x 5 floors) + 4 cables = 29 cables. Can we simutaneously run more than one camera from a cable?

 

3. How long do I need (cable)?

 

you can only anwer this................

 

4. What cable should I buy? I have read this forum, several ppl suggest Siamese cable RG 59/u. Is this cable reasonable to my case.

 

depends on the cable length. RG-59 is better ue=sed for 200ft. or shorter. UTP (CAT5) cable is for longer length's. You can use a combination of both via HUBs (recommend active HUBs).

 

Ok, here is how I would do it;

 

5 Floors x 5 camera's (all less than 200ft. cable runs); run (5) RG-59 siamese cables to each floor, power in one location, at the DVR,

 

5 Floors x 5 camera's (all more than 200ft.) run 5 UTP cables per floor (stuff is cheap) and use active baluns with power pass thru.

 

you did not mention PTZ but the 5 UTP cables per floor will handle anything you can hang.

 

DVR...would go with a 3.2 Dual core intel, 80 Gb OS drive, 500Gb storage, Video Insight VJ240 16 cam with a 32 camera card extension.

 

as far a camera locations.....................have fun.

[darkulti 0]

VST_Man, Thanks again for your prompt response. Your great info took me a day to understand technical term and tools such as active baluns.

 

FYI: Inside the building, temp = 68 F to 100 F and humidity ranges b/w 50%Rh to 95%Rh

 

only thing that bother me here is why a chimney cams? ever hear of a smoke detector and a good annual chimney cleaning?

My avian farming building needs two cams to observe their flight and predators' behaviors.

 

depends on the cable used. RG.nope, one camera signal per cable. UTP (CAT5) can pass 4 video if you power the camers at each camera location, or floor. If you plan on powering the camera's via the cable I'd recommend using Hub's.

I plan to put the power on each floor.

 

 

5 Floors x 5 camera's (all less than 200ft. cable runs); run (5) RG-59 siamese cables to each floor, power in one location, at the DVR,

 

5 Floors x 5 camera's (all more than 200ft.) run 5 UTP cables per floor (stuff is cheap) and use active baluns with power pass thru.

Thank you for these two options.

 

 

you did not mention PTZ but the 5 UTP cables per floor will handle anything you can hang.

I am afraid that PTZ won't last long. Besides, Can I use PTZ with RG-59 or RG-6?

[rory 0]

yes you can use coax with PTZ cameras, but for control you typically need something like cat5/UTP. Depending on the PTZ camera used, if it is a decent PTZ (not a cheap one) then it will have the option of UTP or Coax for Video when you purchase it.

[darkulti 0]

Thank Rory.

 

According to VST_Man advice, I decide to run cable as follows:

5 Floors x 5 camera's (all more than 200ft.) run 5 UTP cables per floor (stuff is cheap) and use active baluns with power pass thru.

and 1 UTP cable for chimney.

 

However, what's difference between active and passive baluns?

and what does VST_Man mean of power pass thru.

 

This would be nicer if you could link me the recommended balun products.

 

 

I'm getting more fun doing this job.

[rory 0]

active UTP would be something like NVT

http://www.nvt.com/products.html

 

Its not cheap, but Active UTP is much better than Passive UTP or Passive Baluns.

 

Rory

[darkulti 0]

Damn......expensive like a hell......I give up and go to the first wiring option.

 

Just wonder how complicate those baluns are bulit???

 

 

Thanks both of you.

 

Now I'm going to hire a professional installer here to run cables for my buliding and focus on CCTV cameras. will need your supports again.

[darkulti 0]

Just wonder is there any other options I can reduce the number of cables?