What causes this dim video signal problem? (Youtube Video Link Enclosed)

[bmw1999m3 0]

Hello, I'm having a problem with my security camera video feed. The image is extremely dark and has tearing/jerking effects. Camera signal is run over cat5 ethernet twisted pair. Camera and power supply are not the problems because I swapped them out and am getting the same effect. No combination of baluns or ground loop isolators solve the problem. The wiring is not at an excessive distance, I have other cameras at greater distances with no problems. Here is a video of the issue

https://youtu.be/k1vAJDGVJ3Y

Here's another video with the brightness turned up for better visibility:

https://youtu.be/-SPSEtK4660

Input is appreciated.

Edited December 30, 2018 by bmw1999m3

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. Has the camera worked and this is something that’s just started ?

 

but if you have changed camera and baluns and it does the same then it’s a cable or power problem. 

 

How many pair have you used for video ?

 

how many pair for power?

 

what is the cable length ?

 

also another quick test ...... can you move the faulty cam bnc on your recorder to another channel and see if camer has the same fault on another channel 

[bmw1999m3 0]

Thanks for the reply. I know it's not a power problem because I have a portable 12v battery I use for testing purposes. Plugging the camera directly into the battery didn't make a difference, signal quality is still terrible at DVR end. I'm thinking the problem must lie within the wire but I don't see how because I didn't pinch/crimp or break the wire anywhere. I have had rotten luck with these cat5 analog camera systems and have been fighting signal degradation issues since the beginning on multiple cameras. Sometimes baluns and Ground Loop Isolators fix quality issues on some cameras, but not on others, and I don't know why because they are all set up the same way. For example on some cameras I had crosstalk/rolling effects and the image cleaned up perfectly with a GLI. On other cameras with the same problem I would install the GLI and the image would go completely black, or have no improvement at all. I've even tried swapping replacement GLI's and Baluns in case they were bad, and they were not. It's really hit and miss and I don't understand it. I have good connections and am certain the wires couldn't be this problematic because of the sheer amount of signal issues I've had over the years with all brands of cat5 cabling. Whether it's cheap or expensive wire, I've still experienced signal quality issues on both and I haven't narrowed down the cause yet. The signal is traveling down probably about 150' of cable. I use a single pair for each camera signal (for example, solid green for camera signal + and striped green for camera signal -)I have already tried plugging the BNC into other DVR channels and even into a screen input source directly with no changes in quality. If I can't figure out how to get reliable and consistent results with cat5, I'm thinking of switching to coax. So far I haven't because I don't want to run a bundle of 16 cables through a hole in my wall if I can fit 16 camera channels on 4 cat5 cables instead.

Edited December 31, 2018 by bmw1999m3

[jeromephone 6]

Have you tested each camera with a short coax patch cord to see if your probem might be because of a bad camera?  If you are sticking with analog I would consider going to coax .  you will eliminate the baluns and the power can be run on 18 ga or larger copper which can be run as siamase cable or individual runs.

[bmw1999m3 0]

 I already know all my cameras are good- any time I see a problem that's basically the first test I do, by removing the camera and plugging it directly into a monitor inside my office. As I stated in my previous post, If I go with coax I'd have to run all new signal cables (16 cables running through my wall for 16 cameras). I'd rather minimize the amount of cabling I'd have to run (hence cat5). As for power, I am already running a separate dedicated 16-gauge power wire for all of my cameras to maximize the usefulness of the cat5 for video signals. So I know power is not an issue (I know how to test for voltage at plugs and even if I didn't, I have a portable 12v battery I use for testing purposes-I know there's no power delivery problem).

Edited January 1, 2019 by bmw1999m3

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. We know what your problem is and we have asked questions 

 

so you have 4 cameras on each cat5

how have you terminated each camera at cable end

 

how are you powering cameras  .... size of power supplies and cable run lengths 

 

which baluns are you using and are you using copper cable

[bmw1999m3 0]

I don't understand the question about terminating each camera at cable end... ? At the end of the cable I spliced on a BNC connector and plugged in the camera. I don't understand what else there is to do..?? Most of my cameras have GLI's at the cable end (between cable end and camera). The ones that don't are because the GLI's and baluns haven't helped the picture quality anyway. At the DVR end I have a balun on each channel. 

The cable lengths vary because the cameras are positioned at various corners of the house.

They are powered with a 12VDC 10A power supply with their own dedicated power wire(not running power down a cat5 twisted pair). I already know it's not a power problem because plugging in the cameras with poor video signals directly to their own power supply does not fix the issue (They aren't low on voltage or amperage).

I am using copper cable and the baluns are passive.

Edited January 1, 2019 by bmw1999m3

[tomcctv 190]

Why are you finding it so hard to answer simple questions.

 

7 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

The cable lengths vary because the cameras are positioned at various corners of the house.

This question is important....... How long are your cable runs ?

9 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

have GLI's at the cable end

GLI are useless with baluns

10 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

At the end of the cable I spliced on a BNC connector and plugged in the camera. I don't understand what else there is to do..?? 

What type of balun are you using ..........we had a guy on here a few months ago insisting he used baluns till he posted a picture ....they were not baluns

15 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

They are powered with a 12VDC 10A power supply with their own dedicated power wire(not running power down a cat5 twisted pair). I already know it's not a power problem

And this is why we ask questions ......... I can tell you that 10amp on 16 cameras  is a problem ..... You have not even allowed for cable length you have not allowed for power surge if cameras have IR..

 

what at I mean at camera end termination is. 

 

Are all 4 cameras at the same location ........all cameras plug direct into cat5 or have you extended some

[bmw1999m3 0]

I have 16 cameras positioned around my property. Cat5 for security camera systems is supposed to be acceptable up to 1000 ft. Trust me, none of my cameras are anywhere near that far away. The cable runs are at maximum 150 feet or so. Is it really that important that I get a tape measure and go measure all of my exact wire lengths and give you 16 different measurements? Trust me, none of the cameras are at extreme distance.

On any given cat5 cable I have cameras placed at various lengths because why would I want 4 cameras all right next to each other at the ends of the cables? Yes they are extended(if I'm understanding your question correctly).

I am using real baluns with coils in them (not the fake ebay ones that are actually just connector tips).

I don't see why a 10A power supply is not good enough. The current draw of each camera is only 80mA daytime and 260mA in nighttime IR mode... That's less than 5 amps maximum for all cams total during highest load, with 5 whole extra amps available for spikes. Even if power were an issue, why would the camera still be putting out a bad image when I plug them into a test battery? Power availability is not the problem.

Edited January 1, 2019 by bmw1999m3

[tomcctv 190]

27 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

The cable runs are at maximum 150 feet or so. Is it really that important that I get a tape measure and go measure all of my exact wire lengths and give you 16 different measurements?

Listen a simple 150ft would of done ..........no one knows how long your cable runs are till they ask.

and if you don't think you need at least 1amp at that distance then you have a problem.

33 minutes ago, bmw1999m3 said:

On any given cat5 cable I have cameras placed at various lengths because why would I want 4 cameras all right next to each other at the ends of the cables? Yes

Yes you understood the question........but again you have not give a answer

how have you extended the cable from cat5 end to the camera and what length is the extension and what did you do the extension with and this is a important question.

 

also. Have you done something like this.

4 baluns 1 cat5 from recorder to junction box at camera area. Extended each cat5 pair to camera location ?

what did you extend with and at what point did you add the balun

 

 

[bmw1999m3 0]

I cut into the cat5 sheath and pulled out the twisted pairs where I want the camera located. Some are further down the line than others. I don't know if that's what you meant by extending but that's what I thought you meant. There is no significant length of signal wire that is not twisted pair(just the pigtail hanging out of the camera). I honestly did not understand.

I have baluns on all channels at the DVR because I thought that's where the 100 ohm wire needed to be converted back to 75 ohm, it is also what gave me the best results for cleaning up the images on problematic cameras(in combination with a GLI at the camera end).

I still have a couple cams with bad picture quality despite trying baluns and GLI's on them, with no improvement.

Edited January 1, 2019 by bmw1999m3

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. You need baluns at both ends.

with baluns GLI are pointless and don't work .........

 

what at type of camera are you using .... Analog or HD ?

[bmw1999m3 0]

I am using basic analog cameras. I thought baluns were needed on both ends if using cat5 because it is 100 ohm cable. The GLI's I have are marketed as GLI's+Baluns, that's why I used them at the camera end: To break the shared power and signal ground inherent to these cameras, and also because it's how I got the best image quality so far.

I have tried using regular baluns on both ends, and still had lots of signal issues because of the ground loops. I have also tried GLI's only without baluns on the DVR end, but the image quality had even more issues that way.

Not sure why some channels clean up perfectly and some don't, despite trying all the same devices in every combination.

[tomcctv 190]

As far as I can make out ....... Your power supply is not good enough

your not using baluns as they should be

and your using ground loop that are not needed with cat5 and baluns

you have to use the same balun on each end even in your image you have a mix of baluns. 

 

Baluns both ends and same make.........no splicing as you have said

you are still having image problems with other cameras because 10amp is not good enough for 16 cameras at that distance