CCTV at farm gate

[boggen]

the problems that have cropped up here on the farm. has been the end connectors i have put on. from either cat 5 or cat 6 internet / network cables. to tv / cctv / satellite tv. i could swear up and down i did connections perfect. but low and behold. redoing the ends i put on a few times, and all was better.

i have had some wires / cables go bad. out of the box for cat 5 / cat 6 and/or rg6 cable. the hard stiff wire was just plain brittle or some how get bent to much. ((big problem is unrolling the cable out of the box to feed into a condit or through walls and like. then getting a mess of tangles. and right there when trying to undo the mess you end up bending the cable or wire to much, and there goes the cable.))

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as far as continuity check. you should be able to get a cheap multi meter. in electrical section of any local hardware store. that tests for 110v, 12v, and ohms. set the meter to "ohms"

many times i have taken a old kids toy, or old wireless home phone, and took the batter out, and cut the end plug off, and installed a couple aligator clips on end of the battery cables. then went to an automotive store and picked up a 12v test prob light. or bought a cheap replacement trailer light kit. with a cheap bulb. and some more alligator clips. so i could rig up a light. some times instead of alligator clips i resorted to just trying to use electrical tape. to hold things. (pain in rear) but all i had at time to get the job figured out.

with today age of cellphones, normally i con someone into standing with there thumb on there butt. watching the light while on cellphone with me, hooked up to one end of the cable, while battery on other end of cable. and go through things till i find the problem wire or break. then afterwards priase them as much as possible for much needed help! and time saved!

 

[joshuabardwell]

also the hose will flex and squish, vs cracking and possibly cutting into a wire like rigid pvc will do.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of running the conduit?

 

[Wazrus]

Wazrus Australia
G'day! This has become a most intriguing thread, especially with all the 'experiences' many have had with the problem. While trying to sort out the RG6 issues, I've found that RG6 is generally frowned upon for underground use. There's a clear preference for silicone-gel filled RG6 in U/G applications; that's if you can get it AND if you can use 305 metres (1000ft) of the stuff. It's priced at around $A500 here in Australia for a 305m roll.
Then there's the 'other' school of thought, which has used RG6 in ground for yonks with no probems. Potentially, it won't last as long as the gel-filled stuff, but I've had reports of 15 years and still going strong, provided the conduit ends are sealed, but condensation in the conduit is still a factor. Note also that the gel-filled stuff should still be in a conduit. One guy reckoned, too, that running the gel-filled stuff in a house (or in walls) mightn't be a good idea, as the gell would 'run down' (gravity!!), with potential problems. So for mine, I've gone back to the 'conventional' RG6, but I'll buy a new roll of a different brand, just to be sure.
Interesting to note that the gel-filled cable is known as 'direct burial' cable, but it isn't for direct burial, insofar as it still must be in conduit. Bit of a contradiction in terms.
Here in Sydney, Australia, we don't have frozen ground: in fact, we have no snow. Ever. The only regular snow in Australia is on our Southern 'Highlands', the highest of which is 7000ft., Mt Kosiuszcko.
Wazrus

 

[joshuabardwell]

Interesting to note that the gel-filled cable is known as 'direct burial' cable, but it isn't for direct burial, insofar as it still must be in conduit. Bit of a contradiction in terms.

Can you provide a source for that? I don't put in RG6, but I work with Ethernet professionally, and "direct burial" has always meant you can trench it and put it straight in the ground to me. Same for fiber-optic cable.

 

[boggen]

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of running the conduit?

the purpose of the conduit, is to help protect the wire / cable from rocks and roots and other sharp edges that can easily cut through the coating on a wire. also with wire / cable in hose. it allows the wire to move more freely within the hose. if the hose moves due to ground movement. the hose also helps keep water off and away from the wire / cable.

if a pipe or hose has water in it. it has pressure of the water to help keep rigid pipe from collapsing. but when wire is ran through rigid pipe. the only thing that keeps the pipe from cracking. is the strength of the pipe itself. and how much the pipe itself can flex. most rigid pipe can flex some. but only to a certain amount before it cracks / shatters.

the times i see rigid pipe used, tends to be more in buildings. were the need for rigid pipe is needed to keep wires and cable from dangling from ceilings and walls. and then in place were you come up and out of the ground into a house or shed. and then only see hose being used underground, or places were there will be flexing and movement.

 

[Wazrus]

Joshua: other than a half-dozen phone conversations, I can't substantiate the 'in conduit' bit. But 50% of those phoned reckoned they'd use conduit. As for you, I too feel that 'direct burial' means just that, straight in the trench, but not so, according to that 50%. Your guess is a good as mine.
Also, the bit about the vertical runs, as might be encountered in a house, with the gel 'running down' seems a bit strange...there's some logic there, but it still seems odd...the gel must be pretty fluid.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Joshua: other than a half-dozen phone conversations, I can't substantiate the 'in conduit' bit. But 50% of those phoned reckoned they'd use conduit. As for you, I too feel that 'direct burial' means just that, straight in the trench, but not so, according to that 50%. Your guess is a good as mine. Also, the bit about the vertical runs, as might be encountered in a house, with the gel 'running down' seems a bit strange...there's some logic there, but it still seems odd...the gel must be pretty fluid.

Regarding direct-burial, that's why the call it that. I'm sticking with my guns. Of course, the people you talked to may have other reasons for putting the cable in conduit, such as protecting it from cutting or something. As for the gel running down? I don't buy it, if only because the cable is "full" of the gel, and the connectors would hold it in. There's nowhere for it to go. I think somebody has been letting their imagination run away with them. Frankly, the main reason not to use direct-burial in a home is the cost.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Underground cable needs two properties:
1. Mechanical protection from rocks, etc. This can be a part of the cable or one can use conduit
2. Protection from water intrusion.

Cable with gel fill only is commonly called "duct rated" vs "direct burial". In rocky soil, conduit is a good idea. And in this situation, it sure makes replacement easier.

Continuity is not the only test of a cable's capability to pass a signal. However, for most folks, it is as far as one can reasonably go before simply replacing the cable.

 

[radioman]

I think you need to change the wiring to cat wiring and use balun adapters. like this one. BNC Balun for CCTV Video - CCTV Camera Pros You would be able to go up to 1200 ft this way with your current camera equipment with no boosters, extenders etc.

 

[Wazrus]

For radioman
Interesting that you mention CAT wiring. I intend to pull a run of CAT5e through the conduit with the RG6. A sort of 'insurance', if you like. If one doesn't do the job, then perhaps the other will! As the conduit will be very full, I don't think there'll be many options to replace or re-run the cable(s). Besides the CAT 5e and the RG6, there'll be a heavy-ish 7-core automotive-type cable for lights and other bits and bobs. I reckon we'll be JUST able to pull all three through the 25mm conduit.
Back to the CAT5e for a moment: I did notice the Aiphone specify that coaxial cable NOT be used when installing their video doorphones. Maybe I read it wrongly, but they were pretty clear on that and I wondered why.....
Wazrus
Wish me luck
Wazrus