This is driving me nuts, having problems w/ multi-port balun

[crosseyed66 0]

I have several long runs that we ran undergroung. Are using cat5e with a passive 16 port balun at the head end and 4 port balun's at the camera ends (about 400ft away - 4 cameras in each of 4 buildings each with its own power supply) This is the crazy problem, we can get a perfect picture on our hand held, but no picture comes through on the DVR. I hav tried using other single baluns w/ same results. Has anyone had the wire get damaged when being pulled but still able to show video on the hanheld (4' monitor) but not on the DVR? I hat to replace the wire (it was a bear to pull in the conduit) if it is not the problem, but never had this pop up before. If the cable was damaged you never got perfect video through the handheld. Have already eliminated all the simple things like the patch cables, ect. the only thing left is the underground cat5 cables themselves.

 

Thanks, Steve

[rory 0]

If the signal is too low it could show directly on a monitor and not on a DVR.

But should be able to tell if the image is good or bad.

Have you checked the basics like enabling the channels on the DVR?

[crosseyed66 0]

If the signal is too low it could show directly on a monitor and not on a DVR.

But should be able to tell if the image is good or bad.

Have you checked the basics like enabling the channels on the DVR?

 

 

 

I have all the channels enabled, Tec in field is telling me that the image is crystal clear in the handheld/focus monitor.

[rory 0]

Next step is to make sure the DVR is good. Can you test another DVR there? Or test a camera right at the DVR?

[crosseyed66 0]

I have already sent the tec up with a second DVR after he had this problem friday. The unit benchtested out fine but I sent up a 2nd unit (already burned in for 3 days under load) and have also used test cameras to verify onsite that DVR is working.

We have narrowed it down to a Video griound loop isolator. Once we this on to the mix we start getting video through the DVR.

Without we get it perfect clear video through the monitor, but the catch is the monitor is battery powered & not grounded.

Once we hooke it up to anything grounded that is when we got nothing. I have had lots of trouble withground loops, but this is the first time it ever acted like this.

[rory 0]

Yeah the picture may show clear on the portable monitor, but its a very small image with very little pixels so its generally hard to see if it is really that clear or not, which is why focusing using them is not suggested - when you blow it up full size then you may see the difference, even lines are not always visible to the eye on very small screens. I would plug the camera into a larger monitor like a 9" or a 13" TV, then see how the image is.

 

Another option is to power them individually, and use separate baluns for each, at least for trouble shooting.