Cameras Mounted on Stucco Walls

[Ferrino 0]

Hi, I'm new to CCTV and am about to install a set of 4 analog Swann Pro-580 cameras (http://www.swann.com.au/s/products/view/?product=1169). My home has a wooden frame covered with stucco and I had a couple of questions I hoped you could help me with:

 

1. What's the best way to drill through the stucco from the outside? Is it basically a masonry drill bit, followed by a wood drill bit for the underlying sheet of wood? Are there are other layers of material to be aware of? On the inside I just have drywall.

 

2. The cameras have BNC and power connectors on their leads, which would obviously need to pass through the hole in the wall and require a hole of approx. 5/8" diameter for the BNC connector to pass through comfortably. I'd like to keep the hole much smaller than that, so would it be possible to chop the connectors off and crimp new ones on after feeding it through the wall? The diameter of the wire coming out of the camera is much smaller than RG-6 cable, so I'm not sure if a crimping tool would work on that small a cable (the ones I've seen appear to work with standard coax size cabling).

 

This is the type of video/power cable that came supplied with the cameras:

 

 

Many thanks for any suggestions!

[bpzle 0]

I would strongly advise throwing that cable in the trash and using rg59 an 18/2 siamese OR cat5 w/ baluns.

 

Those premade cables will degrade the quality of video, and pinch/ break very easily. Couple that with already having connectors on them... a total pain for fishing.

[Soundy 1]

Masonry bit through the stucco... then wood or HSS bit the rest of the way. There SHOULDN'T normally be any metal in the way, other than maybe a wire mesh, but of course, nobody here can tell you exactly how the insides of your walls are constructed, because building codes and practices vary the world over (and change over time as well). You may find it preferable to first cut a larger hole from the inside at one camera location (somewhere hidden, like a closet or utility room), and pull out the insulation to inspect the inner wall structure. Be careful not to destroy the vapor barrier so you can tape it back up afterward.

 

I wouldn't suggest chopping the wires - as you note, they're not standard size and standard crimps wouldn't work on them. Best best is to make a hole just large enough to fit the BNC through... push that all the way through, then the other connectors behind it, one at a time (you can tape them to the first wire).

[Ferrino 0]

Thanks for the advice. It's a shame the connectors on the camera end cannot be easily removed and replaced, as I'm a bit nervous about making such a large hole in the exterior wall. What's the best way to ensure a waterproof seal of the space around the cables? General caulk?

[SDM Group 0]

You could put a junction box next to the camera for the connections, if its not too ugly

[rory 0]

its likely thin RCA type cable, thin braided wire. You could still join them using beanies or something else, done plenty in my time, but a DIY might not want to do that, and personally I prefer not to do it with that kind of cable for anyone other than myself (my personal cameras). Its not the easiest wire to work with, need to crimp them good, tape wont hold that well generally. You could cut the connectors off all together and join the wire back without connectors (of the connection is on the inside and cant bring it back out then wont have access to the BNC for adjustment anyway), or add the connectors back onto the camera cable once its pushed inside. Only reasoning for doing any of this is if you must have a small hole. Again not the best method. Think about maintenance or if you need to change or move the camera. And if the ground has no jacket will need to tape that up anyway. Also you would loose any warranty on the camera if you cut the cable, I normally only do that to old cameras I have, other than cutting only the power cable on new ones.

 

Another option is to disconnect the camera cable from the camera board itself, but this will depend on the camera being used. Then push that out from inside. Again a DIY may not want to tackle this as it could damage the camera if not done right. But that end is normally very small.

 

Another way is to use a half sized white cosmetic plastic gang box with a white cover. Or even a small metal gang box. That will at least make it easier to get to for adjusting with a service monitor and troubleshooting in the future if any problems arise. The box would just cover the hole in the wall.

[Ferrino 0]

Thanks again. I'm going to leave the BNC connector on the camera alone.

 

Regarding the pictured cabling that came with the cameras, I'm not sure whether to get some better quality siamese cable or switch to CAT5e with baluns. I'm already starting to wire our network with CAT5e, so that would seem to make sense.

 

Does CAt5e w/baluns offer good picture quality compared to high quality siamese cabling?

 

Also, how do people typically package the balun on an outdoor camera (assuming it cannot be contained on the inside of the house)?

[Soundy 1]

Regarding the pictured cabling that came with the cameras, I'm not sure whether to get some better quality siamese cable or switch to CAT5e with baluns. I'm already starting to wire our network with CAT5e, so that would seem to make sense.

Saves you having to buy extra cable just for one purpose.

 

Does CAt5e w/baluns offer good picture quality compared to high quality siamese cabling?

Typically, you should see no difference in image quality.

 

Also, how do people typically package the balun on an outdoor camera (assuming it cannot be contained on the inside of the house)?

With the CNB VCM-24VF dome cameras we usually use, the balun fits nicely inside the back-box. With the cheapie bullets you're using, you'd probably want to use a weatherproof junction box, like this:

 

[Ferrino 0]

Thanks. Can anyone please recommend a balun to use with CAT5e (for video + power)? There seem to be so many out there!

 

Also - how do you feel about running regular CAT5e cable on an outdoor wall without conduit? AT&T certainly didn't deem it a problem when they ran a new wire to bring U-verse into our home! I understand that moisture and UV will be an issue, but I am working on the basis that CAT5e is cheap to replace every few years? This is a residential installation by the way.

[Soundy 1]

I've used lots of GEM and GVI baluns, found them to work well for the price. If you want something with power, there's this:

http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=238&category_id=40&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

 

Keep in mind the balun doesn't really do anything with the power, just passes it straight through and splits it out - in this case you're paying extra for the convenience of using RJ45-terminated cabled. We more commonly use these:

http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=493&category_id=58&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

 

Or more recently, these:

http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=721&category_id=72&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

 

Then I just split out the wires - blue pair for video, orange and green pairs for power, brown left as a spare.

 

Running the wire outside unprotected isn't ideal, but you can do it.

[Ferrino 0]

Thanks - as a newbie, I was unaware you could link the UTP wires to the balun without an RJ45 connector. In such examples, how do you connect the UTP pairs you are using for power to the power connector on the back of the camera? Do you just chop off the power connector and splice the wires together with a ring terminal or butt terminal?

[Soundy 1]

If the camera uses a barrel connector (as most cheap 12VDC cameras do), I'll splice a barrel plug onto the wire. In your case, you could snip the plug off the end of the bundled wiring. Be sure to observe proper polarity!

 

With the baluns, note that there are polarity markings as well - you need to match them up on both ends or your picture will appear scrambled. I typically use the blue wire for + and the white/blue for -. For the power, I'll use the orange and white/orange pair together for positive (or "line" on AC), and the green + white/green for ground (or "neutral" with AC).

 

Most of the cameras we use are 24VAC or 12/24 dual voltage and use some form or screw terminals or molex connector or something else more amenable to connections not requiring splicing.

[Ferrino 0]

Thanks for all your help! if anyone is interested in doing the same, I understand that carbide hole cutters are really good for stucco drilling and might try to get some.

[dvarapala 0]

My home has a wooden frame covered with stucco and I had a couple of questions I hoped you could help me with:

 

1. What's the best way to drill through the stucco from the outside? Is it basically a masonry drill bit, followed by a wood drill bit for the underlying sheet of wood? Are there are other layers of material to be aware of?

 

My house is stucco-on-chicken-wire, so I didn't even have to content with a layer of plywood. I used regular (not masonry) bits to drill the holes and it was fine.