The Ultimate Video Balun Solution

Your experts at PIMFG.com offers you the ultimate video balun solution. Learn more with this video.

A Quick Tutorial on Passive Video Baluns

For all you curious folks out there, here's a tutorial on passive video baluns - how to use it and make it work for your security systems.

The Benefits of Using a 4 Channel Passive Video Balun

Today, many security equipment and surveillance cameras still use coaxial cables, specifically RG-59, which is a shielded cable that has an impedance of 75 ohms. By impedance, we are talking about the measure of the opposition from an electrical circuit to the passage of the current as voltage is applied through it. Shielded cables are wrapped, most commonly in aluminum, mesh wires, and plastic, preventing external noise from reaching the cable. Additionally, with shielded cables, the desired radio frequency is kept inside the cable. With an impedance of 75 ohms, ideal quality videos will only result if the objects that transmit the signal also have the same impedance of 75 ohms.

Cat5 cables, on the other hand, are more recent technological innovations, which have twisted pairs of wires. The twisting of the pairs actually allows electromagnetic interference from external sources to be canceled out. The problem with Cat5 cables though, is that it is unshielded, which means that there is no shield to prevent outside noise which comes in the form of electromagnetic radiation. This is another reason why Cat5 cables have a different name – UTP cables which stand for Unshielded Twisted Pair cable. Cat5 cables also differ from coaxial cables in one thing: it has an impedance of 100 ohms. 

The camera that has an impedance of 75 ohms and the DVR that intends to receive it at 75 ohms means that Cat5 cables are a mismatch with both the camera and the DVR, along with everything else. How do we solve this problem?

A 4 channel passive video balun is the best way to prevent loss of information that is brought about by lengthy, unshielded, or mismatched cables. With a 4 channel passive video balun, the mismatch of ohms going to and from the cable will be corrected. Additionally, external noise cancellation is also prevented as well as other video signal attributes such as white balance. A 4 channel passive video balun is specifically designed to solve these problems and fortunately for us, they come at a cheap price.

Video baluns are used in CCTV systems and some of the pieces we are familiar with include active video baluns, HDTV baluns, keystone video baluns, and rackmount video baluns. 

Learn How to Strip Cat5e Cable for Video Balun

With the right cutting tools, you can easily strip a Cat5e cable for video balun. The reason why a Cat5e has to be stripped so it can be inserted into the corresponding slots in the video balun to make it work. Find out how you can do it yourself to make your Cat5e cable match your video balun.

The Basic Features of Video Baluns

A video balun is used to wire security cameras because installers have the opportunity to have a more structured and cost effective cabling technique. With video baluns, UTP wires like Cat5 wires can be used in longer distances as compared to coax cables. Video baluns not only offer a wider range of distance but they also cost less than coax cables. An active video balun, for example, enables UTP wires to run distances of over 3,000 feet.

There are many features that a video balun offer, one of which is that it does not need power to operate. This is one reason why a video balun is cost-effective since no electricity is needed for it to function. Noise is filtered and impedance coupled devices are also built-in with video baluns. Installers and even the most technologically-inept individual no longer have to waste time crimping RJ-45 connectors because BNC coax is now used to screw terminals.

 Aside from all these features, video baluns are compatible with coax systems and can provide power and video over a single twisted pair. When it comes to the cost of video baluns, they are definitely much cheaper than Cat5 cables. CCTV video balun is one application where baluns are more practical as compared to using RG59 coax cable. This is because of the ability of video balun to transfer signal with less distortion for up to 3,000 feet and without costing too much. 

Video baluns are now available to match the different formats of video signals, the most common of which is composite video. Video baluns, when paired with Cat5 cables, can extend signals not only for homes and classrooms but for institutional and commercial settings as well. 

PIMFG.com offers a wide selection of video baluns – whether it is active video baluns or passive video baluns you need, PI Manufacturing, Corp. is sure to have them in stock.