A Primer on Home Theater Baluns

The crew of PIMFG.com tells you everything you need to know about home theater baluns. 

Install CCTV Systems Successfully with These Tips (PART II)

Earlier, we taught you how successfully install CCTV systems by sharing a few tips. Of course, installing CCTV systems mean that you have to purchase the necessary parts such as security cameras and video baluns for the system to even function properly. With good planning, CCTV system installation should prevent future problems though troubleshooting is inevitable with years-old security systems.

While the first part of our series discussed the importance of doing proper research, canvassing the area, and checking for nearby power sources, we now conclude by detailing why security lighting, camera considerations, and choosing between cabled or wireless camera is a crucial part in successfully installing CCTV systems.

The reason why you want to install a CCTV system is to make sure you are always safe and that no intruders will come into your home, especially during at night. Having enough security lighting is important if you want the system to be turned on at night. This means that you either have to make extra lighting available or choose a security camera with low lux ratings or Infrared capability.

As CCTV systems are traditionally installed outdoors, they have to be enclosed in a weather-proof protective casing to safeguard them from external elements that could potentially damage the system. Additionally, it is necessary to choose the right security camera for the type of climate in your region because there are certain security cameras that cannot withstand extreme temperature changes.

Finally, cables are necessary parts of any CCTV installation system. Some CCTV installers find it time-consuming to run cables from the camera to the control point. Wireless systems now eliminate the necessity of extensive cabling; however, the camera has to be within range and minimum obstacles should block the signal between the camera and receiver. Video baluns make long distances possible without loss of signal and transmission.

An Introduction to Rackmount Video Baluns

The purpose of rackmount baluns is to send video signal and power through a Cat5e cable. This type of video balun is great for small offices as well as home use as they are very economical and practical.

Install CCTV Systems Successfully with These Tips (PART I)

Home installation of CCTV systems is often terminated because people are concerned on how to actually install one. There will always be problems in installing CCTV systems but good planning should help lessen the drawbacks in setting up security cameras and video baluns in your home.

Before shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars in a security system, proper research should always be conducted first. The right security system for your home should be installed so if you are in doubt, consult a professional first to avoid wasting big bucks. A CCTV professional installer can first do a home survey to advise you of the most appropriate equipment for your house and to solve any potential problems that may arise.

Canvass the area by checking out if there are enough power sources where security cameras will be installed. One usual problem that arises in CCTV system installations are lack of a nearby power source. There’s nothing worse than stepping out with your CCTV in hand only to find out that there isn’t a single source where you can plug it in. If you find out that there is no power source available, consult your local professionals first. Sometimes, talking to them will take you to an entirely different direction as compared to doing it yourself.

Alternatives to power source problems would be to have a nearby power source installed to where you want to install the security cameras. Cables can be used from an existing power outlet inside your house. Video baluns can help boost signal and prevent distortion or interference. Another option is to invest in a CCTV camera that gets its power from a plug-in battery unit.

There are many things to consider before actually buying a CCTV system first. Follow these ideas to avoid wasting precious money and to guarantee that your security system will work for you.

Quick Tutorial: Active Video Balun Installation

PIMFG.com teaches you how to install an active video balun and to strip Cat5e cables.

Video Balun Transceivers: The Latest in Balun Technology

Video baluns, particularly active video baluns, come in two forms: receivers and transmitters. Active video baluns can easily transmit signal for long distances using Cat5e cables. Whereas passive video baluns are transceivers, active baluns are either a receiver or a transmitter. 

From the names themselves, transmitters send video signals from the source, one example of which is a transmitter going to the end of a CCTV camera. With active video baluns that function as transmitters, you will find that they all have a gain control toggle to compensate for distances (Low, Medium, or High). Receivers, on the other hand, accept the video signal such as when they are located at the DVR side of the cable. Active receiver video baluns have brightness adjustment pots, dip switches for sharpness, and built-in ground isolation.

The latest technology in video baluns are transceivers, which offer a hybrid solution to running cable. When Cat5e cables run through the video baluns, the transceiver strengthens the video signal as it runs through the RG59 cable down to the cable for the security cameras. Transceivers function whether the signal is incoming or outgoing so you wouldn’t have to worry about the quality of signal that passes through your security camera or DVR. With video balun transceivers, you are allowed to have more complex security camera installations since these transceivers can run cable up to 5000 feet.

Video baluns, whether active or passive, are very cost-efficient in extending the distance of your security cameras. These are the perfect solutions to large corporations who need to monitor several floors for security purposes, making sure that employees are doing their jobs and visitors are supervised as soon as they are on the premises. 

PIMFG.com offers a wide selection of video baluns for your needs. Each product comes with an installation guide to guarantee a safe and easy task.

The Many Video Baluns Available in the Market Today

Any video balun talk would automatically translate to security cameras, CCTV systems, and Cat5e cables. While it is true that video baluns are often associated with these, video baluns can also be used with phones and phone cables. The standard video baluns sold today are active and passive video baluns. 

By now, you already know what active and passive video baluns are and how they differentiate from each other. As a review, passive baluns do not really change the signal they receive as they merely transfer the signal from coaxial to Cat5 connectivity or vice versa. Active video baluns come into place for longer distances as signal tends to become more distorted for long range applications. To prevent this from happening, active baluns are used to intensify the signal, transmitting a stronger signal to the receiving balun. If applied inversely, a weak signal received by an active balun will automatically converted into a stronger one before it is sent to the video surveillance appliance.

Power-transferring video baluns are also available in the market nowadays. These video baluns can support power up to 18V-24V DC from the wall. From the power to the camera, there are instances when the signal degrades. What happens is that the 18V signal will be converted into a higher current of 12V DC by a power regulator before it is fed to the camera. There also video baluns that can transmit AC power to the camera. 

Purchased video baluns often come with a wiring guide so the consumer can safely connect the baluns to the wires where they have to be attached to. This is because wires first have to be stripped before being connected to the video balun. While there are fancy baluns that do not require wires to be stripped first since they offer easy connection directly from a cable, the more economical ones would require that wires be stripped first before connection.

PIMFG.com offers tutorials on wire stripping and video balun installation which you should probably watch first before doing it on your own. This guarantees a safe and easy task to accomplish.

Troubleshooting Video Baluns: How to Verify Connections (Part II)

Previously, you learned about the first few steps in troubleshooting video baluns. Today, we conclude our two part series on how to repair video baluns if you start experiencing problems with them. Before testing the video baluns themselves, it is important to verify and test the interconnections first. There are several ways to do this.

First, you have to make sure that you are only using a single pair. A single pair of video balun consists of one positive wire and one negative wire only. Use this pair to connect the video balun over the Cat5e. If you use multiple pairs, you may experience ghost images or distorted pictures. Additionally, multiple pairs may cause noise and interference vulnerability. The effectiveness of multiple pairs also decreases with distance which is why you should use only a single pair to test the interconnections first.

Double check the polarity and maximum distance for the configuration that you are using. If the polarities are incorrect, you may experience distorted signal. Exceeding the maximum distance, on the other hand, you may not get the best out of your video balun either. Use a different configuration with longer distance if you think that you are nearing the maximum distance.

To give you an idea, the maximum distance for a passive-passive balun is 1200ft; 3000ft for passive-active video balun; and 9000ft for active-active balun.

Aside from double-checking the polarity and maximum distance of the video balun, don’t forget to check all the RG59 connections. RG59 connection problems can also bring about video distortion and intermittent video, just to name a few.

If you are using active video baluns, make sure that they are attached to these specific locations otherwise they won’t function at all:

The active transmitter should be located near the camera and not the DVR.

The active receiver should be located near the DVR and the camera.

Avoid confusing the locations of these two ends.

Finally, active baluns require 12V of power supply. This can be achieved by using an individual transformer that is local to the video balun.

With these helpful tips, you should be able to solve the common problems associated with video baluns. Safety is always a must so secure the area first to avoid accidents that could happen to you and the people around you.