Broken CCTV Cable Repair Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[DR_Smith]

Greetings DIY'ers on this wet Monday/week/month. ;-)
Broken CCTV cable repair:
The cctv cable is the type that comes with kits, not thick cat5/router but thinner bnc and power cable combined as one (siamese?).

I have a number of 30m runs from DVR in house to cctv cameras in garage. One of them has lost video.
Camera checked elsewhere, 12v checked on red connector, port on dvr checked ok, so seems to be a break in the video part of the cable.
The cable is routed through house cavities and under a new patio for about 6m, so not practical to replace the cable.

2 questions please:
1) Is it possible to trace the break and repair it (if not the buried section or inaccessible parts of roof cavity).
2) Alternatively, could I power the camera in garage from a nearby mains socket and use the then redundant power cable for the video signal?

Googling brings nothing other than different cctv question on diydoctor, so here I am with my first post. :-)
"Electrics" forum is closest I can see for cctv question, please let me know if there is a better section.

TIA
Dave

[Mr White]

Answers.

1) Yes, but the piece of equipment that does it is eye wateringly expensive. (And its not THAT accurate)

2) The "funny cable" is screened. The screen stops anything being picked up and causing problems, so no you can not use the other cable for the camera signal.

You have two options, replace the whole cable (Which is what most would do, as your time is free and the cable is only a few £) OR you can spend "Loads of money" and buy new radio cameras, and a receiver, I can not vouch for the quality but they do exist.

[DR_Smith]

Hi Mr White and thank-you.

Re 2) I was hoping video signals would be less dependant on screening than tv signals.
Replacing whole cable is not a practical option due to section buried deep under patio.

From DVR it is say 22m in house then the underground part 6m then 2m in garage.
Law of averages says problem is in house side cable (s*ds law can s*d off), so if I cut the cable in the house as close as possible to underground section and replace that bit with new is presumably an option, but that would mean putting new yellow/red connectors on remaining garage leg.
Past experience is that these cctv cables are very fine and fiddly, but I do have a soldering kit.
In doing that I would likely be cutting through the good red/power cable inbedded within the siamese cable, that I would prefer to avoid.

I should mention I have a modem cable going from router in house to garage for second router for wifi signal in garage/garden and some smart switches in garage.

I pondered use of an IP camera, but watching youtube this would mean converting the dvr into nvr.
I believe that would wipe video history recordings (and camera alarms settings?) but looking at config screen, not sure if I can do it for only one of 16 cameras (15 on IP).
I am a new member so not sure if images accepted, I'll give it a try.

In view of above, avoiding patio dig up, what do you think are my best options to re-enable the camera?

Maybe I can route a non iP camera into the router.. though not sure they would help.

TIA
Dave

[Mr White]

I have never used IP cameras, so I can not answer that part.
I did read that the original cable is now buried, but as I said you time is free and the cost of a new cable is only a few £.

With regard to your idea if using the part of the cable that is buried, suppose that is where the fault is, also the more joints in a cable the more chance of failure.

Why not run a new cable via a different route?

[Kliebert]

Is there any way to do this wireless by any chance?

[DR_Smith]

I apologise for tardy response, I didn't get email notice.
As you say cables are amazingly cheap, and I have replaced several in other places.
Buried section is under new patio, mortared down, wobble free, done by paving firm, and work would be disporportionate to benefit.
I did say ignoring sods law, but if it is that section, I am no worse off and possibly have fix if luck is with me.
Alternative route would mean double length of cable on already long run and degrade image.

Kliebert. I could use IP camera (is that is implied as wireless) but from what I have read, this would mean changing dvr to nvr (n for network), rebooting, but I think I can't just change 1 camera to IP it would have to be 4 or 8 (see attachment photo above).
Also, HD cameras will put out alot of data so if I use the garage router to this end, it may mean it is less responsive for smart switches in the garage.

Cunning plan. Train an army of ants?
30 years ago gas was new to the village I lived in (yes we had electricty ;-) ) they installed the pipe using a mole gizmo to save digging up the drive.
That would likely work, but again, hire cost and time would be out of proportion for task in hand.

Dave
p.s. " Notify me when a reply is posted" defintely showing as ticked by default