electric/cctv/data cable run question

[Rob Cheetham]

You can also get MDPE in black which is the normal colour for conduit, I'd also add a caution yellow buried electric tape over the top. MDPE is fairly tough though, it's designed to be buried, I don't believe 40/50mm solvent waste is.

It's just over 20mm inside diameter, I easily fitted 3 x cat 5 cables down without problem.

Ive already bought the blue but thanks. And im surprised but screwfix dont seem to do electric cuation tape. they do yellow and black hazard tape which will have to do as im not spending over £30 on a 300+m roll from electrical places haha. Good to know you fit 3 cables without a problem. How does it the mdpe pipe do on bends?

Many of the Swanns do have IR illumination, but there is nothing stopping you adding an external IR illuminator near the camera

this is good to know. im sure the one I bought though has IR illumination and am still to test it to see how good it is. I have got till near the end of the month to return though so got time. Thanks for the info

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Good to know you fit 3 cables without a problem.

Three cables in one conduit isn't a great idea as they can jam. One, two, four, or more can't jam (assuming they fit of course). If you need to run three, run a fourth as well (or a draw wire). Or do the sums, but it's less work to run the extra cable!

 

[Spectric]

but ive been told one whole length is better than having joins especially when underground as to keeping it water tight.

That is a bonus of using the 4 inch drainage pipe, lots of space and no water ingress but as you have mentioned you overlooked the patio and have this issue of crossing it. If you also bury them in pea shingle before laying the tape this also gives warning there is something here.

 

[RichardG]

How does it the mdpe pipe do on bends?

MDPE is a bit of a pig in cold weather, tends to keep the round coil diameter. I used a few concrete blocks to weight the end down and then unrolled the coil down the trench.

To get a tight but smooth bend use a heat gun then bend more than you need, hold for a bit to cool, it will spring back a bit hence the over bend.

 

[Chris_Pallet]

Hi Rob,

I set up exactly the same to the garage at end of the garden. I have the swann, no issues, good app and make sure you set up drop box.

I ran 20meters BNC cable from the cctv box to the back of the garage, (power and picture)
Cheap amazon brand £15

I bought the flexible conduit from screwfix £24 and just tucked in round the edge of the garden stones / bed / fencing etc.

But a big but, before you open it up and throw away the receipt, check the cable and connections fit inside and run through the conduit!
Mine didn't so I had to slice it all the way through to push it in.

So I can say with it in a non water tight pipe it's been fine for about 2 years now.

But if I was to do again, I'd run straight pvc pipe along the fence then grow climbing plant along it lol. As I done this at the front and back of the house. (pic) It just looks nicer and less digging..

Good luck....

 

[Dabop]

this is good to know. im sure the one I bought though has IR illumination and am still to test it to see how good it is. I have got till near the end of the month to return though so got time. Thanks for the info

Most of the Swanns I have seen (quite a few, very popular brand) of the 'bullet' type exteriors, will only light up about 5mor so at night reliably
The 'dome' ones less
My driveway one is a 'narrow field' (85 degree???) camera and during the day, you can reliably read a numberplate almost 100m down the drive on the big TV in the lounge room, but at night- yeah about 5-8m or so is about all the IR is good for- hence using the IR illuminators down the driveway- they were only about 10 bucks each off the bay place lol

(the other issue is most of the camera ones, being IR LEDs- are a bit 'pointy' ie a narrow brighter spot in the middle of the cameras view, but fades to darkness at the edges...
A lot involves 'suck it and see' when setting up, and choosing the cameras for the job, there are a range of 'view widths' 85 degrees, a120 degrees, 160 degrees- which are notably different in what appears on the screen- I went the narrow view 85 degree for the drive because I wanted that one to 'see' as far down it as possible, where the wall mounts are 120 so shorter range but 'see wider'

 

[Rob Cheetham]

I have the swann, no issues, good app and make sure you set up drop box.

Whats the IR illumination (night vision) like at night. And what is the overall quality like in the day. I havent had time to set it up yet

 

[nickds1]

Fwiw I have a very similar setup to a sauna I built in the garden. I used the TLC 50mm X 50mtr conduit. It comes with a pull cord. What you need to do it to attach another pull cord to it, so when you pull something through it you are also pulling through another pull cord - so a kind of see-saw - you pull cables through in alternate directions.

I went for cat5e with a 1GB POE switch, so everything is IP and no video. Cameras & access point all powered via the cat5e cabling - very clean solution. No video cables, no power adapters, easy to detect if a camera is disconnected etc. Network is all UniFi.

I also ran 2*12mm SWA and 25mm MDPE water pipe in the same trench. Saunas take a lot of power and having an external shower is nice. WiFi out there means Spotify etc for music and mobiles/tablets etc. plus remote control of sauna (takes an hour to preheat, so setting remotely is good).

Note the rules are now that you should bury power cables about 50cm deep, so we hired a slot trencher for the day - wonderful tool if you're running a trench in hard clay...

 

[Chris_Pallet]

Whats the IR illumination (night vision) like at night. And what is the overall quality like in the day. I havent had time to set it up yet

Really good mate, just beware the IR night image isn't great if near a bright light so it gets confused.
It's all about playing round with it...

 

[Rob Cheetham]

Note the rules are now that you should bury power cables about 50cm deep, so we hired a slot trencher for the day - wonderful tool if you're running a trench in hard clay...

Yea i know what you mean by the clay. i gave up any furthere in the end as dug by spade but managed at least 50cm deep

Really good mate, just beware the IR night image isn't great if near a bright light so it gets confused.
It's all about playing round with it...

cheers. the camera for the workshop is going at the end of the cannopy overhang outide and I have got four spots under the cannopy. Shouldnt be a problem though as they wont be used when out only when in the shop and mayby not even then (just for show mainly ) will test to see what you mean though. Thanks