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WARNING DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. this wire is so bad and delicate will break as soon as you take it out of the package this is the first review i ever wrote in my life i just had to write this-- the product is so bad the company should b sued for making it
Out of the box 1 of the 3 100 foot cables were bad and as of the date of typing this review, 2 of the 3 60 foot cables that came with the cameras were bad.The following is a quote from my review of the cameras, but because the cables are the same, and I had the same problems with both sizes, it is necessary to include it.[To say they were bad doesn't explain fully what you as a consumer will face when/if you purchase this equipment. The cables (60 foot & 100 foot) are very thin, slightly thicker then a toothpick. This is supposed to hold the wire from being pulled out when handling them, but because they are so thin the conductors can touch when the plastic insulation melts, thus rendering the cable useless.The only options I have, as I see it, are either: (A) Making my own cables, this WILL end up being very expensive, at least a few hundred dollars (cable/wire, connectors, and any tools needed). After the first cable gave me problems I cut it open to examine the connection inside where the wires are soldered to the bnc connector. (C)Returning all the equipment to Amazon for a full refund less shipping (both ways). From the factory they fuse the plastic cover/grip at each end of the cable to the wire running through it. (B) Convincing Q-See into sending me replacement cables.
I haven't contacted them yet, but I would think they would want me to return (at my expense) the faulty ones. The video feed cable connectors (bnc) are the weakest link. -end quote-Other info: Both 60 and 100 foot cables are white, making them a bit harder to hide.Links to other Q-See items I bought with this order:Q-See QSD6204-250 4 Channel MPEG4 DVR with Remote Internet Monitoring and Pre-installed 250GB Hard DriveQ-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera w/80ft of Night Vision (Color)I will edit this review when new information arises. I am not happy with not having my shipping refunded. I would think bnc connectors are fine in most areas, the ease of attaching them with their locking ability makes them very nice. I bought 3 of these extensions to work with the Q-See-QSD6204-250 and 3 Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera. The video feed is actually a braided wire for shielding the signal and the power feed obviously has both positive and negative running though it.
However, the cables are so thin, when the cables are assembled both conductors can accidentally be so close or actually touching, they short together. Also, the bnc connectors are readily available, but the power connectors they use is not. Faulty merchandise should not financially burden the consumer ever, produce quality stuff and don't sell crap]. This 100 foot cable is extremely thin and cheap. So far the power feed has only given me problems by the connector popping apart (I mounted one camera about 10 feet up in a tree and the weight of the wire pulled the power connection apart). I would need to change the power connector on the camera side as well.
After completing the installation, I had no video signal and after troubleshooting, found that the cable had an intermittent short in the video cable next to the stress relief junction on the camera end. After connecting the cable again, there was still no video so after another hour of troubleshooting found that the power connector on the camera end had an intermittent open so I repaired that connector as well.Everything checked out so I energized the system again and there was video but there were also unwanted bans of interference marching down the screen on that camera view. After reading the comments in Amazon, I was not surprised to receive a white cable instead of a black one and really didn't care one way or the other. So here is my solution: I will leave the power part of the cable in place to supply power to the camera but will install a separate 100 foot shielded BNC-Male to BNC-Male cable for the video which can be gotten from Amazon for less $30 (do a search on Amazon for "Cables To Go 40032 100ft" and click on the Used and New link).
The first two installations went without a hitch (the cameras are great) using the provided 60 foot cables but the third camera needed an 80 foot cable so I purchased the 100 foot Q-See brand cable. Again because of reading the comments, I was extra careful in running the cable so as not to stress it and cause a break in the cable (the wires are very thin). I did not want to go through the trouble of installing another cable and since I am an Electrical Engineer decided to just repair it. Sure that is an extra expense but my time is worth something too; I spent hours of extra time installing this third camera that I could have been doing something else with all because of that cheap cable. I installed 3 Q-See QSC48030 surveillance cameras on the outside of my house.
The cable came with two female-to-female adapters and a short (a few inches) power extension cable which I thought was a nice unexpected plus. The problem is that (other than problems associated with a cheap cable) the cable has no shielding and therefore is very susceptible to pick-up from other wires and circuits.
It also comes with two M-M BNC connectors. I'm going to bury, so hopefully I get a few years out of it. I was surprised how thin the cable is, but it's been laying out in the cold for a month now with no problems. Very good value.
Seems like their connectors are held on with bubble gum and imagination. DO NOT STRESS THEM AT ALL OR THEY WILL BREAK.Having said that, if you just plan on laying them on your attic floor or dropping them down a pipe they're fine. They're cheap little headphone wire style sheathed cable attached to BNC connectors. Just don't try fishing them through a wall, pole piping, or a hole. These are the only cables on Amazon that are 100' long and include power so I picked up a few (four). They arrived, white, and with all connectors but let me tell you something - they're not "Tamper resistant" by any means like it says on the box. They do what they're supposed to.
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