Anyone having issues with electromagnetic interference (EMI)?

[fred583]

I have not purchased the system or started install yet, but wanted to know if this type of install could be a problem. This would be a 400'+ run, likely a Dahua ePoE NVR with the Dahua N45EF63 4MP ePoE Outdoor Bullet IP Security Camera with Night Color Technology.

One time I talked with the Power Co. guy right about where this picture would have been taken. He had an EMI meter (or something similar) and was showing me that the readings were very high. Unless all this EMI stuff is just tin foil hat in nature, I would definitely use a shielded cable and ground it as instructed. They even make a Cat8 with better shields than the Cat6.

What has been your experience with EMI?

Cat8.2 Cable

CAT8 Shielded RJ45 Field Termination Plug

 

[bp2008]

You want to 70 feet out of a 400 foot run parallel to and just below the power lines? I honestly have no idea if it would affect things or not, but I'd lean towards "not". You aren't trying to use wifi after all. But you are doing a long run which means it will be more susceptible to problems caused by interference.

I assume you will be burying the cable at least one foot under which should be very helpful for keeping the network signals intact. I think the cat8 is a waste of money. You can get a spool of shielded cat5e or cat6 that is twice the length for half the price. Ubiquiti ToughCable Carrier is my favorite (look up "TC-CARRIER" -- you can get 1000ft for under $200 USD).

You could alternatively run electric power and fiber optics for the networking, although it is certainly not going to be cheaper that way. The fiber optic cables won't be affected at all by EMI. A grounded metal box at your camera location could house the power outlets, fiber media converter, PoE switch, etc and then you can hook up anything you want out there, like lights or more cameras or whatever.

 

[TonyR]

It's possible either they perform routine checks for EMI or there were complaints of audible noise or interference with some analog TV / VHF channels due to corona discharge from the conductors near the supporting insulators. IIRC, high humidity and dust can aggravate the condition.

Other than EMI, corona discharge can cause power loss to the utility co., audible noise, ozone production and insulation damage.

 

[Old Timer]

As mentioned above,
I would run 110v and a fiber out there. then you remove most of the problems of having a signal cable running
alongside the power lines. The fiber isolates the signal. Don't forget, if the camera is close enough to the high power lines, it can have EMI problems
it's self.
I would probably take a battery and camera out to try it out if the high voltage power lines were that close. You might
have to look into another type of camera for that location.

 

[fred583]

Thanks everyone,

How do you test a camera by itself? You said a battery for power, do you just let it record to the SD card and look at it later?

 

[Old Timer]

Thanks everyone,

How do you test a camera by itself? You said a battery for power, do you just let it record to the SD card and look at it later?

Set it up at the house and have it record to a SD card. Then take it out with a 12v battery and connector to power the camera.
I would set it in several spots around where you want to put it, maybe in a 20' area, to make sure you will not have any problems.
Then take it back home and patch the video from the SD card. The camera login has a playback tab to play it. If it does not work,
try another model camera.

For me it would be well worth the chance it might not work after you do all the work to run wiring etc.

 

[cordes]

You should find a ham radio club in your area and see if they can offer any advice. They most likely have someone who could be very informative in regard to what you would like to do. They're quite experienced with interference.