Horse barn wiring

rozett · Jul 25, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

Gary,

During daylight, the picture quality is fine. It leaves a little to be desired at night, but it is pitch black out there in the barn. The wife and I can make out which stall we're looking at and where the occupant is standing/laying.

The basic setup was $109 and came from Spy Cameras for Less. It is at the bottom of this page Wireless.

I will warn you that these folks are importers and have absolutely zero technical support. I called to ask about using the wireless kit and they said that it couldn't be done because the cables with the basic system had "custom" connectors. Fortunately, I've had 30 years in the computer business and know better. I did find that the wireless units were a known brand but built in China. And I couldn't find them at a price that even came close to the $50.

I can help you through the cable mods if you decide to go this way. Overall, I am very satisfied with the setup.

Wingnut · Jul 25, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

<font color=blue>Is there an easy way to put the signal on our cable tv? or does it have to go to its own monitor(s)? </font color=blue>

like anything else electronic, the answer is, sure, if you got the money. Once you get the signal to the house, then you can use a "modulator" to move the signal to an unused channel ... usually UHF ... and add it to whatever you're currently using for TV signal. You can get whole hole modulators that allow you to add 2 different signals and split them to multiple tv's in the house.
As soon as I find the time to replace the (main) VCR with the new DVD/VCR combo that's still in the box after 4 months ... and replace the satellitle receiver with the new 4DTV receiver that's still in the box after 5 months and put up the tower so I can move the antenna to the other side of the house and raise it ... then I will jam all the signals together and send them to all the TV's in the house.
Isn't there something insane about a couple, living alone, who have 6 TV's in the house? (ask me how many minutes I watch a week)

btw ... my barn is a little further back than yours ... and I plan to experiment with broadcast camers ... and likely a repeater setup ... because we really want cameras on the pregnant horses too ... and besides, cats/kittens are hilarious to watch when they think they're alone.

weedsportpete · Jul 25, 2002

Hey Wingnut,

I heard about them from the electrician, then I found them on Lowes hardware store website (www.lowes.com) under fluorescent lighting / strip lighting. The manufacturer is Lithonia and they have a website (www.lithonia.com) which I am currently searching to see if they have anything better.

The lights at Lowes do not have reflectors, but that might be ok in the aisle in the barn.

Lithonia 8' Fluorescent strip light $44.90, takes (2) 110W tubes. Will start up to -20 degrees F.

Lithonia might have better lights direct from them, but the shipping will kill ya.

I am confused about the wattage.. Lowes says the lights take 110W bulbs, but all the fixtures I've seen on the Lithonia site specify 253 Watts.. Does that mean there is 33 Watts left over??

I'll put the water heaters on a separate circuit then. This is really starting to add up!

Pete

weedsportpete · Jul 25, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

Do you know what the range is for that wireless unit?? If I get more than one set, would there be interference (same frequency)?

If it is too far for me, do you know what I would need to boost the signal in the cables to reach 700 feet??

I eventually want to have cameras in the eaves of the barn looking out at the pastures. I'll probably have 6 to 10 cameras feeding one monitor (possibly two - one in the home and one in the barn). I'd have to do it a little at a time.

Do you like your system?

Pete

Anonymous Poster · Jul 25, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

For information on CCTV equipment, try www.vsscctv.com
the site has good information, but the prices are slightly high.

For a system with multiple cameras at the barn feeding to a single monitor at the house, you can either use a combiner or a switcher.

For lo light applications, there are many slef illuminating cameras available that have LED arrays built into the camera.

Wireless CCTV is a poor substitute for wired equipment. There are inexpensive devices (that act like a modem) to run CCTV signal over phone wire for up to 1/4 mile. Decent wireless equipment that will cross the same distance would run close to $2500-.

bgott · Jul 31, 2002

I ran into this on my travels...HTH.

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/farmbuildings/g845.htm

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/farmbuildings/g846.htm

rozett · Jul 31, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

Pete, the range on the units that I bought are spec'd at 300 feet. They are the 900 Mhz units. I know that you can get a lot more range from the 2.4 Ghz units, but they are a LOT more money. The units I bought have a selector switch for 4 channels. Each xmt/rcvr only supports one channel of video and one stereo audio, but you can use four of them, on different channels, without interference. I have a pair of each for two cameras.

But with that many cameras, you need to invest in a multiplexer to feed them onto a single video channel. That'll run you some bucks. There are lots of surveillance equipment sites on the web that offer that kind of equipment.

gerard · Jul 31, 2002

Re: Horse barn wiring

pete,
I'm in pompey NY, just south of Syracuse - hi neighbor /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I use heated water buckets and they don't draw much - 40 watts each I thionk and they don't run 100% of the time.

re GFCI - you can use a gfci breaker and everything on that circuit is protected but they cost about $30 each. OR you can put the gfci as the first outlet and tap off of that. Everything BEYOND that will be protected. Might also consider using outdoor boxes with the spring loaded cover doors so the outlet is covered when not in use. Just another safeguard as you know how "curious" horses can be sometimes.