Thursday, October 29, 2009

Bogen Ceiling Speakers Video


Ceiling Speakers:
Bogen's S86T725PG8W Ceiling Speaker Assemblies consist of an 8" cone speaker pre-assembled onto a 13" steel ceiling grille painted with off-white or bright white. Options for these assemblies are recessed volume control (VR), volume control with knob (VK), and rear-mounted screw terminal strip for power taps (BR). They come pre-assembled for faster installation and work with both 70V and 25V amplifier outputs. Accessories include: Ceiling Speaker Enclosures (RE84), Mounting Rings (MR8) and Tile Bridges (TB8). With a 4-watt capacity, these ceiling speakers are sure to sound good anywhere you put them.

Part #s:
S86T725PG8W - S86T725 Assembly on PG8W Grille, Off-White
S86T725PG8U - S86T725 Assembly on PG8W Grille,Bright White
S86T725PG8WVR - S86T725PG8W, Off-White, w/ Recessed Vol Control
S86T725PG8UVR - S86T725PG8U, Bright White, w/ Recessed Vol Control
S86T725PG8WVK - S86T725PG8W, Off-White, w/ Vol Control Knob
S86T725PG8UVK - S86T725PG8U, Bright White, w/ Vol Control Knob

S86T725PG8W


S86T725PG8WVK




Drop-In Ceiling Speakers:
Bogen's Drop-In Ceiling Speakers are full-range loudspeakers that allow fast and simple installation, which saves you time, effort, and cost. Depending on whether your ceiling grid is 2' x 2' or 2' x 4', the speaker can be dropped directly into place or by simply making a single cut to the ceiling tile, placing the tile support rail and then inserting the speaker into place. These speakers are fully enclosed and made of industrial grade steel. In addition, they are plenum rated - Meets requirements of UL standard 2043 for smoke and heat release. You can use these speakers on 70V or 25V amplifier outputs, just like the pre-assembled speakers. For customers who demand the best in quality and looks, they choose the CSD Series Drop-In Speakers from Bogen.

Part #s:
CSD2X2 - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', Off-White
CSD2X2U - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', Bright White
CSD2X2VR - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', w/ Vol Control, Off-White
CSD2X2VRU - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', w/ Vol Control, Bright White
CSD2X2L - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', 8-ohm, Off-White
CSD2X2LU - Ceiling Speaker, Drop-In, 2' x 2', 8-ohm, Bright White

CSD2X2


For more information, or to order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL Fast Connectors

This is an introduction to the most commonly installed Fiber Optic Cable – 62.5 Multimode fiber, using AFL Fast SC or LC connectors. This new style 2009 Fast connector has cut the cost of labor and time in the field up to 90% compared to termination styles from 10 years ago.

Items Needed:
AFL Fast Connectors
Fiber Stripper
Fiber Cleaver
Fiber Wipes
Kevlar Scissors

Warning: Always wear protective eyewear when terminating optical fibers. Dispose of cut or cleaved ends properly.



Let’s Get Started:
First, you’ll want to cut the outside jacket off the fiber optic cable, maybe about 18 inches from the end. Electrician snips will be fine with most types of fiber optic cable. You may or may not need to cut the kevlar depending on what style fiber connector your using. Since were using AFL Fast connectors, we’ll cut the kevlar down.

If your using a 250μm buffered fiber, you’ll then slid the boot over the fiber strand, small end first.
Then strip the buffer coating off the individual strands with a fiber optic stripping tool. Be sure to leave more fiber than the finished cleave length. It is recommended that the stripped fiber be cleaned with an alcohol wipe before cleaving to remove any dust or debris.

Check the fiber for integrity by bending the stripped end of the fiber slightly. This insures that you have not damaged it during the stripping step.

Now we need to cut the fiber to length using a cleaver. A cleaver is a specially designed tool that makes a controlled break in the glass. It also cuts it to the exact length you need. The cleave length will vary depending on what size coating of buffer your using. Since were using a 250μmwe need to cleave the connector at 10mm (the cleave length is 10.5mm for ST connectors).





Once we have the fiber cleaved, we need to carefully insert the fiber into the connector. Press the wedge into the connector to open it.




Once it is inside, apply slight force on the fiber into the connector. This will insure the prepared fiber is against the internal pre polished fiber inside the connector.



Maintaining slight force on the fiber, release the wedge unit by squeezing it from the side until the wedge pulls out of the connector body. Slide the locking piece from the bottom of the wedge unit and remove the wedge from the connector assembly. Slide the boot up and engage it over the rear of the connector body. Apply the connector housing onto the assembly from the front.

Your DONE!




For more videos, visit our YouTube Channel.
Here's some fiber videos you might be interested in: 6 Strand Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Optic Rack-mount Box, Pre Terminated Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Jumper Patch Cords, AFL Fiber Termination Kit, Armored Fiber Optic Cable

Questions? Visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Thursday, October 22, 2009

25 Pair Telephone Cable Cat3 Video

25 Pair telephone cable is made for riser telephone cabling applications and constructed of 50 24 gauge solid bare copper conductors with a PVC or plenum jacket. Enjoy

This 25 pair telephone cable is manufactured by Comtran Corporation, one of the top manufacturers of high pair count telephone wire, in Boston, MA USA. One thing we like about the Comtran 25 pair telephone cable is that the color coding is very dark and easily distinguished to make for easy punchdown, even in low light conditions. This is the main complaint we here from customers about other low quality brands of cable. This 25 pair cable is suitable for backbone wiring for both voice and data applications in Local Area Networks. Common applications include: Voice, T1, 4Mbps Token Ring (IEEE 802.5), 10 Base-T (IEEE 802.3), 52 Mbps ATM, VG-AnyLAN, and ISDN.

Read More

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

CCTV Glossary of Common Terms and Definitions




Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV)

A collection of cameras, tv/monitors, and recording devices directly connected together via cables or other direct means (such as wireless transmitters/receivers).

Alarm Input
Some cameras and DVRs have the ability to accept alarm inputs. These are inputs from standard sensor devices such as, Passive Infra-red (PIR) detectors, door contacts, active beams etc. or relay outputs from intruder alarm panels, or  access control panels. Alarm input circuits can come in a number of forms, but most are commonly self powered, so will operate with a passive switch style circuit. However, in some cases, they expect to be provided with power (normally 12V) as the signal of open or closed.


Alarming
Ability of CCTV equipment to respond to an input signal, normally a simple contact closure. The response will vary depending on your equipment type.

Ambient Light Level
The amount of background light in any given situation.

Analog Signal
Most CCTV cameras, although internally working with digital components, produce a standard analog signal. This is where the image is represented by a variable voltage level and frequency timings. In the USA, the standard used is called NTSC.
In the UK and Europe, the standard for the analog signal output from CCTV cameras is called PAL.

Annunciator
An audible and/or visual signaling device.

Aperture
The aperture of a lens, is the area that allows light to pass into the lens. Lenses with large apertures allow more light in than lenses with small apertures.


Aperture Correction 
Compensation for the loss in sharpness of detail because of the finite dimensions of the image elements or the dot-pitch of the monitor.
Aspect Ratio
The ratio between the the height and width of an image.


Auto Iris
Cameras with an Auto Iris feature have the ability to compensate for large variations in light levels. This is particularly useful for cameras that need to compensate for changes from bright sunlight to dark shadows (ex. near the front door of a building with the door opening and closing a lot). The auto iris circuitry is normally linked to a motorized iris drive that physically opens and shuts the iris on the lens.





Automatic Gain Control (AGC)
This is a feature of many CCTV cameras to help keep the strength of the output signal constant, even with varying light levels. In other words, it boosts signal strength at low light levels, and caps it at higher levels.


Automatic Level Control (ALC)
Allows the camera to either bring out detail in bright areas of the image, or bring out more detail in the darker areas, depending on how it is set up. This is often useful where the view has a window in the background, where the sunlight is causing the image of the room to be much darker than required.

Automatic Terminating (Auto-terminating)
Video signals are normally transmitted along co-axial cable, which require a terminating resistor at either end. If the signal is looped through a piece of equipment that has an input and an output, then it should be terminated if it is the final piece of equipment, but not terminated if it is in between other equipment. Some appliances have a manual switch for this setting, while others automatically detect if termination is required and applies the additional resistor as necessary.

Automatic White Balance
Automatically adjusts the color settings to maintain the quality of the white areas of an image.


Back Focus
Alignment of the rear of the lens to the imaging device.

Back Light Compensation
Automatically adjusts the image to compensate for bright sunlight or bright lights, to give more detail on the darker areas of the image. (ex- Can focus on a persons face, even if there is a bright light coming from behind them).



Balanced Signal
This is a method of transmitting audio or video signals over a pair of wires, (ex- twisted pair cable) by sending two equal, but opposite signals. This system minimizes external interference, and maintains signal quality.


Balun
Short for Balanced - Unbalanced. It is a device used to interface between balanced lines and unbalanced lines.Typically used for Cat5e to Coax cable.
 
 
Bandwidth 
A measure of the carrying capacity of information over a network. Video, for example, takes up more bandwidth to transmit over a network than text would.
 
Bar Test Pattern 
This is a special test pattern for adjusting color TV receivers or color encoders. The upper portion consists of vertical bars of saturated colors and white. The power horizontal bars have black and white areas and I and Q signals.
 
BNC Connector 
BNC is a bayonet style connector for coaxial cable that is most commonly used for CCTV installations. The 3 types of connector types are Compression, Crimp and Twist.
Burn-In (burn)
An image which persists in a fixed position in the output signal of a camera tube after the camera has been turned to a different scene or, on a monitor screen. This is why it's a good idea to use CCTV specific monitors, vs a standard monitor.

Charge Coupled Device (CCD)
One of the two main types of image sensing device used in cameras. It operates by converting light energy into electrical charge.





Chromaticity 
The color quality of light which is defined by the wavelength (hue) and saturation. Chromaticity defines all the qualities of color except its brightness.

Chrominance
This refers to the part of the video signal that contains the color information.


C Mount Lens / CS Mount Lens
C Mount lens has a flange back distance of 17.5mm while the CS Mount lens has a flange back distance of 12.5mm. C mount lenses therefore have a longer focal distance.


Co-Axial Cable (Coax)
This refers to cable that has a central conductor, surrounded by a shield sharing the same axis. The shield can be made from a variety of materials including, braided copper, or lapped foil.There are various standards for specific types of coax cable. RG59 is the most common used cable for CCTV application. You can also get a siamese coax, which includes 2 wires for power.

Composite Video
A full video signal that combines picture signal and synchronisation pulses.

Compression
Digital video pictures can be compressed with a number of techniques. These include: JPEG and JPEG-2000 (for still images), M-JPEG and MPEG (for moving pictures).


Depth of Field
Depth of field or depth of focus refers to the range of distance from the camera that is in good focus. The smaller the aperture of the lens, the longer the depth of field. However, less light coming into the lens, means that the image will be dimmer, so the camera needs to compensate by increasing the gain. For example, the best (longest) depth of field would be obtained on a bright, sunny day, with a very small aperture on the camera. In this case the imaging device still gets a reasonable amount of light, even with a small aperture. The worst (shortest) depth of field would be in a dark room, with a large aperture. To improve depth of field, the best approach is to increase the amount of light on the subject, or use a more sensitive camera, like an IR Camera



Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)
This is an optical disk,  the same size as a CD, used for storing data of various formats. Including video, audio and computer data.



Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
This is a device that records video signal digitally. Normally this is on a large hard drive in the machine. 


Direct Drive (DD)
Some auto iris lenses require a DC signal from the camera. These are known as direct drive lenses.


Electronic Iris (EI)
This is an electronic implementation of an auto iris. It uses electronics to simulate the effect of opening and closing the iris, by increasing or decreasing the effective shutter time of the camera.

External Sync
External sync allows a piece of equipment to take its video synchronization from another unit, so that it can align itself with the system as a whole.


Focal Length
The distance between the center of a lens, or its secondary principal point and the imaging sensor. Lower lengths give a greater field of view and less magnification. Longer lengths give a narrower field of view and greater magnification. The table below gives an approximate value for the angle of the field of view for lenses of various focal lengths. 30˚ is considered to be a normal view, telephoto (longer) lenses have lower angles. Most CCTV cameras have one of the 3 sizes of imaging devices listed below, 1/4", 1/3" or 1/2".

Frame
Refers to a full TV picture. The PAL signal transmits 25 full frames per second.


Gamma Correction
This is an adjustment to ensure that variations in light input, produce a corresponding output in light intensity.

Ghost
This refers to poor image quality, where the primary signal is weak, allowing a secondary signal to interfere with the picture.


Hertz (Hz)
Cycles per second.


Impedance
The total opposition offered by a device to the flow of an alternating current (measured in Ohms).

Infra Red (IR)
Low frequency light below the visible spectrum. This is often used for covert or semi-covert surveillance to provide a light source for cameras to record images in dark or zero light conditions.
 


Interlacing
PAL video signals transmit odd and even lines alternately. This is a 2:1 interlace. The two sets of lines are combined to form each single frame.

Internal Sync
Devices with internal sync, have an internal crystal to provide sync pulses, without needing reference from any external device.

IP Waterproof Rating (IP66 - IP68)
IP ratings are a BSi standard measurement for how waterproof something is. Many cameras or camera housings are designed for outdoor use, and therefore need to be waterproof to some degree. The details of the tests are defined in BS EN 60529 : 1992. The IP number has two digits, and optional letters after them.

Iris
A mechanical device that adjusts to vary the amount of light passing through the lens of a camera. Think of it like the iris of your eye. When it's dark outside, the iris opens bigger to let more light in.



JPEG
JPEG is a standard for coding/compression of still pictures. It is used in the CCTV systems to compress and store individual frames of video.


Line Amplifier
This device takes a weak video signal as its input and outputs a new stronger version of the same signal. These are useful/necessary for transmitting video over very long cable runs. This is sometimes known as a video line corrector.

Line Fed Camera
This refers to the use of equipment that can provide power to the camera and take the video signal along the same cable. It normally involves placing an "encoder" unit at one end and a "decoder" unit at the other. These units effectively combine and then split the power from the video signal at either end of the cable run.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
This is a technology used for flat screen displays. Aside from being smaller and lighter, it also has the advantage of using less power than traditional cathode ray tube screens.



Looping
This refers to connecting an additional device in parallel with an existing video cable. For example, when driving a video recorder as well as a monitor from the same video signal, simply by T'ing off the cable.

Luminance
This refers to the part of a video signal that carries the monochrome information. i.e. brightness information.



Lux
This is a measure of the amount of light striking a surface. i.e. the luminus flux density at a surface. One lux is one lumen per square metre. Cameras for use in good lighting conditions, or in daylight would normally be rated at 2 Lux or more. Cameras with a Lux rating of 0.2 Lux or less would be considered low-light cameras. It is not possible to get good colour definition in low light levels, so in general low light cameras are always monochrome. However, day/night cameras use electronics to switch from colour during the daytime, to monochrome during night or low light conditions. Many low light cameras are also infra-red sensitive, so that infra-red illumination can be used. Particularly useful in zero light conditions.


Matrix Switcher
This is a device that allows any of its camera inputs to be switched to one or more of its monitor outputs. The outputs can also be video recorders.

Monitor
A device used to view video pictures. These devices don't normally have television RF frequency receivers. They normally have composite, or component video inputs.

Monochrome
Refers to a black and white image rather than color.

MPEG
MPEG is a standard used for coding and compression of moving images. It is now used widely for the compression of video images. However MPEG isn't just one standard. They have developed several standards for different uses. For example MPEG-2 is used for DVD's and set top boxes. MPEG-4 was developed for multi-media applications for fixed and mobile web applications.

Multiplexer
A device that takes inputs from 2 or more video channels and combines them into one signal. This is often done by using time division multiplexing, which interleaves frames from each channel in such a way that they can be split out again. Frequency division multiplexing uses different frequencies to achieve the separation of the signals.


Network Camera (IP Camera)
This refers to a camera that is designed to record pictures and transmit them directly over a computer network or dialup internet connection. Network cameras normally do not have any analog video outputs. The images are encoded directly in one of the standard compression techniques, such as JPEG or MPEG.

NTSC
The standard for TV signals developed by the National Television Standards Committee in the USA. The UK and Europe, use a similar, but different standard known as PAL.


PAL
This is the standard for TV signals used in the UK. It stands for Phase Alternating Line.

Pinhole Lens
This is a type of lens with a very small aperture. Normally used for covert applications, where it can easily hide behind or within another object.

Pixel
A pixel refers to an individual area on the surface of the imaging device, normally a CCD. It is made from photosensitive material which converts light into electrical energy. In the context of a display monitor, a pixel is also referred to as an individual area on the surface of the screen which converts electrical energy to visible light.


Roll
This is a fault condition on a video signal which refers to loss of vertical synchronization. It causes the picture to continuously move up or down.


SECAM
The system used for TV signals in France.

Shutter
The shutter in a camera is the device that controls the time period for which light is gathered by the collecting device. Old cameras used mechanical shutters. However modern cameras use electronic circuits to perform the same function with no moving parts.


Television Lines (TVL)
This is a measure of the resolution of a video device. Higher number is higher resolution. 380 TVL is considered medium resolution. 480 TVL or greater is considered high resolution.


Varifocal (Zoom)
This refers to a type of lens that has the facility to change the focal length. This allows adjustment of the magnification and field of view of a camera.

Video Motion Detection
This is a feature that detects motion within a video signal. Normally this is used to trigger recording of images. Advanced video motion detection systems have the facility to adjust the sensitivity and object size that will trigger the system. They also allow the image to be blocked out, such that only certain areas of the image are taken into account when scanning for motion.


Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Multiple LANs connected together, usually over a great distance, to share information.

Wavelets
This is a compression technique used to give high compression without degrading the image quality.


Zoom Lens
A lens that may be effectively used as a wide angle, standard or telephoto lens by varying the focal length of the lens.

Discount-Low-Voltage.com/CCTVSecurityProducts

Thursday, October 15, 2009

6 Strand Fiber Optic Cable Video


This 6 strand multi-mode fiber optic cable is manufactured by AFL Telecommunications and is rated for indoor or outdoor use. It features a tight buffer design, giving it a compact and sturdy construction. For indoor applications, the fiber is OFNR listed. For outdoor applications, it's manufactured with an outer jacket that incorporates a UV stabilizer for protection against sun exposure, plus an anti-fungus protection for use in underground applications.

What is Multi-mode? Multi-mode optical fiber (multi-mode fiber or MM fiber) is a type of optical fiber mostly used for communication over shorter distances, such as within a building or on a campus. Typical multi-mode links have data rates of 10 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s over cable lengths of up to 600 meters. Multi-mode fiber is more than sufficient for the majority of premises applications.

A little about the manufacturer: AFL Telecommunications is an industry leader in providing fiber optic products, engineering expertise and integrated services to the telecommunications industry. They are a subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan and employ more than 3,300 people worldwide. They have sales, manufacturing and administrative offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Germany and Mexico and sell its products and services throughout the world. With a wide range of products, there customers include: Regional and long distance telephone carriers, electric utilities, cable television operators, wireless service providers, data communication providers, private network operators and equipment manufacturers. For more information, visit their website at AFLtele.com

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Standard 568b Wiring Diagram

568b Wiring Diagram

The TIA/EIA-568b standards were first published in 2001. The standard 568b wiring diagram is most commonly used for patch panels, patch cables and keystone jacks. The color code is as follows:

568b Wiring Code

Orange/White
Orange
Green/White
Blue
Blue/White
Green
Brown/White
Brown

Related Posts:
Hot To Make an Ethernet Cat5e Patch Cable Using the 568b wiring Diagram
25 Pair Color Code
How To Punch Down Cat5e/Cat6 Keystone Jacks
How To Terminate Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jacks Using the Kwik Tool
How To Punch Down Cat6a Shielded Keystone Jacks

How to Make an Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6 Cable

Welcome to the Discount-Low-Voltage.com Blog. Today we are going to demonstrate How to Make an Ethernet Cat5e or Cat6 Cable. Here is a list of the items you will need to make your ethernet cable:

Wire Stripper








Cable Cutter








RJ45 Crimp Tool








RJ45 Modular Plugs








Ethernet Cable - Cat5, Cat5e or Cat6








Cable Tester














Now that you have the right tools, lets make an ethernet cable.

Step 1) Strip off 2 inches of jacket on the cable. Cut the excess ripcord off. (Note: If you're using Cat6 cable, it may have a wire separator between the 4 pairs of wires. Cut that off as well).

















Step 2) Untwist all 4 pairs of wire.
















Step 3) Follow the standard 568b Wiring Diagram:

Orange/White
Orange
Green/White
Blue
Blue/White
Green
Brown/White
Brown




Step 4) Hold the wires flat and use scissors to cut straight across, leaving 1/2" of wire exposed.















Step 4a) If you're making Cat6 cables, your mod plug will come with a loadbar. This small plastic piece must go on before you insert the wires into the mod plug. (for detailed instructions on installing the loadbar, scroll down to the comments located at the very bottom of this article)










Step 5) Insert the wires into your modular plug, making sure to keep the wires flat and in the same order. Verify that the wires are all flush at the very end of the plug. Note how the cable jacket is past the crimp spot on the plug and the wires are all the way to the end.



















Step 6) Insert mod plug into crimp tool and squeeze handle. Keep slight pressure on the cable (towards the crimp tool) as you're crimping the plug. This will ensure nothing comes loose as you squeeze the handle and crimp down the mod plug.
















Step 7) Remove mod plug from crimp tool and verify everything was done correctly. Note how the crimp is pushing down on the jacket and the pins have seated into the wire. Now follow the same process on the other side.



















Step 8) Now that you have a completed ethernet cable, plug one end into your Transmitter and the other end into the Receiver. The wires will light up either "Green" or "Red". If you have done everything correctly, you should see all green lights. If not, you will need to go back and redo the side causing the error.
















Don't own a crimp tool? Need more Cat5e cable? Order that all here:

Wire Stripper

Cable Cutter (Electricians Scissors)

Ratcheting Crimp Tool

RJ45 Mod Plugs 8P8C

Bulk Cat5e Ethernet Cable

Cable Tester

Like watching it done on video? Mercy will demonstrate the process of making an ethernet cable for you. Enjoy



We hope you like our demonstration of How to Make an Ethernet Cat5e Cable. Want to see more instructional videos, like How to Punch Down a Patch Panel or How to Terminate Fiber Optic Cable? Visit the Discount-Low-Voltage.com YouTube page.

Note: Maximum cable length for Cat5e cable is 100 meters. Anything longer than that might not work correctly.

Related Posts:
How To Terminate Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jacks Using the Kwik Tool
How To Punch Down Cat5e/Cat6 Keystone Jacks
How Low Voltage Cable is Made
Crazy Data Center Wiring Pictures and Video
Standard 568b Wiring Diagram
4 Pair Cat5e CMR Bulk Cable
How To Fish Wires Through a Wall or Ceiling

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Pre Wired 66 Block Video

Pre-Wired 66 blocks are most commonly used in equipment rooms to connect voice and data network wiring to customer premises equipment. They can also be used in remote and intermediate wiring closets throughout larger installations as common connecting points for nearby equipment. These industry standard pre-wired 66 blocks come pre-tested, saving you time. Available with many different connectors, including: Male telco cables, female telco cables, RJ11 and RJ45 keystone jacks, octopus cables and many others. They can also be made for any custom application you may have. Here's a video showing you one of our most popular pre wired 66 blocks. Enjoy



Key Features:
- USA Made
- Uses Siemons 66 Blocks
- Pre-tested
- Includes 89B Mounting Bracket
- Available with a variety of different connectors

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Monday, October 12, 2009

Surface Raceway Cable Management



Surface raceway by Hellermann Tyton is a one piece latching duct designed to contain, route and protect wire and cable when it is not feasible to run it within the wall. It's manufactured from Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and features a superior adhesive which conforms to most surfaces. Designed with a flexible hinge, the raceway allows numerous openings without creating discoloration or stress cracking. The self-locking, hidden positive latch allows for quick re-entry as well as secure installation of wire and cable. A full compliment of fittings are available including: elbows, internal and external corners, tees, reducers, ceiling drops, splice covers and end caps. With three different sizes, three different colors and all those accessories to choose from, this indoor surface raceway can go just about anywhere.


Features:
- Available in 3 different sizes: 0.75", 1.25" and 1.75"
- All sizes available in 3 colors: White, Ivory and Office White
- Made of durable Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
- RoHS compliant
- A full compliment of fittings



Visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/SurfaceRaceway.html to order, or for more information, including: Spec sheets, installation instructions, fill charts and more.
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Cat5e Direct Burial 4 Pair Cable Video

Cat5e direct burial cable by Commscope.



Description: Commscope's 5NF4 Cat5e direct burial cable is top of the line. This Cat5e cable comes on a 1000 foot spool, making your pull nice and easy. The cable is filled with a water resistant gel, making it ideal for direct burial applications, or where conduit might become flooded with water. A standard Cat5e cable would become corroded over time, so if there's any chance it will get wet, I would suggest using the gel filled cable.

 About the Manufacturer: CommScope has been a global leader in connectivity solutions for communications networking for over 30 years.They provide infrastructure solutions for wireless, business enterprise, residential broadband and carrier wireline networks. CommScope is the behind-the-scenes connection that helps the world communicate — at work, at home and on the go.
Founded in Hickory, North Carolina more than 30 years ago, CommScope and its worldwide team of more than 13,000 employees create infrastructure solutions for communications networks in more than 130 countries.

Applications: Gigabit ethernet 155 Mb/s ATM 100 Mb/s TP-PMD/CDDI

Exceeds/Meets: ANSI/TIA/EIA 568B.2 category 5e CENELEC EN50173
ICEA S-90-661 NEWA low-loss extended frequency AS/NZS 3085.1
ISO/IEC 11801

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What is RoHS?

RoHS is short for Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union. The RoHS took effect on July 1, 2006, but is not a law; it is simply a directive for participating countries, including the European Union (exclusive of the United States and many other countries)


This directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment.
RoHS is often referred to as the "lead-free" directive, but it restricts the use of the following 6 substances:

Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Hexavalent
chromium (Chromium VI or Cr6+)
Polybrominated
biphenyls (PBB)
PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ether)


It is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive WEEE which sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative to solve the problem of huge amounts of toxic e-waste.

The maximum permitted concentrations are 0.1% or 1000 ppm (except for cadmium, which is limited to 0.01% or 100 ppm) by weight of homogeneous material. This means that the limits do not apply to the weight of the finished product, or even to a component, but to any single substance that could (theoretically) be separated mechanically—for example, the sheath on a cable or the tinning on a component lead.

As an example, a radio comprises a case, screws, washers, a circuit board, speakers, etc. The screws, washers, and case may each be made of homogenous materials, but the other components comprise multiple sub-components of many different types of material. For instance, a circuit board comprises a bare PCB, ICs, resistors, capacitors, switches, etc. A switch comprises a case, a lever, a spring, contacts, pins, etc, each of which may be made of different materials. A contact might comprise a copper strip with a surface coating. A speaker comprises a permanent magnet, copper wire, paper, etc.

Everything that can be identified as a homogeneous material must meet the limit. So if it turns out that the case was made of plastic with 2,300 ppm (0.23%) PBB used as a flame retardant, then the entire radio would fail the requirements of the directive.

In an effort to close RoHS loopholes, in May 2006 the European Commission was asked to review two currently excluded product categories (monitoring and control equipment, and medical devices) for future inclusion in the products that must fall into RoHS compliance. In addition the commission entertains requests for deadline extensions or for exclusions by substance categories, substance location or weight. Note that batteries are not included within the scope of RoHS. However, in Europe, batteries are under the European Commission's 1991 Battery Directive (91/157/EEC), which was recently increased in scope and approved in the form of the new battery directive, version 2003/0282 COD, which will be official when submitted to and published in the EU's Official Journal. While the first Battery Directive addressed possible trade barrier issues brought about by disparate European member states' implementation, the new directive more explicitly highlights improving and protecting the environment from the negative effects of the waste contained in batteries. It also contains a program for more ambitious recycling of industrial, automotive, and consumer batteries, gradually increasing the rate of manufacturer-provided collection sites to 45% by 2016. It also sets limits of 5 ppm mercury and 20 ppm cadmium to batteries except those used in medical, emergency, or portable power-tool devices, Though not setting quantitative limits on quantities of lead, lead-acid, nickel, and nickel-cadmium in batteries, it cites a need to restrict these substances and provide for recycling up to 75% of batteries with these substances. There are also provisions for marking the batteries with symbols in regard to metal content and recycling collection information.

The directive applies to equipment as defined by a section of the WEEE directive. The following numeric categories apply:

Large and small household appliances.
IT equipment.
Telecommunications equipment (although infrastructure equipment is exempt in some countries)
Consumer equipment.
Lighting equipment—including light bulbs.
Electronic and electrical tools.
Toys, leisure, and sports equipment.
Medical devices
Monitoring and control instruments
Automatic dispensers.


It does not apply to fixed industrial plant and tools. Compliance is the responsibility of the company that puts the product on the market, as defined in the Directive; components and sub-assemblies are not responsible for product compliance. Of course, given the fact that the regulation is applied at the homogeneous material level, data on substance concentrations needs to be transferred through the supply chain to the final producer. An IPC standard has recently been developed and published to facilitate this data exchange, IPC-1752. It is enabled through two PDF forms that are free to use.

RoHS applies to these products in the EU whether made within the EU or imported. Certain exemptions apply, and the EU updates these on occasion.

Examples of product components containing restricted substances RoHS restricted substances have been used in a broad array of consumer electronics products. Examples of leaded components include:

Paints and pigments
PVC (vinyl) cables as a stabilizer (e.g. power cords, USB cables)
Solders
Printed circuit board finishes, leads, internal and external interconnects
Glass in television and photographic products (e.g. CRT television screens and camera lenses)
Metal parts
Lamps and bulbs

Cadmium is also found in many of the above components while mercury has been used in automotive switches and lighting applications. Hexavalant chromium is used for metal finishes to prevent corrosion. Polybrominated biphenyls and diphenyl Ethers/Oxides are used primarily as flame-retardants.

California has passed SB 20: Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, or EWRA. This law prohibits the sale of electronic devices after January 1, 2007, that are prohibited from being sold under the EU RoHS directive, but across a much narrower scope that includes LCDs, CRTs, and the like and only covers the four heavy metals restricted by RoHS. EWRA also has a restricted material disclosure requirement. Other US states and cities are debating whether to adopt similar laws, and there are several states that have mercury and PBDE bans already. Federal RoHS-like regulation in the US is unlikely in the near to medium term.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Armored Fiber Optic Cable Video

In this video, Mercy examines some Corning light armored fiber optic cable and shows you what it looks like on the inside. Enjoy.


As you can see, this fiber is very strong and durable. Corning Cable Systems ALTOS® Lite Gel-Free Single- Jacket/Single-Armor Cables are designed for direct burial applications. The loose tube design provides stable and highly reliable transmission parameters for a variety of voice, data, video and imaging applications. This design also provides high-fiber density within a given cable diameter while allowing flexibility to suit many system designs.


Features and Benefits:
• Single-armor construction provides additional crush and
rodent protection
• High-strength ripcord under armor for ease of stripping
• Gel-free design is fully waterblocked using craft-friendly
water-swellable yarns and tapes, making cable access simple
and requiring no clean up
• SZ-stranded, loose tube design isolates fibers from installation
and environmental rigors and allows for easy mid-span
access
• Standard 3.0 mm buffer tube size reduces the number of
access tools required by crafts personnel
• Medium Density Polyethylene jacket is rugged, durable
and easy to strip
• Available with extended operating temperature to -60°C
(-76°F)
• Available with Gigabit Ethernet performance

Specifications:

Maximum Tensile Loads
Short-Term: 2700 N (600 lbf)
Long-Term: 890 N (200 lbf)

Temperatures Storage:
-40° to +70°C (-40° to +158°F)
Installation: -30° to +70°C (-22° to +158°F)
Operation: -40° to +70°C (-40° to +158°F)

Approvals and Listings
RUS 7 CFR 1755.900

Common Installations
Outdoor lashed aerial and duct; indoor when installed according to National Electrical Code® (NEC®) Article 770

Design and Test Criteria
ANSI/ICEA S-87-640

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Monday, October 5, 2009

25 Pair Burial Telephone Cable - PE89 Direct Burial



25 Pair Burial Telephone Cable is suitable for outdoor applications without the use of conduit. The cable is filled with water resistant gel and UV resistant. The conductors are 24awg and follow the industry standard color code for twisted pair cables. Direct burial telephone cable must not be run for more than 50ft inside buildings (per the National Electrical Code).



Specifications:

Core Construction:
- Solid, annealed copper; size 24 AWG

Insulation:
- Dual insulation consisting of an inner layer of foamed polyolefin surrounded by a solid polyolefin skin, color-coded in accordance with telephone industry standards

Twisted Pairs:
- Insulated conductors are twisted into pairs with varying lay lengths to minimize crosstalk

Core Assembly:
- 25 pairs and less: pairs are assembled together in a single group
- More than 25 pairs: pairs are arranged in groups, each group having a color coded unit binder

Filling Compound:
- The entire core assembly is completely filled with ETPR compound, filling the interstices between the pairs and under the core tape

Core Wrap:
- Non-hygroscopic dielectric tape applied longitudinally with an overlap

Aluminum Shield:
- Corrugated, copolymer-coated, 0.008" aluminum tape applied longitudinally with an overlap
- The sheath interfaces are flooded with an adhesive water-blocking compound

Jacket:
- Black, linear low density polyethylene Application(s):
- Intended for duct and direct buried installations where protection against water and moisture entry is required and may also be installed aerially

Compliance:
- Rural Development Utility Program(RDUP) 7 CFR 1755.890 (RUS PE-89)


To order, visit
Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697

Saturday, October 3, 2009

ANSI/TIA 568-C.2 and TIA-492AAAD TIA Votes to Publish

At the recent TIA TR-42 meeting in Minneapolis (MN), the subcommittee for TR-42.7, Telecommunications Copper Cabling Systems, resolved comments from the second default ballot and voted to publish ANSI/TIA 568-C.2, Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard. Now that 568-C.2 is complete, the subcommittee has begun work on TSB-155-A which will harmonize TSB-155 with the new 568-C.2. A draft was approved for ballot closing in October. A new project was requested to develop what will become ANSI/TIA-568-C.4, Broadband Coaxial Cabling and Components Standard.
TIA TR 42.12, the subcommittee for Optical Fibers and Cables, resolved the comments from the default ballot for TIA-492AAAD, Detail Specification for OM4 fiber. The resolution of the terminology issue was treated as an editorial change and the document was sent to TR-42 for publication.
The next meeting for TIA TR-42 is scheduled for November 2-6 in Jacksonville (FL).

66 Block Wiring Mess Pictures

A good reason why you need cable management products for your 66 blocks. Thank you to our customers for sending us these pictures of work they had to clean up.






























             












               












      






























               














































































































































We would say these are good examples of why 66 block spool boards and 66 block backboards are a must have. I'm amazed that some people even used the backboards and spool boards, but still ended up with a huge mess on their hands. Looks like they needed to invest in some D-rings and zip ties. Heck, even just some velcro would have helped.
Send us pictures of a job site you had to clean up. Before and after pictures are the best. We will put them up on our next installment of crazy data center pictures and reference your company in the process. Email all pictures to k.atkins@discount-low-voltage.com

Related Post:
Crazy Data Center Wiring Pictures (LOTS!!!)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Cat5e 12 Port Patch Panel and more

The Dynacom cat5e patch panels come as small as 6 ports and as large as 96 ports. Dynacom Corporation has supplied the telecom/datacom industry with voice, data, video and related hardware since 1984. Their Network Cabling Division's wide range of end-to-end connectivity solutions includes both commercial and residential networking product lines such as UTP/STP cable, fiber optics, coaxial cable, connectors, home media centers, and wire management products. Dynacom's commitment to quality and service enhances our customer's performance, value, and satisfaction. check out this video showing you the cat5e data patch panels:

Cat5e Patch Panel Features:
- Wall mount and rack mounted cat5e component rated patch panels provide excellent performance for data networks requiring maximum speed and bandwidth.

- Enhanced crosstalk cancellation reduces return loss and improves performance by rejecting noise and unwanted signals

- Exceeds ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2 Category 5e connecting hardware requirements

- Engineering to provide 110 IDC termination reducing installation time

- Includes both TIA-568A and TIA-568B color wiring diagrams

- Backwards compatible to all lower rated category components

- Installation instructions included

- UL listed

- Exceeds TIA/EIA CAT 5e standards

- Includes mounting screws

- Flexible solution suitable for use as a consolidation point

6 Port Cat5e Patch Panel - Ideal for supporting data installations (CAT-5/5e)for small offices or home offices. Easy cover removal allows for fast access for add, moves and changes. Contractor rated Grade Quality.

12 Port Cat5e Patch Panel - 12 port patch panels are wall mountable and rack mountble and are designed for small voice and data installations. Includes two 6 port Cat 5e non-keyed jack modules mounted on a GB89D mounting bracket. Color Coded for 568A or 568B. Contractor preferred patch panel.

24 Port Cat5e Patch Panel - 24 Port, Cat5e, 1 rack space (1.75"). Designed with rear 110 IDC for fast termination. Includes #12 rack screws.

48 Port Cat5e Patch Panel - 48-Port, Cat5e, 2 rack space (3.50"). Designed with rear 110 IDC for fast termination. Includes #12 rack screws.

96 Port Cat5e Patch Panel - 96-Port, Cat5e, 4 rack space (7.00").
Designed with rear 110 IDC for fast termination. Includes #12 rack screws.

To order any of these Cat5e Patch Panels, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or Call (888) 797-3697