Finished my first surveillance install.

dudeinaroom

A friend of mine told me to give this guy a call, so I did. He wanted 8 new cameras installed, a new dvr, and a flat screen mounted from the ceiling. I quoted the job 50 bucks lower than the guy he knows from down state. They bought all the equipment. It was a nightmare. I had to move the existing 8 cameras and re run wires, well need less to say if it's not broke don't fix it. I had to rerun cables as some of the old video cables had some minimal corrosion, and did not like being disrupted. Had a few power supplies for the cameras just stop working. But it's all good, it's all up and running. Had a friend who used to install cable give me a hand. He was just awesome. What i didn't have he did, and he a little vertically challenged which was nice when it came time to run cabling in the attic. I took longer than I though but, in the end the customer was happy. As far as food and drink I could have any thing I wanted in the store(gas station/convenience store/pizzeria). Hell they made pizza twice and it was good. other that that I would grab a soda on the way out( I was there for the job, not the freebies.) At the end of the job he gave me an extra hundred bucks, and 40 bucks in gas to make up fo the odds and ends I had to buy. There is a real good chance he will have 6-7 plasma/lcds for me to install on wall in houses down state. He also said he would help to get the word out. While I was there he was talking to a rep. from one of the local oil company/distributor that if they need any surveillance systems to get a hold of me. The last day I was there a customer of my previous installer came and I said "Hi Jim" and shot the **** a little. As of that conversation I have to give him a call tomorrow to give him a quote for some cameras around his place. Hope things keep rolling. Gonna have to get some insurance real soon.

Hey other polkie installers, what's the eazyest way to run wires wire in the walls in a house.

nooshinjohn

dudeinaroom wrote: »

Hey other polkie installers, what's the eazyest way to run wires wire in the walls in a house.

Do it when the house is still in stud.:D


I always make my drops from above in the attic, or if possible from below. I will always begin by making an opening for my box at the needed(legal) height. I will then plan my pull from either above or below, and pull wire through the wall opening and make my run to wherever it needs to go. Once I get it to the terminal point, I will comlpete my work on the new box in the wall, and then test and tag the wire on the other end of the run.

dudeinaroom

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Do it when the house is still in stud.:D

been there done that, wish I could in this instance. I'm pretty much just getting into installing house stuff, and have as yet to get a fish tape. Guess I'll have to use a hanger.

Knucklehead

When I installed the surveillance system in my house, instead of running the thick coax down walls and through the attic I bought 8 balun video connectors and it enables you to use 22ga twisted 2 pair cable which is MUCH thinner and easier to run especially down walls. 1 pair for video and 1 pair for power.

Also something which is new to the market is a magnetic wire puller, basically what it is, is a magnet that you attach to one end of the wire and as you drag the other magnet down the wall the wire follows which has the magnet attached Usually only sold at contractor stores like ADI or Grainger.

These are the balun video connectors.....