Customer Reviews

Q-See QS100B Video and Power 100-Foot BNC Male Cable with 2 Female Connectors

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I installed 3 Q-See QSC48030 surveillance cameras on the outside of my house. 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. 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.

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. 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).

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. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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!

This 100 foot cable is extremely thin and cheap. I bought 3 of these extensions to work with the Q-See-QSD6204-250 and 3 Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera. 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. 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. 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). The video feed cable connectors (bnc) are the weakest link. I would think bnc connectors are fine in most areas, the ease of attaching them with their locking ability makes them very nice. However, the cables are so thin, when the cables are assembled both conductors can accidentally be so close or actually touching, they short together. 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. From the factory they fuse the plastic cover/grip at each end of the cable to the wire running through it. 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). Also, the bnc connectors are readily available, but the power connectors they use is not. I would need to change the power connector on the camera side as well.
(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.
(C)Returning all the equipment to Amazon for a full refund less shipping (both ways). I am not happy with not having my shipping refunded. Faulty merchandise should not financially burden the consumer ever, produce quality stuff and don't sell crap.]

-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 Drive

Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera w/80ft of Night Vision (Color)

I will edit this review when new information arises.

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

I installed the original Q-see 100ft(Q-See QS100B) and 50ft cable on my 4 cameras and all suffer huge noise especially on the 100ft one. There is no shielding at all for Q-See cable, so the video quality suffer.
Then I found the Swann 100ft (SW271-S30 )from Frys store and the result is amazing ! All the noise is gone for all my 4 cameras. There is no more annoying scanning lines at all. The shielding on Swann cable is doing a great job. Trust me. Save you some time. Don't buy the Q-See cable. Five more dollars will give you much better video quality. Now I have to remove all the Q-See cables from my wall and replace all them with Swann cable. Again, shielding really makes different !

My husband spent an entire weekend installing a security system with this 100 cable. Finally finished, turned everything on and IT DIDN'T WORK. He's an electrical enginneer so has the ability to quality test the unit, cameras and cable and determined the cable was bad. Poor quality control and a piece of junk! Spend a few extra bucks, buy something else from somewhere else. I suggested to my husband to not buy this based on the bad feedback from others who had the idential problem, but you always think you'll be the exception. You're not. My husband will spend a day taking everything down and redoing all of his work. Reinstalling everything! What a waste of time for a $20 product that clearly has poor (probably zero) quality control. With this many people all having the same problem how can they sell this. Save yourself, DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! With this much negative feedback with the same problem Amazon should REMOVE THIS PRODUCT FROM THEIR INVENTORY.

This cable is so thin and delicate that it broke before we finished installation. I suggested you go for RG59 cable

Came in retail packaging, works fine.

If you want to make sure there's no problem before you're all done with installation (like others have had happen) you can plug in a camera at the end and watch the signal as you work and attach the cable. If you put a staple through it, or over stretch it, or nick it, or pull an end off...you'll see the signal die right then...and won't have to search for the problem spot after all is done afterward.

Duh.

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're cheap little headphone wire style sheathed cable attached to BNC connectors.
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 do what they're supposed to.
Just don't try fishing them through a wall, pole piping, or a hole.
Seems like their connectors are held on with bubble gum and imagination.

I have had this cable for about 2 months and the signal become intermitent. Had to replace with RG59/18/2 cable

Those cables are very delicate. The power and signal wires inside the larger cable are easily damaged and will short out the camera.I tested them before installation. However, after I installed the first cable, I got no signal at all. So I used the second cable and kept checking the picture as I went along--after 10 minute of installation, the signal got fuzzy and wouldn't correct.