Cat5 with baluns - what signal type is used?

09-04-2008, 6:18 PM

Dear Learned Forum,

I am quite interested in buying pairs of baluns to run various types of signal from one location to another. The distances vary from about 10 to 30 metres (maybe 200m in one case) and of various signal types - Composite video, stereo audio, VGA (Laptop to projector), S-Video etc.

Before I actually buy one of these I'd like to know what I'm buying into - are the Cat5 cable strands simply wired up to the input/output connections or do these baluns do some kind of conversion in order to make best use of the Cat5's capabilities?

Thank you in advance.

Joe Fernand · 10-04-2008, 9:39 AM

A little bit of info here - http://www.neothings.com/wordpress/?page_id=35

As Bill points out not all systems are compatible!

Joe

10-04-2008, 12:20 PM

That's a good start - it makes it clear what Cat5 cable has going for it. Presumably, then, the simplest baluns will convert audio signals between balanced and unbalanced signals so that the Cat5 cable can be used as balanced signals on twisted pairs.

Does this mean that a pro-audio balanced signal, from a mixing desk for example, will travel down a twisted pair such as those found in a Cat5 cable without modification?

If so, what is the consequence of not including a shield connection, which is normally used on XLR cables to carry balanced sound signals between microphones and mixing desks?

09-04-2008, 6:18 PM	#1
Pebblesculpt Guest Posts: n/a	Cat5 with baluns - what signal type is used? Advertisement Want to Advertise? Dear Learned Forum, I am quite interested in buying pairs of baluns to run various types of signal from one location to another. The distances vary from about 10 to 30 metres (maybe 200m in one case) and of various signal types - Composite video, stereo audio, VGA (Laptop to projector), S-Video etc. Before I actually buy one of these I'd like to know what I'm buying into - are the Cat5 cable strands simply wired up to the input/output connections or do these baluns do some kind of conversion in order to make best use of the Cat5's capabilities? Thank you in advance.
	Quote

10-04-2008, 12:20 PM	#3
Pebblesculpt Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Cat5 with baluns - what signal type is used? That's a good start - it makes it clear what Cat5 cable has going for it. Presumably, then, the simplest baluns will convert audio signals between balanced and unbalanced signals so that the Cat5 cable can be used as balanced signals on twisted pairs. Does this mean that a pro-audio balanced signal, from a mixing desk for example, will travel down a twisted pair such as those found in a Cat5 cable without modification? If so, what is the consequence of not including a shield connection, which is normally used on XLR cables to carry balanced sound signals between microphones and mixing desks?
	Quote