Q: I have heard that it can be dangerous to look directly into a CCTV infrared illuminator. Do you have any specific information on this?
A:Yes, it can be dangerous to be in near eye contact of an infrared (IR) illuminator. There can be danger to the eye even without any visible illumination.
IR illuminator manufacturers will typically have safety guidelines indicating how far one should be away from an illuminator, depending on the power output of that illuminator. One good source of information on this subject can be found at http://www.extremecctv.com/Infrared/safety_paper.cfm
Q: Can I run Cat-5 cable outdoors?
A: Do not run standard gray-jacketed Cat-5 cable outdoors. It is not insulated and does not have ultraviolet (UV) protected jacketing. Either run the cable in conduit or get your distributor to specify outdoor Cat-5 cable, which should have a distinctive black UV resistant jacketing with additional insulation.
Since you are going outside with the cable you may also want to consider additional lightning and surge protection.
