Comnet Mini Video Transmitter 24VAC Input mm 1 fiber - FVT11MAC

Comnet FVT11MAC Mini Video Transmitter 24VAC Input Single-Fiber Composite-to-Optical Converter

Overview

The Comnet FVT11MAC is a miniature video transmitter engineered to convert composite video signals to 850nm multimode fiber, enabling long-distance surveillance camera distribution without analog signal degradation. Running on standard 24VAC power, the FVT11MAC handles 1 volt peak-to-peak composite video input and transmits across distances up to 2.5 km (1.6 miles) using a single fiber strand — a practical solution for integrating legacy analog cameras or extending coax runs across campus buildings, industrial complexes, or distributed surveillance arrays where fiber backbone already exists.

Key Features

• 24VAC Operating Voltage (22–27V range): Runs on standard supervision/alarm power supplies found in most commercial installations. No exotic power conditioning required — just plug into a 24VAC transformer and go. Voltage window accommodates power drops over long wire runs.
• 850nm Multimode Fiber Transmission (2.5 km max distance): Infrared wavelength carries video through standard multimode 62.5/125µm fiber, avoiding bandwidth limits of coaxial cable entirely. At 2.5 km, you're covering multi-building campuses or long exterior runs in a single hop without repeaters or active line drivers.
• 10 dB Optical Power Budget: Supports typical fiber loss margins in real-world installs (approximately 0.4 dB/km for multimode 850nm), giving you headroom for splitters, connectors, and aging fiber without signal clipping. Budget exhaustion is the primary failure mode in long fiber runs — this unit accounts for that.
• 60 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Clean video across the optical link. Composite video at 60 dB SNR delivers forensic-grade evidence without visible noise artifacts in low-light scenes — matters for license plate reads and facial recognition workflows.
• Differential Gain <5%, Differential Phase <5°, Tilt <1%: Maintains NTSC/PAL color fidelity and luminance linearity across the fiber link. Color shifts and phase errors introduce artifacts in chroma-keying or analytics pipelines; these specs keep that noise floor low enough for production surveillance systems.
• 5 Hz to 10 MHz Bandwidth, 750 ft RG-59 Coax Input Distance: Input side accepts standard analog video from a camera head or matrix with minimal signal loss over legacy coax runs. Bandwidth covers NTSC/PAL composite video and sub-carrier frequencies without rolloff.
• ST Fiber Connector, BNC Video Input (gold-plated): Rapid-fire field termination — ST connectors are push-on duplex, no polishing required. Gold-plated BNC center pin resists oxidation and maintains impedance match through repeated camera swaps.
• 3 W Power Consumption, >100,000 Hour MTBF: Runs cool and draws minimal power from supervision supplies. MTBF >100,000 hours (11.4 years continuous operation) is industrial-grade reliability — typical for fiber extenders built to last a facility lifespan.
• Compact Form Factor (11.4 × 6.4 × 2.8 cm, <1 lb): Mounts in headend racks, conduit runs, or camera poles without dedicated enclosure. Mini dimensions and weight mean flexible placement — inside a splice box, on a DIN rail, or exterior if enclosed in weatherproof housing.
• Operating Temperature Range -40°C to +75°C: Rated for outdoor equipment shelters, unheated server closets, and industrial plant floors. Storage range extends to -40°C to +85°C, covering freeze-thaw cycles in temperate climates.

Integration & Compatibility

The FVT11MAC pairs with any composite video source — analog cameras, matrix switchers, DVRs, or camera encoders outputting 1V peak-to-peak NTSC/PAL video. Receiver-side requires a matching Comnet fiber-to-composite converter (fiber receiver) to reconstruct video downstream. This is a transmit-only device; it does not include a receiver in the box. Install the unit at the camera end of the fiber run, connect composite video input via BNC, apply 24VAC, and feed the fiber strand to the remote receiver. No configuration, no software — passive optical link.

What's in the Box

Specific package contents are not detailed in available documentation. Contact the manufacturer or reseller for a confirmed packing list before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use the FVT11MAC with multimode fiber longer than 2.5 km?

A: The 10 dB optical power budget limits practical span to approximately 2.5 km in standard multimode fiber at 850nm. Beyond that distance, fiber loss exceeds the transmitter's optical output power, and the receiver will not lock. If you need longer runs, Comnet offers higher-power 1310nm or 1550nm singlemode variants with extended budgets — check the broader product family for long-haul applications.

Q: What is the warranty on the FVT11MAC?

A: Manufacturer warranty terms are not specified in available documentation. Contact the vendor for warranty details and support terms applicable to your purchase.

Q: Does the FVT11MAC require a receiver module?

A: Yes. The FVT11MAC is a transmitter only. You must pair it with a Comnet fiber-to-composite video receiver (such as the Comnet FVR11MAC or equivalent) at the remote end to convert the 850nm optical signal back to composite video. The transmitter and receiver are complementary halves.

Q: Can I daisy-chain multiple FVT11MAC units on a single fiber?

A: No. Each FVT11MAC unit operates on a dedicated fiber strand (or pair if using duplex fiber). This is a point-to-point link, not a broadcast or multi-drop topology. For multiple camera distribution, run separate fiber pairs or use Comnet's switched fiber infrastructure products.

Q: What type of fiber patch cable does the FVT11MAC use?

A: The FVT11MAC accepts standard ST-connector multimode fiber (62.5/125µm or 50/125µm) at 850nm wavelength. Any commercial-grade multimode patch cable rated for 850nm is compatible. Verify your fiber backbone is multimode before ordering — singlemode fiber is not compatible with this transmitter.

Q: Is the FVT11MAC suitable for outdoor installation?

A: The unit itself is rated -40°C to +75°C operating, but it is not IP-rated for direct weather exposure. Mount the FVT11MAC indoors, in an equipment shelter, or inside a weatherproof enclosure if installed outdoors. Only the fiber runs and connectors should be directly exposed to weather.

Eden Phillips

The Comnet FVT11MAC solves a specific integration pain point: you've got legacy analog cameras feeding a matrix in the headend, the fiber backbone is already in the ground, and coax signal loss over 700+ feet is eating your image quality. The FVT11MAC takes that composite video, locks it into 850nm light, and shoots it down multimode fiber at full fidelity for up to 2.5 km. No field terminations, no active repeaters — just BNC in, fiber out, and a 24VAC power tap.

Technical Highlights:

• 10 dB Optical Power Budget: Real-world multimode fiber at 850nm bleeds roughly 0.4 dB/km, so your 2.5 km run consumes 1 dB of the 10 dB budget, leaving 9 dB for connectors, splitters, and fiber aging. This margin prevents the silent failure mode where a receiver simply stops locking without warning.
• 60 dB SNR with <5% Differential Gain/Phase: Composite video noise floor is low enough that downstream analytics (motion detection, edge recording) won't trigger on noise artifacts. Color fidelity stays locked across NTSC/PAL chroma, so multi-camera color-matching in a matrix environment holds without retuning.
• 3 W consumption on standard 24VAC (22–27V window): Draws negligible current from supervision supplies — no separate UPS needed. Voltage window accommodates 10% power-line sag without dropout, a real factor in rural or industrial sites with long 24VAC runs.

Deployment Considerations:

• The FVT11MAC is transmit-only — you must provision a matching Comnet fiber receiver at the remote end. Forgetting the receiver-side hardware is the most common ordering mistake; budget for a pair (transmitter + receiver) in your RFQ.
• Multimode 850nm fiber is the constraint. If your installed fiber is singlemode (common in long-haul telco runs), you cannot use this unit — Comnet makes 1310nm/1550nm singlemode variants, but they're a different SKU and require different connectors (LC or SC, not ST).

Deploy the FVT11MAC in campus surveillance systems where analog cameras feed a central matrix over existing fiber infrastructure, or in industrial facilities running legacy coax camera networks that need extension without signal conditioning gear. It's not a bandwidth converter — it's a point-to-point analog extender optimized for short-haul multimode links under 2.5 km.