maximum length of vga cable

[rets ain]

I would like to ask anyboby about the maximum length of vga cables..... I will use this for ballrooms...is it right if I cut it 200ft feet long.specifically from kramer switcher to projector''

[TonyMitchell]

You should be OK for 66m using a high quality cable at XGA resolution. Fan out/in to a 5BNC run for better analogue results over distance. Avoid routing the cable with power cables.

 

 

[Nick Mawer]

I would suggest that you would lose both sharpness and brightness over this distance. Depending on your application and environment this will be more or less important. If you are worried, it might make sense to use a Kramer CAT5 transmitter and receiver set over that distance, alternatively you could add a line driver with level and eq control after the switcher and before a long cable run to the projector. I would also agree about avoiding power cables.

[mac.calder]

Max length all depends on the gear driving the system really - some sources really pump out a strong, clear signal - so a few dB loss over the cable run still ends up with an "acceptable" signal at the other end, whilst other sources are a bit weak - knocking a few dB off pushes the signal right out of the acceptable range of the projector. Anything over about 50m using 5-BNC and 30m using VGA a trained eye can spot degradation in the signal - and that is assuming a good cable path and source. If possible, I would put a line driver or distribution amplified at a mid point along the run - if there is no spot to break the cable and put in a line driver, I would put one at the very start - just to ensure that the signal being pumped down your cable is nice and strong - but you will still get a bit of softening on the image.

[Shez]

And make sure your cable really is five coaxial cores - the cheaper stuff is just three coaxes for RGB and unshielded normal wire for the H & V.

[Nick Mawer]

Mac - if you put an analogue amp in the middle of an analogue system run, you will amplify any noise introduced over the first part of the cable run. Better to put it at the beginning where you can create a greater signal to noise ratio.

Of course this is not true of digital signals, where a re-clocking and equalising device would ideally go in the middle.

[dwright2104]

+1 for using a CAT5 transmitter, Used the Kramer one with a 75m drum of shielded CAT5 and work perfect, much cleaner than the 50m Van Damme VGA cable, I compared it to.

[Jasonbrownstuff]

as a rule we never do anything over 20m on VGA, after that you start to lose quality and the picture gets all smudged.

if its for a 32" tv it will be fine but for a big screen I would say get a kramer cat5 system cheap and look great