How to get Cat5e to other side of concrete alley?

[PaulD]

I want to mount a IP camera with PoE via Cat5e on opposite side of a 20 ft wide concrete alley. No power available in area needed so wireless is not an option. Running cable overhead not allowed in my area and tunneling not viable due to cost and layout of the concrete. After a lot of head scratching, I came up with the following possibility and I am curious if anyone else has tried this.

The alley has joints in the concrete...some are from the original pouring and some are cut with a saw.. I dug out some of the goop in the cut joints and they are typically about 1/4" wide and 1" deep and then filled with a goop. None of the major (uncut) joints are close enough to consider for this effort. I think I can dig out the goop, lay my Cat5e cable in the joint and then pour new goop over it for protection. I have a saw and concrete blade if I need to make the joint deeper. Concrete is in excellent condition and no obvious tendency to shift or develop major cracks that would threaten my cable.

Here are my concerns:
1) A small rock may be laying on the joint when a vehicle passes over it and forces the rock into the goop deep enough to damage the cable.
2) The goop (composition unknown) will deteriote the cable and make it unservicable
3) If either of above happens and the power pair in the cable is shorted, will it cause feedback into my switch where PoE is introduced?
4) How will cable hold up buried and exposed to the elements over time. I could use conduit when cable is not in concrete but cable would still get wet. Does any cable exist that is made for buried applications?

 

[mustangcoupe]

a quick google search turned up the following.. Direct burial, UV Resistant Outdoor Jacket ...

http://www.cat5ecableguy.com/inc/sdetail/12771

This cable has 5 different layers!

1. Weather & UV Resistant Outdoor Jacket
2. Aluminum Foil Shielding
3. Static Drain Wire (Ground wire)
4. Water Resistant Jacket (Almost as thick as the outer jacket)
5. Four Twisted Wire Pairs


* -Direct Burial Cable w/ Foil Shielding
* Rated CMX
*
LSZH-UV Outer Jacter (Low Smoke Zero Halogen)- UV stabilized for Outdoor Use with Flooded Gel Core
* Meets TIA/EIA 568.b2 Standard (great for 10/100 or 1000 mbps Gigabit Ethernet)
* STP... Aluminum Foil Shielded with Drain Wire.
* 4 Pair, 24AWG, Solid Core Copper
* UL Listed
* Comes in Pull Box with new Extra Wide 2.5inch Opening for Easy Pulling!!


-For Direct Burial In-ground or Outdoor Conduit Duct application

I would think this should work in your application, it may need special connectors being double layer and shielded.

I would also consider one of these to protect your inside equipment from lightning http://superphonestore.com/product_info.ph...89&cPath=79

And as for shorts, I would check your POE Switch documentation, as some of them protect against damage due to this. If you dont have a POE switch Yet you might consider a single cable POE injector with short circuit protection

 

[pipeman]

That goop is there to counter expansion and contraction of the concrete.
If you cut a new slot, make it wider than minimum. Also seal it well to avoid water collection. (Freezing for you probably)
Freezing is not a problem here. haha

 

[PaulD]

I would also consider one of these to protect your inside equipment from lightning http://superphonestore.com/product_info.ph...89&cPath=79

Did not think about needing a surge protector ...another new issue...and more $$$. However I did some searches and found the outdoor cable you noted. Sounds like it is a lot fatter than standard Cat5e and may be harder to get in the existing size cut.

 

[Neurorad]

Would the alley benefit from a speed bump?

What's at either end of the alley? Do you have to go straight across?

Tunneling might be cheaper than you think - use a hammer on 'black pipe', or use water?

What's across the alley? Neighbor? Does this neighbor have an interest in the camera's presence?

Call a local concrete cutting company for a quote to widen one of the gaps/cuts.

Rent a saw to widen a gap/cut yourself.

Edit - even though a suspended wire is 'not allowed', it's only not allowed if people really care. Your neighbors may look the other way if for security purposes. Will you have a camera pointed at the road, to catch license plates, possibly benefiting neighbors?

 

[drozwood90]

I used to design PoE supplies. There are typically 4 types of supplies. Your switch has to have the style that would allow for it to be outside and the potential for lightening and shorting out.

I wouldn't worry too much.

--Dan

 

[az1324]

Solar panel + battery or beam the power with a laser B)

 

[nsisman]

The Bell contractors we used years ago (in the 80's) did driveway cuts using 2 blades on a concrete saw - laid in the wire then re- tarred (is that a word ? ) the joint.

Just some info !

 

[AnthonyZ]

IO'm with az1324 on this. I'd buy or build an approproately sized solar rig and use a wireless camera. PV panel/s, enclosure for the battery, charge controller and battery. Sounds like a fun project.

 

[PaulD]

Lots of interesting ideas here...and they all drive the cost up beyond what I am willing to pay or they are not practical in my situation. I live in a zero lot line Townhome style community with a very strict homeowners association so I have lots of physical and area constraints that restrict my options.
My main goal is to be able to see the alley area behind my home because it is essentially a blind spot from my home. The alley is a common driveway that serves the garage area for a long row of townhomes and it has a brick wall on the other side where I would like to mount a camera. I can get a limited view of this same area by mounting multiple cameras on my side of the alley but I could get a much better view with a single camera mounted on the brick wall on the other side of the alley.

 

[sic0048]

I think laying the wire in an existing expansion joint (or creating a new joint) will be fine. I would agree that the joint needs to be 50% bigger than the wire diameter to still give room for expansion and contraction of the concrete. You cannot see it, but that concrete definitely expands and contracts with the temperature. You don't want to pinch your wire too much.

If required, increasing the width of the joint is easy, just messy. I think any type of outdoor rated caulk will work fine to fill the crack again. The caulk is used mainly to keep water out of the crack - especially in a freezing environment. Obviously the caulk needs to be flexable enough to withstand the expansion and contraction of the concrete as well.

Lighting protection is also a great idea and should be researched well.

 

[Neurorad]

So who is on the other side of the alley, and would they accept supplying power to the camera? It's a good excuse to make friends with the neighbors.