I've done PET sleeving on several smaller looms, but I'm about to build a snake with 3 CAT6 runs and a 14/3 in it that will be 250 feet. Has anyone ever tried to do such a length before? and are there any tips or tricks?
Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
- Thread starter Tim Weaver
- Start date
Silas Pradetto
Graduate Student
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
You're gonna run 14/3 250 feet? That's a really bad idea.
You're gonna run 14/3 250 feet? That's a really bad idea.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
If the load is 4.75 amps, the voltage will drop 5%, leaving 114 volts if you start with 120. Don't plug in any air conditioners or coffee makers ;^).
Silas Pradetto
Graduate Student
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
More than 5% voltage drop from the service to the load is against the NEC. Not that it matters, but still.
More than 5% voltage drop from the service to the load is against the NEC. Not that it matters, but still.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Tim, I just did a pair of snakes similar to that. One was 100' and the other 200'. I put 3 cat5e shielded and 2 110ohm genderless xlr cables in each. It is much easier to do if you have the space to lay it out in a straight line. I did tape the cables together before pulling them through the braiding. I don't know if that was necessary. Consider adding another cat6 or adding an xlr or two if it's not too late. YMMV
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Tim, I just did a pair of snakes similar to that. One was 100' and the other 200'. I put 3 cat5e shielded and 2 110ohm genderless xlr cables in each. It is much easier to do if you have the space to lay it out in a straight line. I did tape the cables together before pulling them through the braiding. I don't know if that was necessary. Consider adding another cat6 or adding an xlr or two if it's not too late. YMMV
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Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
My load will be under 1.5 amps. Voltage drop is 1.9 volts for a 1.5 amp load. I'm fine.
John, what size sleeve did you get for your run? Also, one of my cat6's is just for analog/dmx signals. I'll have break out/in boxes on both ends.
My load will be under 1.5 amps. Voltage drop is 1.9 volts for a 1.5 amp load. I'm fine.
John, what size sleeve did you get for your run? Also, one of my cat6's is just for analog/dmx signals. I'll have break out/in boxes on both ends.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
John,
Funny, I was talking about this very subject all week. I just had a touring artist bring a cat 5/6 bundle with TechFlex, and it was slick. My worry was once that got dirty, how would you clean it? Are you just using tape and heat shrink? Is that easy to wrap? Do you feel you need better protection ?
We were thinking a single 12/3, and at least 4 cat 5e/6- 2 STP and 2 UTP, and possibly 2 combinations (indoor / outdoor).
John,
Funny, I was talking about this very subject all week. I just had a touring artist bring a cat 5/6 bundle with TechFlex, and it was slick. My worry was once that got dirty, how would you clean it? Are you just using tape and heat shrink? Is that easy to wrap? Do you feel you need better protection ?
We were thinking a single 12/3, and at least 4 cat 5e/6- 2 STP and 2 UTP, and possibly 2 combinations (indoor / outdoor).
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
I'm preparing to loom my 12/3, 5x Cat5e, 2x tieline snake (100'). Having done a 25' before, there's no way I'll do it again without the proper tool. What a pain in the butt! I've found the proper tool (http://www.techflex.com/land_cuttinstltools.asp), & from my google searching, its prohibitively expensive unless you plan on doing ALOT of looming to make up the investment. I'm trying to come up with a DIY solution since this is pretty much of a one-off. Any ideas would be appreciated.
I'm preparing to loom my 12/3, 5x Cat5e, 2x tieline snake (100'). Having done a 25' before, there's no way I'll do it again without the proper tool. What a pain in the butt! I've found the proper tool (http://www.techflex.com/land_cuttinstltools.asp), & from my google searching, its prohibitively expensive unless you plan on doing ALOT of looming to make up the investment. I'm trying to come up with a DIY solution since this is pretty much of a one-off. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
The instructions for that tool suggest that you could get similar results with a piece of pipe and couple pieces of tape. The only real question is how much you can compress the braided sleeving (this dictates the pipe size and length you'll need).
The instructions for that tool suggest that you could get similar results with a piece of pipe and couple pieces of tape. The only real question is how much you can compress the braided sleeving (this dictates the pipe size and length you'll need).
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
I would just hose it down making sure the ends stayed out of the water.
I would just hose it down making sure the ends stayed out of the water.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Joel, it depends on how it got dirty. Simple dry dirt & dust? It will eventually shake off. A damp rag will do the job. Mud that penetrates the weave of the TechFlex will be another matter, and the solution will depend on how anal you or an artist gets about what is considered "clean."
Joel, it depends on how it got dirty. Simple dry dirt & dust? It will eventually shake off. A damp rag will do the job. Mud that penetrates the weave of the TechFlex will be another matter, and the solution will depend on how anal you or an artist gets about what is considered "clean."
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Well mine cable bundle is ready for termination. I simply used a 10' piece of thin wall PVC pipe to hold the sleeving & recruited the wife's help to feed the bundle into the pipe & hold the end of the pipe. It was much easier than doing it this way than doing it without the pipe & a heckofalot cheaper than buying that install tool.
Some things I learned-
1) buy more sleeving than you need. I ordered 100', & I ended up about 15' short once installed - made for a real big fan out at each end :roll:
2) only tape the cable bundle together at the start of the fanout & no more. My cables were already bundled with friction tape so I had to cut it all off to avoid bird-nesting the bundle.
3) order sleeving larger than your bundle. I measured 3/4" in diameter for my bundle so I ordered 3/4" sleeving (1/2"-1 1/2" according to the website) I think this would've been a lot easier using 1" sleeving as the 3/4" barely expanded enough to fit over the 1" thin-wall PVC pipe.
Overall, I'm happy with the results. It looks clean & the bundle doesn't seem to want to snag on itself when unrolling from an unattended over/under coil.
Well mine cable bundle is ready for termination. I simply used a 10' piece of thin wall PVC pipe to hold the sleeving & recruited the wife's help to feed the bundle into the pipe & hold the end of the pipe. It was much easier than doing it this way than doing it without the pipe & a heckofalot cheaper than buying that install tool.
Some things I learned-
1) buy more sleeving than you need. I ordered 100', & I ended up about 15' short once installed - made for a real big fan out at each end :roll:
2) only tape the cable bundle together at the start of the fanout & no more. My cables were already bundled with friction tape so I had to cut it all off to avoid bird-nesting the bundle.
3) order sleeving larger than your bundle. I measured 3/4" in diameter for my bundle so I ordered 3/4" sleeving (1/2"-1 1/2" according to the website) I think this would've been a lot easier using 1" sleeving as the 3/4" barely expanded enough to fit over the 1" thin-wall PVC pipe.
Overall, I'm happy with the results. It looks clean & the bundle doesn't seem to want to snag on itself when unrolling from an unattended over/under coil.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
I have not seen one in some time but they used to make a zipper body for wire bundles that was real slick. I knew a band that had one and if they had a bad line in it they could change it. I could see a modern version with Velcro or make something yourself like it. I know I may take some heat for this next comment but I would not run the power in with the catX cables. 250 is a long way and we do not let power that close to it in cable trays for a few reasons. Just saying. Also up it to 12ga.
http://www.cableorganizer.com/zipper-sleeve/
I have not seen one in some time but they used to make a zipper body for wire bundles that was real slick. I knew a band that had one and if they had a bad line in it they could change it. I could see a modern version with Velcro or make something yourself like it. I know I may take some heat for this next comment but I would not run the power in with the catX cables. 250 is a long way and we do not let power that close to it in cable trays for a few reasons. Just saying. Also up it to 12ga.
http://www.cableorganizer.com/zipper-sleeve/
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Pretty much every tour out there has a long power cable taped to copper drive lines, network cables, and/or some sort of digital audio snake. Installation in a tray may be one thing, but for portable applications it's perfectly serviceable.
While I'd normally agree with the wire gauge comment, the OP's use is such that the intended AWG is fine.
Pretty much every tour out there has a long power cable taped to copper drive lines, network cables, and/or some sort of digital audio snake. Installation in a tray may be one thing, but for portable applications it's perfectly serviceable.
While I'd normally agree with the wire gauge comment, the OP's use is such that the intended AWG is fine.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
While I have never done it with wires or cables, what I do when working with sailboat ropes. I use knitting needles, they are made out of very thin wall aluminum, come in lots of different diameters and are cheap. You pull the plug off the end, then tape your wires (or rope) inside, then it's easy to work through the sleeve.
While I have never done it with wires or cables, what I do when working with sailboat ropes. I use knitting needles, they are made out of very thin wall aluminum, come in lots of different diameters and are cheap. You pull the plug off the end, then tape your wires (or rope) inside, then it's easy to work through the sleeve.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Yup. Very common to see multiple CATx lines bundled with a 10/5, 120/208v 30 amp service to FOH. Nary a problem, but we're not doing networking on an enterprise scale, which I think is Glenn's background.
Yup. Very common to see multiple CATx lines bundled with a 10/5, 120/208v 30 amp service to FOH. Nary a problem, but we're not doing networking on an enterprise scale, which I think is Glenn's background.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Thanks Tim and you are right. I just ran 3 HD cameras 200 foot bound to a lighting truss along with god knows what else and had no dropped frames or data snorts of any kind. Old ways die hard. I like isolation wherever possible. I've seen EMI do some strange things in networks in the CAT5 days. CAT6 seems quite stable.
Thanks Tim and you are right. I just ran 3 HD cameras 200 foot bound to a lighting truss along with god knows what else and had no dropped frames or data snorts of any kind. Old ways die hard. I like isolation wherever possible. I've seen EMI do some strange things in networks in the CAT5 days. CAT6 seems quite stable.
Re: Anyone done a really long braided sleeving project?
Nothing funkier looking than a tour veteran sleeved bundle that was not taped at intervals along its full length. The cables swap positions and the bundle gets very lumpy and reticent to coil nicely.
Nothing funkier looking than a tour veteran sleeved bundle that was not taped at intervals along its full length. The cables swap positions and the bundle gets very lumpy and reticent to coil nicely.