Distance to Sensors

[medman]

Bill, have you explored a way to get sensor data from longer than 100 feet away? My EKO and storage are in the shop about 140 feet away, and I would like to have the controls there and sensors in the house. Any ideas?

Ryan

[wkuhns]

Sensors have been used with success at over 300 feet. It does require some attention to having a strong separate ground between buildings, and you may well get a bit more noise in your sensor readings - around 1/2 degree in one case. The suggested approach is to use a sensor breakout box in the remote location and use Cat5 Ethernet cable between the NFCS and the remote breakout box. A single breakout box and Cat5 cable will support 4 sensors, and the NFCS supports 2 breakout boxes.

[medman]

Thanks, Bill. I am looking at about 150' between house and shop, with boiler and storage in shop. The only way for me to run this line is with outdoor Cat5 attached to the existing run of phone cable, run overhead. Once inside the house, I would have at most another 10 feet of cable from breakout box to sensors. Can relay control of a circulator be performed over this distance as well?

I will list my needs/wants on the 'I want one' thread soon. I'm working on a diagram/logic plan of my current system vs what I want once I have controls/datalogging in place.

Ryan

[wkuhns]

You can control relays over that distance - another Cat5 cable will control a relay box with up to four relays. Some people dig a shallow trench and bury some 1" black plastic pipe and pull cable through it. Cat5 might deteriorate in sunlight and rain.

[medman]

I have been looking at outdoor grade Cat5, made for use overhead. I just spent thousands getting my landscaping and driveway done, and don't really want to dig it up again. I already have an overhead line for phone running directly between house and shop which will support additional runs of Cat5.

[wkuhns]

Perfect. As long as no one reading this gets the idea that eBay special indoor Cat5 strung from poles would be a good idea.....

Just to be clear, the NFCS does not us the Cat5 as network cable. It's simply a very convenient 8 conductor cable with very inexpensive and easy to install connectors. It also happens to have pretty low capacitance and crosstalk, so it's 'quieter' than other choices. People have hooked up sensors and relays with other wire types. In fact, the sensor cables themselves are just 6 conductor telephone cord.

[medman]

No, I am familiar with the cable types. I can get the cable and sensors, other components discounted through my work suppliers. I could use outdoor rated phone line as well, but like you said, it is only six conductor. I was thinking I could put up about 4 runs of Cat5 cable for future expansion/failsafe protection. No ladder climbing in the winter for me, thanks!

Ryan