Drop Cord?

[FCPuma]

We need to have a Cat5 connection in the middle of a large warehouse assembly area. There are electric outlets dropped from the overhead (20 ft) to about 6 ft above the floor.

Does anyone have any simple ideas for providing strain relief when dropping a data line that far? My initial thought is to drop another piece of wire for support and zip tying the live wire to it.

There are no conduits or other means of physical support existing to secure the line to.

Thanks

 

[franklin97355]

If it has to be flexible you could use a 1/2" rubber hose and run the cable inside that. If not EMT from the ceiling would work.

 

[skip555]

a few thoughts

plastic "smurf tube" conduit

drop the wire inside of a piece of plastic hose.

use plastic chain (or metal chain for that matter )and tie wrap to the chain links

 

[Servamatic]

A kellum grip would be the proper way to do this, and use a wire to support the kellum grip about halfway down the hanging cable. Otherwise you will have the weight of the cable and termination stretching your cat 5 cable into a cat 3 cable.

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[FCPuma]

May I be so dense as to ask what a kellum grip is? :}
Thanks

 

[FCPuma]

Nevermind. I found the general concept with a google search. Now need to look for kellum grip for my needs. Thanks again.

 

[Kwick18]

I use a kellum grip on flex conduit with a box on the end. Attach kellum grip with beam clamp and also wire-tie kellum and cable to the beam clamp.

 

[DTSMAN]

I have done a situation similar to this where I came up through a floor. Where I came through the floor I installed one of those outdoor electrical boxes and attached outdoor flex conduit to it with all the appropriate outdoor hardware and the conduit went to the junction box that was attached to a table that was on casters and could be moved so many feet one way or the other. Pretty much I copied what the electrician did for the electrical and of course used stranded wire in this situation. I cable in a lot of industrial enviroments which are subject to grease and water spatter this is why I still have to use a sharpie for labling my junction boxes even though I was told I was unprofessional on a different thread and did not feel like explaing what I do at that time. I feel that would hold your junction box and also allow you to run more than one cable to this locaiton. Even though a kellum grip would work, I personaly don't like bare Cat5 in an industrial atmosphere.