Good place to get fiber optic cable?

Jessie.slimer

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I'm getting ready to trench out to my barn (about 150 feet from the house) to install some outlets and lights out there, and this is the best time to set up a camera or 2 in there. I was talked out of running cat6 underground in another post. I would like to possibly run fiber, but everywhere I am looking seems to be outrageous pricing. Maybe thats just what it is. Anyone have a good source that they have bought from? I'm guessing I will need pre terminated, as I do not have the equipment needed.
 

biggen

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Monoprice or Amazon. Here is 75 meters of OM3 Multimode for $85 shipped. What kind of transceiver did you need?

Edit: Now that I actually read you post closer I see you want to run it through conduit I assume. You aren't talking direct burial are you? What I linked is not what you want to pull and put in conduit underground. I'll take a look around.

Here is outdoor rated which can be placed in conduit underground.
 
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Jessie.slimer

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Yes I'm running it through 1 inch pvc conduit. I have some chipmunks and moles in our field that might chew exposed cable. Should be OK to run fiber in the same conduit as a few 110v wires, right?

Still looking at fiber to ethernet converters.
 

bp2008

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fs.com is a good place particularly for shorter lengths where the overhead of a regular retail store like amazon is too high. Or if you want a custom length.
 
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Disclaimer: I've never done this personally.
You should also consider a point-to-point encrypted wireless link with some Ubiquity Nanostation or Ubiquity locoM5.
Are you planning to bury the power lines inside conduit running between the buildings, or will this be direct burial for both power and fiber ethernet?

I believe non-conductive fiber cable (i.e. no electrical conductor/shield/armor) can be co-exist in a conduit run. Non-conductive/non-armored will also be way cheaper.
 

bp2008

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I've used this stuff a few times: FiberCable

It should be noted that the fibers sticking out the ends are really delicate so you would need to be very careful especially when feeding it through the conduit. On the bright side there are 6 single mode fibers in the cable whereas a typical network link only requires 2, or even 1.
 

Jessie.slimer

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Disclaimer: I've never done this personally.
You should also consider a point-to-point encrypted wireless link with some Ubiquity Nanostation or Ubiquity locoM5.
Are you planning to bury the power lines inside conduit running between the buildings, or will this be direct burial for both power and fiber ethernet?

I believe non-conductive fiber cable (i.e. no electrical conductor/shield/armor) can be co-exist in a conduit run. Non-conductive/non-armored will also be way cheaper.
Yeah, I was looking at the locos as well. I figured since I'm digging and burying conduit anyway for power, why not just do it all wired. I'm not 100% set on what I'm going to do.
 

bp2008

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Whatever you get, make sure the transceivers you buy are matched to the fiber type (single mode or multi mode) and connector (LC is most common). There are also two variants of LC connector you might find. APC (less common) and UPC (far more common). FiberCable comes with LC UPC connectors.

1596744817503.png
 

sebastiantombs

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If you're putting in conduit, I'd put in a second one for the network/low voltage stuff. The biggest expense, effort, is digging the damn trench. Comparatively speaking conduit and fittings aren't all that much. With the second conduit you'd be able to add any other low voltage stuff you might want in the future, like an intercom. Besides, it's fun spending other peoples money :lol:

I have a Nano Loco linking my sheds back to the house. It's only about 50 feet but it does work very well and keeps things isolated just in case there's a surge from lightning or something. When we replace the shed, I will be putting in two 3/4" conduits. One for power and one for low voltage.
 

Jessie.slimer

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Yeah good call. My hardware store sells the 1 inch pvc for $3/ 10ft sections. I guess it would be foolish not to spend another ~$100 and future proof it.
 

Jessie.slimer

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Whatever you get, make sure the transceivers you buy are matched to the fiber type (single mode or multi mode) and connector (LC is most common). There are also two variants of LC connector you might find. APC (less common) and UPC (far more common). FiberCable comes with LC UPC connectors.

View attachment 68148
This is helpful. I was wondering what the protocols for fiber were, which hindered my searching.
 

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Jessie.slimer

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The trencher is reserved for Wed. I will be burying about 450 feet of 3/4 pvc conduit. As per @sebastiantombs recommendation, I will have one run of 110v wires, and 1 run of low voltage wires that i plan to use for landscape lights and hardwiring contact switches on the barn doors and fence gates, and any future low voltage projects. I'm exiting the house, making a stop at the shed in the middle of the yard (will be nice to have an outlet and a light in there), then a stop at the fence to put an outlet there , then off to the barn. Doing it this way will let me pull the wires easier from box to box, rather than trying to do it all in one.

I've decided to go the nano route for barn camera(s). I think fiber will be too tricky to bring in and out of every box along the way.

I'm looking at outdoor weatherproof electrical boxes on amazon to mount to the fence post. Anyone have a fully sealed outdoor box they can recommend? Not just a waterproof cover, I need a whole single or double gang waterproof surface mount box that accepts 3/4 conduit.

Will be nice to have lights in the barn, and a fan. :headbang:
 

sebastiantombs

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Glad to hear you're doing the double conduit run. You should get a nice discount on 1000 feet. Jeesh, I wish we were closer than half a continent away!

There are tons of waterproof/weatherproof enclosures on Amazon. I'd get some mid sized ones for pull boxes, one each for 110/220 and low voltage, and just poke a hole and use a hub to put a conduit stub up to a regular, old, weatherproof outlet box from Lowes or Home Depot. The big trick is the WP cover and Lowes and Home Depot have them as well.

 
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Just to toss it out there...
If a homeowner/rancher asked us to install a 150' fiber, cost (including material) would be around $250-$350. Just a thought. Would include installing, terminating (or fusion splicing), and testing/certification. You would know the fiber was 100% correct. You could ask local telecomm data guys to buy the fiber, install it yourself, and have them come out to terminate/test which would save even more $.

However, if your run is under 320', why on earth are you running fiber? They make outdoor burial rated Cat6. If you were putting a microsoft call center out in your shop...I could see using fiber. Unless I am missing something, I advise running Cat6 (heck...4 Cat6's). Where is this other post that someone recommended going fiber?
 

sebastiantombs

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The object of the fiber, or dedicated RF link, is to provide electrical isolation between the buildings in terms of the camera system. Ground differences, even with a common ground back at the house versus the barn, can and will happen so electrical isolation, if at all possible, is probably a reasonable idea.
 

Jessie.slimer

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Glad to hear you're doing the double conduit run. You should get a nice discount on 1000 feet. Jeesh, I wish we were closer than half a continent away!

There are tons of waterproof/weatherproof enclosures on Amazon. I'd get some mid sized ones for pull boxes, one each for 110/220 and low voltage, and just poke a hole and use a hub to put a conduit stub up to a regular, old, weatherproof outlet box from Lowes or Home Depot. The big trick is the WP cover and Lowes and Home Depot have them as well.

I like the one you posted for low voltage. Added to my Amazon cart.

Was looking at this one for the 110v fence outlet.

I'm guessing I just need a waterproof cover for it.
 
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