Outdoor mounting - need flex conduit to cover cat6 cable?

[azgolfer]

I am planning to mount an outdoor IP camera just below a roof eaves (see attached picture).

The drill location for the cat6 wire is about 6" to 12" away from the planned camera mounting location. Do I need to run the cat6 wire through a 1/2" flex conduit, or can I just drill a 1/4" hole and run the cat6 exposed to the junction box?

The mounting location likely will not get wet from rains, but it does get exposed to the sun for about 2 hours in the morning.

Thanks

 

[spencnor]

I am planning to mount an outdoor IP camera just below a roof eaves (see attached picture).

The drill location for the cat6 wire is about 6" to 12" away from the planned camera mounting location. Do I need to run the cat6 wire through a 1/2" flex conduit, or can I just drill a 1/4" hole and run the cat6 exposed to the junction box?

The mounting location likely will not get wet from rains, but it does get exposed to the sun for about 2 hours in the morning.

Thanks

I don't like exterior exposed cable as a rule. It looks like you can drill up at an angle, maybe 45 degrees, from your camera location up towards your mark drill location and get into your attic. Just start your drill point straight and then start angling up as you drill. A 3/8" hole is all you need for an Ethernet cable.

 

[Zorac]

you would probably be fine doing that. if you do it, make sure you silicon up the whole into your attic around the wire and secondly watch where dripping on the cable goes (don't want dew/rain/etc on the wire going right into the camera). runing something like ubiquit tough cable would minize exposure issues as well. not much different than most satellite dishes out there! that said, im like spencnor and don't like exposed wire outside as a rule of thumb. wouldn't be bad to stick in a junction box and some conduit though and you wouldn't have to worry about it.. they even have flex conduit now to make it that much easier!

 

[nayr]

at least put some of this stuff over your exposed cabling to keep the UV from degrading it: uxcell 17.3Ft Length Wave Type 1/2" Outer Diameter Plastic Loom Tubing: Thin Wall Heat Shrink Tubing: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[spencnor]

you would probably be fine doing that. if you do it, make sure you silicon up the whole into your attic around the wire and secondly watch where dripping on the cable goes (don't want dew/rain/etc on the wire going right into the camera). runing something like ubiquit tough cable would minize exposure issues as well. not much different than most satellite dishes out there! that said, im like spencnor and don't like exposed wire outside as a rule of thumb. wouldn't be bad to stick in a junction box and some conduit though and you wouldn't have to worry about it.. they even have flex conduit now to make it that much easier!

To clarify, mark the outline of your junction box and the back knock out, or hole, on the stucco beam. Drill from the back knock out location at an angle up into your attic. I have a number of different length 3/8" drill bits, 12", 24" and 54", I use for fishing cables. The 24" drill bit should be long enough to get you into the attic. Run your cable, then silicone the back of the junction box before you mount it. As insurance you can also run a bead of caulk around the top edge of the junction box against the stucco. The cable should be protected inside the junction box. Then no need for flex conduit or looms.