Outdoor PoE Terminations and Corrosion

[peotnes]

On a separate forum we were discussing PoE camera systems and one member mentioned that he doesn't do outdoor PoE anymore because of corrosion issues on the wires that provide the power due to high humidity (rainy side of Pacific Northwest). Obviously I intend using dielectric gel for any outside connections and will leave enough slack to re-terminate if needed.

I was wondering if there are any CaT-6 terminators designed for weather or if there were any techniques other than dielectric grease and waterproof tape I could use to mitigate the issue?

A second consideration is that I'm planing making dual runs so will have on terminated end that wont be connected, but available. I was also wondering if there was something better than dielectric grease and tape for that? The tape I'm talking about is the one used by Hams to seal antenna connections from weather.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Use the dielectric grease, just a small dab, coax seal and then wrap with a good quality electrical tape like 3M 33+ or 88. I have no connections directly exposed to weather, so that's another consideration. Use the appropriate mounting box for each camera to provide protection from direct exposure. There are a number of people here, on IPCT, that live in the Pacific Northwest, Florida, the Gulf Coast and other areas where rain, heavy snow and humidity are a problem but never seem to have any problems with connections to their cameras, IF they're properly protected.

 

[SouthernYankee]

^^^^^
I live in Houston, this place is a swamp. The summers are 90+F and 90%+ humidity. All cameras are POE. I use dielectric grease, and wrap the connections with good electrical tape. All connections are in the wall, soffit or electric box. No problems in more than 2.5 years.

 

[fenderman]

On a separate forum we were discussing PoE camera systems and one member mentioned that he doesn't do outdoor PoE anymore because of corrosion issues on the wires that provide the power due to high humidity (rainy side of Pacific Northwest). Obviously I intend using dielectric gel for any outside connections and will leave enough slack to re-terminate if needed.

I was wondering if there are any CaT-6 terminators designed for weather or if there were any techniques other than dielectric grease and waterproof tape I could use to mitigate the issue?

A second consideration is that I'm planing making dual runs so will have on terminated end that wont be connected, but available. I was also wondering if there was something better than dielectric grease and tape for that? The tape I'm talking about is the one used by Hams to seal antenna connections from weather.

They guy who wrote that nonsense is an incompetent or lying crook and the reason this forum exists. He can not seal a connection properly and blames it on the weather.

 

[c_snyder]

I've been using Dow #4 compound on all of my ethernet connections outdoors and I haven't had any failures yet. Somewhat expensive to some but a 5 oz tube goes a long way.

The northwest is wet but PoE exists in even worse places like coastal ports that get blasted with salt spray year round and they hold up fine when properly sealed.

 

[peotnes]

Thanks all and appreciate the input! Lots of good points and will be looking into the Dow #4 mentioned above. I'm also likely to treat the contacts with DeOxit which I've been doing on audio and radio gear for years.

 

[Parkingben]

I've been using Dow #4 compound on all of my ethernet connections outdoors and I haven't had any failures yet. Somewhat expensive to some but a 5 oz tube goes a long way.

The northwest is wet but PoE exists in even worse places like coastal ports that get blasted with salt spray year round and they hold up fine when properly sealed.

Do you have any pictures by any chance? I was wondering how this was used. I've been just leaving my poe connections in a junction box.

 

[LittleBrother]

I can’t see the point to electrical tape. I doubt it will seal any better than the sealed connections all the cameras come with (with the twist seal gasket and rubber crimp thingy around the Ethernet cable). Dielectric isn’t a bad idea, but at least in my very limited experience (three cams running around six years in New York) when I didn’t use it I had no issues.

POE is so convenient I can’t imagine going backward to something else!

all of my cameras are under eaves so get no direct rain but all connections are unboxed. When you look up at the camera you can see the connection. I made my own ghetto style camera mounts with plywood that just slips in under the soffits

 

[fenderman]

I can’t see the point to electrical tape. I doubt it will seal any better than the sealed connections all the cameras come with (with the twist seal gasket and rubber crimp thingy around the Ethernet cable). Dielectric isn’t a bad idea, but at least in my very limited experience (three cams running around six years in New York) when I didn’t use it I had no issues.

POE is so convenient I can’t imagine going backward to something else!

all of my cameras are under eaves so get no direct rain but all connections are unboxed. When you look up at the camera you can see the connection. I made my own ghetto style camera mounts with plywood that just slips in under the soffits

The electrical tape is not providing the seal. Its the silicon/coax tape.

 

[tigerwillow1]

I can’t see the point to electrical tape.

My experience with an imperfect seal, which I consider electrical tape to be, is that it does more harm than good. If the seal lets any moisture at all through, it never evaporates and moisture keeps accumulating under/inside it.

 

[Armysurplus]

I sealed cables for big brother for many years, and if you seal it up it will stay dry. If you seal it up and there is moisture of any "kind "it will sweat (condensation). On the coast and high hum. areas we have a 2 year cycle for inspection/maint repair and or the VSWR goes over 1.5-2.0. on all eyes, ears and mouths (optics, revivers, xmitters) I know My reference is to RF, but a signal is a signal from DC to daylight (0Hz to light/ inf). Now I'm really off topic LOL Sorry for the lecture. Keep it dry and use good materials to seal it with and you will be good. A quick repair that lasts is seal the joint with outdoor heat-srink that has the glue in it then a wrap, you cant go wrong

 

[TonyR]

To those folks that read only the part about the electrical tape and think that provides all the protection:

As stated by @sebastiantombs in post #2, the electrical tape is ON TOP of the coax seal (self-vulcanizing rubber tape). It's purpose is to aid/speed up the curing/fusing of the coax seal (self-vulcanizing rubber tape).

The entire process and links to materials used are are described in detail by some old fart ==>> here

 

[sebastiantombs]

Another purpose of the electrical tape is some physical protection for the rubber tape to help prevent, maybe not totally eliminate, punctures and tears to the rubber. If properly applied, with no gaps or wrinkles, it also adds another seal. When working on RF, I had access to a rubber seal system used by power companies. It use a thick rubber tube, of the appropriate diameters, with a rigid spiral wrap of nylon inside. When that spiral wrap was pulled out the rubber retracted like heat shrink does, but no heat was required. They were thick, as in about 1/4", and sealed tight as heck. Even then, they got wrapped with multiple layers of 3M 88, who wants to climbs a 250 foot tower to fix one if it can be avoided?

 

[TonyR]

Below is, in part, taken from a post I made earlier this year at => HikVision DS-1280ZJ-DM21 correct way for a watertight installation

"....The fact is that most typical junction boxes and connectors for cameras cannot be placed in the direct, pouring rain or truly be called "waterproof". Due mainly to what I term "differential thermal cycling" (heating up and cooling off) they heat up during the day and expand the trapped air then at night when they cool off the trapped air contracts, drawing in damp outside air which condenses and collects as it does not exit well....it just builds up and assists corrosion of untreated connections. Even small drain holes in a box may be too small for the condensate to exit due to the water's surface tension and lack of positive pressure to force it out....if the hole IS big enough then the bugs come in. The mating of non-precision box and connector surfaces, poor gasket performance or improper installation can also allow moisture intrusion.​

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So the best idea, IMO, is to waterproof the connection (dielectric grease, coax seal/self-vulcanizing rubber tape, 3M 33+ or 88 electrical tape) in that so-called waterproof connector on the pigtail or any Ethernet connection anywhere outdoors, even if the pigtail is under a roof eave or the Ethernet connection is inside the box.​

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As others here have stated, they purposely go the extra distance to protect the RJ-45 male to female connection from corrosion in areas of high humidity even when not directly exposed to the rain; most areas of high humidity have large swings of temperature from midday to midnight which assists the thermal cycling event and the subsequent pulling in and collection of corrosion-producing moisture I described above."​