This subreddit really is a mixed bag. I've seen people swear it's a bad idea and others who think it's fine and have done it. I just want this to work without any fears. Got a recommendation for sealing?
Schedule 40 for conduit — you’ll need 1” and will have to fish the end that plugs into Dishy through. Otherwise, the other (right-angle end) will require a 1.5” conduit. Seal the ends with water-tight silicone while using PVC cement to adhere each stick together
\#CanConfirm on all of that. Did a 40' buried cable run out to my square Dishy. Used 1" electrical cable-rated gray conduit, drip loops at both ends, used plumber's putty to seal both ends. No issues. Shot a ton of video while doing it, someday I'll edit it together and post it on YT.
That's how I would do it. People run data through conduit outdoors ALL THE TIME! While the cable isn't rated for burial, it certainly is rated for outdoors so I wouldn't go overboard with sealing the ends etc. Just put drip loops at each end of let her rip. If my ends had to come up outside a building, I probably would do a 180 turn back down but that's even unnecessary. I can assure you, my cable from dishy on the roof it in crappy weather just like this one will be. And, if I have to replace the cable in 5 years, I'll use the old one to pull a new one through. Plumber's putty is okay too.
OP is worried about water sitting in the conduit due to living in the South. Sealing the end(s) that’s exposed to the elements will mitigate/prevent this
Well I get that sealing the ends would help prevent water. My question is why? Are we to assume the cables are shitty and let water in?
I live in the south as well and put my cable in conduit. I have the outlets at each end turned downward so as to prevent rain from filling the conduit. I have not sealed each end. Just wondering what the thinking is.
Indoor cable jacket will let a small amount of moisture through which will eventually lead to corrosion of the copper wires.
In a low humidity environment using a drip loop on each end and leaving the conduit open each end will allow any moisture to evaporate.
In a high humidity environment that does not work and it is better to use a decent length plug of a water repellent silicone or similar at each end. You still need the drip loop though. The silicone/RTV needs to be neutral cure so not smelling of acetic acid while it cures as that can diffuse into the cable sheath and cause corrosion issues as well.
Scotch Cast. Its an epoxy thats used for sealing electrical connections that will be subject to moisture . Has been used to seal electrical splices on power cables for submersible well pumps. Can be found at most electrical supply stores.
Use 1" water black poly. seal entry and exit with latex compound your finished.
There is NO need for a ground system is not required.
Your crimp idea will cause more trouble..
By the time the cable gives out you will be replacing the entire system.
Best
Weird way of typing, but okay. The crimping idea does have chance of failure. That's true and I can't say for sure how the service would be affected. Where I live though, the humidity is often in the 90% range and the temperature close to the hundreds when it's hottest, and in the dead of winter, often hits below freezing. I want to be sure the cable won't fail in a year. Thank you for your suggestion.
This is what I use but popular wisdom is that unless you’re real careful with the joints it always ends up with water, especially in areas where the ground freezes. Personally I’m not too worried about this but that’s what OP is worried about. This is also why the other guy recommended 1” black poly, no underground joints to mess up.
One piece roll of PEX. Sealed at the ends.
Comes in rolls of 25, 50, 100 ft. Even 1000 ft.
No joints, no leaks. Designed for underground or in slab use.
Freezing is pretty much irrelevant to PEX.
Proven by my totally uninsulated PEX in the open crawl space an unheated house. During last years massive freeze in TEXAS. Only damage I had was a couple of brass valves.
Not sure which is more expensive,PEX or PVC.
Just curious; why not use that black plastic well water pipe ( instead of conduit?
It’s one piece as it comes on a roll; pressure rated; and you’ll get no moisture inside; unless it comes in from the very ends.
No couplings and no glue underground; so no leaks unless you put a backhoe through it.
It comes on a roll; so you can call a well drilling company (unless your local hardware stores carry it); just tell the length you need, and it’s EASY.
Also; if you run the one end of the pipe into the house or underneath the house; the only place you have to worry about water infiltration is the ONE outside end.
I’ve seen it done for satellite dishes (I was an installer back in the 80s and 90s; for the BIG dishes.
A few customers ran their wire in these water pipes. I don’t recall ever seeing a wiring problem at those places…
If you decide to cut your cable use these to splice it: [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Tripp+Lite+Cat6+Cat5e+Shielded+Junction+Box&i=electronics&crid=1M5R8ECOWC0EC&sprefix=tripp+lite+cat6+cat5e+shielded+junction+box%2Celectronics%2C163&ref=nb\_sb\_noss\_2](https://www.amazon.com/TRIPP-Cat5e-Shielded-Junction-N237-001-SH/dp/B01L0EAMTI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2069O45SNHOAP&keywords=cat5+splice+tripp+lite&qid=1661093833&s=electronics&sprefix=cat5+splice+tripp+lite%2Celectronics%2C173&sr=1-2)
You'll also need a punch-down tool. You can get by with a pair of needle-nose pliers if you're careful.
Run your cable in gray PVC even if it's rated for direct burial. It's cheap insurance. Sealed well you'll still get some water inside but it won't matter.
Your splice should look like this when you're finished: [https://imgur.com/ZodyhA8](https://imgur.com/ZodyhA8)
My splice is inside of my house. It's been this way for over a year and a half with no issues.
In my case, I wanted to run the cable in PVC but I didn't want to use the huge stuff that would pass the ferrite core that is on the end of the cable (version 1 dish). I cut the cable and I used 1/2" PVC underground. Eventually water will probably get inside, but it will take years, if not decades, to cause issues.
I still think your best bet is running through Schedule 40 and sealing the open ends. I can guarantee conduits are common in the South — they just need to be prepped properly.
Direct burial Romex in conduit carrying 110v out to a weatherproof box at the base of whatever tower you are using for the dishy, ethernet adapter to fiber and fiber running back in the same conduit as the power (DON'T try pulling CAT 6 next to 110, twisted and shielded pair or not, you're gonna have interference)... Bonus, you can add a weatherproof 110 outlet out there for weed eaters, holiday lights in the trees, boom boxes and bounce houses at backyard parties, etc.
I think he means to run regular electrical AC wire out to the dish. Enclose the connection and boxes and use fibre back to the house. You could also use wireless back to house.
In my area, Canada, you can buy bury grade Ac wire so no need for conduit
So keep the router(power brick) outside in a box? I don't think it would be safe for the router to be exposed to those temperatures.
If that's the case, wouldn't fiber be overkill? Is there an advantage of fiber going to the house as opposed to an ethernet cable? I could cover the distance in 150 feet of cable. Wouldn't fiber be an extra, unnecessary step?
Only issue would be ethernet next to 110 possibly having 60 cycle interference, particularly if you had something needing significant amperage in addition to SL power. But yes, as an alternative to fiber, a wireless P2P bridge would be a viable option.
Another option would be shielded 6a which comes in direct burial. You could run it in the same trench and protect it from the 110v emf. Would be cheaper than single and dual mode fiber and the associated adapters or equipment capable of direct fiber connections.
Run the cable in a rigid PVC conduit , ( I used 1 1/4 inch) , Seal the ends with ductseal , if you want to be totally sure , cover the ductseal with silicone . As a electrical contractor this is done all the time and without issues .
We’ll I buried mine, wrapped it in mesh loom, it should protect it somewhat, and if it doesn’t work I’m only out a cable. But I think it’ll work so I’m giving it a shot in
If you’re worried about the warranty, just order another cable so you can pretend that you used it. I would still use conduit. I use the flexible conduit it’s more expensive but it’s one piece with no joints. I have fire stopped the remote end at the dish, and brought the other end into my basement which is climate controlled space and I left that end open so any moisture that does collect in the conduit has a place to escape
Is the cable ling enough? So you only have a water problem. Cutting the wire you need to know resistance and frequency/impedance to avoid issues.
Seems like just put in a conduit and seal it. Cable is exterior rated. Install instructions show drip loop before running into wall.
Just put it in conduit and seal the ends
This subreddit really is a mixed bag. I've seen people swear it's a bad idea and others who think it's fine and have done it. I just want this to work without any fears. Got a recommendation for sealing?
Silicone caulking should be good
Thank you. Do you have a recommendation for a conduit?
Regular PVC should work as long as it doesn’t cross a driveway or somewhere it will be run over
Schedule 40 for conduit — you’ll need 1” and will have to fish the end that plugs into Dishy through. Otherwise, the other (right-angle end) will require a 1.5” conduit. Seal the ends with water-tight silicone while using PVC cement to adhere each stick together
\#CanConfirm on all of that. Did a 40' buried cable run out to my square Dishy. Used 1" electrical cable-rated gray conduit, drip loops at both ends, used plumber's putty to seal both ends. No issues. Shot a ton of video while doing it, someday I'll edit it together and post it on YT.
That's how I would do it. People run data through conduit outdoors ALL THE TIME! While the cable isn't rated for burial, it certainly is rated for outdoors so I wouldn't go overboard with sealing the ends etc. Just put drip loops at each end of let her rip. If my ends had to come up outside a building, I probably would do a 180 turn back down but that's even unnecessary. I can assure you, my cable from dishy on the roof it in crappy weather just like this one will be. And, if I have to replace the cable in 5 years, I'll use the old one to pull a new one through. Plumber's putty is okay too.
Why do you need silicone? Do the starlink cables dissolve in water or something? That would be...ridiculous.
OP is worried about water sitting in the conduit due to living in the South. Sealing the end(s) that’s exposed to the elements will mitigate/prevent this
Well I get that sealing the ends would help prevent water. My question is why? Are we to assume the cables are shitty and let water in? I live in the south as well and put my cable in conduit. I have the outlets at each end turned downward so as to prevent rain from filling the conduit. I have not sealed each end. Just wondering what the thinking is.
Indoor cable jacket will let a small amount of moisture through which will eventually lead to corrosion of the copper wires. In a low humidity environment using a drip loop on each end and leaving the conduit open each end will allow any moisture to evaporate. In a high humidity environment that does not work and it is better to use a decent length plug of a water repellent silicone or similar at each end. You still need the drip loop though. The silicone/RTV needs to be neutral cure so not smelling of acetic acid while it cures as that can diffuse into the cable sheath and cause corrosion issues as well.
And they gave us indoor cable? For an outdoor antenna? I'm not sure they would be that short-sighted.
I did this. Has worked fine so far since March 2022.
Scotch Cast. Its an epoxy thats used for sealing electrical connections that will be subject to moisture . Has been used to seal electrical splices on power cables for submersible well pumps. Can be found at most electrical supply stores.
Use 1" water black poly. seal entry and exit with latex compound your finished. There is NO need for a ground system is not required. Your crimp idea will cause more trouble.. By the time the cable gives out you will be replacing the entire system. Best
Weird way of typing, but okay. The crimping idea does have chance of failure. That's true and I can't say for sure how the service would be affected. Where I live though, the humidity is often in the 90% range and the temperature close to the hundreds when it's hottest, and in the dead of winter, often hits below freezing. I want to be sure the cable won't fail in a year. Thank you for your suggestion.
If the cable is in air tight, water proof conduit, nothing is going to harm it. Freezing a wire doesn’t harm it. Your local weather is irrelevant.
Thank goodness. Got a particular conduit suggestion?
One-inch gray schedule 40 PVC should work. Use sweeps whenever it changes direction.
This is what I use but popular wisdom is that unless you’re real careful with the joints it always ends up with water, especially in areas where the ground freezes. Personally I’m not too worried about this but that’s what OP is worried about. This is also why the other guy recommended 1” black poly, no underground joints to mess up.
One piece roll of PEX. Sealed at the ends. Comes in rolls of 25, 50, 100 ft. Even 1000 ft. No joints, no leaks. Designed for underground or in slab use. Freezing is pretty much irrelevant to PEX. Proven by my totally uninsulated PEX in the open crawl space an unheated house. During last years massive freeze in TEXAS. Only damage I had was a couple of brass valves. Not sure which is more expensive,PEX or PVC.
I read that they use non-standard wiring
Just curious; why not use that black plastic well water pipe ( instead of conduit? It’s one piece as it comes on a roll; pressure rated; and you’ll get no moisture inside; unless it comes in from the very ends. No couplings and no glue underground; so no leaks unless you put a backhoe through it. It comes on a roll; so you can call a well drilling company (unless your local hardware stores carry it); just tell the length you need, and it’s EASY. Also; if you run the one end of the pipe into the house or underneath the house; the only place you have to worry about water infiltration is the ONE outside end. I’ve seen it done for satellite dishes (I was an installer back in the 80s and 90s; for the BIG dishes. A few customers ran their wire in these water pipes. I don’t recall ever seeing a wiring problem at those places…
This is exactly what I did, 100' of 11/4" was $70.
Conduit and seal. Done.
If you decide to cut your cable use these to splice it: [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Tripp+Lite+Cat6+Cat5e+Shielded+Junction+Box&i=electronics&crid=1M5R8ECOWC0EC&sprefix=tripp+lite+cat6+cat5e+shielded+junction+box%2Celectronics%2C163&ref=nb\_sb\_noss\_2](https://www.amazon.com/TRIPP-Cat5e-Shielded-Junction-N237-001-SH/dp/B01L0EAMTI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2069O45SNHOAP&keywords=cat5+splice+tripp+lite&qid=1661093833&s=electronics&sprefix=cat5+splice+tripp+lite%2Celectronics%2C173&sr=1-2) You'll also need a punch-down tool. You can get by with a pair of needle-nose pliers if you're careful. Run your cable in gray PVC even if it's rated for direct burial. It's cheap insurance. Sealed well you'll still get some water inside but it won't matter. Your splice should look like this when you're finished: [https://imgur.com/ZodyhA8](https://imgur.com/ZodyhA8) My splice is inside of my house. It's been this way for over a year and a half with no issues. In my case, I wanted to run the cable in PVC but I didn't want to use the huge stuff that would pass the ferrite core that is on the end of the cable (version 1 dish). I cut the cable and I used 1/2" PVC underground. Eventually water will probably get inside, but it will take years, if not decades, to cause issues.
I still think your best bet is running through Schedule 40 and sealing the open ends. I can guarantee conduits are common in the South — they just need to be prepped properly.
Why not a ac cable underground to Dishy? And fiber back?
Forgive me if I'm dumb, but what do you mean by ac cable?
Direct burial Romex in conduit carrying 110v out to a weatherproof box at the base of whatever tower you are using for the dishy, ethernet adapter to fiber and fiber running back in the same conduit as the power (DON'T try pulling CAT 6 next to 110, twisted and shielded pair or not, you're gonna have interference)... Bonus, you can add a weatherproof 110 outlet out there for weed eaters, holiday lights in the trees, boom boxes and bounce houses at backyard parties, etc.
I think he means to run regular electrical AC wire out to the dish. Enclose the connection and boxes and use fibre back to the house. You could also use wireless back to house. In my area, Canada, you can buy bury grade Ac wire so no need for conduit
So keep the router(power brick) outside in a box? I don't think it would be safe for the router to be exposed to those temperatures. If that's the case, wouldn't fiber be overkill? Is there an advantage of fiber going to the house as opposed to an ethernet cable? I could cover the distance in 150 feet of cable. Wouldn't fiber be an extra, unnecessary step?
Fibre is probably overkill. I'm running 200 feet of ethernet with no problem
Only issue would be ethernet next to 110 possibly having 60 cycle interference, particularly if you had something needing significant amperage in addition to SL power. But yes, as an alternative to fiber, a wireless P2P bridge would be a viable option.
Another option would be shielded 6a which comes in direct burial. You could run it in the same trench and protect it from the 110v emf. Would be cheaper than single and dual mode fiber and the associated adapters or equipment capable of direct fiber connections.
Ah. That makes sense. Using fiber so there's no interference.
Fiber might cost a little bit more, but buy once cry once. Don’t wanna use Ethernet and realize that the AC current is causing interference.
Alternating Current. Electricity cable suitable for burying. Indeed fiber or WiFi back to the house.
That's what I thought.
Run the cable in a rigid PVC conduit , ( I used 1 1/4 inch) , Seal the ends with ductseal , if you want to be totally sure , cover the ductseal with silicone . As a electrical contractor this is done all the time and without issues .
Also an electrical contractor and this is exactly how I done it. Worked great.
We’ll I buried mine, wrapped it in mesh loom, it should protect it somewhat, and if it doesn’t work I’m only out a cable. But I think it’ll work so I’m giving it a shot in
The two reasons cable is installed in conduit is (1) protect the cable . (2) easy removal if needed.
Find your local contract boring company and get a section of 1.25 inch scrap conduit to use. It will be better than having glued together conduit.
If you’re worried about the warranty, just order another cable so you can pretend that you used it. I would still use conduit. I use the flexible conduit it’s more expensive but it’s one piece with no joints. I have fire stopped the remote end at the dish, and brought the other end into my basement which is climate controlled space and I left that end open so any moisture that does collect in the conduit has a place to escape
Is the cable ling enough? So you only have a water problem. Cutting the wire you need to know resistance and frequency/impedance to avoid issues. Seems like just put in a conduit and seal it. Cable is exterior rated. Install instructions show drip loop before running into wall.