Feeding LOR cable outside from a PC

[JD123]

Has anyone found an elegant way to feed LOR cable from a PC to outside controllers?  I hate the idea of drilling a hole through the house that has a cable running through it once a year.  Perhaps a weatherproof box? Are there weatherproof outdoor Ethernet jacks?

Thanks!

[dgrant]

Every house is different. I didn't wish to drill a hole and put on a weatherproof box for a Cat5/6 cable. Instead, I use ELL's which work beautifully! Now let me add, I don't know if ELL's will work for the new "enhanced buss" available in S4 but for normal operations, they do indeed work.

[Mega Arch]

I use the miniDirector.

No wires - no problems.

[LORisAwesome]

I made a hole and ran the wire to an outside weatherproof box.  I also ran speaker connections to the same box.

 

You can get everything you need at Home Depot, including the RJ45 jacks and cat 5 wire.

[JD123]

Thanks for the info.  My concern with ELL's is the bandwidth.  I have 400 CCB's to run.  When do you run into the bandwidth limit on ELL's? 

[zman]

I use the ELLs too on a big LOR network. I would not use the CCx products on them, and, they are not compatible with the enhanced network. This year I got a high speed dongle and will be running a hardwire outside to my CCP units/enhanced network..

 

You can run them with a small configuration and small LOR network. if you do that, I would put one ELL just one your CCBs

 

I run my show from an office right next to the front door, so it is easy for me to put all my comms wires out that way. Depending on your home, move your show computer to your garage and run cables from there?

[rwertz]

I sneak out around the upper corner of my garage door seal. I think others have gone out a window using a little foam or something at the jamb to fill the opening.

[Vince4xmas]

I also am able to "sneak" several cables around my garage door seal. I also run several cables through a large cutout in the garage wall. When done for the year, I cover the hole with a plates (one inside and one outside) to keep the pests out for the rest of the year. Done this 3 years in a row with no issues.

[k6ccc]

I installed conduit from the back room of the house where the computer is to several places in the front yard.  Keep in mind that I have over 100 channels in use every night year round, so I needed a permanent solution rather than a temp for 2 months.

[PaulXmas]

I run mine under a window with lots of foam to keep the cold outside.

ELL work for one network but if you expand you need the hard wire.

[JD123]

I think the answer for me is to run a wetherproof box.  I have a walkout basement and a shop in on corner.  I'd rather use the ELL's, but I'm afraid I may run into their limit.  Just a note, I have been able to run two CCB strings (200 lights) with no problem.  I'm tempted to try to double that and hope it works, but I don't want to find out I have reached the limit and have no other options.  I may direct wire 1/2 of them, and use an ELL for the rest.  I just purchased the new 4 channel controller with integrated ELL. 

 

I am curious about multiple networks, however.  Not sure how that works.  Would it be possible to run two networks - each with an independent ELL that communicates traffic to 200CCB's each?  Not sure if it is possible to have an ELL pair dedicated to separate controllers.  How do the separate networks know which lights are on which.  Sorry, newbie question.

 

Also, the ELL's seem to come set at 57K as a default.  Is there a reason they are not set to the max speed?  Since I can get 200CCBs on an ELL running at 57K, it seems reasonable that I could get 400 on max speed.  Or am I missing something? 

[jrock_at_rons]

I was able to get mine under the window (right next to the first box) and still get the window closed enough to prevent a draft.  

[mpageler]

I was able to drill a hole throught the bottom floor of a bay windown that was a foot above ground surface.  My PC was in the basement, right below the window.

Non following the idea of waterproof outlet. While more "elegant", aren't you still faced with gettingt throught the house, to it?

Did a quick search on ELL but couldn't find out what they are...what are they?

[JD123]

Non following the idea of waterproof outlet. While more "elegant", aren't you still faced with gettingt throught the house, to it?

Did a quick search on ELL but couldn't find out what they are...what are they?

 

I would place a waterproof outlet cover on the outside of the house.  Inside, instead of an outlet, I would put a Ethernet connector.  Since the other side is the non-finished part of my basement - where my computer sits, it would be easy to connect the other side to the LOR network. In any case, I would need to go through the house (except wireless).  I would rather have a clean-looking, reusable way to connect.  By going through the house with an exterior Ethernet outlet, I'd simply plug in each Christmas.  The disadvantage is that I would have a weatherproof cover hanging on the outside of my house all the time.  The good news is that this is a side of my house that really is not seen from the street.  Still, If someone had a better way, I'd love to hear it!

 

ELL= Easy Light Linker.  LOR's wireless 900MHz interface

[PaulXmas]

I think the answer for me is to run a wetherproof box.  I have a walkout basement and a shop in on corner.  I'd rather use the ELL's, but I'm afraid I may run into their limit.  Just a note, I have been able to run two CCB strings (200 lights) with no problem.  I'm tempted to try to double that and hope it works, but I don't want to find out I have reached the limit and have no other options.  I may direct wire 1/2 of them, and use an ELL for the rest.  I just purchased the new 4 channel controller with integrated ELL. 

 

I am curious about multiple networks, however.  Not sure how that works.  Would it be possible to run two networks - each with an independent ELL that communicates traffic to 200CCB's each?  Not sure if it is possible to have an ELL pair dedicated to separate controllers.  How do the separate networks know which lights are on which.  Sorry, newbie question.

 

Also, the ELL's seem to come set at 57K as a default.  Is there a reason they are not set to the max speed?  Since I can get 200CCBs on an ELL running at 57K, it seems reasonable that I could get 400 on max speed.  Or am I missing something?

You can't use ELL on 2 networks...they all use the same frequency...that's why I use hard wire, now if they could use different frequencies then we could !

[dgrant]

hmmm....I think they can use different channels though so you "should" be able to use them. Please don't hold me too it at this second system my show computer is not turned on, but I'm sure I saw where you can alter them in the HW utility. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Randy]

I use two doggy doors from the garage to outside for network cable, controller to decoration cables, and speaker wire.  After the season is over, I put the plastic doors back on and close up the holes...Go big or go home!!!

[k6ccc]

There are 32 channels available for ELLs.  Although I suspect you could not use all 32 at the same time, you should be able to use at least several.  Even the LOR documentation shows an application of using multiple ELL links on different frequencies.

[ebrown1972]

I too will be running my cables from my basement to the outside. I really have no other option but I think I will also go with conduit and when the season is over I will cap off the conduit. It should look pretty clean once done.

[JD123]

You can't use ELL on 2 networks...they all use the same frequency...that's why I use hard wire, now if they could use different frequencies then we could !

 

Take a look at the ELL manual - page 11.  It shows ELL's on two frequencies for a long distance relay.  The manual says: "Here Easy Light Linkers are used to relay information beyond the range of the first transmitter. The Easy Light Linkers on the right are set to one frequency. The ones on the left are set to another frequency."  Now this is for a relay via LOR hardwired network segments.  What I propose is to put two ELL's tuned to different frequencies on the same hardwired segment coming from the computer.  Each ELL would be tuned to a different frequency.  Then, two wireless sub-networks would be connected (each on a different frequency).  The hardwired network connected to the computer would be capable of carrying high bandwidth data.  That data would be split between the two transmitters. Each transmitter would only need to carry a fraction of the data. 

 

Also take a look at the LOR hardware utility on the RF tab. It provides the ability to tune to 32 frequencies.  Unless I'm missing something, I think it is possible to distribute the LOR data load across multiple ELL's.