Long power runs

[wanderer]

I’m getting ready to put the new entry gate down and need to put a run for power and communications out there. The distance would be approximately 1300 feet. I could go solar but I still need to put the communication wire in so I might as well hardwire it. What is an acceptable voltage drop for something like this? I assume I can commit if you send for this type of connection. I had thought about running on 240 V and trying to size the wire for about a 5 to 10% drop. Does it seem way out of line?

Also, I’ve got a small cabin here at the property, 840 square feet. I’ve thought about running a line for my meter so that I can shut off the utility connection and save myself about 40 bucks a month. I’ve currently got a 200 amp panel in there but to be honest I can’t see the load ever being anywhere near that high. Heat pump probably 20 amps tops. Current electrical load is virtually nothing but I don’t want to set myself up for failure in the future. This line would be around 800 feet. Am I crazy to be thinking about trying to hardwire both of these?

No, I haven’t figured wire size. I’m assuming 10 or 12 gauge for the gate and probably 2/0 aluminum for the cabin.

 

[joe_padavano]

https://www.southwire.com/support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm

 

[rlitman]

Acceptable voltage drop depends on what you're doing. And how much drop you get depends on your maximum current draw.

 

[The Cobbler]

why would you run 240 volt if the system needs 120?

 

[wanderer]

Letter saying how power drop works. I just don’t have anyway to quantify it. I know that 5% power drop is acceptable for most things. But my standards here are a little bit different than normal. Nobody lives in the cabin and it’s only occasionally used. The light flickering when the heat pump turns on is not a major problem, but if the television turns off when it happens then it is.

And the gate opener actually runs on 12 V. It has a small battery and onboard battery charger. I don’t actually have anyway to quantify what the load will be since it’s just charging the battery. I actually assume it’s quite minimal.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I’m getting ready to put the new entry gate down and need to put a run for power and communications out there. The distance would be approximately 1300 feet. I could go solar but I still need to put the communication wire in so I might as well hardwire it. What is an acceptable voltage drop for something like this? I assume I can commit if you send for this type of connection. I had thought about running on 240 V and trying to size the wire for about a 5 to 10% drop. Does it seem way out of line?

What type of communications wire? this makes a huge difference. If you need to run CAT5e or 6, then its a no go.

As far as the electrical goes, need to know the load of the gate motor and electronics.

Once you know this, then you can determine wire size needed.

@ 1300', solar may be a better option.

Also, I’ve got a small cabin here at the property, 840 square feet. I’ve thought about running a line for my meter so that I can shut off the utility connection and save myself about 40 bucks a month. I’ve currently got a 200 amp panel in there but to be honest I can’t see the load ever being anywhere near that high. Heat pump probably 20 amps tops. Current electrical load is virtually nothing but I don’t want to set myself up for failure in the future. This line would be around 800 feet. Am I crazy to be thinking about trying to hardwire both of these?

No, I haven’t figured wire size. I’m assuming 10 or 12 gauge for the gate and probably 2/0 aluminum for the cabin.

not sure what youre asking here. running a line for your meter? hardwire both of these? you need to be more specific and detailed here.

why would you run 240 volt if the system needs 120?

So one can use smaller gauge wire. Set a 240v to 120v transformer @ the gate. Or even a 480v transformer on either end. voltage drop would be minimal and one can use smaller gauge wire for the 1300' run...

 

[wanderer]

Running a line from my house with the meter over to the other one so that I can disconnect the meter over there. I’m tired of paying double for the utility connection and other minimum charges on the bill.

 

[wanderer]

Communication lines will be fiber. Planning on doing both at the same time from my house. Hence the comment about going ahead and doing power also.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If I understand correctly, what you're saying is the cabin currently has its own electrical service and meter, and you'd like to instead source power for the cabin from your house so that second service and meter can be removed?

 

[Stuart in MN]

I’m getting ready to put the new entry gate down and need to put a run for power and communications out there. The distance would be approximately 1300 feet. I could go solar but I still need to put the communication wire in so I might as well hardwire it.

1300 feet of any size wire is going to cost a fair amount of money. If the gate actuator's battery can be charged with a solar panel, that's probably your best bet anyway.

 

[alfredeneuman]

A Black and Decker 15A battery charger draws 270 watts @ 120volts.
You could run #14 all the way and it's just a 2.6% voltage drop.

 

[wanderer]

If I understand correctly, what you're saying is the cabin currently has its own electrical service and meter, and you'd like to instead source power for the cabin from your house so that second service and meter can be removed?

Yes. Unless it would be a mess to deal with.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I’m getting ready to put the new entry gate down and need to put a run for power and communications out there.

How much current do you need at the end of the run ? A couple of 6V AGM golf cart batteries, an inverter, solar panel and solar charge controller actually might be the most cost effective solution, especially if your power requirements are low and/or infrquent.

The only other solution for that distance is going to involve very large wire or a pair of transformers.

For communication, you going to have to go "old school", 20ma current loop. Etherent (CAT 5 or CAT 6) just won't go that far. It is still used in some industrial application but t is slow and interfacing it to computer equipment would not be easy.

 

[theoldwizard1]

also, i’ve got a small cabin here at the property, 840 square feet. I’ve thought about running a line for my meter so that i can shut off the utility connection ...am i crazy to be thinking about trying to hardwire both of these?

yes !

 

[alfredeneuman]

The only other solution for that distance is going to involve very large wire or a pair of transformers.

dirtyoldman: "And the gate opener actually runs on 12 V. It has a small battery and onboard battery charger. I don’t actually have anyway to quantify what the load will be since it’s just charging the battery"

The only load he's got is a battery charger, and he can run #14 to it.

 

[TractorJeff]

Neighbors first gate was Solar charged. For the most part it worked fine except for in the Winter. She was opening and closing it the same as Summer (4 or 6 times a day) then Solar wouldn't keep up. As far as Comms, both of his gate systems (Solar & now Utility powered) use a Cell phone dialer of some sort. You push button requesting access and it would dial their Cells, then you talk to the little box when they answered.
In My Opinion;
If it was my Cabin, I would go with a couple of Transformers to send power at long distance. They would pay for themselves fairly quickly depending upon how much your monthly Utility fees are?

 

[alfredeneuman]

If the circuit was on a GFI breaker, it would only be required to be buried 12" instead of 18".
On a trench 1300' long it could save quite a bit of labor.
It's going to need a GFI protected outlet any way.

 

[tarmy]

My remote gate motor is 24v...and needed 110v to run the charger for the two 12v batteries. My run is 600’...used a separate circuit and used 6ga wire to deal with the drop...

Has been working great since 2009...

My comms are a solid 18ga 2 wire to the talk box and code pad.

I actually installed a wireless remote camera on a tree up high nearby to overlook the whole gate/entry area...that is a POE with a booster about half way between the house and gate. Provides a recorded loop of two weeks of operations...that way the folks that do have the code are tracked too..might want to think about dropping a cable in for that too...

 

[rlitman]

A Black and Decker 15A battery charger draws 270 watts @ 120volts.
You could run #14 all the way and it's just a 2.6% voltage drop.

I'd price out the difference between #12 copper and maybe #8 aluminum for that run.

Either way, having power to run an outlet is something that may come in handy one day.
Also, that fiber optic communication run is going to plug into something that also needs power. Is that going to run off the solar too?

 

[jeepxj]

You could step up to 480v and then back down at the gate:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SQUARE-D-2...3:g:insAAOSw3uhbLIsN:rk:5:pf:1&frcectupt=true