Power Over Ethernet little over 4 volts.

[Raymond61]

I ran a long Ethernet wire about 120 feet out side to a light lamp to do WiFi in it.

It was not getting 5 volts so I put a 7.5 volt on it and then it got 7.5 volts so I put the 5 volts back on it and it worked for a few hours.

Order the Minty Boost so just waiting for it.

But wanted to ask if this sounds like it will work for me?

It goes 5 volts but when I plug the WiFi in it drops down to a little over 4 volts. like 4.1 to 4.3.

I hope this Minty Boost will fix it.

-Raymond Day

[adafruit_support_bill]

Ethernet cable typically uses 24awg wire which has a resistance of about 0.085 ohms/meter. With 120 feet of cable that works out to about 3.5 ohms. So you will get some voltage drop due to the resistance of the wire. At 250 mA, you should see about a 0.85v drop. For a run that long, you would be better off with a heavier gauge wire.

[Raymond61]

Thank you for your reply.

I ran it though a old gas line in the ground out there. The Ethernet wire just fit though it. It was very hard to get it though the little hose going out there. I used a 125 foot fish tape. I had to pull it with a pliers. It was that hard to pull it though. So I don't want to run it again.

Could not get it all the way I had to dig in the ground to cut it about 1/3 the way and pull it from there and put shrink rap on the house to patch it back up.

Would a 6 volt power supply work then? I guess by the time it gets out there it be 5 volts.

The USB power supply that came with it is 5 volts at 1.2 amp. So I don't think the Minty Boost would work it's only 0.5 amp.

-Raymond Day

[adafruit_support_bill]

The problem is, the voltage drop is proportional to the current. If you have a constant load, you can expect a constant voltage drop. But if the load varies, so will the voltage - potentially exposing your device to as much as the full 6v. Another approach would be to go to a still higher voltage and put a 5v regulator at the end. https://www.adafruit.com/products/1065

[Raymond61]

Thank you.

Went to the link you gave and that looks very nice. No heat to get rid of the over voltage. I order it.

I hope the 1 amp will be good. The power supply with it was 1.2 amp. It does WiFi b/g/n. I guess that takes a little power.

It's a BANNED A6 I have out there.

Open it up and put a WiFi Pigtail Cable going out the top of it. Got a long WiFi antenna out the top.

-Raymond Day

[Raymond61]

I got the DC/DC Converter. With shipping it cost all most $30!

Cut open a cheep 4 port USB hub and used the ends off it a female and male end.

I plug it in just a 5 volt USB to test it and got my tester and nothing. So unplug it and it was very hot and the sticker on it up some.

Found out the USB wires were Reverse polarity! The red is negative and the black is positive.

So about $30 down the trash.

Looked on Amazon a 7 to 23 volt to 5 volts at 3 Amp. For $7.54 free shipping. I order that one.

Got the 6 volt 2 amp power supply order too. Plug it in and out there it got just over 5 volts. Plug in the WiFi and it went down to 4.7 volts. It will light up the Ethernet LED's but can't connect to it. I guess it needs just over 5 volts to work.

-Raymond Day

[Franklin97355]

You have 8 wires in your cable, how are you using them? Most Ethernet uses 2 pair (4 wires) which leaves yo 2 pair for power. Use 1 pair for positive and 1 pair for negative. This gives you effectively 21 ga wires

[Raymond61]

I did use the pair of 4 wires. I know that.

What I did not know till I looked at it I used stranded wire out there. I know I should of used solid Ethernet. Not sure if that would make it not get the power good or not.

I know can move stranded wire a lot but solid can put it in walls if you don't move it a lot and this one is under ground.

Still waiting to get a converter. I think that will work.

I have the 6 volt out there and it works on WiFi. I just can't get to it's web page. I think if I put the right power on it it will do better WiFi.

With my cell phone I can go about 150 free away and still get it's WiFi with the 6 volts going out there.

It lights up the Ethernet lights on my switch. But can't connect to it's web page.

-Raymond Day

[Franklin97355]

I would bring it inside until it works perfectly there and then move it outside. Are you measuring the voltage at the device?

[Raymond61]

Yes I measured the voltage at the device.

Still waiting for the DROK DC 7-23V 12V to 5V USB Charger Power Supply it says 5 volts at 3 AMP. I got a 7.5 volt power supply I can put on it. I think this will make it work just as it does on the inside with a short USB power cable.

The power supply that came with it says 5 volts at 1.2 amp.

-Raymond Day