Use for flex

[evdama]

A major clearout at work netted me two big reels of 3-core flex for the price of lugging it home.

Great - however on further inspection,inside the thick white insulation there are blue and brown copper stranded cores at about 4mm - but no earth core.
Instead there is what appears to be a data conductor.
It is a twisted pair of,say 0.5mm, silver stranded wires in red and black insulation and a bare common wire all bound in a foil screen.

What is this stuff supposed to be used for? - no one at work knows.It appeared at around the time we had some camera work done,but the contractors didnt take it with them.

Is there a use for it in domestic situation - perhaps lighting?

 

[stephenf8542]

Pics would help

 

[evdama]

Theres an image in the album called "evdama"

Untitled

• evdama
• 14 May 2009
• 1

Untitled

• evdama
• 14 May 2009
• 1

 

[bernardgreen]

Power-plus-data cable, probably used at you place to provide power to the cameras and bring data / image back from them in a single cable.

Can be used to control remote lighting equipment as well without the need for a separate switched live wire for each lamp.

Similar cable has been used where a covert monitoring device has been installed in say a table lamp or other item where two cables would show the lamp was not just a lamp.

 

[evdama]

so Id be ok to loop some downlighters with it then?

 

[bernardgreen]

so Id be ok to loop some downlighters with it then?

No.... because to supply fixed installation mains lamps the cable must also, provide an effective earth conductor even if the lamps being fitted do not need an earth.

For portable lamps that are double insulated it could be used.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[evdama]

I caught my other half using my best Cat5e as garden twine-I suppose I could eat some humble and let her have this....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Similar cable has been used where a covert monitoring device has been installed in say a table lamp or other item where two cables would show the lamp was not just a lamp.

What do they do with the covert monitoring device cores when they get to the electrical plug?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I caught my other half using my best Cat5e as garden twine

That would be for the net over the fruit bushes, I expect.

 

[evdama]

fruit bushes,rosebeds,compost heap,over into next doors,across a field-I think it was the start of some kind of world wide web.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[plugwash]

What do they do with the covert monitoring device cores when they get to the electrical plug?

I dunno what the pros do but I'd probablly remove the shuttering mech and drill through behind the earth socket. Then remove the earth pin from the plug and pass the data cores through into the backbox via the holes it left.

 

[Steve]

I dunno what the pros do but I'd probablly remove the shuttering mech and drill through behind the earth socket. Then remove the earth pin from the plug and pass the data cores through into the backbox via the holes it left.

That dont sound too healthy

 

[evdama]

I think it may have been plugwash who rewired our previous house.....