Elevator Travel Cable (Custom?)

In my experience I have always been told you cannot get Category cable in a travel cable due to the fact it will fail too quickly which makes sense if you look at the construction of the cable.  What we have always asked for is one or two coax cables and shielded 2-conductor cables.  We then use ethernet to coax converters or when necessary, ethernet to twisted pair converters. 

Does the phone have to be analog? Can you do VoIP phone, IP camera and an IP access control setup (might require a reader and a local board like an EP1501 that supports Ethernet)? That way you'd run one CatX cable, and then have a small switch that rides on the car to connect everything together.

Elevator companies employ the razor/razor blade theory...bid very low on the initial elevator installation, and get high fees for every subsequent visit and upgrade.  Trailing cables are ridiculously expensive.  Use the mandated existing 2-conductor telephone/intercom pair by installing an Ethernet adaptor (Comnet or other) and do everything via IP.

Most codes allow installation of ancillary devices on top of the cab, with a typical escape hatch clearance of 18".  Check local codes.

The unique beauty about this job is that the elevator company's main offices occupy the second floor of this building.

Just put in Ethernet adaptors for any two conductors you can use. Getting an elevator company to provide anything, and actually having it being there at installation, is a nightmare.

Also, you might consider piggybacking on the power...

Most elevators i have worked with have spare traveler cables.  We use these with great success. https://www.nvtphybridge.com/portfolio-item/nv-ec-1701u/#tab-id-4

Ok so the issue is that the access control panel and the IO board are all configured and installed in the control room. The elevator company is willing to do the extra cable install, I just need to find a cable that has all of the cables that I need in one jacket. (Cat5e,Cat5e,22/6 shld) or something similar. Once I have this elusive cable I could have in installed and be on my way.

I don't want to put a switch above the cab as I see that as a device that may need servicing one day and I know it's not going to be a walk in the park to get to it and take the cab offline.

I did some more calling around and was told to look for festoon cable? No one else has been it my shoes before I assume?

Ethernet over 2 wires adapter is grate solution, I have Paxton intercom/access control inside the cab running on it,

The elevators in our facilities use coax, that may be because it was analog at one point. We are using a coax to Ethernet converter on each end, from Altronix. It seems to work for us, very little issue.

The last time I personally did phone and access reader in an elevator, it was an analog phone so I just needed two conductors, and the reader I used four or five conductors, I may have skipped using the LED of the reader due to a lack of available conductors.

As others have said, I've heard of people just doing a PTP in the elevator shaft. I've not done it myself, but I can't see why it wouldn't work just as well.

99 percent of the time, there is a free pair of 16 or 18 gauge wire.  Use the NVT two wire poe solution.  Not sure on the access control solution, but a POE controller here with reader programmed to events and relays in elevator room?  POE phone.  Use three NVT devices at elevator synchronized to one and power (and connected to network) in machine room.

We use Veracity adapters to allow for Ethernet over 2 wires - works great.  We've got them in 30 story elevators and have very little problems.  The elevator guys are able to give us some spare pairs out of the existing traveling cable, and each Ethernet connection only needs two wires to function with the Veracity adapters.  Card reader is easy to either find spare pairs or add, but they also make an adapter for card readers that gives you power, LED, beeper and wiegand data over two wires - look at CypressIntegration.com

We have done numerous IP cameras and access control projects in elevators.  I no longer ask for anything special other than two or four spare wires.  We use a combination of IP over twisted pair devices - as mentioned, NVTPhybridge has numerous solutions as do many others.  For access control we use any of the Cypress Integration  http://cypressintegration.com/  products that are appropriate.  Using two or four wires you can get full wiegand data and closures to and from the cab.  Cypress also has the IP transport version, so you could use IP over the pair, then add both the camera and access control.  In one case we used only one pair for data and installed a power brick inside the cab to create the low voltage for the small switch, camera, and access reader.  The phone pair has always been required. If you are responsible for that, there is your pair.  No separate travel cable required.   More and more of the elevator guys are familiar with these products and are willing to work with us to find hiding spots for the electronics packages.