cat5 exterior use

[buck33k]

Is all cat5 approved for exterior use or in a wet location? (4 pair phone cable)

Does sunlight degrade this cable?

What does the SE stand for in CAT5 SE?

I see it stapled on the exterior of buildings all the time so I'm assuming its no problem. ?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Most CAT-5 is not suitable for use in wet locations. The stuff that is will often have a gel under the jacket to prevent the entrance of water.
Don

 

[zbang]

First a nit- CAT5 cable is not the same as 4-pr telephone cable altough many use it as such. Generic telephone cable is more like CAT2 in performance.

Depending on distance and structures, you may want to consider fiber instead. OSP* fiber is readily available and it's non-conductive, so you don't need surge/lightning protection where it enters a structure. It's also good for longer runs.

If you just going around the outside of building, putting up some pipe might be easier than dealing with OSP CAT5 cable and the goo inside, it's nasty.

*OPS- OutSide Plant

 

[mkoloj]

I don't know what your application is or what your trying to do but there is also this cable:
http://www.generalcable.com/NR/rdon...130ABC/0/PG30GenSpeed5000_Residential_Cbl.pdf

None of that wonderful gel to deal with.

If you give more specifics as to what your doing or trying to do, it will be easier to help you out.

 

[hbiss]

Is all cat5 approved for exterior use or in a wet location? (4 pair phone cable)

If I'm reading this right I think you are looking to use the CAT5 for telephone. You are going to find more suitable choices for outdoor runs if you looked at something other than CAT5 because data wiring was never intended to be run outdoors for any distance. There are lots of alternatives available in CAT3 which is all you need.

-Hal

 

[don_resqcapt19]

zbang,

If you just going around the outside of building, putting up some pipe might be easier than dealing with OSP CAT5 cable and the goo inside, it's nasty.

Belden has a new wet location CAT5 that uses a white cream in place of the nasty goo. It comes off the wire and your hands with just a wipe rag. Also just putting the cable in conduit does not solve the problem. The inside of conduit installed in a wet location is also a wet location.
Don

 

[buck33k]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I worked on a building last week with many existing long runs of what I thought was cat5 stapled to the outside of the building going to the telephone interface. It was not possible to get from point A to B on the interior. I have to admit that I'm not up to speed on the products out there for phone exterior use but your responces have helped alot.

I have used the gel type cable for underground installations. This was provided by the phone co.

I used the link provided by Mkoloj to read about the Gen Speed 5000 (residential). Thanks for that.

I will also get into the Belden site for further info and look into cat3, for phone, as suggested.

I would say now that alot of the phone cable I'm seeing stapled to buildings exteriors is probably not up to par.

 

[zbang]

Belden has a new wet location CAT5 that uses a white cream in place of the nasty goo. [...] Also just putting the cable in conduit does not solve the problem. The inside of conduit installed in a wet location is also a wet location.

I'll have to check that out. True about wet locations, I was thinking about sunlight and mechanical protection.

 

[leecordochorea]

data wiring was never intended to be run outdoors for any distance.

I've run LAN wiring for dozens of "temporary classrooms" for several school districts using CAT 5 gel-filled outside-plant cable. Its expensive, and its a pain in the but to work with, but it is rated for wet locations and it is sunlight-proof.

Just in the past couple days, we've been pulling some of the new Belden stuff (Cat 6 in this instance). Looking foreward to see if it really is as nice as the advertising hype says.

 

[bobgorno]

Try Belden 7922A. It is a PLTC, Cat5, outdoor, sunlight resistant, etc.

http://bwccat.belden.com/ecat/pdf/7922A.pdf

Doesn't fit a standard RJ45 connector. Phoenix has a cool lay-in style connector that fits the larger OD.