Posted 17 July 2019
External data applications for Cat-5 cables are increasing all the time and so are the physical demands that these cables are being asked to cope with. Long gone are the days when cables were simply contained in trunking around offices or under suspended floors.
The FS Cables range of tough, outdoor Cat-5 cables is designed to withstand most things an external installation can throw at it. Cat-5 is now frequently being used to carry data from CCTV, BMS, environmental loggers and other external applications.
Nowadays it’s not uncommon for cable to be clipped externally to masts or buildings or pulled through concrete ducts. Even direct burial is not unheard of - although not necessarily recommended.
FS Cables duct grade or outdoor version has a hefty polyethylene waterproof jacket protecting the standard PVC inner sheath making it easy to strip and terminate. The overall diameter is increased to a massive 8.6mm making it a truly robust cable.
The armoured version uses the substantial duct grade as a base with additional 0.9mm solid galvanised steel wires laid helically around the cable. This is cased in a heavy waterproof polyethylene jacket to provide possibly the toughest Cat-5 cable around.
Both the armoured and duct grade versions are stocked in 1000m lengths with the usual FS Cables ‘cut to length service’ offered to reduce your wastage.