[HamWAN PSDR] 1/2" Outdoor UV Protected CAT 5e

[Nigel Vander Houwen]

Jamie,

Please do use as you see fit. There are certainly applications where it may make sense. For HamWAN as an org doing installs with the community’s generously donated funds, finding the appropriate value/performance balance is critical.

We’ve been using TC-Pro nearly since inception (and have also gone back and replaced some older stuff that wasn’t, with TC-Pro). Installed appropriately I’m not aware of any cable failures. Installing appropriately also got significantly easier when we found proper cushions for the cable.

With regards to grounding, typically we use grounding devices attached to a bus bar at building entrance, but if there were a requirement to do it on/at tower, my first thought would be to use a weatherproof steel enclosure, put a grounding bar and the grounding devices in there, and ground that way. Additionally, that allows you to put protection on the data lines as well, much like you’d do on coax with a polyphaser. I suspect that would remain substantially cheaper, but I haven’t run the numbers at the moment. Alternately, run fiber to the tower and put a switch in an enclosure, so no conductive path leaves the tower at all. (This assumes power is available/can be run.)

Anyway, as I said, there’s nothing wrong with this choice if that’s what makes sense or works for you. For HamWAN installs we’ve had so far, that cable would double or more the cost of the entire cell site (Cell buildouts are typically a few $k, and we often use 1/2 to 1 1k’ box of TC-Pro), for benefits that are addressed in other ways, so I don’t imagine us using it or something like it except in very very exceptional circumstances.

Nigel

> On Sep 1, 2019, at 21:26, Jamie Hughes <wa7jh at outlook.com> wrote:
> 
> Nigel,
>  
> The TC-Pro looks like it’s outdoor rated, but not so much tower use. In some cases that I may go, I will be collocated with public safety equipment and I know that the cable they will require must be tower rated cable. I like this stuff, even at it’s price, since it can be grounded just like coax at the required points of contact using standard grounding kits provided by Times or Belden. I get it’s pricy, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Jamie Hughes
> WA7JH
> Mobile: (360) 340-8886 <tel:+13603408886>
>  
> From: PSDR <psdr-bounces at hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Nigel Vander Houwen
> Sent: Sunday, September 1, 2019 8:55 PM
> To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr at hamwan.org>
> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] 1/2" Outdoor UV Protected CAT 5e
>  
> Ooof, that pricing is real rough. Unless there’s a real specific circumstance, it’s pretty hard to justify a 50x+ cost increase for some ethernet cable.
>  
> Nigel
> 
> 
> On Sep 1, 2019, at 20:18, Jamie Hughes <wa7jh at outlook.com <mailto:wa7jh at outlook.com>> wrote:
>  
> All,
>  
> Please see attached data sheet. And I got an email with pricing:
> Custom cuts are $10/ft but I can do a full 1000ft spool for $7500
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Jamie Hughes
> WA7JH
> Mobile: (360) 340-8886 <tel:+13603408886>
>  
> From: PSDR <psdr-bounces at hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces at hamwan.org>> On Behalf Of Tim Osburn
> Sent: Sunday, September 1, 2019 8:01 PM
> To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr at hamwan.org <mailto:psdr at hamwan.org>>
> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] 1/2" Outdoor UV Protected CAT 5e
>  
> Jamie,
>                 You happen to know the cost per foot on that.
>  
> On Sep 1, 2019, at 4:53 PM, Jamie Hughes <wa7jh at outlook.com <mailto:wa7jh at outlook.com>> wrote:
>  
> All,
>  
> I’m not sure what the current cable type and product is running from tower mounted antennas to the equipment in the site shelters, but check this product out. I came across this Outdoor rated CAT5e cable designed to mount alongside coax on a tower. It grounds like ½” coax. This is exciting things that jumped out to me:
> Mounts to towers using common coax rubber doughnut ½” mounts
> Can be grounded just like coax to meet the requirements of the site owner
> Is Outdoor rated
> Is UV rated
>  
> If interested, please see Tyler Booth, contact card attached.
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Jamie Hughes
> WA7JH
> Mobile: (360) 340-8886 <tel:+13603408886>
>  
> <20190901_164356.jpg><Tyler Booth.vcf>_______________________________________________
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> http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr <http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr>
>  
> <NWT-CAT5E-ST-O-S-A-001 Datasheeet.pdf>_______________________________________________
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>  
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