# Outdoor Rated Cat5E



## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

It's called icky pic. Pic being an acronym for plastic insulated cable. Multipair cable was made this way to block ingress of moisture into the cable.


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Normally it's punched down on blocks, or screw type terminals. It can be rated to cat5e. I've never put an 8p8c on it though.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

JW Splicer said:


> Normally it's punched down on blocks, or screw type terminals. It can be rated to cat5e. I've never put an 8p8c on it though.


This was used in some type of stations/pedestals in a fueling center. It was homeruns from inside to the outside main station and then to five other stations. It had to plug in using the RJ45 connectors to the control boxes.
I would have loved to punch them down instead!:yes:


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

Was there a big box with room? I used to punch em down and patch to the device. There's some stuff out there called hydrosol that cleans that icky pic up pretty nice. Especially since it gets everywhere!


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

JW Splicer said:


> Was there a big box with room? I used to punch em down and patch to the device. There's some stuff out there called hydrosol that cleans that icky pic up pretty nice. Especially since it gets everywhere!


Our specs said to just run the homeruns from the electrical room. We were to just install the connectors and leave a specified amount of cable. The equipment in the electrical room was not there yet and someone else was to connect it.

At the outside pedestals we were to do the same. However I think whatever it plugs in to was there but we didn't plug into it because someone else was going to set it up.

I didn't think about it at the time or I might have punched it down and used a patch cable. I told myself after I did the job using the plenum cable that next time I had a cable that was hard to put on the connectors I would do that. But I forgot about it as I don't run that much cable.
Plus my "senior" mind didn't remind me!


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## JW Splicer (Mar 15, 2014)

They make some indoor/outdoor cable that is dry inside, that might be a lot easier to use.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

You're using underground cable, if all you want is an outdoor cable, they make that too. It looks just like regular cat5e, but the jacket is a little different and there is no grease. 

https://www.platt.com/platt-electri...rior-Essex/51-240-21/product.aspx?zpid=584971


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

We use it on communication towers. We use specific RJ45 connectors for this cable that work fine, normal connectors don't work. If a contractor installed "normal" RJ45s I cut them off and reterminate with proper hardware. Here is a shot from this winter, on the bottom you can see a piece of outdoor cat5e heading up to one of two radios and dishes covered with ice. Never had a cable or a proper connector fail in these conditions.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Cow said:


> You're using underground cable, if all you want is an outdoor cable, they make that too. It looks just like regular cat5e, but the jacket is a little different and there is no grease.
> 
> https://www.platt.com/platt-electri...rior-Essex/51-240-21/product.aspx?zpid=584971



The cable did run underground from inside to the outside locations.
But the cable was supplied to us and didn't have a choice but to install what they furnished. That was the only material that was furnished other than the equipment.


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## GrayHair (Jan 14, 2013)

DB communications cable is often flooded with silicone to protect against water. I think the flooding material is different from the silicone grease in exterior rated cable. If the termination is outdoors be sure to use the appropriate IP (Ingress Protection) rated connector. 

My first experience with flooded cable was a communications cable to a new house. Whoever installed it didn't run it into the mechanical room; he ran it into a finished wooden equipment cabinet. The cabinet bottom was covered in silicone gel from the cable and it was NASTY. I doubt any equipment was ever put in that cabinet. I was later told temperature difference along the cable can cause a pumping effect.

The best thing I found to remove it was cleaner and wipes for fiber optic cable.


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## sxpert (Jun 17, 2011)

that stuff is soluble in isopropyl alcohol. 


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