Cat5 for 12VDC?

[monkey141]

Good Afternoon All,

I am wondering what your opinions are on using CAT5 for 12VDC wiring. Here is what I am thinking. I have some RGB pixel lights and I need to supply power to them At white they are .72W. My longest string is 35 pixels. By my calculations, that is approx. a 2A load. I need 4 wires (Data, Clock, +, -) so I was going to use a pair for each function. I have done a lot of googling on this topic and I have found varying answers and frankly I am not sure what to trust.

Thoughts? Concerns? Suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike

[Paul Roberson]

I am using CAT5 to power my 12v rainbow floods.

[Ponddude]

The problem starts to run into the current being draw on a cat-5 cable. The wire is very thin with even thinner insulation. The cabling wasn't designed to carry current, rather data signals which draw very low amounts of current. Many times people put too much current on the wire and that is where the problem comes in. Are you going to be drawing 2 amps on all 8 wires? If so, I would say no. If you are going to be drawing 2 amps on 1 pair of wires than I would go with it. However, do realize that there is going to be a large amount of current drop over longer runs.

[monkey141]

I am going to use it to carry the data signal and the power to the Pixel controllers. Maybe 30 ft at the most, if that. The 2A load will be on one of the pairs. I plan on using one pair for 12VDC, one for ground, one for data and one for clock. I am starting to wonder if I would be better suited with something in the neighbor hood of 18/4 or something like that. Maybe security wire...Not really sure.

Mike

[ErnieHorning]

CAT5 is rate for .577 Amps per wire. You could use two pair for ground and the other two pair for plus. Four wires would handle 2.3 amps. Each pin on the connector is rated at 1 amp so no problem there.

I would be OK with this configuration as long + and - aren't twisted together.