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Cold weather data cables


GRG

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Hi folks.  Just completed my first year of LOR controlled Christmas lights.  I think it was a good success although it turned out being scaled back to a heavy early snow storm.  As I start my tear down, I am realizing that the Cat5 data cables are not fun to work with in cold weather.  Today was only -15C and the cables were stiff and the locking clips very easy to break.

Have any of you found 5e cable and RJ45 ends that work better in the cold?  I could easily be doing tear downs at -30 or -40C?  I generally make my own cables but open to bulk or pre made.

 

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I replaced all of my data cables this year with waterproof, direct burial cat 5.  It's made a world of difference and I expect that they will last longer than standard cat 5.

Here's a link to a video I made about the process:

 

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11 hours ago, jfuller8400 said:

I replaced all of my data cables this year with waterproof, direct burial cat 5.  It's made a world of difference and I expect that they will last longer than standard cat 5.

Here's a link to a video I made about the process:

 

That outdoor UV rated cable looks very similar to what I used.  When I was taking things down, I found the cable very stiff from the cold.  I actually had to bring the cables into the ouse to warm up before I could coil them for storage.

I like your idea with the keystone jacks.  I went with the LOR weather proof dangles coming out of my controllers.  I guess one benefit to them is if you break off the locking tab on the male RJ45 plug, the dangle will still hold the rj45 into the jack.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/2/2021 at 4:52 AM, GRG said:

 I actually had to bring the cables into the ouse to warm up before I could coil them

I do this every year with all my cords, cats and lights I ha e found I break fewer things when they are warm. Us I can usually get some help from the wife coiling up stuff if its laying all over the house

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Right now all of my cables are buried under a couple feet of snow & ice, so I think it will be awhile before I can bring anything in.

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39 minutes ago, jfuller8400 said:

Right now all of my cables are buried under a couple feet of snow & ice, so I think it will be awhile before I can bring anything in.

You're welcome to it.  85.7 degrees outside here.  Abnormally warm for January.

 

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Believe it or not, even in Florida with temperatures down in the low 60's or mid to high 50's Cat5, Power and Extension Cords all get extremely stiff in the cold weather.  And we don't get any snow here!  Coldest it's been in my area has been a single night of 34 degrees Fahrenheit and last night was 39 degrees Fahrenheit.  Today it will be a high of 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

I just use a blow dryer on the warm setting to somewhat thaw my "shorter"{25 feet or less} cables and cords out.  That works for me, but it's probably NOT going to work in more frigid temperatures where you have constant snow and ice on the ground.  Longer cables 50 feet or more are just left in place until we get at least a warm enough day to make them a little more pliable, usually around 75 degrees Fahrenheit or above seems to be sufficient.   Just my way of doing "some of it" if it's cold enough to stiffen the Cat5, Power and Extension Cords up a bit in Florida.  But I'm practically smack in the center of the State where I live.

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