Direct burial CatXX recommendations?

[pete_c]

In the endeavor of "helping" relating to the landscaping endeavor putting IP cameras here and there....and wondering if I should use cat5e or cat6 direct burial for a few cams in the "garden" walks....
 
It is not a blank check budget so want to keep my costs down....asking which I should utilize (burial is probably next week)....?

 

[tmbrown97]

Kinda depends on just how "buried" you're gonna go.  For normal outdoor use, the Ubiquiti toughcable has shielding (for lighting protection) and UV resistant coating and is quite affordable - if you're looking to lay it under some bark like you would landscape lighting wire, then it'd be fine..  if you're expecting full submersion, then I'd look for something truly rated for burial.  I personally don't like working with the stuff because it can be kinda nasty - and if you're doing any kind of substantial vertical run, you absolutely don't want anything gel filled because over time it'll push through the wire and flood your cabinet (gross, and people usually learn the hard way when working on towers).
 
The toughcable comes in two varieties - Level 1/Pro is shielded and UV Rated; Level 2/Carrier has the braided metal shielding like Coax for additional protection as well as a plastic divide between the twisted pairs like some Cat6 wires.   I use a ton of this stuff and have 5 1,000' boxes sitting in my garage...  it works well - I have it on a tower, all over many exterior buildings, in 1000' of conduit, and even doing a 75' aerial run between two buildings - and it's never failed me.
 
If I were worried about heavy submersion like sitting in buried conduit filled with water, then I'd go direct burial gel filled - belden or similar...

 

[pete_c]

Thanks Work2Play.  It'll be a few inches below the decorative bark.  It'll be first; then buried with a dirt layer; then the LV cabling almost at the bark layer.
 
It will be also going under some stone block paths and walls and such.  Looks like another site visit tomorrow; geez it now into its 3rd week of stuff.

 

[tmbrown97]

Yeah, honestly for that I'd just use the toughcable - level 2/carrier - it adds some protection and will hold up just fine outdoors... but if you want more, go with something like the belden burial rated but that'll cost like double IIRC.

 

[pete_c]

Thanks Work2Play.
 
Yup meeting with the owners of said endeavor on THU or FRI.  We now are over budget (?) pushing on 50k for this little endeavor such that I do not think it will be an issue relating to types of cabling utilized.  Best to go with better than not so good stuff.

 

[Del91574]

For cameras, you're really not going to see the difference in your lifetime for a Cat 6 necessitated install....Even the best quad cams/virtual PTZ megapixels are still using 100 for their NIC's.
 
Direct burial would be recommended if the wire is going to be direct buried and longevity is desired, plan on gel....we have a turnstile that has had cabling replaced 3 times in as many years with gel cable in conduit (wet). If you need to break it out, so be it, it's easy enough to do, not to mention you really shouldn't be running a gel filled cable much past where it enters a building (fire reasons).