CAT6 Aerial Outdoor Cable 1000ft - 23AWG Solid Copper F/UTP with Messenger

This is Cat6 for aerial runs that share the air with power. A span from a building to a pole often ends up parallel to a service drop or under a distribution line, and plain UTP picks that up. This cable wraps all four pairs in an aluminum foil with a tinned copper drain wire, so the interference stays outside. A galvanized steel messenger wire is bonded alongside in a figure-8 profile and carries the span, so the copper never sees the load, with spans up to 70 meters between supports.

The jacket is UV-resistant polyethylene, rated CMX for outdoor use, so it doesn't crack in sun or go brittle in cold. Underneath are 23 AWG solid bare copper conductors with HDPE insulation, a size up from Cat5e, which is where Cat6 gets its lower loss and its headroom for 2.5G and 5G links. It comes on a 1000 ft wooden spool with footage markings on the jacket.

Features

• F/UTP overall foil shield with tinned copper drain wire. It blocks EMI and RFI from power lines, transformers, and industrial equipment, and the tinned drain resists corrosion outdoors.
• Integrated steel messenger. A 2.6 mm galvanized steel strand carries the weight of the span, so the cable isn't stretched or fatigued by wind and ice loading. Spans to 70 m (230 ft).
• 23 AWG solid bare copper. Heavier than Cat5e's 24 AWG, for lower resistance over a full 100 m channel and less voltage drop on PoE runs. No copper-clad aluminum.
• Gigabit and multi-gig rated. It runs 10/100/1000 Mbps, 2.5G, and 5G links over a full channel, and 10GBase-T over short runs.
• UV-resistant polyethylene jacket. It holds up to years of direct sun, rain, and freeze-thaw, across a -40 °C to 60 °C operating range.
• CMX outdoor rating. The correct rating for exterior runs on buildings and poles.
• HDPE insulation. Tight, consistent pair twists for crosstalk control.
• Sequential footage markings. Cut spans to length and track what's left on the spool.
• 1000 ft wooden spool. Standard TIA-568 pair colors inside for easy termination.

Where It Fits

It suits building-to-building multi-gig links that run near power lines, pole-mounted cameras and access points in industrial yards and substations, campus and farm backhaul alongside electrical service, parking lot and perimeter surveillance, and any aerial span where the buyer wants Cat6 headroom rather than Cat5e.

Good to Know

Outdoor cable brings lightning and surge risk into the building with it, and a shielded aerial cable next to power lines even more so. Put a gas-discharge Ethernet surge protector at each entry point, bonded to the building ground, bond the messenger to ground at both ends, and ground the shield's drain wire at one end through a shielded jack or patch panel. CMX cable is limited to 50 feet inside a building by the NEC, so transition to CM, CMR, or CMP cable at the entry. This cable isn't rated for direct burial; for underground runs, use a burial-rated cable or conduit. To separate the messenger from the cable at the ends, slit the web between them with a knife and peel. Cat6 carries 10G over short distances only; for 10G on a full channel, use Cat6A. Solid conductors are for permanent runs; terminate on shielded Cat6 jacks and patch panels, not crimped plugs.

Specifications