Subscriber Discussion

How Long Does It Take You To Terminate Cat5?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
May 10, 2017

I timed myself today, it took me about 1 minute 20 seconds from the time I started stripping the jacket to release of the crimper. I didnt try to be fast, it felt like a normal time for me. Just curious what normal timing should be and what you all do.

Anyone with a really fast time has to post video proof.  

 

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Brian Rhodes
May 10, 2017
IPVMU Certified
U
Undisclosed #2
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

...it took me about 1 minute 20 seconds...

Not bad, but Ethan "Ethanet" Ace is on record claiming an "at most" time of 30 seconds from strip to crimp :)

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
May 11, 2017

Id like to see up close video of it

U
Undisclosed #2
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I'd like to see up close video of it.

It would need to have a fast frame rate and faster shutter if you expect to see anything but a swirl of colors and fingers.

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Ethan Ace
May 11, 2017

I typed all this out last night and forgot to hit send. Now I feel late to my own party.

I'm not sure I could do it in 30 seconds anymore, considering I've gone from doing literally 1000+ of them in a year in the early 2000s to doing... half a dozen, tops, when I need to repair a patch cable.

In my prime, though, yes, 30 seconds was about it. Mostly it was practice. I did a lot of very large cabling projects of all sorts back then, so it was hard not to get good at terminating. I was also "The Termination Guy" (not the Terminator, that's trademarked and also a dad joke) so I crimped or punched down a majority of cables for a few years. And did quite a few phone systems when cross connecting various things required making your own cables unless you wanted it to look like trash. 

The way I did them was this:

  1. Strip the jacket and cut off the string. I strip about 1.5", at most.
  2. This part is the first trick: Move your pairs so they fall where you want them. I pulled the orange to the left, green next, blue, then brown. I just roughly put them in that order so when I untwisted and flattened they'd sit better.
  3. Untwist your pairs almost all the way back to the jacket.
  4. Put them in order (WO, O, WG, B, WB, G, WBr, Br). They may not quite stay there but we'll have a chance to correct in a few seconds.
  5. This part is the second trick: flatten the pairs on a smooth surface, like the round shaft of a screwdriver or on a flat tabletop. I do this by pulling them between my thumb and the surface. This is to get the conductors as straight as possible so they stay in order when you cut them and put them in the connector. Do not apply too much pressure or you can strip jacket off and that's bad.
  6. Cut them flush about 3/4" from the jacket. I don't use the feed through RJ45s; I prefer the ones that wires butt into.
  7. Shove them in the connector and check colors. Push the jacket up into the connector as well. If you don't, you'll eventually have jacket popping out from the stress.
  8. Crimp. I have the same non-ratcheting crimper that I've had since I was 17 and I still prefer it. I have never had problems with it not applying enough pressure and connectors always seem to get stuck in ratcheting ones.
  9. Test it. Always test it.

I can try and take video of this at some point. 

I really don't like the feed through mod plugs. Even at their best they require more prep and are slower to get wires into then others. And I find that even with the actual tool to flush cut them, half the time wires are still left hanging off the other end. That being said, for those who don't do large quantities, they are guaranteed to have fewer mistakes since you can more easily check your colors. 

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
May 11, 2017

I like the advice on smoothing the wires out, I have been using my fingers and it gets painful after a few 

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Jon Dillabaugh
May 11, 2017
Pro Focus LLC

That's because you don't do it often and have soft hands. 

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
May 11, 2017

haha close, my index finger is rough in that spot but it has started splitting and looks like I sliced it with a knife after a while. 

U
Undisclosed #6
May 12, 2017

The opposite of other body parts.

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Jon Swatzell
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

That's awesome!

Steps 2 & 3 alone take me 90 sec.

:)

U
Undisclosed #2
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I really don't like the feed through mod plugs... That being said, for those who don't do large quantities, they are guaranteed to have fewer mistakes...

Fewer mistakes maybe, but feed through mod plugs allow for far bigger and more embarrassing mistakes.

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Jon Dillabaugh
May 11, 2017
Pro Focus LLC

If I were in a huge hurry (gun to head), I think I could do 30 seconds. But, I rarely am in such a rush to mess up such an important task. I would guess around 1-2 mins, depending on the cable. Windy City CMR/CMP without the silly ripcord is usually fast to terminate. UBNT ToughCable Pro STP will slow anyone down, with the foil shield, ripcord, plastic wrap, and ESD drain wire. Those are a good 3-4 mins per.

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
May 11, 2017

I think it would take me a good 10+ minutes :) Not a technician so every time I terminate I have to whip out my phone and look up the color code which adds time.  Plus the sloppiness level is embarrassingly high when compared to our telecom techs.  Jacks and patch panels are a bit easier than RJ-45 simply because the color code is right on them.

Now, fiber strands I could probably do to under a minute with unicam or fastcam.  

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Craig Mc Cluskey
May 11, 2017

I think it would take me a good 10+ minutes :

Yup, that's where I am, too!

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Brian Rhodes
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Now, fiber strands I could probably do to under a minute with unicam or fastcam.

Do you strip jackets using your teeth and polish ends on your pant leg?  :)

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MM
Michael Miller
May 11, 2017

All you need is a clever and no need to polish with AFL FASTconectors.  Strip, cleave and connect.

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Brian Rhodes
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

(We actually have a post on that class of connector from years ago: Field-Terminated Fiber Examined)

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Joseph Parker
May 11, 2017

How about keystone vs. rj45?  Cat5e vs Cat6?  The spacers on 6 can be a bit of a PITA.

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Christopher Freeman
May 11, 2017

3minuites

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Christopher Freeman
May 11, 2017

Sitting, At a bench, in the field, on a ladder , on a high reach 

many variables that affect the time. 

cff

 

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U
Undisclosed #4
May 11, 2017

Hey. IPVM should have a contest. Winner gets a free subscription! Better yet, a trip to the IPVM HQ :) 

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keith maxwell
May 11, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

"Hey. IPVM should have a contest. Winner gets a free subscription! Better yet, a trip to the IPVM HQ :)"

The "OLD IPVM HQ" trust me you are not missing anything in the Lehigh Valley.

It's not quite like Hawaii fewer Palm trees

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #5
May 11, 2017

But Hawaii doesn't have Yocco's.

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U
Undisclosed #4
May 11, 2017

VERY familiar with Lehigh Valley.  Been there many times. I'm talking Honolulu man! 

U
Undisclosed #2
May 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I'm talking Honolulu man!

Unfortunately ever since a rare extra-jurisdictional raid into the Aloha state by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police last year, the place has been crawling with five-oh ;)

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keith maxwell
May 11, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

A credit card is all you need you can have your Yocco's Anywhere.

MM
Michael Miller
May 11, 2017

Yocco's is cash only.

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keith maxwell
May 11, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

I forgot they are in the dark ages. I think the building next door is available. Sounds like a business opportunity. LOL buy sell and ship to all you displaced Lehigh Valley folk.

SD
Shannon Davis
May 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

My question is why are you making RJ45 ends. That type of connection is one of the biggest points of failure in an IP video system I have found from my trouble shooting days. IP systems should be installed like a true Network is, Patch panels, keystone jacks, biscuits and patch cables. When you terminate your own connector on the solid cable chance of failure is much higher especially if the camera you are installing does not give ample room for the connector to leave the camera housing. I have run across many cameras where the cable comes right out of the camera at almost 90 degrees putting too much stress on the connection. A patch cable is made out of stranded wire which allows more of this stress. Spend a few extra buck on the right equipment and save a fortune on service calls down the road. Not to mention if it is CAT6 or now that many are requiring CAT6E you have just derated the performance of this category cable.

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U
Undisclosed #2
May 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Not to mention if it is CAT6 or now that many are requiring CAT6E you have just derated the performance of this category cable.

Even when using the correct CAT6E plug?  What's the derating factor? Is the insertion loss still less with the added insertion point of the stranded patch?

SD
Shannon Davis
May 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Sorry I misstated this. Too many people walk into my office. The bend radius is the same whether solid or stranded. The issue becomes the solid RJ45 connection stands a much higher chance for the connection to become loose and therefore causing issues with the camera. Many times when I used to run service and the camera in question would be intermittent was due to a poorly made RJ45 connection. I have never had to replace a patch cable due to a bad connection is my point. As for the tight bend at the camera's point of cable insertion that is a camera manufacturer issue. I will say they have gotten much better and giving more room for connectors though. Many now have the patch cable built in.

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keith maxwell
May 12, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

Cat 5 is fine for camera runs. I always use cat 6 just because its more durable when being yanked by enthusiastic installers. Call me old school, but the less terminations and hardware you have, the less chance for failure. Patch panels are very seldom deployed here for cameras. Its not like your going reconfigure the system often. Unlike other integrators I despise service calls. I picked up a very large account because the last company had battery backups on their remote wireless equipment along with patch panels in attics. Every time the power went out it generated a service call and eventually a ticket for them out the door. Most times less is more. Unless you love service calls and your customer loves to give you money.

SD
Shannon Davis
May 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I used to think the same thing about CAT5 but the issue becomes having large bundles of cable together running POE and the heat that is created. This is why we have started switching to CAT6. Newer CAT6 and CAT6E cables are being designed for the ampacities that POE puts on the cable. This issue has been addressed by the NEC. The more cables in a bundle then the amount of current you can run on each cable is reduced. The rating is called the "LP" rating. 

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Christopher Freeman
May 12, 2017

Not  ampacity which is current carring capacity

 Bandwidth = mbps, Reliability and Bit capacity. 

ampacity is electrical , Bandwidth is Communication 

From Cat 5/e to Cat 6 you must up size the Box from 4x4 to 6x6 to handle bends for sizing. 

 

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Craig Mc Cluskey
May 12, 2017

Not ampacity which is current carring capacity

Actually, he is talking about ampacity. With larger diameter, lower resistance conductors, the power dissipated in a large bundle will be less, and thus the temperature rise in the bundle will be less. It has nothing to do with the bandwidth of the cable.

Noting the increased bend radius, though, is important.

SD
Shannon Davis
May 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

From the UL website. This is new so not everyone will know about this. Obviously not applicable for all installations but why not be ready:

 

"

Over the past decade, Power-over-LAN cable technologies such as Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) have become a viable powering option for a wide range of applications. Anticipating future standards, device manufacturers are pushing the envelope and designing more sophisticated equipment that demands increased power.

As the power is increased, the heat generated within the cable increases as well. This is especially true when the cables are bundled. The additional heat generated by the increased current could push the cables beyond their rated temperatures.

To address this concern, UL has introduced a Limited Power (LP) Certification to simplify the cable choice and installation considerations. The “-LP” cable designation indicates that the cable has been evaluated to carry the marked current under reasonable worst-case installation scenarios without exceeding the temperature rating of the cable. The certification takes into account large bundle sizes, high ambient temperatures and other issues related to environmental effects, such as enclosed spaces or conduits.

Program Benefits

  • Provides an uncomplicated way to ensure installations are ready for the increasing power levels and are not susceptible to safety issues caused by excessive heat generation. This simplifies installation planning.
  • Provides a consistent test method for evaluating a cable’s ability to handle a specified current.
  • Cables are distinguished with an industry recognized and trusted UL certification Mark. This ensures compliance and reduces risk to all stakeholders in the supply chain.
  • Test-based requirements allow for innovation in cable design. "
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keith maxwell
May 12, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

Has anyone here had a cat5 meltdown? As descriibed? If your using quality cable I dont see an issue. I have run outdoor ptz cameras POE powered with heaters and fans and never had an issue..

How big does the bundle have to be for smoke? :)

 

MM
Michael Miller
May 12, 2017

I have seen smoked RJ-45 ends at one project.  The PTZ camera is AT and the camera worked fine after we swapped patch cables.  CAT6A Belden cable was used.

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keith maxwell
May 13, 2017
Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC

Agreed even with lightning strike its always an end that's the point of highest resistance. Never in the middle of a bundle.

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