29-09-2016, 02:24 PM
(29-09-2016, 11:54 AM)ppppenguin Wrote: It's claimed that Cat5 and Cat5e are more or less hte same stuff. Just that the tolerances were tightened for 5e.
http://discountcablesusa.com/ethernet-cables100.html
Ethernet cable is pretty universal stuff. There are solutions for anything from mains to light over it. I jest, but low-ish power DC, audio, video (analogue and digital) and VHF/UHF aerial distribution can all be done with standard products.
Yes, there is just no assurance that 100m of Cat5 will perform as well as Cat5e. On shorter runs it makes no difference, and you might get more than 100m on Cat5e at 1Gbps and probably at 100Mbps, though a cheap switch as a "repeater" will reliably give 200m.
I prefer cheap "satellite" coax rather than twisted pair for UHF /VHF and even connecting a supposed 50 Ohm Discone to a transmitter the SWR is perfectly acceptable 50MHz, 144MHz and 430MHz. The mismatch of using 75 Ohm PF125 for 50 Ohms reception isn't much and while not as cheap as regular "sat cable" it's a lot cheaper than 50 Ohm RG213. So I buy outdoor grade PF125 as well as the ordinary sat cable that's a bit better than cable company RG6. BNC connections are a problem, but PL259 are not (drill out) and suitable N-Types and F-Type are sold cheaply for cable industry. I have the two sizes of F-Connector and crimp tools (a lot easier to make up than BNC or N), also adaptors to BNC, SMA and Belling-Lee. FME seems to be a 50 Ohm plug similar in concept (but incompatible) to F-connector. The screw on and pop-on F-connectors are rubbish.
