Hey guys, I was wondering what the best way is to source a lot of this cheaply.
We can currently buy 350 metres for $153, but if theres a better way I’d love to know for the future!
If you’re not too concerned about quality, building demolition places might have some. Not sure if they’d take the time to rip it all out or not. In such a case you’d probably get it for a bit over scrap value.
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I’m interested to know who quoted you that price as it is a crap quality cable or you have some super awesome discount, the best I could get is $0.80/m
I got a quote on under ground grease impregnated CAT5e
Just doing some online price shopping, I found 305m of Cat5e for $94.75 delivered. Or if eBay stores are more your style, 305m for $79.99 delivered (but I’d also like to mention this one for the same price that includes a cable tester, crimper, stripper, punchdown tool & 20x RJ45 connectors which is one hell of a deal if you don’t have all the tools already). Or if you don’t care about a long shipping time, 305m for $68.01 delivered.
You get what you pay for though, and they might be fiddly to crimp because of their low quality and/or being stranded. I haven’t bought any of these so I can’t vouch for them. One that I specifically can vouch for is this 305m spool of solid-core Cat6 for $120.25 delivered.
What is the application for this wire?
I brought in a 48 port patch panel for @Thermoelectric, it’s got 48 ~5meter lengths of cat6 attached to it, if you can use them you’re welcome to them (assuming @Thermoelectric doesn’t mind)
@riumplus thanks so much, all great options. I’d be inclined to go with the cat6 too. we were looking at cat5e for external use to network our property in Byron Bay, and provide a web connection from the community tech shop we are setting up here.
When you say external use, how do you plan on running it?
Meep, I just realised that you were asking for external use cables! None of the ones I linked to above are rated for external use. They’d “work” for something short-term, but they wouldn’t last more than a few years if they were exposed to daily sun, wind & rain.
Thanks Thermoelectric!
Andrew Graham
Hi @Andrew!
Looks like I might be moving down to Byron later this year (at the least I am spending half my time down there).
I’m interested in the community tech shop you mentioned - can you link me to any info on it?
I just moved to canada to work for Industrial Light and Magic for a year. My tentative plan is to build a transforming shipping container to have a mobile tech shop when i can save enough to get it started and build it in kyogle.
Congrats on the gig - a friend I worked with at Photon VFX on the Gold Coast works for LF/ILM - based in HK I think.
Sounds like an interesting project, I’m sure a build thread would be welcome on here when you get into it 
I just moved to canada to work for Industrial Light and Magic for a year.
My tentative plan is to build a transforming shipping container to have a
mobile tech shop when i can save enough to get it started