Telecom Drop Cable

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raytaylor

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#323325 18-Nov-2025 16:27

The old gel filled telecom direct bury standard drop / lead in cable.
Wire colors Red/Black/Blue/White

Does anyone know what its officially called or if it has any official specifications?

I managed to get 100mbits ethernet running over about 50 metres of it between two buildings at the weekend without any packet loss, but am keen to know if its even twisted pair?
I was short on length so didnt want to strip any more back. Hoping i got the right colors if they are indeed twisted in pairs, but if not, i'll go back and re-wire it.

Ray Taylor

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snj

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#3435631 18-Nov-2025 16:49

That stuff is good, somehow my dad got a part roll of the stuff (I'm not sure how, but he was good friends with a NZPO/Telecom technician way back when), he used it as signalling wire for model train layouts.

I think there might actually be some in the garage back home so if you can't get an answer beforehand, I can see if there was any tag or definitive markings of what is left.

https://www.tycab.co.nz/product/tfx41063/ looks basically the same though but I don't recall anything like the extra blue layer in the old NZPO/Telecom cables.

But yes it is twisted pair, I remember from helping him as a young kid.

raytaylor

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#3435632 18-Nov-2025 16:50

No layer - its just 4 wires (twisted pair configuration is the question of concern) inside a gel filled black sheath.

Ray Taylor

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RunningMan

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#3435701 18-Nov-2025 17:27

Was referred to as 049 I think.

raytaylor

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#3435764 18-Nov-2025 18:11

Thank you - that sent me down the right path.
Appears it may have been called 026 cable and made by general cable, which shut down in 2017.
But i was able to find an old data sheet confirming that it does appear to be twisted pair (though at a very low twist rate)

http://web.archive.org/web/20060210122616if_/http://www.generalcable.co.nz:80/new_zealand/Products/Communications/External/2.1.5.2.1.pdf

Anyhow, it appears its good for 100mbit ethernet over 50 metres :-)

Ray Taylor

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cyril7

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#3435769 18-Nov-2025 18:56

Hi Ray, I too have built several 100Mb/s runs in the 30-50m range on 049, on the few occasions I have looked back at the switches those links fed, I have yet to see any drop outs or errors.

Cyril

nztim

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#3435770 18-Nov-2025 18:58

That is pretty cool

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