atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring quality of cable based on brand.

I have always used systemax , beldon, paladin and nordex. I have assumed these are perhaps some of the best cable on the market.

Are there some other off brands that may cost less per foot in the case a customer balks at a bid price with say nordex cable installed? I do not want to sacrifice in quality but also dont want to install cable that may break or go impedence changes when it is installed.

Being new as a sole owner I have to figure out what is best for my customers. Also need to detirmine what I should be charging for them. Heard it is anyware in the xxxxxx per 100 foot region.

Loren

(Price removed as per forum rules - Clinton)

Most vendors have a product line that will include a range of qualities for the same category of cable. They usually have the basic CatX and at least one CatX "enhanced". Make sure you're not buying a more expensive version of CatX than what you need.

I have used Superior Essex cable for about 10 years with no complaints. Why do I use it? Because thats what the local supply house has on hand. They buy large quantities and they are able to pass on the savings. Where you buy your cable can make a huge difference in the price.

As for what you should charge, that's never an easy answer. Figure out what you need to charge before you look at anyone else's prices. There are quite a few threads that address this topic, and I think one hour per drop is a common estimate. Just figure out what you need to make per hour, your costs, etc. If you're getting enough work and making enough money, then you're probably charging the right amount.

I have always liked Commscope and Berk-Tek. Systimax is alot better now than the old Lucent IMO. I had a job recently using General Cable cat6, the reel boxes are horrible.

We use primarily BerkTek because Graybar stocks a lot of it here. Just used some General Cable cat6 and yes the reel boxes were a pain.

You didn't like having to call in a mule team to pull the cable out of the boxes?

We use Systimax and it's just OK.

General Cable on reels was always good. So was Mohawk.

IMO boxes are OK if you're pulling one or two runs, otherwise I'd rather have reels and set up on a ferris wheel or cable cart.

Sam

I use Systimax and Superior Essex.

Yeah, no doubt.

I normally use General Cable but I have used just about all of it. I don't like the Superior Essex spool-boxes.

I always opt for reels whenever possible. The reel-in-a-box is barely OK. Pulling multiple runs is a tug of war.

What I can't stand is the Reelex boxes, the ball of twine concept. I'll leave them for the geeks. 25% of them get tangled up so bad that they are unuseable. I always use major manufacturers and not too long ago the cable right out of the boxes had dings in it so bad that I can't see how it passed certification after it was packaged. I never certify so I wouldn't know how it did.

-Hal