AV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables

Summary: ProAV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables

ProAV Outdoor Cabling Built for Demanding Installations

Windy City Wire manufactures low-voltage SmartWire cables in the United States for professional AV integrators and commercial clients. Our ProAV offering in outdoor Ethernet delivers dependable performance for signal transport, control, and networking between buildings and across large campuses. Whether you are deploying video over IP, audio networking, control systems, or security and surveillance, our category 6 outdoor cable options give you a reliable backbone for your next project.

Why SmartWire for ProAV?

• Purpose-built for ProAV environments: These AV cables support Ethernet-based AV transport, control, intercom, and building systems across exterior pathways and direct-burial runs.
• Category 6 performance: Designed for stable data throughput across permanent links, helping ensure clean audio, smooth video distribution, and responsive control on managed networks.
• POE (power over ethernet): Supports common PoE deployments used to energize endpoints such as cameras, encoders/decoders, touch panels, and small network devices when installed per applicable codes and manufacturer guidelines.
• Shielding options to fit the job: Choose non‑shielded for general outdoor runs or shielded with overall foil (FTP) to help reduce EMI in electrically noisy areas, near lighting, or alongside power.
• Installation efficiency: SmartWire Glide Technology is a cable lubrication applied during manufacturing that reduces pulling friction by up to 70%, helping crews move faster with fewer snags and re-pulls.
• Low-voltage, AV focus: All SmartWire products are low-voltage and engineered for professional integration, from educating facilities teams to supporting the needs of AV designers, contractors, and distributors.
• Visual standardization: Standard and custom jacket/stripe colors are available to help you identify signal types and standardize across multi-site portfolios. Contact our team to discuss custom color options for SmartWire.

Where these outdoor ProAV cables fit

• Inter-building links for campus AV networks and control
• Outdoor LED signage, scoreboards, and wayfinding displays
• Stadiums, arenas, and entertainment venues
• Hospitality and retail exteriors, courtyards, and patios
• Parking structures, security cameras, and perimeter devices

Integrates cleanly with rack infrastructure

Terminate your outdoor runs to patch panels or network switches and connect endpoints with a cat6 patch cable in the rack or equipment room. This maintains a clear demarcation between permanent links and serviceable cords while preserving long-term system reliability.

Available constructions

• 24 AWG 4 Pair Solid Outdoor Direct Burial Low-Voltage: Unshielded Category 6 copper cable for general outdoor and direct-burial AV/data links. A solid choice for campus pathways and exterior device connections where EMI is not a primary concern.
• 23 AWG 4 Pair Solid Outdoor UV-Rated Direct Burial Low-Voltage: Shielded (overall aluminum foil) Category 6 copper cable for outdoor/burial runs exposed to sunlight or potential interference. Helps mitigate EMI on pathways near lighting, motors, or power cabling.

At-a-glance options

• Available AWGs: 24, 23
• Available Shielding: Non‑Shielded, Shielded (O/A foil)
• Category: Category 6 outdoor cable for direct burial and exterior pathways

How Windy City Wire adds value to your ProAV deployment

• Consistency across large projects: Standardize across properties with uniform constructions, jacket/stripe colors, and documentation to reduce install time and change orders.
• Inventory simplicity: Two clear outdoor constructions cover most ProAV use cases—non‑shielded for typical runs and shielded for EMI-prone routes—streamlining planning and stocking.
• Installation efficiency: SmartWire Glide lubrication lowers pull friction, helping crews work faster and reducing the risk of cable damage during installation.
• Reliable performance for AV workflows: Built to carry control, audio, and video-over-IP traffic with the headroom needed for professional systems.
• ProAV product and solutions focus: We supply low-voltage products and solutions that align with how integrators work—no added services, just quality cabling you can trust on every project.

Summary

Choose Windy City Wire’s SmartWire for outdoor ProAV network links when you need dependable, low-voltage pro av cable designed for real-world job sites. With Category 6 outdoor cable options in both non‑shielded and shielded constructions, support for common POE (power over ethernet) applications, and installation-friendly features, our AV cables help integrators deliver predictable performance with fewer surprises in the field. Partner with us to equip your next project with cabling that supports today’s requirements and helps prepare for tomorrow’s demands.

Solutions: ProAV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables

AV Category Cable: CAT 6 Outdoor Cables for Professional Integration
Windy City Wire’s Category 6 outdoor cable portfolio gives AV integrators a dependable, low-voltage backbone for connecting networked audio, video, control, and security devices across campuses and exterior spaces. Built on solid bare copper, 4‑pair constructions and engineered for direct-burial and outdoor pathways, these pro av cable options support high-performance data transport and POE (power over ethernet) delivery to field devices. Choose from unshielded 24 AWG or foil-shielded 23 AWG designs to match environmental conditions, run lengths, and EMI considerations.

Where CAT 6 Outdoor Cable Fits in Pro AV Systems

• Outdoor digital signage and LED displays — Drive IP-based media players and controllers to perimeter displays, scoreboards, menu boards, and wayfinding kiosks. Category 6 outdoor cable provides a stable path for high-bitrate video distribution and remote device management.
• Networked audio — Connect amplifiers, DSPs, networked loudspeakers, paging systems, and outdoor zones across courtyards, stadium concourses, and campus greens.
• Control and automation — Extend touch panels, controllers, and I/O gateways to gatehouses, ticketing areas, and exterior mechanical spaces for unified AV and building control.
• Streaming, IPTV, and content transport — Support encoders/decoders and media servers that feed distributed displays in arenas, retail façades, and hospitality patios.
• Collaboration spillover spaces — Tie outdoor meeting pods, terraces, and training areas back to the core network for displays, cameras, and scheduling panels.
• Safety and site visibility — Integrate AV with surveillance, intercoms, and mass notification horns where POE (power over ethernet) simplifies powering edge devices.
• Network infrastructure supporting AV — Backhaul wireless access points, controllers, and switches that enable AV-over-IP performance in outdoor zones.

Industries and Environments That Benefit

• Sports and entertainment venues — Concourse signage, perimeter speakers, broadcast back-of-house, and premium outdoor clubs.
• Higher education and K‑12 campuses — Quad displays, emergency paging, stadium installs, and inter-building AV links.
• Corporate and enterprise campuses — Courtyard collaboration areas, outdoor cafés, and site-wide wayfinding.
• Hospitality and gaming — Pool decks, patios, façades, and promenade digital media networks.
• Retail and QSR — Drive-thru digital menu boards, exterior signage, and promotional video walls.
• Transportation hubs — Outdoor information displays, paging, and control stations in airport, rail, and port environments.
• Healthcare and government campuses — Wayfinding, paging, and exterior collaboration pavilions.
• Industrial, logistics, and energy — Yard intercoms, perimeter cameras tied to AV monitoring, and ruggedized display endpoints.
• Houses of worship and performing arts — Overflow viewing areas, campus-wide streaming, and outdoor gathering spaces.

Why choose Category 6 outdoor cable for Pro AV?

• Reliable bandwidth for AV-over-IP — Solid bare copper conductors support consistent performance for compressed and lightly compressed audio and video streams.
• POE (power over ethernet) readiness — Solid copper conductors and appropriate gauge selection aid efficient power delivery to cameras, encoders, touch panels, and networked loudspeakers.
• Built for outdoor pathways — Direct-burial constructions withstand exterior environments; shielded options add an extra layer of noise mitigation where needed.
• Termination flexibility — Standard 4‑pair color coding supports straightforward field termination and testing with Category 6 connectivity.

Selecting the Right Construction

• Gauge options (24 AWG and 23 AWG)
  Use 24 AWG unshielded for typical outdoor drops where electromagnetic interference is minimal and ease of pull/termination is a priority. Choose 23 AWG foil‑shielded when runs are longer, device power budgets are higher, or you need extra headroom for POE (power over ethernet) and noise performance.
• Shielding options
  Unshielded (U/UTP) suits open grounds and routes with good separation from power cabling. Foil‑shielded (F/UTP) helps reduce interference near lighting, motors, or RF sources and can improve signal integrity around large LED displays or broadcast equipment. Always bond and ground shielded cable per best practices.
• Outdoor durability
  Direct-burial designs handle in-ground routing and exterior conduits. UV-rated options are available for sun-exposed runs and mounting hardware on building exteriors.

Design and Installation Considerations

• Pathway planning — Maintain proper separation from power, observe bend radius guidelines, and protect entry points with appropriate fittings and sealants.
• Termination quality — Use Category 6 jacks, plugs, and patch panels. Inside the telecom room, transition to a cat6 patch cable for equipment connections while keeping horizontal cabling uninterrupted.
• POE load management — Account for bundle sizes, ambient temperature, and device power class when designing for POE (power over ethernet). 23 AWG shielded can provide additional thermal margin for higher-power devices.
• Grounding and surge protection — In outdoor environments, include bonding of shielded components and surge protection where exposure to lightning or transients is possible.
• Testing and documentation — Certify links to Category 6 performance and label pathways so future AV expansions are straightforward.

How AV integrators use these av cables in the field

• Run direct-burial links between buildings to feed outdoor displays, speakers, and control points without adding active gear outdoors.
• Backhaul perimeter IP cameras and intercoms into the AV control room, enabling unified monitoring and content overlays for venues.
• Support campus-wide IPTV and emergency messaging so digital signage doubles as a safety communication platform.
• Extend collaboration and presentation systems to terraces and amphitheaters, keeping signal and power on a single cable through POE (power over ethernet).

Talk with our team
Every outdoor AV project is different. Share your site conditions, POE device power classes, run distances, and any nearby interference sources. We will help you select between 24 AWG unshielded and 23 AWG foil-shielded designs and outline best practices so your installation performs reliably from day one.

Frequently Asked Questions: ProAV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables

• 1. What AWG conductors are available with this SmartWire AV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables cable?

  Available in 24 AWG (4-pair, unshielded) and 23 AWG (4-pair, shielded with O/A foil).

• 2. What other colors is this SmartWire AV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables cable available in?

  These cables feature a black outer jacket. The internal pair color codes are: White-Blue/Blue, White-Orange/Orange, White-Green/Green, and White-Brown/Brown. Custom SmartWire jacket and stripe colors can also be produced—contact Windy City Wire to discuss customization.

• 3. Is this SmartWire AV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables cable made with solid or stranded copper conductors?

  Solid bare copper conductors.

• 4. What length is this SmartWire AV Category Cable CAT 6 Outdoor Cables cable sold in?

  1,000 ft. At Windy City Wire, we manufacture and stock SmartWire Building Wire in 1,000 ft as our standard length as well.

• 5. How is your SmartWire ProAV cable sold on spools or in boxes?

  SmartWire ProAV cable is packaged in our patented RackPack carton as part of our complete solution for jobsite efficiency. Learn more about our RackPack: https://windycitywire.com/solutions/rackpack-overview

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