DLR-CAT5E & DLR-CAT6-12C24 Reinforced Underwater Cat5e / Cat6 Ethernet & Power Composite Cable

Modern high-definition subsea IP cameras, multibeam echo sounders, acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and remotely operated inspection frames require 100BASE-TX or 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet links capable of withstanding dynamic winch tension and marine abrasion. The DLR-CAT5E and DLR-CAT6-12C24 series combines 100 ± 15 Ω (1–100 MHz) foamed/solid polyolefin F/UTP data pairs with a 500 kg breaking-strength Vectran fiber braid and a 1.4 mm hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane (PUR) outer sheath.

DLR-CAT5E is a dedicated 8-core (4 × 2 × 0.20 mm² / 24/7 AWG) Cat5e F/UTP underwater Ethernet cable finished in a high-visibility orange PUR jacket with a 10.2 mm outside diameter. Rated at 90 V working voltage and < 190 Ω/km conductor resistance, it weighs 107 kg/km in air, 25 kg/km in fresh water and 23 kg/km in seawater, with a 75 mm static and 150 mm dynamic minimum bending radius across -20 °C to +60 °C.

For subsea IP payloads requiring separate auxiliary power and control conductors alongside Gigabit Ethernet, DLR-CAT6-12C24 integrates a 4 × 2 × 0.20 mm² (24/7 AWG) Cat6 F/UTP core (mutual capacitance 48 pF/m) with 12 × 0.20 mm² (24 AWG, < 88.67 Ω/km, 300 V) power conductors (20 cores total) inside a 12.6 mm yellow PUR jacket (-40 °C to +80 °C, 63 mm static / 126 mm dynamic bend radius).

Specify DLR-CAT5E or DLR-CAT6-12C24, continuous length (up to 500 m) and subsea RJ45 or circular wet-mate connector requirements with your enquiry. TEBAOFLEX supplies custom lengths from a 50 m minimum order quantity with a standard lead time of 7–45 working days.

Explore the marine, offshore and underwater cable range for related configurations.

For related high-speed subsea data tethers and Vectran-reinforced ROV umbilicals, compare: DLR Series Vectran-Reinforced Underwater Video, Data & Power Umbilical Cable (4 to 10 Cores — DLR-1P20-2C50 to DLR-4P25-2C100) (4-to-10-core Vectran-braided power and serial telemetry umbilicals for inspection ROVs); DLRB-3TP6C & GAX Series Neutrally Buoyant Multi-Pair & Power ROV Tether Cable (250 V) (neutrally buoyant multi-pair and 250 V power tethers for free-swimming underwater vehicles). Verify Cat5e or Cat6 channel bandwidth, conductor gauge, and safe working load before deployment.

Construction

The representative construction illustrates DLR-CAT6-12C24 20-Core Reinforced Underwater Cat6 Ethernet + Power Composite Cable: a central 4 × 2 × 0.20 mm² (24/7 AWG) Cat6 F/UTP data core (100 ± 15 Ω, 48 pF/m, overall foil screen and drain wire) surrounded by 12 × 0.20 mm² (24 AWG) tinned-copper power/control conductors, mechanically reinforced by a 500 kg Vectran fiber braid and protected by a 1.4 mm yellow polyurethane outer sheath (Ø 12.6 mm).

Applications

Choose DLR-CAT5E for standalone PoE/PoE+ underwater IP cameras and Ethernet sensors, or DLR-CAT6-12C24 when high-wattage subsea LED lamps, pan-tilt motors or multi-rail DC supplies require 12 dedicated power cores alongside Gigabit Ethernet.

• Subsea HD/4K IP video cameras, photogrammetry rigs and laser-scaling arrays on commercial diving bells, observation ROVs and drop frames.
• Towed multibeam echo sounders (MBES), side-scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers and ADCPs requiring a 500 kg breaking-load negatively buoyant tether.
• Cabled coastal observatories, port security sonar nodes, lock-gate monitoring cameras and offshore wind turbine foundation inspection winches.
• Continuous slip-ring winch deployments up to 500 m (with PoE extenders or DSL/Ethernet repeaters for spans beyond 100 m standard IEEE 802.3 segment limits).

For subsea Ethernet system integration and lightweight buoyant tether options, consult: Custom Subsea & Marine Cable Manufacturer (custom marine cable manufacturing for ROV, sonar, and offshore deck equipment); Neutrally Buoyant ROV Tether Cable - Cat5e FTP (foamed-jacket neutrally buoyant Cat5e FTP tether for compact observation-class ROVs). Confirm maximum Ethernet segment length, PoE current capacity, and subsea connector pinout.

Specifications

Unlike unreinforced 30 V foamed neutrally buoyant tethers, DLR-CAT5E and DLR-CAT6-12C24 are negatively buoyant (23–25 kg/km in seawater) and reinforced with a 500 kg Vectran braid for towed and suspended winch service.

For 100BASE-TX / 1000BASE-T links, standard IEEE 802.3 channel reach is up to 90–100 m; lengths up to 500 m are supported when used with long-reach Ethernet/VDSL2 modems or subsea PoE repeaters.

The 12 × 24 AWG power conductors in DLR-CAT6-12C24 can be paired in parallel groups (e.g., 6 × V+ and 6 × GND, equivalent to 1.2 mm² per polarity) to minimize voltage drop over long cable runs.

Standards

IEC 61156 Balanced Communication Cable Standards at IEC Webstore

IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Standards Reference at IEEE SA