speaker wiring with cat5e

[Rickg47]

Have an amplifier with 3 70v speakers in main building. My shop is approx 150' away and I want to add a speaker. I have a spare cat5e in the conduit to my shop. Could I use the cat5e to add a fourth speaker? What problems could it cause,could it interfer with my phone or network connection^

 

[ravnz5]

if it's a spare cable then it wouldn't interrupt anything. very easy job to do

We all need a little help once in awhile. Tony the Phoneman..

 

[Dexman]

Even though using CAT 5E would work, I, personally, would try to avoid using that cable for hooking up a speaker and using cable more geared towards that application.

 

[SYQUEST]

You can find system info for both 70.7V and 25v lines at the websites for Atlas Sound and Bogen. They have downloadable PDFs with this stuff.

Also for the code see NEC Articles 725 and 800 and other related sections. 70.7 volt speaker lines are class 2 wiring.

Good reading.....

....JIM....

 

[gmsscman]

I have been in that situation before. I do not like to pull cable either.I would go with installing the correct speaker cable though. Don't use the Cat5e although it would work just fine. I work in a Hospital enviornment and codes do not allow us to improvise. I just cabled our new E.R. for voice, Data, and overhead speakers. No way could I use the cat6 that I pulled for our overhead speaker system. They would have shut down construction because of it. Regulations sometimes stink.

 

[SYQUEST]

Violating the NEC is not an improvisation! It is there for a reason!

....JIM....

 

[wires]

Using catX for common speaker wiring would not be a NEC code violation.

If I were to do it I would use both blue wires for Left+ both Orange wires for Left- both green wires for Right+ and both brown wires for Right-. At 150' with 21 AWG (approx) you would not be able to rock out but for background music it would work.

However of you want to rock and all you have is cat5 then there are several powered speaker systems that work over cat5.

Russound A-Bus

http://www.russound.com/abus.htm

Altec CommStar

http://www.beyerdynamic.co.uk/distributorpages/altecpages/alteclancing.html

There are others but those are the ones (in current production) a short web search turned up

 

[oldtimerbob]

You will want to use speaker wire and save the cat5 as a back up in case you need to use it for a phone or another network connection down the line,the cat5 is more expensive.
The guage of the speaker wire should be determined by the voltage or watts of the speaker and the amplifier. I would use a variable tap speaker.

You should have no problem with RFI from the speaker, but if that does concern you , use shielded speaker wire.

Good Luck,
Bob

Has been in the cabling business for about twenty years and is now the Sr PM for a cabling company located in the Los Angeles area.

http://www.globusinc.net

Also a General Class Amatuer Radio Operator.

 

[gmsscman]

Oldtimerbob has it correct. I could not have said it better. Believe me, you will never have enough cable ran. That is why you should go ahead and install speaker wire and not use your cat5. And for SYQUEST, lighten up. When I said we are not allowed to improvise I was trying to be light hearted. Having a sense of humor in our buisness is crucial.

Thanks.

 

[Rickg47]

Thanks for all the replys. Very informative, Thank you all.
There is room to pull speaker wire, so I think I'll just do that and save the cat5e for future