This is a factory-terminated OM3 multimode patch cable built for outdoor runs. Two 50/125µm fibers sit in a single LC Uniboot housing, protected by a 5.0mm TPU jacket, a stainless steel spiral armor, and a pulling eye pre-installed on one end. It carries 10GBASE-SR to 300m, 40GBASE-SR4 to 100m, and 100GBASE-SR10 to 70m, and it is rated for direct burial.
Specifications at a glance
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Fiber mode | OM3 multimode, 50/125µm, bend-insensitive |
| Fiber count | 2 (duplex) |
| Connector | LC to LC Uniboot, UPC |
| Outer diameter | 5.0mm |
| Jacket | Black industrial TPU, waterproof |
| Armor | Stainless steel spiral tube |
| Strength members | Kevlar + glass fiber yarns |
| Insertion loss | ≤0.3dB (≤100m) · ≤0.6dB (100–200m) · ≤0.9dB (200–300m) |
| Return loss | ≥55dB |
| Tensile strength | 200N long-term · 600N short-term |
| Crush resistance | 2000N · 3000N |
| Temperature | −40°C to +80°C |
| Stock lengths | 5m to 300m, 14 fixed sizes |
| Pulling eye | Pre-installed, 40cm long, 1.7cm OD |
What “armored” actually adds
Armor is mechanical protection, not an environmental rating. On this cable the layers run, outside in:
- 5.0mm industrial TPU jacket — abrasion, moisture, and UV protection.
- Glass fiber yarns — an outer strength layer that spreads pulling force.
- Kevlar — the main tensile member; this is what carries the load when you pull.
- Stainless steel spiral armor — resists crush and rodent damage, and keeps the fiber from being pinched by backfill.
- LSZH inner jacket — the material immediately around the 50/125µm fiber.
That stack is why the cable can be buried, pulled through conduit, or strung overhead without a separate inner duct. It is also why it survives being dragged across a jobsite. It does not make the cable fire-rated, and it does not make it indestructible — a sharp bend still breaks fiber, armor or not.
The published mechanical limits are 200N long-term and 600N short-term tension, and 2000N / 3000N crush resistance. Those are the numbers to stay inside when you pull.
Uniboot versus standard duplex LC
A standard duplex LC pair is two separate connectors, each with its own housing and boot. Uniboot puts both fibers into one housing with a single boot and a polarity clip.
The practical difference is density. One Uniboot connector occupies roughly the footprint of one LC, so a patch panel that holds 24 standard duplex pairs can hold twice as many Uniboot pairs in the same space. Cable management is simpler too: one cable, one connector, one label.
The trade-off is flexibility. Polarity is set at the factory by the clip, so you cannot reverse the pair in the field the way you can with two independent connectors. If a single fiber in the pair fails, the whole assembly comes out. For most panel-to-panel runs that is an acceptable trade; for field-serviceable links it may not be.
Uniboot changes packaging, not optics. The insertion loss and return loss are the same class as any quality LC/UPC assembly: ≤0.3dB up to 100m, ≤0.6dB from 100m to 200m, ≤0.9dB from 200m to 300m, with return loss ≥55dB.
How far OM3 actually runs
OM3 is a 50/125µm multimode fiber tuned for 850nm vertical-cavity lasers. Its reach is set by modal bandwidth, not by the connector or the armor.
| Link | Reach on OM3 |
|---|---|
| 10GBASE-SR | 300m (984ft) |
| 40GBASE-SR4 | 100m (328ft) |
| 100GBASE-SR10 | 70m (230ft) |
The 300m figure is the standard OM3 limit at 10G and matches the manufacturer’s specification for this cable. If your run is longer than 300m, no amount of armor helps — that is a fiber-mode problem, and the answer is OS2 single-mode, which reaches 10km and beyond on the right optics.
One note on the spec sheet: the manufacturer also prints 1300nm as a supported wavelength. OM3 is specified and used at 850nm for the Ethernet reaches above; treat 850nm as the number that matters.
Direct burial, conduit, and overhead
All three installation methods are supported, but they ask for different things.
| Method | What it needs | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Direct burial | Sand or screened backfill, warning tape above the cable | Do not backfill with sharp rubble; leave slack at both ends |
| Conduit | Inner duct sized for a 5.0mm OD cable; sweeps instead of sharp elbows | Keep pull tension under the short-term limit; the low-friction jacket does not need lubricant |
| Overhead | Support messenger or lashing; UV-protected jacket | Expansion and wind loading; do not use the connectors as strain relief |
Direct burial is the reason this cable exists. The TPU jacket is waterproof, the armor takes the crush load from backfill, and the pulling eye lets you pull the drum run in one piece. What the cable does not carry is a fire rating: no UL, OFNR, or OFNP listing is claimed, and the LSZH inner jacket is a material statement, not a flame-spread rating. If your run passes through a plenum or a riser, check the local code requirement first — this is not the cable for that path.
The pulling eye, used correctly
The pulling eye is pre-installed on one end: 40cm long, 1.7cm outside diameter, with a swivel that lets the cable rotate as it feeds. It exists so the pull force goes into the Kevlar and armor rather than into the LC connectors.
Attach your pull line to the eye, not to the connector body. Feed the drum with the eye leading, keep the cable off sharp edges, and stay under the 600N short-term tension limit. Once the run is in place, cut the eye off at the jacket transition, tape or zip-tie the end, and keep it for the next pull.
The most common mistake is pulling from the connector end “just this once.” That puts the entire load on the ferrule and housing, and it is the fastest way to turn a good cable into a bad one.
Choosing the length
The cable comes in 14 fixed lengths. There is no cutting to order, so the length you pick is the length you get.
| Meters | Feet | Meters | Feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 16 | 61 | 200 |
| 10 | 33 | 75 | 246 |
| 15 | 49 | 100 | 328 |
| 20 | 66 | 150 | 492 |
| 30 | 98 | 200 | 656 |
| 37 | 121 | 245 | 804 |
| 50 | 164 | 300 | 984 |
Measure the path, not the room. Add 1–3m of slack at each end for service loops and connector access, plus extra for every 90° sweep. If the number lands between two stock lengths, take the longer one — a service loop is cheaper than a re-pull.
Common misconceptions
LSZH means flame-rated. It does not. LSZH describes what the jacket emits when it burns — low smoke, zero halogen — not how long it resists ignition. No UL/OFNR/OFNP rating is claimed here.
Armored means you can drive over it. Armor resists crush and rodent damage within its published limits. It does not survive a excavator bucket, and it still has a minimum bend radius.
Waterproof means any depth, any condition. The jacket is waterproof, but no IP rating is published for this assembly. Treat it as a direct-burial cable installed per the manufacturer’s instructions, not as a submersible cable.
Multimode cable works with single-mode optics. It does not. OM3 is for 850nm short-reach transceivers; 1310/1550nm single-mode optics need OS2.
FAQ
Is this cable rated for direct burial?
Yes. It is specified for direct burial, with a waterproof TPU jacket, stainless steel armor, and an operating range of −40°C to +80°C. No UL/OFNR/OFNP fire rating is claimed.
Can I use this cable for 40G or 100G?
Yes. On OM3 the rated multimode reaches are 100m for 40GBASE-SR4 and 70m for 100GBASE-SR10, with 300m for 10GBASE-SR. The connector is LC/UPC on both ends, which is what SR optics expect.
Can I run 10G to 300m with this cable?
Yes, 300m is the specified 10GBASE-SR reach for OM3. Beyond that you need single-mode.
Does “armored” mean I can bury it without conduit?
It means the cable is built for direct burial and can be installed without conduit, using sand or screened backfill and a warning tape. Follow the manufacturer’s burial instructions and local code.
Bottom line
If you need a pre-terminated OM3 run that goes outdoors, through a conduit, or straight into a trench, this cable covers the 10G/40G/100G short-reach cases up to its rated distances. Pick the fixed length, pull it by the eye, and keep the bend radius in mind. For runs past 300m, or for plenum and riser paths, choose a different cable.