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Alarm & Signal Cable

Alarm and signal cable carries the low-voltage wiring between alarm panels, detectors, keypads, sounders, door entry and control equipment. The range covers multicore alarm cable with core counts such as 4, 8 and 12, screened and unscreened, with PVC, LSF or halogen-free sheaths. Alongside it are multi-pair instrumentation and serial data cable, access control cable, screened multicore for door entry, bell wire and bus cable, on reels such as 100m, 305m and 500m.

Choosing Alarm & Signal Cable

Work out the circuits the cable must carry, then choose the screening, the conductor and the sheath.

Core count and cable type

Core counts here include 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, such as the Aritech WC104W, CQR CABS6/WH/100, CQR CABS8/WH/200 and SFX OSC10. Some alarm cable is made to a BS4737-3.30 type: the unscreened CQR CAB8HF/WH/100 is made to Type 1 and the screened CQR CABS8/WH/200 to Type 2. The Securi-Flex SFX/12C-TY2-SCR-DB-PE-BLK-100 is a 12-core Type 2 alarm cable with tinned copper conductors.

Copper or CCA conductors

Copper-clad aluminium (CCA) is the lower-cost conductor: the CQR CABCCA8/WH/100M is designed for domestic and small commercial installations, and the Mercury 808.205UK is an economy 8 core cable with tinned CCA conductors. The CQR CAB8/WH/100/PR has 100% copper cores and states EN50575 CPR certification.

Sheath and fire performance

PVC-sheathed cable such as the Aritech WC108W is made for internal or external wiring of warning systems. Low smoke and fume (LSF) versions such as the CQR CAB8/WH/LSF/200 cut the smoke a burning sheath gives off, and low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) cable such as the CAB8HF/WH/100 is used where people and equipment must be protected from toxic and corrosive gas.

Data, bus and bell wiring

For RS-485 links the Belden 9841NH.00305 is designed for the purpose, and the 4-pair Belden 9844NH.00305 has an overall Beldfoil shield and a braid. The Securi-Flex SFX/ACCESS-1-LSZH-D-PUR-100 combines 9 cores and 3 screened pairs for access control systems, the Securi-Flex SFX/OSC10-LSZH-D-GRY-100 is screened multicore for uses that include door entry systems, and the Mercury 808.207UK figure 8 bell wire serves electrical bell circuits.

Belden supplies the most cables on this page.

CableExampleConstructionNotes
Unscreened alarm, Type 1CQR CAB8HF/WH/100UnscreenedLSZH, 100m drum
Screened alarm, Type 2CQR CABS8/WH/2008 cores, screenedPVC, 200m drum
Economy alarmMercury 808.205UK8 cores, tinned CCAWhite PVC, 100m
Access controlSecuri-Flex SFX/ACCESS-1-LSZH-D-PUR-1009 cores and 3 pairsLSZH, purple
RS-485Belden 9844NH.003054 twisted pairsLSZH, braid shield
Bell wireMercury 808.207UK2 cores, copper clad steelWhite PVC, 100m

Related categories

This cable is part of our electrical cable and wire range. For the system it connects see burglar and intruder alarms and alarm panels; for mains flex see flexible cable. See also Mains & Flex Cable.

Brands we stock in Alarm & Signal Cable

Abloy, Aritech, Belden, BPT, BTicino by Legrand, CQR, Mercury, Securi-Flex, SFX Cables and Videx.

Frequently asked questions

What is 8 core alarm cable used for?

Eight-core alarm cable is typically used to wire a detector, keypad or sounder back to an intruder alarm panel. A wired detector usually needs two cores for power, two for the alarm contacts and two for the tamper circuit, which leaves two spare cores for extras such as remote LED or walk-test control. The range here includes screened and unscreened eight-core cable.

What is alarm cable?

Alarm cable is low-voltage multicore cable used to connect an alarm panel to its detectors, keypads and sounders. It usually has thin stranded conductors in copper or copper-clad aluminium, either screened or unscreened, with a PVC or low smoke zero halogen sheath. Check whether the installation calls for a particular cable type, such as one made to BS 4737-3.30, before choosing.

  • Established 1975
  • Birmingham trade counter
  • UK-only supply

Written by the West Midlands Electrics technical team

Updated

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