GORE® Tethered Drone Cables for Commercial & Defense
Built with rugged, low-weight materials, our hybrid cables give more payload options, allow drones to fly higher, expand line of sight or coverage and last longer than alternatives.
Drone Tether Cable with Smaller Design, Better Protection
GORE® Tethered Drone Cables blend reliable high-power and fiber optic cables with high-strength, weather-proof materials in a small-scale hybrid design. They take up less space inside the tether management system, provide durable protection with greater weight stability, and last longer than standard nylon cables.
High-Strength. Low-Weight Materials.
Outperforming standard cables, GORE Tethered Drone Cables bring unique features that give them more durability against harsh environments and contaminants, including:
- crush- and abrasion-resistant layers
- chemically inert, weather-proof materials
- low-friction fiber braid cable jacket
Our hybrid cables offer numerous benefits that enable drones to fly higher, see farther and do more, like:
- withstand abrasion, weather, terrain, extreme temps, repeated reeling and more
- less weight pickup for more stability in harsh fluids than nylon cables
- proven crush-resistant fiber optic cable meets ARINC 802-3 requirements
- more design options and extra payload from reduced cable design
- weight savings with 20% smaller diameters than nylon cables
- deliver continuous high-voltage power, secure signals & high-bandwidth data transfer
- easier handling, less maintenance, extended cable life and fewer replacements
Courtesy of Lance Cpl. Rhita Daniel
With proven unrivaled durable performance, GORE Tethered Drone Cables deliver unfailing data transmission, secure signals and high-voltage power in applications like:
- electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) sensors
- HD camera & video systems
- intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR)
- search & rescue operations
- telecommunications
The fiber in our hybrid solution can also function as a reliable low-loss coaxial cable for applications that transmit and receive data like:
- line-of-sight communication
- mesh drone networks
- rural network connectivity
- temporary cell towers
- downlink video streaming for emergency response, search & rescue, aerial photography, news & events and border patrol
GORE® Tethered Drone Cables Meet Operational Requirements
Learn more about the unique features of our power and fiber optic solution that meets military and commercial requirements for operating in harsh tethered drone conditions.
Solving Tethered Drone Issues with Gore’s Rugged Cable
Find out the capabilities of Gore’s hybrid cable solution that can solve many issues with military and commercial tethered drones, particularly security and short battery life.
Technical Information
These values demonstrate the electrical, mechanical and environmental performance of GORE Tethered Drone Cables for military and commercial applications.
| Elec./Mech./Environ. Property | Power Pair | Data Pair | Fiber Optic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Voltagea Vrms | 250 | 600 | — |
| Testing Voltage Vrms | 1500 | 1500 | — |
| Maximum Optical Loss at 1310 nm (dB/km) | — | — | 0.35 |
| Maximum Optical Loss at 1550 nm (dB/km) | — | — | 0.20 |
| Jacket Material | Engineered Fluoropolymer Fiber Braid | Engineered Fluoropolymer Fiber Braid | Engineered Fluoropolymer Fiber Braid |
| Jacket Color | Black | Black | Black |
| Insulation Color | Blue/White | Gray/White | Brown |
| Insulation Wall Thickness mm (in) | 0.14 (0.006) | 0.14 (0.006) | — |
| Conductor | Silver-Plated Copper | Silver-Plated Copper | — |
| Mode Type µm | — | — | Single (900) |
| Core/Cladding/Coating | — | — | 8 /125/245 |
| Coating Type | — | — | High-Temperature Acrylate |
| Buffer | — | — | Expanded PTFE |
| Dielectric Material | Expanded PTFE/PTFE | Expanded PTFE/PTFE | Expanded PTFE/PTFE |
| Crush/Impact Resistanceb kgf/cm (lb/in) (ARINC 802-3) | — | — | Pass |
| Tensile Strengthb N (lbs.) 16 AWG 20 AWG 24 AWG | 1538 (345) 1092 (245) 910 (204) | 1538 (345) 1092 (245) 910 (204) | 1538 (345) 1092 (245) 910 (204) |
| Scrape Abrasionb Cycles, 500 g (1.1 lbs.) (SAE AS4373™) | > 36,000 | > 36,000 | > 36,000 |
| Fluid Immersion/Weight Stabilityb % Absorption (SAE AS4373™) | Pass > 1 (Salt Water/Diesel) > 2.5 (Hydraulic) | Pass > 1 (Salt Water/Diesel) > 2.5 (Hydraulic) | Pass > 1 (Salt Water/Diesel), > 2.5 (Hydraulic) |
| Cold Bend Resistanceb (SAE AS4373™) | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Temperature Range °C | -60 to +200 | -60 to +200 | -60 to +85c |
a. Based on a NEMA HP3 wire.
b. Testing based on size 22 AWG.
c. Attenuation may increase above 85°C.
We extensively test and qualify GORE Tethered Drone Cables to meet the following commercial and defense standards compliance:
- ABD0031 (AITM 2.0005); BSS7230; FAR Part 25, Appendix F, Part I: Flammability
- ABD0031 (AITM 3.0005); BSS7239: Toxicity
- ABD0031 (AITM 3.0008B); BSS7238; FAR Part 25, Appendix F, Part V: Smoke Density
- ARINC 802-3: Performance Requirements (RCN9164, RCN9166, RCN9217, RCN9218)
- SAE AS4373™: Test Methods for Insulated Electric Wire (Contact Gore for available data)
| Gore Part Number | Construction/AWG Size (Stranding) |
|---|---|
| RCN9164 | Power Pair: 16 AWG (19/29) Fiber: 1 Single Mode, 900 micron |
| RCN9166 | Power Pair: 20 AWG (19/32) Fiber: 1 Single Mode, 900 micron |
| RCN9168 | Power Pair: 24 AWG (19/36) Fiber: 1 Single Mode, 900 micron |
| RCN9188 | Power Pair: 20 AWG (19/32) |
| RCN9190 | Power Pair: 24 AWG (19/36) |
| RCN9217 | Power Pair: 16 AWG (19/29) Data Pair: 28 AWG (19/40) Fiber: 1 Single Mode, 900 micron |
| RCN9218 | Power Pair: 20 AWG (19/32) Data Pair: 28 AWG (19/40) Fiber: 1 Single Mode, 900 micron |
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FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY
Not for use in food, drug, cosmetic or medical device manufacturing, processing, or packaging operations.
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