berry120 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Today's moral - when working with a choir of mainly older folk, don't let them "help" you pack up, because the time you save will be doubled later re-coiling everything and putting it in the correct boxes!Doesn't just have to be old choir folk Ah well, they only mean well... I either use the under over method or the normal coil / twist method. I don't really like drums even if they're for cables of the same length - people always seem to put the cables back on the wrong ones and they get tangled up if they're not rolled on neatly. Figure of 8 doesn't really appeal either - never really seen much of a point, takes up more space and looks messier IMO. As for tying them up - if they're used regularly then LX tape (to use the colours up in those cheap B&Q packs that I'd never use otherwise) and if they're being put away for ages then I generally put velcro straps on them. Keeps the gunk away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I normaly use the over over method described in the O/P for the (usualy thin) Signal Cables. For the (Usually Thicker) Speaker and Power cables I use the Over Under Method as described by soundo26. For the Multicore I use Fig8 as it is easier whan the other methods with such a large cable. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 How come you don't use Figure8?I've never used that and never been taught to do a figure of 8. I think it looks messy personally - sometimes when coiling XLR they will make a figure of 8 and I will always unwind a few coils and do them again.Pretty much as said above, you wouldn't use figure-of-eight for small cables like XLR or TRS, but large dia cables are easier, store better and (specifically in the case of multi's) really helps the run out. Typical examples might include 63A and above, single core 125A and above, Soca etc. These should also all be laid out in figure-of-eight when in use to avoid induction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wol Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 re: pyro connector: I thought it was a bulgin one, and google image search agrees: http://www.pslx.co.uk/images/Bulgin-3.jpg Yay for Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamchristuffin Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 How come you don't use Figure8?I've never used that and never been taught to do a figure of 8. I think it looks messy personally - sometimes when coiling XLR they will make a figure of 8 and I will always unwind a few coils and do them again. No,no. I would never use it for XLR, 15A, or similar, just large, long, heavy cables (Soca, 63A, 50M of NL8, etc.) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokm Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Only time I've ever seen or 'done' figure of 8's is for putting thick multi's/looms & heavy mains into flightcases. Its just really not a suitable method for coiling anything smaller than say 63a/3, much easier to just coil anything smaller in a normal fashion. Just my thoughts on it. To be honest I've never really paid attention to exactly how I coil cables 1) it just becomes instinctual after a very short while & 2) I'm not that sad! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techiegsy Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I belive figure of 8 should also be used when you have excess power, or it heats up and melts... I now add a twist automatically. I also get seriously annoyed at people coiling my (or any other) cables round their arm. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDP Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Going to jump in here. We coil (normally) ALL cables. This includes 125A. Usually, 16A, XLR etc, we can coil in our hands, and up to 20M of soca. After 20M of soca, in bigger, thicker cables, coil in the floor. We only EVER figure of 8 our (long) Powerlocks, and soca looms into boxes, and if touring long 125A, 63A. We NEVER on one-offs figure of 8 anything, unless it Powerlock which lives in stillages or boxes in figures of 8. Sorry, Chris, as helpful as you may feel you are being, figure of 8'ing long cables will get people very annoyed, as it will be re-coiled. Once you start working in a warehouse, it will become very clear why. A figure of 8 cable is twice the 'height' of a normal coiled cable on the shelf, and a figure of 8'ed cable will not fit on our 'pegs' as it will be too high - meaning re-coiling is necessary. Also the running the cable through the hand is fine in a school, to do it properly. BUT when on site, you can feel the way of the cable, and its much quicker to feel it and coil as you go - if you think about it you double handling the cable, and wasting time doing it your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcoppard Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 The only figure of 8'ing we do is on multi-cores. Everyother cables get's coiled, without halving or without elbowing. After every performance we clean every one of our cables (considering our last one had silly string and shaving foam, it needed them), coil the 5-10M XLR and DMX cables in the above method, as well as the spruced up kettle leads of the lights :D . Then, with cables such as our 50M VGA, we lay it on the floor, and coil it there, in pretty much the same motion, but whilst lying on the floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 HERE'S A DIRECT LINK to the video of the over/under method of coiling an XLR cable (or any other small diameter signal cable). Anyone caught using any other method to coil my cables will get an earful. A properly coiled cable has two attributes: first, the coiling action doesn't put any twisting strain on the cores and, second, the next time you use the cable it should be able to be thrown out straight or simply pulled without the need to "uncoil". Simple coiling fails because if you try to quickly pull it out you develop a series of kinks. Large diameter multicores would normally be either on a drum or in a Figure of 8. Simple coiling may be a space saver in JDP's warehouse but is a pain in the anatomy for the next person who tries to use the cable. At least heavy duty power cables are less worried about the twisting strain on the cores than signal cables. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamchristuffin Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 No,no. I would never use it for XLR, 15A, or similar, just large, long, heavy cables (Soca, 63A, 50M of NL8, etc.) Chris We only EVER figure of 8 our (long) Powerlocks, and soca looms into boxes, and if touring long 125A, 63A. We NEVER on one-offs figure of 8 anything, unless it Powerlock which lives in stillages or boxes in figures of 8. Do you not see the above? Long thin cables (50M of 16A, example) are in a floor coil, and for me to do Fig8 all three 'criteria' in bold above must be filled. Sorry, Chris, as helpful as you may feel you are being, figure of 8'ing long cables will get people very annoyed, as it will be re-coiled. Once you start working in a warehouse, it will become very clear why. I DO work in a warehouse! :D Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Sorry, Chris, as helpful as you may feel you are being, figure of 8'ing long cables will get people very annoyed, as it will be re-coiled. Once you start working in a warehouse, it will become very clear why. A figure of 8 cable is twice the 'height' of a normal coiled cable on the shelf, and a figure of 8'ed cable will not fit on our 'pegs' as it will be too high - meaning re-coiling is necessary. Why? You can easily fold a figure8-ed cable in half and tape at the top if you want to peg them. We used to do that all the time with 10-15m socca, as you would rip the tape, fold out on the ground where you're plugging in, then run out, leaving you with any excess nicely fig8ed in dimmer land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDP Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Why? You can easily fold a figure8-ed cable in half and tape at the top if you want to peg them. We used to do that all the time with 10-15m socca, as you would rip the tape, fold out on the ground where you're plugging in, then run out, leaving you with any excess nicely fig8ed in dimmer land. Because, thats how we do it. Its a LOT easier to handle a coiled cable than a stupidly big figure of 8'd cable.... And, we do everything on soca looms, custom built for the job. running singles get silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 EDIT: Judging by this forum, the full name is 'Pyrotenax', and is used in the same way Hoover is, i.e. a brand name for a whole item. no as others have said there bulgins(2A 3pin also used on some qaud hifi amps) Pyrotenax or MICC is a cable that is designed for use in high temperatures locations.The outer sheath is copper (often covered in pvc) and magnesium oxide as the internal insulation.O and its great fun to terminateMore info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudigure Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 How come you don't use Figure8?I've never used that and never been taught to do a figure of 8. I think it looks messy personally - sometimes when coiling XLR they will make a figure of 8 and I will always unwind a few coils and do them again. No,no. I would never use it for XLR, 15A, or similar, just large, long, heavy cables (Soca, 63A, 50M of NL8, etc.) Chris The reason behind the figure 8 is to stop a live cable being in a coil which will heat up and is a safety hazard, no cable should be coiled live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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