ControlBooth

Go Back   ControlBooth > CB Discussions > Sound

Notices

Sound A place to discuss sound reinforcement and design.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 03:40 PM

Junior Techie
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 31

Default Relaxing Cables

We are finally getting around to sorting, labeling, and inventory-ing all of our power and XLR cables. I also want to relax all the bends and kinks out of them and re-roll them correctly. I've heard this can be done by just laying them out in the sun. Does anyone have any experience with this? How long does it take? Do I need to hang them, or can they just lay flat on the ground? I think I'm going to do it on the roof, so either is an option, as least for some of the shorter ones, although just laying them out flat would be easier.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 04:11 PM
Eboy87's Avatar

Technical Director
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO (Chicago for college)
Posts: 917

Send a message via AIM to Eboy87
Default Re: Relaxing Cables

I lay them down my driveway in the sun and have no problems. To quote Tank in the movie Space Cowboys, "Sure will take the wrinkles out."
__________________
Ian Garrett
Columbia College Chicago, Audio Arts & Acoustics, Sound Reinforcement major

[B]Mike[/B]: Do you want to tell them before we start to step up to the mics when they sing?
[B][COLOR=white]Me[/COLOR][/B]: I've given them the same note for the past four years; it clearly doesn't help.
*Mike laughs*
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 04:54 PM
derekleffew's Avatar
Senior Team
CB Supporter 

Technical Director
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Posts: 3,178

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

I prefer hanging them, as laying them out will not necessarily remove the twists and kinks. If you have a fly system, attach one end of each cable to a batten and fly it to high trim. If the cables are too long, attach just the center.

Another way, though more labor-intensive, is to throw one end off a high place, then coil it by pulling up one coil's length at a time.

Once relaxed, take care not to make the cable all tense again when coiling. Over/under or CW or CCW; the cable will tell you what it wants. Become Zen with your cables, and they will do you right.
__________________
Academician, braggart, curmudgeon, & D-funk.
Free advice ain't cheap, and cheap advice ain't free. Ya gotta pay to play.
Better questions produce better answers!
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 05:25 PM

Junior Techie
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 31

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

Quote:
Originally Posted by derekleffew View Post

Once relaxed, take care not to make the cable all tense again when coiling. Over/under or CW or CCW; the cable will tell you what it wants. Become Zen with your cables, and they will do you right.
Its not my "Zen"ness I'm worried about. Its the various "helpers" that try to wrap the cable around their forearm thats the problem.
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 05:31 PM
Charc's Avatar
CB Supporter 

Technical Director
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 2,460

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

Can someone please expand upon the science and art of cable relaxing?
__________________
Lighting Designer

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.
~John F. Kennedy
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #6 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 07:30 PM
MNicolai's Avatar

Assistant TD
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI
Posts: 211

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

I did this a few weeks ago. By the time we finished laying out all of our 2P&G extension cords, edison extension cords, mic cables, speaker cables, and everything else, we were already able to start coiling up the first ones we set out.

Oh, plus while doing this we discovered a raccoon in one of our dumpsters, which got in overnight, but had no way to get out. We ended up having to put a ladder in there for it to climb out on.

Don't just think of it as relaxing them, but also consider that once you've coiled them up properly, or improperly also for that matter, they will start to "tense up" in the way you've coiled them. I like to think of it as training my cables.
__________________
Mike Nicolai
Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 08:15 PM
soundlight's Avatar
CB Supporter 

Technical Director
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Posts: 2,492

Send a message via AIM to soundlight
Default Re: Relaxing Cables

Putting them out straight in the sun is the best way that I've found. Works great. Just make sure to coil the cable the way that it wants to be coiled.
__________________
Entertainment Technology/Thea. Design major
All-around techie and designer
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Imperial 120V Pirate!
Nothing is ever "state of the art"...something new comes out the next day.
"Don't ever grow up. It's over-rated."
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old July 16th, 2008, 10:13 PM
Hughesie89's Avatar
The Pointless Topic Child
CB Supporter 

Technical Director
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,797

Send a message via MSN to Hughesie89 Send a message via Skype™ to Hughesie89
Default Re: Relaxing Cables

or you can try this,
Highslide JS

say your taking the cables to relax them and claim it on business expenseses
__________________
Regards
Alex Hughes
Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Hughesie89 For This Useful Post:
DavidDaMonkey (July 16th, 2008)
  #9 (permalink)  
Old July 17th, 2008, 10:17 AM
CB Supporter 

Techie
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 92

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hughesie89 View Post
or you can try this,
Highslide JS

say your taking the cables to relax them and claim it on business expenseses
Just for today, you get to be my hero. I think I need to go call my work.
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old July 17th, 2008, 06:13 PM

Junior Techie
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 31

Default Re: Relaxing Cables

Well I laid out the cables today and almost all of them relaxed wonderfully. There are a few stubborn ones that I'm going to leave out overnight since they are on the roof and no one will touch them. Thank goodness for this Texas heat!
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
cables, relaxing

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Good places to buy patch cables? jkowtko Sound 6 March 14th, 2008 02:59 PM
toslink cables -- minimum quality required? jkowtko Sound 11 February 6th, 2008 12:28 PM
Audio Organization: Cables The_Guest Sound 15 June 22nd, 2006 06:10 PM


All times are UTC -4. The time now is 04:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.2.0
Powered by NuWiki v1.3 RC1 Copyright ©2006-2007, NuHit, LLC
Advertisement System V2.2 By   Branden

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34