[Elecraft] Marking cables.
I've found the Brother "touch system to be inadequate. The labels fade very quickly in sunlight and fade (albeit much more slowly) indoors. For cables both inside and outside, I prefer coloured tape. Scotch 33 is available in standard colours for this purpose and can be purchased at a real hardware store or "big box" retailer. To differentiate between cables, I make the first colour 1.5 times the width of the roll and subsequent colours standard width. For example: cable 45 vs cable 54. Cable 45 would have a wide yellow band and a regular width green band. Cable 54 would have a wide green band and a regular width yellow band. I do not use black or grey tape as they do not contrast well against black or grey cables. I do not use the same colour more than once so the colours can be distinguished. My experience is that violet tape does not stand up to outdoor use as well as the other colours. I use an arbitrary classification system so: Note that there are no same colours on the same cable so there are no lines 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99. 1x series Lines to HF antennas 2x series Lines between equipment (rig to antenna tuner, for example) 3x series Control lines rotor, remote antenna switch, remote antenna tuner 4x series DC power 5x series AC power 6x series Grounds 7x series Lines to VHF-UHF antennas including repeaters 8x series not used yet 9x series not used yet Should you need additional lines for a specific classification, it is easy to add a 3rd digit with another normal width piece of tape. For example, another HF antenna line could be line 125: wide brown, normal red, normal green. Signal direction of travel can be indicated so: At the source, place the wide band right up to the connector, at the load, place the narrow band(s) right up next to the connector. I made up a table to indicate what goes where: (partial example below) CAPITALS indicate wide band. LINECOLOURS FROM TONOTES 74 VIO - yelIC-7000 HF out 6m beam 8214 64' new 7-2013 75 VIO - grnIC-7000 VHF out 2m beam 8214 56' new 8-2012 I've found it important to date each iteration of the Line sheet to keep track of changes like adding another antenna. In each junction-remote tuner box, there is a waterproofed line sheet copy. I used a laser printer and then spray the sheets with Krylon matte clear until the paper is soaked and then let it hang-dry. I've had good results with this. Inkjet printing will run when it gets wet or even humid. For labeling outdoor objects, metal Dymo tape is hard to beat. The catch is that it is wildly expensive and takes vast amounts of money to purchase the specially constructed die-cast metal lettering tool. I spent half-vast sums of money for mine at a hamfest. The metallic tape comes (came?) in aluminum and stainless steel. UV proof and the adhesive is quite strong. For permanent writing, use a paint-based marker as the common "magic marker" ink is subject to quickly fading. Markal (company name) makes a line of high-quality paint markers as does Nissen. If you state permits it, the xylene-based paints work better than water-based. Check with WW Grainger or Fastenal. These paint markers mark on metal quite well but will flake off anything that flexes. The "Sharpie" metallic markers are suitable only for inside work. I've not had much experience with their "Sharpie" paint markers. 72, Tim Colbert K3HX Protect what matters Floods can happen anywhere. Learn your risk and find an agent today. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/55f0642926b364284f83st01duc __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Marking cables.
thought this thread was closed ?? Bob K3DJC On Wed, 9 Sep 2015 16:52:02 GMT "k...@juno.com" writes: > I've found the Brother "touch system to be inadequate. The labels > fade very quickly in sunlight and fade (albeit much more slowly) > indoors. > > For cables both inside and outside, I prefer coloured tape. Scotch > 33 is available > in standard colours for this purpose and can be purchased at a real > hardware store > or "big box" retailer. > > To differentiate between cables, I make the first colour 1.5 times > the width of the > roll and subsequent colours standard width. > > For example: cable 45 vs cable 54. > > Cable 45 would have a wide yellow band and a regular width green > band. > > Cable 54 would have a wide green band and a regular width yellow > band. > > I do not use black or grey tape as they do not contrast well against > black or grey > cables. > > I do not use the same colour more than once so the colours can be > distinguished. > > My experience is that violet tape does not stand up to outdoor use > as well as the other colours. > > I use an arbitrary classification system so: Note that there are no > same colours > on the same cable so there are no lines 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99. > > 1x series Lines to HF antennas > > 2x series Lines between equipment (rig to antenna tuner, for > example) > > 3x series Control lines rotor, remote antenna switch, > remote antenna tuner > > 4x series DC power > > 5x series AC power > > 6x series Grounds > > 7x series Lines to VHF-UHF antennas including repeaters > > 8x series not used yet > > 9x series not used yet > > Should you need additional lines for a specific classification, it > is easy to add > a 3rd digit with another normal width piece of tape. For example, > another HF > antenna line could be line 125: wide brown, normal red, normal > green. > > Signal direction of travel can be indicated so: > At the source, place the wide band right up to the connector, at the > load, place the narrow band(s) right up next to the connector. > > I made up a table to indicate what goes where: (partial example > below) > CAPITALS indicate wide band. > > LINECOLOURS FROM TONOTES > 74 VIO - yelIC-7000 HF out 6m beam 8214 > 64' new 7-2013 > > 75 VIO - grnIC-7000 VHF out 2m beam 8214 > 56' new 8-2012 > > I've found it important to date each iteration of the Line sheet to > keep track of > changes like adding another antenna. > > In each junction-remote tuner box, there is a waterproofed line > sheet copy. > I used a laser printer and then spray the sheets with Krylon matte > clear until the > paper is soaked and then let it hang-dry. I've had good results > with this. Inkjet > printing will run when it gets wet or even humid. > > For labeling outdoor objects, metal Dymo tape is hard to beat. The > catch is > that it is wildly expensive and takes vast amounts of money to > purchase the specially constructed die-cast metal lettering tool. I > spent half-vast sums of money for mine at a hamfest. The metallic > tape comes (came?) in aluminum and stainless steel. UV proof and > the adhesive is quite strong. > > For permanent writing, use a paint-based marker as the common "magic > marker" ink > is subject to quickly fading. > > Markal (company name) makes a line of high-quality paint markers as > does Nissen. > If you state permits it, the xylene-based paints work better than > water-based. > Check with WW Grainger or Fastenal. > > These paint markers mark on metal quite well but will flake off > anything that > flexes. > > The "Sharpie" metallic markers are suitable only for inside work. > I've not had > much experience with their "Sharpie" paint markers. > > 72, > > Tim Colbert K3HX > > > > > > > Protect what matters > Floods can happen anywhere. Learn your risk and find an agent > today. > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/55f0642926b364284f83st01duc > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to riese-k3...@juno.com > __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Marking cables.
In my experience, Scotch/3M ELECTRICAL TAPE 35 comes in many different colors. #33 has been replaced by Super 88, which is of course black. I have never found any #33 in colors other than black. I generally buy cases of each color available in #35, plus cases of Super 88. Alan - N7MIT Alan R. Downing Phoenix, AZ From: k...@juno.com [via Elecraft] [mailto:ml-node+s365791n7607334...@n2.nabble.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2015 9:56 AM To: kd7gc Subject: Marking cables. I've found the Brother "touch system to be inadequate. The labels fade very quickly in sunlight and fade (albeit much more slowly) indoors. For cables both inside and outside, I prefer coloured tape. Scotch 33 is available in standard colours for this purpose and can be purchased at a real hardware store or "big box" retailer. To differentiate between cables, I make the first colour 1.5 times the width of the roll and subsequent colours standard width. For example: cable 45 vs cable 54. Cable 45 would have a wide yellow band and a regular width green band. Cable 54 would have a wide green band and a regular width yellow band. I do not use black or grey tape as they do not contrast well against black or grey cables. I do not use the same colour more than once so the colours can be distinguished. My experience is that violet tape does not stand up to outdoor use as well as the other colours. I use an arbitrary classification system so: Note that there are no same colours on the same cable so there are no lines 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99. 1x series Lines to HF antennas 2x series Lines between equipment (rig to antenna tuner, for example) 3x series Control lines rotor, remote antenna switch, remote antenna tuner 4x series DC power 5x series AC power 6x series Grounds 7x series Lines to VHF-UHF antennas including repeaters 8x series not used yet 9x series not used yet Should you need additional lines for a specific classification, it is easy to add a 3rd digit with another normal width piece of tape. For example, another HF antenna line could be line 125: wide brown, normal red, normal green. Signal direction of travel can be indicated so: At the source, place the wide band right up to the connector, at the load, place the narrow band(s) right up next to the connector. I made up a table to indicate what goes where: (partial example below) CAPITALS indicate wide band. LINECOLOURS FROM TONOTES 74 VIO - yelIC-7000 HF out 6m beam 8214 64' new 7-2013 75 VIO - grnIC-7000 VHF out 2m beam 8214 56' new 8-2012 I've found it important to date each iteration of the Line sheet to keep track of changes like adding another antenna. In each junction-remote tuner box, there is a waterproofed line sheet copy. I used a laser printer and then spray the sheets with Krylon matte clear until the paper is soaked and then let it hang-dry. I've had good results with this. Inkjet printing will run when it gets wet or even humid. For labeling outdoor objects, metal Dymo tape is hard to beat. The catch is that it is wildly expensive and takes vast amounts of money to purchase the specially constructed die-cast metal lettering tool. I spent half-vast sums of money for mine at a hamfest. The metallic tape comes (came?) in aluminum and stainless steel. UV proof and the adhesive is quite strong. For permanent writing, use a paint-based marker as the common "magic marker" ink is subject to quickly fading. Markal (company name) makes a line of high-quality paint markers as does Nissen. If you state permits it, the xylene-based paints work better than water-based. Check with WW Grainger or Fastenal. These paint markers mark on metal quite well but will flake off anything that flexes. The "Sharpie" metallic markers are suitable only for inside work. I've not had much experience with their "Sharpie" paint markers. 72, Tim Colbert K3HX Protect what matters Floods can happen anywhere. Learn your risk and find an agent today. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/55f0642926b364284f83st01duc __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] _ If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion below: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Marking-cables-tp7607334.html To unsubscribe from Elecraft, click here
