Serial numbers on individual cables?

[davesparks]

Only the basis that I know the environment and the people who work in it.
A cable tie will get battered so that it will work its way along the cable a little bit. It'll catch in the hand of the person coiling it, they swear at it an cut it off.
Or it will catch on a fly rail as it gets hauled over it and get ripped off.
Or it'll snag on the edge of a flightcases as it gets pulled out.

The tried and reasonably reliable method is either printed tape around the cable or a label with clear heatshrink on the cable. Clear AT7 Dancefloor tape works well if heatshrink can't be used.

 

[Besoeker]

Only the basis that I know the environment and the people who work in it.
A cable tie will get battered so that it will work its way along the cable a little bit. It'll catch in the hand of the person coiling it, they swear at it an cut it off.
Or it will catch on a fly rail as it gets hauled over it and get ripped off.
Or it'll snag on the edge of a flightcases as it gets pulled out.

The tried and reasonably reliable method is either printed tape around the cable or a label with clear heatshrink on the cable. Clear AT7 Dancefloor tape works well if heatshrink can't be used.

Have you actually tried them?

 

[davesparks]

No I haven't specifically tried cable markers fixed with cable ties.
I have had DMX cables with those same cable markers directly fitted to the cables seen them gradually get ripped off or all the numbers scratched off within a few weeks.

I don't know what you are getting at here but you don't always have to try something to know it is a bad idea!

 

[Besoeker]

No I haven't specifically tried cable markers fixed with cable ties.
I have had DMX cables with those same cable markers directly fitted to the cables seen them gradually get ripped off or all the numbers scratched off within a few weeks.

I don't know what you are getting at here but you don't always have to try something to know it is a bad idea!

Perhaps you are not thinking of the same thing.

 

[davesparks]

Perhaps not, but anything which sticks up from the surface of the cable will not last, it's the nature of the industry in which these cables are being used.

Printed labels with clear heatshrink or a bit of Dancefloor tape over the top lasts best.

 

[Besoeker]

Perhaps not, but anything which sticks up from the surface of the cable will not last, it's the nature of the industry in which these cables are being used.

Printed labels with clear heatshrink or a bit of Dancefloor tape over the top lasts best.

Might depend on the durability of the materials used.

 

[davesparks]

It's not just the durability of the materials, it's anything which doesn't maintain a flush profile and could catch on a flyrail or flightcases lip or even someone's hand as they coil the cable.

Local crew and roadies are often brain dead monkeys, trust me on this as I work as local crew in a theatre the way you get treated by touring crews leads to a certain disrespect for their kit!

 

[Rockingit]

Besoeker: Just trust us on this one. Touring show electrics is unlike any form of the electrical industry. I should know, I've been touring for all manner of different styles and sizes of shows all over the planet for 25 years now!

ANYTHING which even remotely interferes with the 'smooth flow' of a cable will be removed within a few uses either accidentally or deliberately as being a pain in the arse. The people assembling and dis-assembling the system will in all probability not be that clued up about the finer points, won't (all) be traveling with the system but they know how to assemble a Meccano kit by following the plan and 'common practice'. What takes six hours to 'get in' will take an army of monkeys about half an hour to 'get out', depending on what time the nearest bar is closing and how much of a pain the truck driver is being over his tacho hours.

 

[davesparks]

It is a genuine miracle that the damned plugs and sockets stay attached to the cables sometimes.

 

[Besoeker]

It is a genuine miracle that the damned plugs and sockets stay attached to the cables sometimes.

So why wouldn't markers adjacent to the plugs?

 

[davesparks]

If a roadie catches his hand on the cable ties as he coils the cable he'll rip it off.
If it slips along the cable at all it will get snagged when the cable is pulled through a FOH duct or over a fly rail.
If it gets caught in the lid of a dip trap it will damage it, or when it gets dragged through a dip trap it'll get snagged.

We're not talking about cables which are being installed here, depending on the size of the show they could be going in and out of venues every day.

 

[DNS1]

Blimey, sorry to start a big row about this one...

Cheers to Rockingit and Davesparks who clearly know the industry and the way it works!

Discussed things with the guys I'm working for today and we've started numbering each cable to make sure there's no complaints. Apparently paint pen on the plug/socket is a good way... Can see this working well with those horrible 15A plugs and sockets with the rough surface, but reckon it will wear off pretty quickly on a nice new shiny 16A attachment... Only time will tell for this company!

 

[davesparks]

You are right it does wear off, but it should last a while and it does depend on the particular brand of the plugs n sockets.

As I said earlier a dump type label and a bit of clear AT7 Dancefloor tape (the stuff that is like 2" insulating tape) works well for existing cables.
Clear heatshrink is the best thing though and you should get in the habit of putting it on when you make up your cables.

We don't include serial numbers on any of out cables, but then they are almost exclusively for internal use or wet hire.
Every cable does get the company logo and a coloured band to identify length (and CSA sometimes) under clear heatshrink.