tidy cables?

[sted]

How do you make sure they are tidy by this I mean just bought a new goalpost stand and potentially am going to have 8 lights on it all with a dmx and a power cable. That’s potentially 16 cable how do you manage to keep them tidy is there any tricks etc

Also power do you run an extension lead up onto to post or all the power cables down?

[spin mobile disco]

The best thing to do Sted is to make either a wiring loom with all the cables tied togther at intervans to keep them tidy or make a cutom loom with all the cables actually made especially for how you set your equipment up.
I use 3 cutom looms with my equipment each one for a different setup.
These looms are then attached to my stands with double sided velcro tape (a most popular product with DJs' as you will find)

You can use a distributor on your stand to reduce power cables going up the stand and have a switch box up there as well, or you can run all the cables down to mains sockets and have them in reach but will require a lot of tidying.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Velcro tie anyone?

[Mark Wild]

Spin hits the nail on the head Sted. ;)

I must have bought the wrong velcro ties, as when I used them they were looser than Nora Batty's stockings, so I went back to the plaggy ones which are nice and tight. :D

[OllieJames]

I too use a cable loom for my lighting.

http://www.ojentertainment.co.uk/other/pre-wired

[DJWilson]

I use cable ties :D

[Adam_F]

Velcro tie anyone?

Go on then, as your offering :D

[Vectis]

Pre-wired bar with short 50cm power and DMX cables and releaseable black cable ties for tidying. Only two cables up the vertical - one power, one data.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I have a box at each end of the goalpost that has a Powercon connecting powel lead in and then 5 power cables out that are cable tied along the bar. Theres also a single pirt for plugging DMX into the box and then the dmx lead comes out of the box and dasychains along.

Sounds complicated. have a look at http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=17773 This was before the dmx got wired in, but if you look closely at the 4th (bottom) picture you can see the DMX input just above the Powercon on the left, and theres a empty cable gland on the right (above the power cable output).

[Jiggles]

You never did get the inside shot! :D

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Your right. Ill get one tonight when i go down the lock up. :o

[Jiggles]

:lol:

[sted]

wow so can you buy these looms or are the a D.I.Y job?

[OllieJames]

wow so can you buy these looms or are the a D.I.Y job?

D.I.Y job.

I made mine myself and Matt also made his himself.

They're very easy to do, just measure up your power cables and DMX cables, then add the appropriate connectors. Sort out your way of getting power up your truss (IEC block etc) then set your rig up. Cable tie the cables together, viola, loom made. Then use velcro to attach it at gigs.

[sted]

thats great thanks very much.

[Jonny Boy]

Opinions of this idea, guys:

As an alternative to a "loom" of several cables, as LED are such a low draw, I've been toying with running one IEC extension up the vertical, which branches off via a y-splitter which further branches using short IEC extensions and more y-splitters until all 4/5 LED fixtures are connected.

This minimises the weight/thickness of the wire to be cable-tied/velcro'd along the t-bar also.

The initial plug to mains will be fused and earthed too, natually, and via breaker extension.

(The Revo III also offers a "power out" connection within the fixture itself, which negates one y-splitter, and I believe will offer further grounding/earthing part-way along the chain (if mounted as central feature).



Hope this makes sense....feel free to shout me down if I'm missing something obvious!

[OllieJames]

Opinions of this idea, guys:

As an alternative to a "loom" of several cables, as LED are such a low draw, I've been toying with running one IEC extension up the vertical, which branches off via a y-splitter which further branches using short IEC extensions and more y-splitters until all 4/5 LED fixtures are connected.

This minimises the weight/thickness of the wire to be cable-tied/velcro'd along the t-bar also.

The initial plug to mains will be fused and earthed too, natually, and via breaker extension.

(The Revo III also offers a "power out" connection within the fixture itself, which negates one y-splitter, and I believe will offer further grounding/earthing part-way along the chain (if mounted as central feature).



Hope this makes sense....feel free to shout me down if I'm missing something obvious!

Sounds good to me!

The guy that previously owned the Dynamos I have used to connect all four up by a similar means.

[WWDJ]

I had a thought the other day about tidying cables (after getting a savaging here ;-) )

My trusslite is already part prewired, so the plan is to hang the light each, then run a little black curtain across the trusslite held on by velcro. As the plan is to have the lights as high as possible this should hide any untidy wiring on the trusslite itself.

I regularly change my lighting config, so a complete prewiring is not really an option at the moment, so the plan is to part prewire and use the curtain to hide the last minute changes / wiring that is not permanantly in situ.

The curtain will be the height and length of the trusslite.

Anyone done this ?

[yourdj]

Daisy Chain If Your Lights Allow

Velcro.

Match Colour Of Wires To The Truss (ie Black)

- PRE WIRE WITH CABLE TIES BEST.

[rob1963]

I just wrap my cables around my speaker stands, T-bars & lighting tripods.

Works for me!

:)

[yourdj]

I just wrap my cables around my speaker stands, T-bars & lighting tripods.

Works for me!

:)

Same here! :) Never thought it looks bad at all and never damaged my cables. Waiting for a great big flight case at the moment to have a pre wired tbar :D should save about 20 mins set up and pack up and will look much neater.

[rob1963]

Same here! :) Never thought it looks bad at all and never damaged my cables.

Great minds think alike!

I've always hated cables hanging down, and it solves that problem perfectly.

Also, I find it less hassle than messing about with velcro, cable ties or gaffa tape.

:)