Organizing cables?

PJMonty

This forum is for topics related to the use of Parallax products. Parallax sells cables, so here goes...

Over the years,I have accumulated a ton of different cables. I have USB, Firewire, parallel, serial, video, Ethernet, RCA, 1/8" mini, 1/4" guitar, MIDI, etc, etc, etc. Does anyone out there have a good system for organizing and managing cables? It seems that about 80% of the cables are black, making them all look like each other.

Is there a good system of boxes? Hooks? Ties? I'm tired of having a heap of cables that gets all tangled, causing me to spend time un-tangling just to find out I don't have the cable I thought I did.

Thanks,
PeterM

D Faust

How about a board with slots for different cables:

---

| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|__|___| etc

The ends would be open for cables to hang out.

Or you could have a board with all the holes drilled in it and place pegs in the holes to drape the wires/cables over.

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Unsoundcode

Hi Peter, I have one of those small plastic baskets I keep odds and ends in, its like a miniature laundry basket full of cables wall warts and circuit boards. If I gently take the topmost cable and lift it·I can successfully empty the basket with one lifting motion. I know this is not what you want to hear, my suggestion is something I keep saying I am going to do and that is to buy a small roll of velcro and attach a short·piece to the end of each cable. That way I can make each cable a small coil neatly packed in my basket, assured not to get into the tangled mess it is now.

Jeff T.

Desy2820

I've had some luck using plastic baggies (quart and gallon sizes) to put the cables in.· Then I label the bags and finally put all the baggies into a plastic storage container.· The cables sometimes get tangled up while in thier bag, but at least I'm only untangling one cable instead of a whole bunch of them.

I·guess it depends on how many cables you need to store and how long they are.

Hope this helped!

Gadgetman

I've been using the 'incredible heap' solution until know...

But will try to set up something like what D Faust suggests soon.
(It's on the todo list, somewhere...)

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Dgswaner

I have several rubber maid drawers 3 20x18" +/- and 2 10x12. I wrap each cable in a tight bundle and then categorize each BIN.

• Power cords - wall warts and any type of cord that provides power. with or without transformer.
• PC cables - anything that is internal or external regarding a PC.... except power cords.
• Wire - random pieces of wire that I have no problem cutting or using for a project.
• specific use cables - RCA cables, DVI cables any thing that is for a specific use other than computers.
• "one good end" drawer, my favorite. If I've cut a power cord and used on end for something I stick the other end in this drawer, or if I salvage some wires with molex connectors on them I save them for later use.

This system works quite well for me.

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A complex design is the sign of an inferior designer. - Jamie Hyneman, Myth Buster

PJMonty

Thanks for the various ideas. I think a combination of baggies (to keep cables from tangling with other cables), drawers (to group cables), and possible some sort of slotted board (for common, short cables) might do the trick. I appreciate the help.

Thanks,
PeterM

ThePenguinMaster

i usually wrap them seperateally, it works untill they all unravel and become entangled. twist ties work well to keep them secure. you can pick up a roll of it from most stores.

i did however tear through my collection of cables and now it has its own gravitational pull.. once enough wires are added it becomes its own container, although it dosnt make it easy to unravl. i have a tote about 3x4 ft and 3ft deep packed with wires. but those are the ones i dont use often. i really dont think theres any really good way to hold them without making somehting to keep them seperated. i also tryed ziplock bags, but i sometimes cant find a bag to fit some cables into, like laptop power supplies and things with bigger boxes on them, i keep those in a night stand with my more importiant cables which i keep organised. so to summerise what im saying; keep the importiant cables organised, and the ones you rarely use, keep them out of sight so they dont get tangled with the importiant ones. its not a perfect solution but it helps a little.