How to wrap your EVSE/other cables! (You're doing it wrong!)

[adric22]

This is excellent!

I have been aware of the problems of using your elbow for years with everything from extension cords to water hoses. What I usually do is try to roll the cable up by rotating the spool through my hands. But it usually requires having a velcro tie or something to keep the cable from unrolling on the other end. This method simplifies it a lot. I'll give it a try next time.

[cwerdna]

Thanks!

I'd not heard of this method before. I'll have to give it a shot.

[arnolddeleon]

I just repaired an XLR cable this weekend that was trashed by improper wrapping. I was taught the proper method years ago and I've been trying to teach people this technique for years, I always end showing it because I just can't describe it. I cringed when I see some people spooling up cable the wrong way. Now I have a video I can point them to. Thanks Phil!

arnold

[EVDrive]

Learned me something mighty useful today. I'll have to teach my brother who does construction. He has so many xtension chords and they are all messed up.

[gbarry42]

I've been using the coil and twist method used by sailors (as shown here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ChlCns4AU but without the final tight wrap & knot). This requires that a the far end is free to spin around because the twist turns the rope.

I had modified this method so that when the wire gets twisted, I twist it the opposite way and put the loop on the other side of the coil. This keeps the cable from getting twisted overall. I use this on the 20 feet of cable on the 120V brick EVSE. But--it does nothing to help you get it unrolled. I have to unroll it the old fashioned way...

THEN, I watched the video! No more of the old method! I am going to learn this over/under method. As padamson1 said, I learned something new today.

[TonyWilliams]

+1

[padamson1]

What about that pretzel (French braid?) style wrapping I see hanging on the back of so many commercial trucks? What's that called, how does it compare, and how do you do it?

I believe that's a variation of the Ballantine coil, as in the logo to Ballantine beer. Here's a pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57475570@N00/50301659/.

I am pretty sure this has the same uncoiling issues as a regular sailor's coil in that it needs to be untwisted as you uncoil it or you get little curls and the wire doesn't lay flat.

[planet4ever]

Yep, over & under. That's the way we always store XLR cables, and TRS cables too. We use a lot of them for mics and speakers in the theater. Some of the stage hands get very sloppy with extension cords. We don't let them touch our audio cables.

[Totally OT, but if anyone is in the Morgan Hill area one of the next four weekends you really ought to drop in on us. We're an all-volunteer community theatre group, but we're putting on a production of "The Wizard of Oz" that I think might make some professional groups blush. 'Course I am a bit biased.]

Ray

[Beleaf]

Thanks Ingineer!

I knew there must be a better way. Just had a practice and can see the results immediately!

[DaveEV]

Now the question is: If you have an extension cord that has obviously been abused by wrapping over the elbow - is there a good way to help straighten it out? SImply untwisting it doesn't work. I'm guessing the previous owner (wasn't me, honest!) always wrapped the cord over their elbow in one direction...

On some of my other extension cords with no visible twist damage that I rewrapped over-under that have been wrapped over the elbow, I found that it helps to fully stretch the cord out when re-wrapping it using over-under which lets it untwist itself.