Labelling Cables

[Peter Andrews]

What do people use for labelling cables?

I'm about to install over 25 CCTV cameras all of which are fed using the 'shotgun' (?) dual cable. These all come back to a single bundle (about 3" diameter) and each cable will be split between the power supplies and the recording equipment - I'm struggling to find a neat and long term solution to labelling the individual cables. They are black and round before anbody suggests a ball point which is OK for white T&E! I have, in the past, tried the TLC Cable Marker numbered labels but haven't been very happy with the long term durability.

Peter

PS Fortunately the builder installed all the cables before all the plasterboard was put up, I just hope that continuity has been maintained. ...and no it's NOT my house.

[S Viemeister]

I use a Brother P-Touch.

[Andrew Mawson]

maintained.

Print a label using a small labelling machine (ptouch thingy) then slip a clear heat shrink sleeve over it, otherwise they peel off over time. Makes a very neat job imo.

AWEM

[Peter Scott]

How about:

can get any number of codes by using two or three sleeves. These are quite expensive but no doubt a google search will find a cheaper version.

Peter Scott

[js.b1]

Dymo printable labels are good, but it all gets very expensive re labels & printer. They wrap around the cable, or you can clear heatshrink over and write along the cable.

There are slip-over cable markers (A-Z, 0-9 etc) which can be joined together or simply linked to a nearby index. You can get A4 perspex "advert" holders on Ebay for about =A36 into which you can put a cross- reference table. Changes are then made to the printed piece of paper which is somewhat easier.

An alternative is a nylon write-on tag with cable tie holes, I think I got some from Canada or USA. Use a Sharpe permanent marker and then cable tie around a cable, easily changed, no messing about. The tag size is quite large. Farnell might actually carry them, look for cable markers & cable tags, write-on.

Finally there are cable ties with a wide write-on tag. These are great with a write-on permanent marker, quick to do, reliable, done.

Dymo are not good where things get changed often (or ever re cost, no label machine) or where the cables get moved because the labels can "slime" up and down the cable.

[Dave Osborne]

For shotgun coax; if I had an overall plan, I would make a table in Excel or Word and write all the names in then print out and guillotine into individual slips of paper. Then use clear heatshrink to hold the paper slip in place.

Alternatively, would use the 3M ScotchCode system with a Staedtler 313 or 318 (or equivalent) permanent marker.

e.g.

?method=getProduct&R=0179437and

[Peter Andrews]

Thanks for all your replies - clear heat shrink and paper printed labels it probably is! I'd never seen clear heat shrink before although I've used plenty of black and red!!

Peter

[John Rumm]

These sort can work well:

is a white bit you write on, and then a length of clear tape after. Wrap the tape round the wire, and the clear section does an extra couple of laps, sealing the written on section under layers of clear tape.

[Toby]

I tend to use write on cable ties - CPC code CBBR6246

Toby...

[Tabby]

One option not ye mentioned for black cables is to puta splodge of white oil based gloss on them, then write on that with a waterproof marker.

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

Permanent or temporary until terminated?

Temporary: Write on the cable. Problem with black though, silver permanent marker? Write on a little flag of insulation tape.

Permanent: The best in terms of longevity and ease of use are the numbered slip around rings, preferably following the resistor colour code so even if the legend wears off you still know the cable number. Easy to move up the cable if reterminating.

Cable ties with write on labels are pretty good in installations but they do catch on things. No use on something operational, they get ripped off when they snag.

Sticky things that wrap around, unstick or "slime" then fall off. Clear heat shrink suffers the same as sticky wrap arounds in that moisture/dirt/ink solvent gets between the layers and makes the legend illegible and as all labels are the same you may well be stuffed.

[Bill]

In message , Peter Andrews writes

Next time suggest the builder, or whoever specified the system uses twisted pair for the video. then it can all come back to a nice neat Krone, or similar, box that can easily be labelled up. Not to mention that 25 pairs are a darn sight smaller and easier to handle than RG59

[Bill]

In message , Dave Liquorice writes

Strange you should mention clear heat shrink, I just commented on that on another group. If it is glue filled it will last for years. I wrote some paper labels something like 10 years ago, wrapped them around 10mm dia coax and covered them with clear glue filled heat shrink, this has been outdoors ever since and is still fine.

>

[Bob Eager]

I've done that - splodges and dots, making a binary number...!

[Frank Erskine]

Angle grinder.

[Dave Liquorice]

But has it been disturbed in those years or just installed and left alone? Repeated movement will break the glue seal and capillary action does the rest.

[Bill]

On average it is moved 4 times a year. There are 6 runs of RG213 with the shrink markings about 12" from the end. These are plugged and unplugged from temporary aerials. The glue seems to have remained flexible and amalgamated into the insulation of the coax. The paper labels were hand written onto paper with a biro, (other pens are available) there is no sign of water ingress yet and they have been left out in all weathers.

Maybe just lucky, if I'd planned the job I'd have used other markers, this just happened to be what I had in the back of the car at the time. Got to get lucky once in a while. :-)

Getting back to the OPs question I have found the paint filled pens that smell like the paint I used to paint models with years ago do a really good job of marking coax, Dry almost instantly and you can choose a colour that will contrast with the cable.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The wrap round numbers - a strip of self adhesive material with the same number printed along its length, available in 0-9 and different colours is about the most cost effective and quick way if you have enough to justify the initial cost. They survive well in practice - even on mic cables used on location. Some clear heatshrink sleeving would make them near everlasting.

[Tim Streater]

This is true with Dymo labels. In operational environments, (hosting sites with full air conditioning - it was the dry air that did for the dymo labels) we used SilverFox labels

and had no problems. Typically had 1000 labels or so at a site on a mixture of fibre and cat5 cables.

This may be overkill for your situation :-)

[Steven Campbell]

Dave, you wouldn't happen to have a link of something like that?

Cheers