[Elecraft] Marking cables.

[k3hx at juno.com]

I've found the Brother "touch system to be inadequate.  The labels fade very quickly in sunlight and fade (albeit much more slowly) indoors.

For cables both inside and outside, I prefer coloured tape.  Scotch 33 is available
in standard colours for this purpose and can be purchased at a real hardware store
or "big box" retailer.

To differentiate between cables, I make the first colour 1.5 times the width of the
roll and subsequent colours standard width.

For example: cable 45 vs cable 54.

Cable 45 would have a wide yellow band and a regular width green band.

Cable 54 would have a wide green band and a regular width yellow band.

I do not use black or grey tape as they do not contrast well against black or grey
cables.

I do not use the same colour more than once so the colours can be distinguished.

My experience is that violet tape does not stand up to outdoor use as well as the other colours.

I use an arbitrary classification system so: Note that there are no same colours
on the same cable so there are no lines 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99.

1x series  Lines to HF antennas   

2x series  Lines between equipment (rig to antenna tuner, for example)

3x series  Control lines         rotor, remote antenna switch, remote antenna tuner

4x series  DC power

5x series  AC power

6x series  Grounds

7x series  Lines to VHF-UHF antennas including repeaters

8x series  not used yet

9x series  not used yet

Should you need additional lines for a specific classification, it is easy to add
a 3rd digit with another normal width piece of tape.  For example, another HF
antenna line could be line 125:   wide brown, normal red, normal green.

Signal direction of travel can be indicated so: 
At the source, place the wide band right up to the connector, at the load, place the narrow band(s) right up next to the connector.

I made up a table to indicate what goes where: (partial example below)
     CAPITALS indicate wide band.

LINE    COLOURS          FROM              TO                NOTES
74      VIO - yel        IC-7000  HF out   6m beam           8214 64' new 7-2013

75      VIO - grn        IC-7000 VHF out   2m beam           8214 56' new 8-2012

I've found it important to date each iteration of the Line sheet to keep track of
changes like adding another antenna.

In each junction-remote tuner box, there is a waterproofed line sheet copy.
I used a laser printer and then spray the sheets with Krylon matte clear until the
paper is soaked and then let it hang-dry.  I've had good results with this. Inkjet
printing will run when it gets wet or even humid.

For labeling outdoor objects, metal Dymo tape is hard to beat.  The catch is
that it is wildly expensive and takes vast amounts of money to purchase the specially constructed die-cast metal lettering tool.  I spent half-vast sums of money for mine at a hamfest.  The metallic tape comes (came?) in aluminum and stainless steel.  UV proof and the adhesive is quite strong.

For permanent writing, use a paint-based marker as the common "magic marker" ink
is subject to quickly fading. 

Markal (company name) makes a line of high-quality paint markers as does Nissen.  
If you state permits it, the xylene-based paints work better than water-based.
Check with WW Grainger or Fastenal. 

These paint markers mark on metal quite well but will flake off anything that
flexes.

The "Sharpie" metallic markers are suitable only for inside work.  I've not had
much experience with their "Sharpie" paint markers. 

72,

Tim Colbert  K3HX 





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