I've been reading some of the post discussing labeling. A number of good ideas were found, however, I still have a basic question.
Every label material I've tried over the years simply comes off after time. The heat in the HT environment and general flexing of the cables seems to be a difficult task for most label adhesives I guess.
Clear heat shrink is a good solution for some cables but it's not practical for many. So here's my question.
What specific label brand/type have you guys used which stays in place on the cable over time?
Would Dymo polyester based permanent label tape be a good choice?
I use clear heat shrink over a label on a cable as I build it. I use it to cover a P-Touch label lengthwise on the cable.
If the connectors are already on, I use the same label installed as a flag on the cable so the label sticks to itself. Always works and no gummy residue or failure.
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If the connectors are already on, I use the same label installed as a flag on the cable so the label sticks to itself. Always works and no gummy residue or failure.
+1 for using labels as flags. Built a couple of TV production systems and tags are definitely easier to read in a crowded rack. This was before p-touch so I used Avery plastic mailing labels and a laser printer.
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Originally Posted by Testpattern /forum/post/20101013
Every label material I've tried over the years simply comes off after time. The heat in the HT environment and general flexing of the cables seems to be a difficult task for most label adhesives I guess.
I’ve had good luck with 3M Scotch 35 vinyl electrical tape, which comes in a variety of colors including white, which is what I use. You can get it at Lowes and probably Home Depot as well. I wrap it around the cable a loop or two, an inch or so behind the connector (beyond the sharp bend you’ll get right behind the connector) and label it with an extra-fine point Sharpie. It sticks very well long term, although it does not work as well with ultra-thin cables. Actually, I’ve had more trouble with the sharpie labeling fading over time than with the Scotch tape falling off!
I just bought some of that Dymo heat shrink label stuff. It seem very good. It flexes well and the labels are very readable. It also looks very clean and professional. We'll have to see how it holds up over time though. I have used a p-touch labeler in the past, but over time the ink has faded such than they are barely readable and the adhesive has given up on some of them. Definitely go the flag route if you use the p-touch labels.
I'm not a fan of the flag unless it's only a few cables. Things could get messy fast if there are a lot. Instead I use P-Touch labels with a couple wraps of clear packing tape over it. Roll it with your thumb and fingers and it'll look good without any creases. I've even had good success doing long, small font, labels on my 22/2 security wire. These labels will never come off.
Spend the money and get a rhino labeled. The wire/cable labels are perfect and look really clean - you wrap them around the cables so they are always visible.. Find a used one on eBay. Just my two cents but way better than flags IMO
I use a Dymo Rhino labeler, nylon labels, printed and positioned as flags. Works very well, but not attractive - great for locations behind wall plates.
The labels are $15/box, not cheap. I think Dymo makes more money from selling labels than devices.
I bought a box of the heat shrink Dymo labels, we'll see how it goes.
The clear heat shrink sounds like a great idea, though, over a cable-wrapped label. If I didn't already have a box of the heat-shrink labels, I'd try that.
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Originally Posted by Wayne A. Pflughaupt /forum/post/20105330
I've had good luck with 3M Scotch 35 vinyl electrical tape, which comes in a variety of colors including white, which is what I use. You can get it at Lowes and probably Home Depot as well. I wrap it around the cable a loop or two, an inch or so behind the connector (beyond the sharp bend you'll get right behind the connector) and label it with an extra-fine point Sharpie. It sticks very well long term, although it does not work as well with ultra-thin cables. Actually, I've had more trouble with the sharpie labeling fading over time than with the Scotch tape falling off!
The P-touch labels look great, but fade after about 2 years, so if you want long-lasting labels, use something else. I labelled everything in my cable tray with P-touch and wrapped each with clear packing tape, looked very good. Then a couple of years later went to change my setup and couldn't read the labels!
The IdXpert give us wide variety of label types such as Self Laminating, Terminal labels, Flag labels, and Shrink Tube labels to mention a few. You can even create pipe labels if you want to label your conduit.
I have attached a few images showing the various label types mentioned above.
Another good thing about the Brady IdXpert is that you can connect it to your computer as a USB printer and with the software print the labels directly to the Brady IdXpert .
Seems like a good time to update, better late than never.
My heat shrink Dymo Rhino labels are not large enough to wrap my 16g 4 conductor Monoprice speaker cables. I bought a mid-price Rhino (Pro3000), and the largest size of heat shrink label it can accomodate (1/2 in) is not large enough to fit over the jacket. Should have stepped up a model of Rhino.
At this point, I want to get the DA finished, and the rack dressed, so I'm going with flags.
We use a lot of Dymo product..especially the nylon labels, they seem to stay on the cable. We also use these write-on labels , they have a clear "tail" that wraps over the label area and because the label is attached to itself they also stay on the cable over time.
The heat shrink Dymo 1/2" works great for category cables. Not sure if it will fit RG6/QS/59. Will check.
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