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Sources For Colored Power Cords?

post #1 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
Being unrestrained by the burdens the good taste so often places upon people, I'd like to replace my plain o' black power cables with some different colors.

As this is proving to be surprisingly difficult, I was wondering if someone has any sources they'd suggest.

I'd prefer not to use cable flags as my penmanship isn't the most dainty. Also, danceability is not critical.

Thanks for your time!
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post #2 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:23pm
First off, your wit never fails to crack me up, Monoplex.

I have spent a fair amount of time researching power products lately and have not yet come across colored power cords. I have, however, recently stumbled upon a manufacturer that makes a $2,000 power cord! This may or may not qualify as bad taste.

If I don't come across any colored ones, this could be the next big thing and I'd be willing to partner with you on this venture! Don't laugh- remember Swatch? And who doesn't either own or hasn't stepped on a Croc?
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post #3 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:34pm
Try: http://cableorganizer.com/middle-atl...wer-cords.html
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post #4 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestion and I actually have a set of those. I'm afraid those colors, in addition to frankly being horribly subtle, are only on the extreme ends of the cable. I'm looking for something that'll help me navigate my "explosion at the cable factory"-looking rack.
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post #5 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
BTW, if you have manufacturing contacts, I'll see if I can get some market research together. "Is there any mark-up on cables?" he said, doing his best not to laugh like Mussolini when sent untold scores of people into labor camps.
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post #6 of 29
10/30/08 at 2:56pm
Thread Starter 
You know, perhaps I have been insensitive. I shall refer to them henceforth as "Cords of Color."
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post #7 of 29
10/30/08 at 4:27pm
Monoplex,
I forgot about this stuff:

http://cableorganizer.com/heat-shrink/

I used some of this during a brief stint working in a small recording studio. This stuff is really easy to apply, comes in all kinds of bright colors, and may work if you don't find what you're looking for.
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post #8 of 29
10/30/08 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
I'm going to ask my guys with the manufacturing contacts to see what it would cost to make a few hundred of these. My guess is the downside would be fairly limited.
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post #9 of 29
10/31/08 at 5:14am
A simple bit of tape wrapped around the cable saying what it is, is good enough for me. I mean what happens if you’re colour-blind I mean think about it?
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post #10 of 29
10/31/08 at 8:19am
One of the suppliers that I use (can't remember which off the top of my head) makes them in just about any color w/ or w/o termination. I would have to check on the cost but they would most certainly require a purchase of at least a dozen per color or so.
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post #11 of 29
10/31/08 at 8:21am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBLsound4645 View Post

I mean what happens if you're colour-blind I mean think about it?

If I was color-blind, I would at least have some sort of a premise for dressing the way I do.

Electrical tape may end up being a short term answer. But won't you all be sorry when I'm sitting on top of a colored AC power empire with a "release the hounds" button on my desk.
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post #12 of 29
10/31/08 at 9:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monoplex View Post

If I was color-blind, I would at least have some sort of a premise for dressing the way I do.

Electrical tape may end up being a short term answer. But won't you all be sorry when I'm sitting on top of a colored AC power empire with a "release the hounds" button on my desk.

No but it is cheaper than spending huge amounts of money unless of course you can get it off the back of lorry. Whoops did I just say that.

I’ll have to check into this and see how much coloured cable is and I prefer to custom do my cables to the required length they need to be rather than spending silly amounts of money for a few meters, if you get my meaning.

Say I’d like cable coloured to (red for LF) and (black for HF) for the leads on the back of my DCX2496 but why? I know which lead goes to where without even looking just by feel of the components with my hand fiddling around at the back.

Happy Halloween.
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post #13 of 29
11/1/08 at 6:33am
This is all I can find how cheap I could take standard RCA phone plugs and spray paint them with a lacquer!

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post #14 of 29
11/1/08 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBLsound4645 View Post

No but it is cheaper than spending huge amounts of money unless of course you can get it off the back of lorry. Whoops did I just say that.

With the Internet placing the world in the centre of my neighbourhood, one would think getting a 3 metres-long coloured cable for my theatre should be piss easy. Yet, none of my favourite sites carry them.

All kidding aside, the solutions people have come up with would certainly be less expensive and faster to execute. And I thinks I'm going to try some shrink wrap housing.
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post #15 of 29
11/1/08 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monoplex View Post

With the Internet placing the world in the centre of my neighbourhood, one would think getting a 3 metres-long coloured cable for my theatre should be piss easy. Yet, none of my favourite sites carry them.

All kidding aside, the solutions people have come up with would certainly be less expensive and faster to execute. And I thinks I'm going to try some shrink wrap housing.



Google Product search is good place to look thou I haven't given it look at this morning, I mean this afternoon. Often the prices are so damn low over taking pot chance with Google main-page.

With product search you'll see the item the suppliers name and the price and you scowl down the page and pick the lowest price going.
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post #16 of 29
11/1/08 at 7:59am
The other option is color spiral wrap or color wire wrap. I've seen it done and it looks good enough for your purposes.
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post #17 of 29
11/1/08 at 8:08am
This site seems to have Red, Green, Blue and Yellow in stock:

http://www.l-com.com/productfamily.aspx?id=2482
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post #18 of 29
11/1/08 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aymanme View Post

The other option is color spiral wrap or color wire wrap. I've seen it done and it looks good enough for your purposes.

Positively agree and the coloured tape is really cheap as biscuits.

I'm popping out with my trusty umbrella as it is raining outside and I'm off to D.J. Electronics to get some coloured sticky tape back in jiffy.
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post #19 of 29
11/1/08 at 9:20am
Boy its sure raining cats and dogs outside.

Well I decided to go to Kingson high street as I seem to remember seeing coloured tape in shop. I was right and here is what I got only 50p each.

After which I popped into Somerfield and noticed instant noodles you know like that meal that John Hurt had in Alien I just call them the (lien Noodles) LOL. I got 17 packs of them a 6 bananas and one strawberry milkshake for £4 pounds yes the UK is on the map for value!


LL
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post #20 of 29
11/1/08 at 11:07am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBLsound4645 View Post

yes the UK is on the map for value!

If you want prawn crisps or spotted dick, you aren't likely to do better anywhere else!

On another note, thank you very much for link to L-Com. I've placed the order for the cords and hope to have them within a week.

Contacts on the AVSforum: Is there anything it can't do?
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post #21 of 29
11/1/08 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monoplex View Post

If you want prawn crisps or spotted dick, you aren't likely to do better anywhere else!

On another note, thank you very much for link to L-Com. I've placed the order for the cords and hope to have them within a week.

Contacts on the AVSforum: Is there anything it can't do?

Well even my cat agrees who is right now so chilled out on my, arm bless him. Yes it pays to shop around. those Alien noodles were tasty and no sign of an Alien bursting out, lol

classic scene for dialogue clarty!

Jules: What does Marcellus Wallace look like?
Brett: What?
Jules: What country you from?
Brett: What?
Jules: What ain't no country I ever heard of! They speak English in What?


Check out Pulp Phantom damn funny.
http://www.dustinresch.com/pulpphantom/phantom2.html
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post #22 of 29
11/10/08 at 4:55pm
Just got a catalog in the mail from The Container Store and saw these.

For the price, I think I'm gonna try them out myself.
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post #23 of 29
11/19/08 at 7:45pm
Still haven’t used the coloured tape as of yet, I guess I’ll wait until I have a meaningful project to do.

I do have plenty of those (Alien noodles) I brought some at ASDA last week and get this, they were only 8p a packet wow that’s Alien ASAD Noodles price!
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post #24 of 29
3/28/10 at 1:38pm
I realise this thread is rether outdated now, but did anybody manage to source coloured IDC patch / extension cables?

That link to L-com was great, but those cables wouldnt work for me as I am in the UK, but coloured patch cables would be amazingly awsome to patch our servers into the A + B power rings

Cheers, Lanky
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post #25 of 29
3/28/10 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lnaky View Post

I realise this thread is rether outdated now, but did anybody manage to source coloured IDC patch / extension cables?

It'd probably be easier to just put braided sleeving around them. You slip the entire cable through, cut to fit, pull taught, and use something like a bit of heat-shrink tubing to clean up the ends and keep it from fraying. Techflex makes 19 standard colors along with several striped combinations and gold/chromed varieties.
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post #26 of 29
6/6/11 at 7:56pm
Quote:


but those cables wouldnt work for me as I am in the UK

If what matters to you is to color code the cable itself and you don't care about the connector colors how about making your own leads?

Here in the UK you can fairly easilly get flex of suitable sizes in at least white, black, blue, yellow and orange.other colors exist too but are trickier to find. Use 0.75mm flex with a 5A fuse or 1.0mm (or larger) flex with a 10A fuse.

You can get all the bits you need from farnell (I can't post the URL because i'm new to this board but googling for farnell should find you their site pretty quickly), stock codes are below
1516052 IEC connector
1661471 13A plug
1387682 white flex
1638057 blue flex
1638054 yellow flex
1638060 orange flex

Farnell don't seem to sell black 0.75mm 3-core by the meter but most standard IEC cords are black anyway
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post #27 of 29
9/22/11 at 12:51pm
I know this is probably a bit of an old thread but...
I just started a store that sells colored power cables, so you'd probably be able to find what you are looking for there. The URL is http://colorcableco.com
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post #28 of 29
10/8/11 at 3:09pm
I used to work petrochemical and I know minimum order for cable is 10,000 feet or 3,000 meters depending on the company. Anixter was 10,000 feet.

Custom solution would be to dye the pvc in white cords using pvc cleaner and gasoline dye. Search for dyeing pvc on google and there is a good tutorial on MakeProjects.
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post #29 of 29
10/10/11 at 2:44pm
PET + heat shrink = your friend and answer.
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