Best way to wrap feeder cable?

[Salil Sundresh]

What's the best way to coil feeder cable?

[John Sprung]

Big heavy stuff like 50 Ft. 4/0? -- Over under it flat on the deck, tie it off and then pick it up.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Ryan Thomas]

Yeah, it depends on what you're wrapping.

 

At a certain point, you'll realize it's too heavy to hold in your hands. So then if you just lay it down flat, find the middle, then wrap it clockwise...once you finish one side, flip it over and do the other. This way you aren't pulling the entire length of the cable every time you wrap it. Makes life easier...

[timHealy]

What's the best way to coil feeder cable?

 

let someone else do it :)

[Salil Sundresh]

Big heavy stuff like 50 Ft. 4/0? -- Over under it flat on the deck, tie it off and then pick it up.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

Why over under as opposed to over over?

[Salil Sundresh]

let someone else do it :)

Okay well what's the best way to tell someone ELSE to wrap it. haha

[John Sprung]

Why over under as opposed to over over?

 

So as not to introduce twist into the cable. Every loop you make puts a 180 degree twist onto the line. Over under alternates the direction of the twists, so they cancel. This reduces tangling and makes the cable lie flat when you uncoil it.

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Alexander Smith]

So as not to introduce twist into the cable. Every loop you make puts a 180 degree twist onto the line. Over under alternates the direction of the twists, so they cancel. This reduces tangling and makes the cable lie flat when you uncoil it.

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

 

This is true, however on sets over here I've seen people get yelled at for using it on stingers and poop. Even though the set lighting technicians handbook says to use the over under method. Sigh, people always think their way is the only way, so I just always over-over it and twist it counter-clockwise when uncoiling it to remove the butts.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I'm partial to the quarter hand twist myself.. .though won't work with feeder cable ;)

Over Under is the correct way-- if someone tells you otherwise-- and it's not your cable-- maybe forget it--- but in truth one shouldn't perpetuate bad wrapping...

[timHealy]

I don't know a single person who does under over for any electrical cable. The video video and sound guys do but their cable has no relative weight.

 

Over over works fine as long as the kinks are being twisted out as u wrap and lay the cable into a bundle in it's natural wind. When laying out the twist comes out naturally. But use what ever works for you.

 

Best

 

Tim

[John Sprung]

This is true, however on sets over here I've seen people get yelled at for using it on stingers and poop.

 

Jeez -- I coil everything over/under, even at home. It's a habit, I wouldn't do it any other way.

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Steve London]

I don't know a single person who does under over for any electrical cable. The video video and sound guys do but their cable has no relative weight.

 

Over over works fine as long as the kinks are being twisted out as u wrap and lay the cable into a bundle in it's natural wind. When laying out the twist comes out naturally. But use what ever works for you.

 

Best

 

Tim

I do it over over too but I'm curious about the "twist comes out naturally." If you lay the coil down and pull one end it puts loops into it. You would have to hold the coil vertically and feed it out by rotating the loop to get the cable to lay out flat with no loops. No? Am I doing something wrong?

[Tim O'Connor]

I always do over/under and then it comes out straight no matter who uses it and uncoils it next.

[Michael Morlan]

I have heard various philosophies on the matter:

 

feeder cables - over/under flat on ground

 

stingers 25-50ft - over/under - keeps collective twist out, down side: knots if you pull the end out the wrong side of wrap

 

stingers 25-50ft - over/over - matches the internal winding of the conductors, very fast to wrap, lays out well enough. hmm...

 

The best response I heard to the question about stingers was "If it's yours over/under, if it's a rental, over/over." :-)

 

Also, when running a stinger, start at the power end, drop a loop near the distro box, and pay out cable as you walk towards the load. Drop excess loop near load with end paying out the top.

 

Michael