Colour code for cables?

This is something that has been mooted about for eons & it keeps recycling in all the 'Club Techs, through out theatre land.

A lot have tried over the years, to establish a standard colour code for visually marking cables of all breeds, but like most things that go in cycles, they will vary widely between venues.

releasing most will be based on the visual spectrum manifestation of light - the rainbow colour sequence of Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (ROYGBIV), much similar to the colour code adopted for the bands on Resistors to denote their value.

Every venue tends have their own 'house rules' in place, which are fairly generic for the most part. But while not wanting to suggest a actual colour code standard for varying lengths of cables, as I'm sure we all employ our own systems?

I thought it would be a good one to toss about, especially for us & those who are about to upgrade their equipment inventories. thanks to Aunty ITA, DCA & the state Government grant. But especialy Liz Spencer of DCA, who saved me from having my 6th & final stroke, with less than 4 hours to go to the dead line.

I'd like to get other techies ideas & views of what they do or suggest, before I evaporate, which can't be that that far off now.

As with all good cycles this topic has come around again & again, in a lot of other forums just recently. It must be that time again?

I'm hoping to institute a colour code on our cable cable lengths for power, audio or whatever?

As for the most part our cable lengths would be fairly standard in sizes of less than 5M, 10M or 20M. there are other lengths used occasionally up to 50M or longer, but these are easy to identify by their bulk. Where it is frustrating to end up short at one end, because you grabbed the wrong length in a hurry &/or when chasing out a cable to find out what it is feeding, or other exasperating situations one gets up to in the dark.

As most audio cables are generally black, it is not so with extension cords. while we prefer them to be black , in comeatre they can be a variety of colours, usually brought in from home or nicked from elsewhere. So they can be an assortment of black, white,fawn, grey, orange, yellow, blue & with various colour fashion stripes.

One system I used way back, I can't remember when or where it was?

Is Red, Yellow & Blue markers for;-

5M = Red, 10M -=Yellow, 20M = Blue

as the main colour ring indicators.

I choose this colour scheme to help those who are a bit dodgy on colour perseption & I could stick to primary colours RYB, rather than the additive ones of OGI.

I suppose I could get fancy & put added colour rings like;- 2.5M - white [or another colour]. But I probably would just opt to see my old mate -Mustava Fag & whatch others doing it or not get so pedanticly involved in the first place.

thus with 7.5M = R & W colour rings & the samewith 25M = B & R or 30M = B & Y.

The colour markers will be about a hands width from the plug top & if I get excited enough? I might even print out an ID label, to be placed under heat shrink on the cable - now thats a though!

I could slip different colour heat shrink on the cable id heat shrink & use them as the indicators. Of course If I decide to ID the cable it would be under clear heat shrink, but this would not stop slipping over a smaller cut off colour ring of heat shrink!

Anyhow before I go 'n get a manager & stop handling my self!

It would be great to get some other ideas or methods, you would like to share, with us lot in the Fo'c'sil?

I hope to instigate a series of workshops with Phoenix & get them to make up a heap of ' Thwackers' , id, tag equipment & do a lot of other house keeping things. like tie a length of leather thonging to the extension cable end, for easier storage of cables & the like.

Mainly because I'm far too slack to do it myself!

Brilliant mate!

we got 2x20 lots of black Poofta plug tops, with black cables a few years ago.

which we made up our patch bay & two 10 circuit patch battens from.

They were great & far better than having to order 100 adapter plug tops from Clipsal, after writing out an affidavit. to say they would only be used in the entertainment industry - I had to supply my electrical licence number, before they could supply them.

Also it was a drama removing the static cable strap from the plug top & replacing the machine pressed blind screws. Further yours were not the hard polycarbonate clear plastic type, that will crack & smash if they are dropped on the deck - yours bounce well!

They are fantastic & we still use them all.

But this idea is a really good idea, so we will defiantly be fronting up & buying some, when I get my act together & sort out the money!

This new innovated idea will save us heaps of time & mucking about - G'donya David!

You have the answer David, as usual!

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