what do you all do with rack cables?

JoshuaTSP · #1 08-30-2011, 05:26 PM

How do you deal with power, speaker, and signal cables?

There's the power strip, rack power conditioner,etc......thoughts?

Rockmusician · #2 08-30-2011, 05:29 PM

I have a rack mounted power conditioner, wireless, rack tuner and EQ in my rack. I took some plastic zip ties and attached them to the bracket at the back of the rack. It seems to work well.

neptoon · #3 08-30-2011, 05:33 PM

i have gone through several rack rigs in the past, and though the zip ties do work well, you can use the adhesive cable tie downs to route them along the edges of your rack, and one thing i always did was get cables made that were exactly the length that i needed...no need for 6 foot power and signal cables...the patch cords work well for this that are used for connecting pedals...

Steveaux · #4 08-30-2011, 05:42 PM

I velcroed a power strip to the top of a power amp. IEC cables cut to length.

JoshuaTSP · #5 08-30-2011, 06:10 PM

I need to find a power strip with a cord long enoughto reach the floor.

SurferJoe46 · #6 08-30-2011, 07:17 PM

I've only started building a rack - made one outta a black produce crate.

I am still working on the cords, but so far I have a Furman power conditioner mounted in the top and I added a 30-foot 12AWG cord to it to reach wherever I need to go.

The Furman then goes to all the power accessories on my pedal board through another power strip that I had used before, but it just makes sense to have more than one receptacle in the floor case for other accessories as I need them. There is a 1-Spot there and a polarity and ground fault tester in that strip to test and confirm that I'm indeed grounded wherever I play.

The cord to that lower power strip if another 30-feet long but it's 14AWG from there and I can set up quite a way from my cab that way.

All together I can run about 60 feet from the wall supply, and that's the cords I'm working with trying to wrestle under submission at this time.

The amp head is powered by the Furman as is the pedal board strip (double stripped) and the rack required power supplies are fed from the Furman too.

I don't have it all figured out yet, but it's a work in progress. If anyone has any ideas where top stick over 60-feet of wire, quite a few patch cords, and my wireless antenna and junk, let me know.

And NO - it won't fit THERE.

I have learned to not ever work without something at least as good as that Furman conditioner ever again! It's that good.

Mybikeisblack · #7 08-30-2011, 08:29 PM

I have a power condition, wireless, compressor, tuner and head mounted in a rack. I just have all the cables neatly velcroed together and out of the way. I leave the speakon just roam around in there.

georgestrings · #8 08-30-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

I need to find a power strip with a cord long enoughto reach the floor.

I use a Belkin surge strip that has a 12' cord built-in - it was less than $20, and has worked great... I velcro'd it to the top of my bass amp, then bought an IEC Y cable to clean up power cables for my tuner and amp... I've mostly made my patch cables from Starline cable I bought from Audiopile, and Switchcraft or Neutrik... Here's a pic of the back:

ccouch7 · #9 08-30-2011, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveaux

Just curious, what's the black box in the upper right corner and the silver one near the bottom right?

Pilgrim · #10 08-30-2011, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

I need to find a power strip with a cord long enoughto reach the floor.

To the Interwebs!!!

mlwarriner · #11 08-30-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

To the Interwebs!!!

or the Home Depot!!!

Jeff Scott · #12 08-30-2011, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

I need to find a power strip with a cord long enoughto reach the floor.

I have two SL Waber rackmount power strips with 15' cords on them. I do not know whether SL Waber still makes such a product but they are nicely built and were inexpensive at the time I bought them in the mid '90s. They were nice alternatives to the usual pricey Furman or Tripp-Lite equivalents.

SurferJoe46 · #13 08-30-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

To the Interwebs!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlwarriner

or the Home Depot!!!

Buy the strip of your choice and a 50-foot 12AWG three wire grounded exterior use extension cord.

Take the strip apart and solder the cut off female end of the extension cord to the same positions where the original short cord on the strip was.

That's what I do and I can make a strip with a 100-foot cord if I want to.

And save the original cord from the strip, add a new female end to it and it's a nice short extension cord too.

Win-win.

The longer the cord, the heavier gauge wire you should use.

At 30 feet and a possible 8-10 amps draw, I like to go from 14AWG to 12AWG for the extra current carrying capacity.

14AWG is rated at 15 Amps if it has THHN insulation - but extension cords get beat up badly - so go the next size larger.

Wire gets bigger as the numbers go DOWN.

EG: 14AWG is heavier than 16AWG, but they are both thinner than 12AWG.

8AWG isn't usually available to the average person, but it is available if you really want it. You shouldn't though unless you want to do a little arc welding between sets.

Pilgrim · #14 08-30-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlwarriner

or the Home Depot!!!

Jahwohl! Good selection there, including strips with long cords.

seamonkey · #15 08-31-2011, 12:33 AM

Look at this potential adaptor
Amazon.com: Conntek 30130 Male Plug Adapter IEC C14 To U.S. 3 Pin Female Connector: Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can plug in an ESP Music Power cord in one end, and a power strip in the other.
It's like multiplying the ESP by 8x!!!

mlwarriner · #16 08-31-2011, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Jahwohl! Good selection there, including strips with long cords.

that's where i got the one i use

georgestrings · #17 08-31-2011, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Buy the strip of your choice and a 50-foot 12AWG three wire grounded exterior use extension cord.

Take the strip apart and solder the cut off female end of the extension cord to the same positions where the original short cord on the strip was.

That's what I do and I can make a strip with a 100-foot cord if I want to.

And save the original cord from the strip, add a new female end to it and it's a nice short extension cord too.

Win-win.

The longer the cord, the heavier gauge wire you should use.

At 30 feet and a possible 8-10 amps draw, I like to go from 14AWG to 12AWG for the extra current carrying capacity.

14AWG is rated at 15 Amps if it has THHN insulation - but extension cords get beat up badly - so go the next size larger.

Wire gets bigger as the numbers go DOWN.

EG: 14AWG is heavier than 16AWG, but they are both thinner than 12AWG.

8AWG isn't usually available to the average person, but it is available if you really want it. You shouldn't though unless you want to do a little arc welding between sets.

Ummm, no thanks - if a place doesn't have it together enough for me to reach power for my rig without needing a 50' extension cord, I probably don't want to play it, anyways...

- georgestrings

Steveaux · #18 08-31-2011, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccouch7

Just curious, what's the black box in the upper right corner and the silver one near the bottom right?

The upper right is the transformer for a goose-neck light.

Bottom right is an A/B/Y box.

JoshuaTSP · #19 08-31-2011, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Ummm, no thanks - if a place doesn't have it together enough for me to reach power for my rig without needing a 50' extension cord, I probably don't want to play it, anyways...

- georgestrings

If I can't find a strip with an extra long power cord.....I'll probably make one with a 15' cord.

I agree....I've been using a 10' power strip and never needed anything else.....unless we play a VFW or something.

I just need something long enough from rack to floor at least....then I can chain the power strip in the rack to a power strip on the floor......which powers the rack and my pedal board.

Do you guys stuff all of your speaker cables and instrument cabs in the back of the rack too?

SurferJoe46 · #20 08-31-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

If I can't find a strip with an extra long power cord.....I'll probably make one with a 15' cord.

I agree....I've been using a 10' power strip and never needed anything else.....unless we play a VFW or something.

I just need something long enough from rack to floor at least....then I can chain the power strip in the rack to a power strip on the floor......which powers the rack and my pedal board.

Do you guys stuff all of your speaker cables and instrument cabs in the back of the rack too?

I get to play barnyards and cow pastures, so sometimes the electricity is over 50-feet away. Just make sure that you've got sufficient wire size - but I was an accredited hospital electrician for a few years and I also check voltage and polarity wherever I play anyway.

I won't play below 110VAC at my end of my chain - which I know is the bottom of the reliability factor for my gear. I always carry a Wiggy and a DVM for that reason.

I can check for the whole band that way and keep everybody safe and I usually do that a week in advance when I check out the facility.

No ground - no gig. I have a 30 Amp GFCI breaker in my system too that I can install at the D-box if I have to. That way everybody goes home and we don't need the paramedics.

Sometimes I have to run 240 to the bandstand and split it to A/B GFCI'd legs of there. Easy.

Yeah - I've had to run some severely long supply lines before, but it's always a good idea to go 30Amp twist-loc and 8AWG if it gets longer than 50-feet or so.

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