Hook up cable tidy recommendation

Sam Vimes

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Sep 7, 2020
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For years I've never bothered with having a reel or something to wrap my hook up cable on but today after having a fight with it to get it coiled up I thought I'd look to see if there are cable reels for it.

I know not to have the cable rolled up when in use but do you have any recommendations?

This is something I've come across....

 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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I use with some success the ORANGE JOB, only draw back is as supplied the hole is too small to pass the plug end through, though that is readily cured with a bit of cutting, Or simply as I have on one rewired the plug some the reel lives on the cable. It fades over the years, but so what.

These take 25 m of 2.5mm squared cable, I question some can take 25 m of so robust cable?
 
Jan 3, 2012
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I have this from Towsure Cable Reel Keeper accepts cable up to 25m and i find very easy winding
 

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For years I've never bothered with having a reel or something to wrap my hook up cable on but today after having a fight with it to get it coiled up I thought I'd look to see if there are cable reels for it.

I know not to have the cable rolled up when in use but do you have any recommendations?

This is something I've come across....

HI,
I don't understand why people use these things, a little patience and practice and a perfect coil can be achieved every time.
 
Sep 16, 2018
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We also find the orange one perfectly good, although I must get around to making the hole large enough for the plug to go through. Last summer a relative was helping stow the cable, left about a foot of cable end hanging loose as he wound it enthusiastically up to show how easy it was.....until the loose end swung round and whacked him between the legs,. Ouch.
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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HI,
I don't understand why people use these things, a little patience and practice and a perfect coil can be achieved every time.

Yes of course it is easy enough, but then you end up with a hank of coiled cable.
I prefer it to be contained and confined to a reel, and to be able to reel it out when deploying it. The issue being more than "achieving a perfect coil".
As previously said each to their own, but here, the OP was asking specifically for advice on "reels", having stated finding issues with coils.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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i find the Towsure cable reel keeper easy to wind on and fully uncoil it when in use.and also it easy stored away when not in use .
 

Sam Vimes

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Hi ProfJohnL I am in agreement with you i always uncoil all of my cable on every break we go .

While this is good general advice the decision to leave wound or unwound can be made with understanding of the loading, quality of the reel and operating temperature. For instance my 50m reel I use around the garden is rated at 240v/960w fully wound and 240v/3120w unwound.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I use one even though I am able to coil a cable, and when on site I have always fully unwound the cable given the vans electrical load. My garden/diy cable is also on a reel and is unwound depending on load or distance from power socket.
 
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We bought a reel when looking for other things in a dealers for next to nothing. Makes life far easier and no tangles. They are very basic, and in this case the cheapest should not be a problem. Do make sure though that you can fit it in the caravan somewhere as they do take up more room. The front locker should manage, but not sure how you get on with a Bailey and no front locker.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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While this is good general advice the decision to leave wound or unwound can be made with understanding of the loading, quality of the reel and operating temperature. For instance my 50m reel I use around the garden is rated at 240v/960w fully wound and 240v/3120w unwound.
Whilst I appreciate the point you make, and I to also have enough electrical knowledge to understand the risks, not everyone has the same benefit of that understanding. So to cover all levels of knowledge the best advice is to unwind the whole cable.
 
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HI,
I don't understand why people use these things, a little patience and practice and a perfect coil can be achieved every time.
As others have said each to their own, but also consider that sometimes you might not be the one to roll up the cable, and the person you ask may not have the same skill at coiling.

I have frequently had to set up and take down sound systems involving up to thirty or more 10 to to 20M long cables. I use a mountaineering technique to coil them. This has the benefit if reducing any twist in the cable which prolongs its life and it also means the coil can be thrown out and it naturally uncoils without knotting. For that reason I prefer to personally coil all the cables my self and I will usually refuse any offers to help as most people simply don't seem to do it satisfactorily.
 
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While this is good general advice the decision to leave wound or unwound can be made with understanding of the loading, quality of the reel and operating temperature. For instance my 50m reel I use around the garden is rated at 240v/960w fully wound and 240v/3120w unwound.
To each his own
 
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I use with some success the ORANGE JOB, only draw back is as supplied the hole is too small to pass the plug end through, though that is readily cured with a bit of cutting, Or simply as I have on one rewired the plug some the reel lives on the cable. It fades over the years, but so what.

These take 25 m of 2.5mm squared cable, I question some can take 25 m of so robust cable?
Me too - I wish I'd been more patient and just rewired the cable so I didn't have to cut the winder, but there we are.
 
Mar 27, 2011
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I’ve never used a winder I just simply loop it from my hand to my elbow and it winds up nicely then I pull it off my elbow and when I put it down it goes all over the place and I ram it in to a black sack ready for the next trip, as for plugging it in again I don’t worry about it too much, I plug the end in the caravan and untangle enough to reach the bollard and throw the rest underneath the caravan,it’s not nicely laid out but the spaghetti tangle is loose enough its, never going to cause it to get hot, mains lead for a caravan is almost as much of a pain in the **** as Christmas tree lights.

BP
 
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I’ve never used a winder I just simply loop it from my hand to my elbow and it winds up nicely then I pull it off my elbow and when I put it down it goes all over the place and I ram it in to a black sack ready for the next trip, as for plugging it in again I don’t worry about it too much, I plug the end in the caravan and untangle enough to reach the bollard and throw the rest underneath the caravan,it’s not nicely laid out but the spaghetti tangle is loose enough its, never going to cause it to get hot, mains lead for a caravan is almost as much of a pain in the **** as Christmas tree lights.

BP

Don’t let this man see you, 😁

Actually, apart from this one, there are a few good ideas on YouTube.

John
 
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In the 20 years we've been caravaning we must have used a 25 metre cable around half a dozen times, what i did to make things easy for myself and less of a trip hazard for other people around us was for the price of a male and female plug was simply make 2 10 and 15 metre cables out of a 25 metre cable , there is less to leave lying around the caravan to trip over .
If i do need a longer cable which is a rare occasion on sites these days is join the two together in a plastic bag using insulating tape to seal the bag and make the bag waterproof, as for cable drums ! Being in the engineering business we throw away dozens of empty mig welding wire reels away every week, plastis and wire framed one's! The latter is the best i find ! They are ideal for the lengths of cables i carry.
 

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