[VHFcontesting] Identifying/Matching Cables

Fri Sep 19 12:23:42 EDT 2003

Along the same lines...don't forget colored (electrical) tape...often 5-6 
different colored rolls (1/2" wide by 12' long each) available for $1 at the 
Dollar-type stores. More colors available at electrical/electronic supply 
houses (though cost may be upwards of $3-4 per 50-66 foot roll).

I picked up several different colors at Mendelsohn's in Dayton (the main 
store...NOT at the Hamvention grounds) a few years back, 3/4" by 66' each 
and as I recall they were about $1 per roll, made in Taiwan but good quality 
stuff...Tyton/Hellerman and GAMPAK brand.

Wrap the tape around the coax cable...place a piece of the same tape by the 
'matching' connector on the rig/transverter/switch.

Use more strips of the same color if you need more 'codes' (with matching 
numbers of tape pieces by the connector). Also...multiple strips of 
different colors can also be used but be careful,...e.g. is that "Red-Blue" 
or "Blue-Red"?

If you really want to go crazy, though it's NOT considered crazy by builders 
of big electrical panels...companies like 3M, Brady and Panduit (probably 
others) make cable numbering tape systems (10 reels of tape with numbers 
printed on them, 0 through 9, and higher number ranges available).

73, K9JK slash arrrggh

>From: "Donald M. Ross" <dross at sirinet.net>
>To: "'David Olean'" <k1whs at worldpath.net>,"'Zack Widup'" 
><w9sz at prairienet.org>, <ADUHAWK at aol.com>
>CC: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
>Subject: RE: [VHFcontesting] September report -- K9ILT & K0PG long
>Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 08:47:07 -0500
>
>When I roving with multiple bands, I use color coded wire ties and put
>one on the tail end of the appropriate beam, and then 1 wire tie on the
>lowest band, two wire ties on the next one, three on the next one, etc.
>
>An since I did really bad PLF's in my youth, I also mark a photocopy of
>the diagram of the back of the radio(s) with which color goes where.
>
>Then when I screw it up, I can try and decide whether it is my color
>perception or my counting ability that is going bad.
>
>In recent years, I've made it even easier by only doing one band.
>
>Don, NL7CO/EM04
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
>[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of David Olean
>Sent: 19 September 2003 08:42
>To: Zack Widup; ADUHAWK at aol.com
>Cc: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] September report -- K9ILT & K0PG long
>
>Hi Zack,
>     Good idea. We do that here since the coax bundle here looks like
>Napoli
>right after dinnertime.
>Use the resistor color code. Maybe Black for six meters, brown for 144
>etc.
>etc. Then you can forget the color code and be in trouble again.
>
>73
>Dave K1WHS aka failing memory boy
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Zack Widup" <w9sz at prairienet.org>
>To: <ADUHAWK at aol.com>
>Cc: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
>Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 2:34 PM
>Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] September report -- K9ILT & K0PG long
>
>
> > On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 ADUHAWK at aol.com wrote:
> >
> > > We got the station assembled and into the car Thursday evening, so
>all
>that
> > > was left for Friday was to mount the antennas.  That took about
>three
>hours,
> > > with the threat of rain always there.  The only potential problem
>was
>that in my
> > > haste, I wasn't sure which Superflex feedline went to the 903 xvrtr
>and
>which
> > > one went to the 432 rig.  Wonder of wonders I guessed right.  With
>the
>rain
> > > closing in I jumped into the car, and whistled up a signal on 432.
>The
>right
> > > number of black dots lit up on the display and we were off!
> > >
> >
> > My tip of the day:  I color-code the ends of all my pieces of coax to
>the
> > antennas with heat-shrink tubing, which I've found in at least 8
>colors.
> > It really helps as long as I can remember which color went to which
> > antenna.  :)
> >
> > 73, Zack W9SZ
> >

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