Controlling electronic cords of all types.

[Chuckanut]

I confess. The area behind my TV, VCR, Roku, DVD player, and antenna is a disaster area.

I was thinking of using some old fashioned gaffers tape to bind many of the cords together into much neater bundles. But, I have been warned against this as the various electrical fields may interfere with signals and data zipping along these cords.

So, what do you folks recommend to keep the cords need, controllable and not promote interference that my mess up my finely tuned video system?

One more device and the area behind my TV may look like a smaller versions of this.

 

[euro]

I confess. The area behind my TV, VCR, Roku, DVD player, and antenna is a disaster area.

I was thinking of using some old fashioned gaffers tape to bind many of the cords together into much neater bundles. But, I have been warned against this as the various electrical fields may interfere with signals and data zipping along these cords.

So, what do you folks recommend to keep the cords need, controllable and not promote interference that my mess up my finely tuned video system?

One more device and the area behind my TV may look like a smaller versions of this.

 

[cathy63]

I bought these a few years ago. They work very well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F5K82A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[OldShooter]

... I was thinking of using some old fashioned gaffers tape to bind many of the cords together into much neater bundles. But, I have been warned against this as the various electrical fields may interfere with signals and data zipping along these cords.

This is complete nonsense, similar to the hucksters' magic audio and video cables. There is no magic.

... So, what do you folks recommend to keep the cords need, controllable and not promote interference that my mess up my finely tuned video system? ...

The last thing I bought was these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FLKNJ8S/ Nearly a lifetime supply and if you are so inclined (I am not) you can color code the cable bundles.

Note that these have a little slot on one end. By putting the tie around the wire near one end, looping the pointy end though the slot, and tightening, the tie is fastened to the cable and you can wrap it around the bundle you make. Cut the pointy end to whatever length you need to circle the bundle.

Avoid the ties without the slot. With these the tie stays loose and when you take it off the bundle it may run away and hide. If you don't need a slot on a cable for some reason, just cut it off with a scissors.

Edit: The Velcro brand ties are just fine, but wildly overpriced IMO.

 

[timbervest]

Cable Management Sleeve, 20 Inch Cord Organizer System with Zipper

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VY4S9V2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These work GREAT!

 

[Animorph]

I just stick with the rat's nest. It grows organically and continuously, so it's tough to arrange the cords in a way that makes sense and doesn't make adding something new or removing something old a PITA. However, that means I have to trace each cord from end to end to figure out what I'm unplugging.

 

[Koolau]

I live in fear that I'll have an electronics issue and have to deal with the rat's nest under my AV table. At this point, I guess I'll do what I do with other such things - procrastinate and hope nothing goes wrong before I die! YMMV

 

[ERD50]

....

The last thing I bought was these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FLKNJ8S/ Nearly a lifetime supply and if you are so inclined (I am not) you can color code the cable bundles.

Note that these have a little slot on one end. By putting the tie around the wire near one end, looping the pointy end though the slot, and tightening, the tie is fastened to the cable and you can wrap it around the bundle you make. Cut the pointy end to whatever length you need to circle the bundle.

Avoid the ties without the slot. With these the tie stays loose and when you take it off the bundle it may run away and hide. If you don't need a slot on a cable for some reason, just cut it off with a scissors. ...

Same ones I just bought, and they seem to be working well.

Also note that you can slip one through the slot to make a longer one, which I needed to wrap around a a 1x4 - nice and neat.


-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

Here's an industrial strength option, sold by many sources: https://www.panduit.com/en/products...duct-accessories/wiring-duct-duct-covers.html also copied by many: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-2x2in-Wiring-Cable-Raceway/dp/B00008VFAP

 

[Jerry1]

I bought these a few years ago. They work very well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F5K82A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use some Velcro straps similar to these. Bought so long ago, not sure exactly what I have, but they work well. I bought some color coded ones, but that never seemed to matter.

 

[Chuckanut]

And, if I put an wire with the antenna signal right next to a wire with the 120 volt power flowing through it, no interference? That is my main hesitation.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Zip ties. Cheap from Lowe’s or Home Depot.

As electronics progress my rat’s nest has gotten much more manageable. No more cassette deck, turntable or VCR, with the tape machines having both record and play cables. HDMI replaced several cables with one. And the media player is even semi-wireless (excepting the power cable and HDMI out) via WiFi. I still have a Blu-ray but never seem to use it any more.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

And, if I put an wire with the antenna signal right next to a wire with the 120 volt power flowing through it, no interference? That is my main hesitation.

I do keep my power and signal cables separated. But the signal cables are shielded co-ax, so I’m not sure that’s necessary.

 

[Starsky]

Take your power cords and zip tie them together as much as possible. Keep them separate from the audio and video cables which you can also zip-tie together. Most of those cables are shielded, so you shouldn't have any problems. If you want something less permanent, use velcro strips or corrugated tubing.
Don't use gaffer's tape. It will become a mess.

 

[donheff]

I'm afraid to look. I will get to them when/if mice chew through.

 

[OldShooter]

And, if I put an wire with the antenna signal right next to a wire with the 120 volt power flowing through it, no interference? That is my main hesitation.

I do keep my power and signal cables separated. But the signal cables are shielded co-ax, so I’m not sure that’s necessary.

No issues. Nothing to worry about. Try it and see for yourself.

There is an incredible amount of misinformation and paranoia extant on the subject of cables.IMO the root of it is the Monster Cable company, with relies on fraudulent advertising to sell its products. For years I have been amazed that no enterprising state attorney general has gone after them. There are many test results you can find on the internet where supposed audiophiles could not tell the sound difference between speakers connected with supposedly magic cables and the same speakers connected with coat hangar wire. Example: https://www.zdnet.com/article/coat-hanger-wire-is-just-as-good-as-a-high-quality-speaker-cable/ Signal cables will product the same result -- no difference between cheap and supposedly-magic ones.

Interference between low level analog signals (like turntable cartridges or radio receiving antenna cables) and strong external fields is technically possible, but such fields occur almost exclusively in the neighborhood of radio transmitters. I have seen (heard, really) this happen on aircraft radios when flying within a quarter mile of broadcast radio and television towers. I have also seen (literally) it happen when I transmit on certain ham radio frequencies and it causes DW's recliner chair to tilt back. (Quite funny, actually) But these strong fields will almost never be found in homes. They definitely do not exist even in close proximity to the usual audio and video cables.

Digital signals are even safer, as distortion and electrical noise must get to very high levels before the digital pulses are affected.

So, run your cables however it makes physical routing sense. Buy cables that are mechanically decent (monoprice.com is a good and very economical source), and use 14 gauge wire (aka "zip cord") with solid copper conductors for speaker runs. With that recipe, almost all home wiring lashups will be just fine.

 

[skyking1]

I don't have the picture at hand, but I used to do telecom and network jobs at nursing homes. This one memorable phone room had a rat's nest of jumpers on dozens of 66 blocks, and written on the metal cabinet behind it all " you break it you fix it" in sharpie

 

[Sunset]

We have a shredder upstairs and when DW uses it, our tv which is displaying OTA stations and is flat screen plasma , goes all blocky and the sound is garbled up until the shredder stops.

I wonder if our neighbors have any issue when we shred on it, but I don't want to ask as it has lots of life in it.

 

[mountainsoft]

I confess. The area behind my TV, VCR, Roku, DVD player, and antenna is a disaster area.

So, what do you folks recommend to keep the cords need, controllable and not promote interference that my mess up my finely tuned video system?

I have used the small velcro straps like others here have mentioned, but mostly I don't worry about the cables behind our entertainment center. Out of sight, out of mind...

However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the mess.

1. If you're still using composite cables (video, left audio, right audio, etc.) switch to a single HDMI cable if you can. It's one cable instead of three, is better quality, and less clutter. Of course, not all devices support HDMI.

2. Get shorter cables if you can. Most cables come standard at 6 feet long but that's rarely needed for most folks. If you can use a 3 foot cable you'll cut your clutter in half. Even better if you can go shorter than that.

3. As with the audio/video cables, use shorter power cords if you can. These days most devices seem to use wall warts or permanently attached cords, but there are still a few devices with removable cords you can replace with shorter options.

4. You might be able to replace some hard wired transformers with alternatives that would allow you to use shorter cables.

5. Get a good power strip with outlet spacing that supports the wall wart transformers most devices use now. Alternatively, order some 1 foot extension cords and plug the transformer in the cord, then plug the cord in the power strip.

6. Find a way to "hide" the clutter. Build a box you can stuff the extra cables in with an easily removable lid (magnets maybe). You'll still have the clutter, but you won't have to look at it.

7. Eliminate any devices you no longer use. For instance, if you don't watch VHS tapes anymore you can get rid of the old VCR player and it's associated cables.

Finally, I've never had an issue zip tying cables together. Most cables are shielded to prevent interference. You might not want to bundle video and power cables together, but there's no reason you couldn't bundle the audio/video cables together, and then bundle the power cables together.

 

[Walt34]

I just stick with the rat's nest.

Same here. The one under the computer desk is most visible and is the one that DW has nightmares about; what if I die?

 

[braumeister]

I have a mess of cables under my computer as well, but one little trick simplifies things. I have a box of stick-on address labels like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Address-Labels-Laser-Printers/dp/B00006B8FZ/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1TIHI42Z93WQU&dchild=1&keywords=address+labels&qid=1629324019&sprefix=address+labels%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-7

I write on a label and stick one on each end of every cable:
For example: "ScanSnap scanner to MacBook Pro"
Then I know exactly what I'm grabbing and where the other end goes.

 

[jazz4cash]

I bought these a few years ago. They work very well.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F5K82A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made my own Velcro ties for organizing cords many years before I ever saw a ready made product. Shoulda filed a patent and gone into business. They do work well.

 

[OldShooter]

If you're going to label, there are several manufacturers who produce labels strictly for cables. Write your immortal words on the white part, wrap the label around the wire and the clear part covers and protects the words.

For example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8PO0QO
Interesting, an emoticon appears in the link I see but the link still works. The emoticon code appears to be capital oh zero (O0)

 

[steelyman]

I do something similar using small tags I got at Staples. The kind you’d use to mark prices at a garage sale. All are for power cords, everything else is wifi connected.

 

[braumeister]

If you're going to label, there are several manufacturers who produce labels strictly for cables. Write your immortal words on the white part, wrap the label around the wire and the clear part covers and protects the words.

The ones in your link are 8¢ each. The ones I use are 0.5¢ each. I think I'll stick with what I'm using.

Are you sure you're on the right forum?