Zip Ties? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Schofield]

What is the best place to get a package of Zip Ties? Would the local Radio Shack have them? Secondly, do they require the use of a "gun" to tighten?

 

[Richard_T]

You can get them at home depot or any other home building supply store. They have ties which require a gun to tighten them or there are ties which you can tighten by hand, I use the hand tightened ties in my job everyday and they work very well. They should also come in different sizes and colours as well. They should be quite easy to find. Good luck.!

 

[John Sully]

Yes and no.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Beware of Murphy's Law of Cable Bundling:

Shortly after bundling & routing all your cables neatly, one or more components will require replacement. And the replacement will never have connections in the same place so you must un-bundle your wires to connect it.

I suggest the following:
- Put your receiver/amp on the BOTTOM shelf of your rack. This allows those heavy speaker wires to flow out without obscuring any of the rest of your equipment.
- Put labels on BOTH ENDS of all your cables & power cords. Use a simple A/B/C.. system. Radio Shack sells some labels with built-in scotch tape that wraps over the writing to prevent it from smudging/fadeing.
- Bundle your power cords to one side of your rack.
- Bundle your interconnects to the other side (from the power cords) or let them run down the middle.
While you CAN use zip-ties, I dont recommend them. You have to make them tight or they slip, then they cut into the cables and are a real pain to take back off.
Good hardware stores carry velcro tie-wraps, often in colors that to a better job and are easier to put on/take off. You can even get fabric-store velcro and make your own wraps for only a few $'s.
Radio Shack also sells various sizes of "Split Loom" tubing that is very good.
Hope this helps.

 

[Dave Schofield]

I think I'll go with those velcro ties then, at your suggestion. Thanks!

 

[DonRoeber]

Velcro tie wraps are gods gift to anyone that works with any amount of cabling. I use them daily at work with network and other computer cables, and at home with my home theater stuff. The best are the ones that have a loop to run the end through. The case logic ones suck.

 

[Ron Reda]

Bundle your power cords to one side of your rack. Bundle your interconnects to the other side (from the power cords) or let them run down the middle.

Bob,

Excuse me for the stupid question, but does this have to do with interference/RFI?

BTW, on a mission to tame the cable spaghetti behind my entertainment center, I scored some of these Velcro wraps at (of all places) Michael's, a chain hobby store. I'm so hooked on them, that I'm going to pick up a few more packs!!!

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Excuse me for the stupid question, but does this have to do with interference/RFI?

Yep.

The Shield on your interconnects is connected to the electrical signal ground inside your equipment. If you bundle the interconnects with the AC power wires, you have just hooked a antenna into your equipment ground and tied it against power wires carrying 60 hz.

While not as serious (because it's not all at 60 hz), your speaker wires do the same thing.

Hope this helps.