"Don Y" wrote in message

stuff snipped here and inline

The problem now is that I have to keep using larger
and larger fonts as my eyes get older.

I use about 1/4" high text. I think it's the second from the largest
size available (the larger didn't seem to be *much* larger)

The ones I bought all do heat shrink tubing which I haven't used once
because as you note, they only work on cables that aren't "ended"
already.

Exactly. I don't want to have to have two different approaches to
the problem. Easier to just treat everything the same. I'd still
need to "cover" the heat-shrinkable with a layer of cello tape.
So, the shrinkability doesn't really buy me anything.

That's the reason everything around here is R6QS - just one kind of cable
end, stripper and compression tool required. I never did get the hang of
putting BNC's on thinnish RG59 coax for CCTV. So I use adapters which my EE
friend frets over because of the loss that adapters involve but a bad crimp
REALLY causes problems.

Still, it *would* be a good way to mark a new run of cabling. Instead I
have a silver, gold, black and other colored Sharpies that I use. While
not
as neat and legible as Dymo labels, they do the job.

Ah, *fancy*! ;-) I just settle for plain old BLACK! (doesn't work well
on
the black patch cords or power cords; but, those have "known" lengths so
I don't need to mark them)

Another reason I use R6QS - even the colored stuff has footage marks. I
find it really helps to use different colored cables for different purposes.
I have spools of black and white indoor R6, one outdoor spool, three spools
of CAT6 (which gets used for everything so theres Network 1 (blue) Network
2 (red) and everything else (white because it's easiest to write on).

"just right"... but, it's too long (I need something around 2.5-3').

That's going to be a problem with the H-freight ones, too. What do you
mean
by the outlets facing the right way? Ground hole to the left instead of
the
bottom?

Hard to decide what left and bottom mean :-/

The way a standard duplex receptacle (in a US home) is constructed is
the *wrong* way. Rotate each *outlet* 90 degrees -- without rotating
the receptacle itself. So, wall warts end up side-by-side instead of
one atop the other.

You've got it. I can't recall if the HF strips have the ground hole going
left or right or even up or down. I'll look.

Just took
apart an Eveready UPS (rebadge APC) and found exactly that - outlet
blades
just soldered together and fit into an elaborate plastic shell that's
part
of the case.

Exactly. I have some very nice 6 outlet strips that have individual
outlets
"snap fitted" into a heavy aluminum frame. But, they are arranged like
the duplex receptacles I mentioned, above. And, they are too close
together.

I have some singleton outlets that can be mounted onto a frame (they have
two "ears" with screw holes instead of "press fitted"). I just need to
find a piece of heavy gauge aluminum U-channel (so I can press on the
outlets with cords that are stubborn to insert without fear of deforming
the case!) *and* some sort of BACKING for that piece of channel so the
wires aren't exposed, etc.

The advantage of modifying something COTS is not having to do any
fabrication
work!

Definitely.

I just recently started to see non-removable cords on the bricks from
new
stuff coming from China. I guess it saves a penny or so but it does
make
them less convenient.

It is also a surefire way to ruin the "assembly" as the cord will have
dubious strain relief, at best. When it fails, you're stuck without a
way of replacing it (esp as most bricks are solvent welded assemblies;
"no user serviceable parts inside" -- and no way to GET inside!)

I figured out, quite accidentally, how to open up solvent welded cases in
one feld swoop. While trying to blow water out of one that had gotten wet I
drilled a tiny hole in the case and pressed the conical rubber nozzle of my
air compressor against it, expecting water to blow out of openings around
the plug blades and power cord. BANG!!!! Split right in half. (-:

Dell makes a line of laptop bricks that are like this. *And*, the
design intentionally encourages you to wrap the CAPTIVE cord around
the brick for storage. Doing so trashes the cord (the AC inlet is a
special modular cord but the DC outlet is captive).

Very dumb but I see more and more engineering "What were they thinking?"
moments all the time.

So, I arrange to use the shortest cord possible (to keep the amount of
"cord clutter" down to a minimum).

I have a few bricks with Mickey's. Unfortunately, all of those cords
are
the same length (apparently?).

I assume Mickey's are the figure 8 cords used to power things like
laptops
with a ground wire that give a head to the two ears. I see very few of
those - mostly laptops. I do see a lot more of them in both polarized
and
unpolarized format.

No. Mickey as in "Mickey Mouse" -- three circles (his head and two ears).

Read again! That's what I said. The added ground wire (which I assume is
the center) gives Mickey his head. (Sounds obscene)


Note that the figure-of-eight cords can also be found with one end
of the '8' flattened. So, instead of OO, it's more like DO.

Polarized v. unpolarized. I said that too!

I keep boxes of cords, sorted by style. So, when I need a new one,
I can save myself the $1 and just pull one out of the box.

It's clear that tech weenies all behave the same way. I even segregate the
D cords by color since I have so damn many of them.

--
Bobby G.