On Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 1:04:17 PM UTC-5, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 9:46:23 AM UTC-5, Michael Terrell
wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
...
I used the Brady printed labels, and covered them with clear
heat
shrink.
...

When I made cable harnesses for the batch of electric cars [the
customer] paid to have us label each wire with printed heatshrink
labels:
https://www.brother-usa.com/mobile/l...able_wire.aspx

I've used a fine Sharpie on paper labels for home projects but the
writing diffuses and fades under clear adhesive tape.


I switched to clear heatshrink, before the mid '80s. I was using
it
on my shop cables, to stop people from claiming that they had
brought
cables with equipment, when they didn't. I would type on address
labels,
then trim and wrap them on the cable before applying the heatshrink
tubing. The labels had a description, and the date that they were
made.


You wouldn't be using that in Bell System (Verizon) central offices.
You would fail inspection. According to Bellcore standards, ALL cables
must be labeled at each end with flag-type labels which can be read
from any direction without disconnecting the cable. I spend a few
years designing and supervising the installation of colocation
equipment for AT&T. I watched as two cages full of equipment were
relabeled at one site.

Good idea? Maybe, maybe not. But it's their building, and if you're
gonna put your stuff in it, it has to follow their rules.
===============================

I never designed or built equipment that had to operate 24/7 for 20
years like theirs. Mine was more likely to be modified within a few
years to follow changing requirements. Every connection was supposed
to have enough slack in the wire to be cut off, stripped and
resoldered or crimped three times.
--jsw

All that said, these are pretty nice and make for a clean installation. https://goo.gl/q2RiJo They have a write-on (or laser / inkjet print) area, then you peel them off the carrier, wrap the printed part around the wire, and continue wrapping the clear part around the print. They call it self-laminating.

Advantage of the shrink stuff is you don't need a special printer, you can do these in your regular office printer. You also don't need to shrink them, and can apply them after the cable is connected.

You can also apply them as flags - just don't wrap the printed part around the wire - fold it over instead.