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Author Topic: Array loom cable management  (Read 5944 times)

Hayden J. Nebus

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Array loom cable management
« on: April 16, 2012, 09:47:37 AM »

  I am looking for a simple cable management system that will allow
 a quick stow/deploy for a pair of trap arrays on drum winches. The loom drops from above, which currently makes for a lot of climibing to the cats and tying off / playing out the loom. Lack of space excludes a counterweighted loom.

If the bumper could just catch the loom it would be easy.. is there a rated, professional equivalent to a wide mouth beer keg tub?
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Matt Errend

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2012, 07:46:35 PM »

  I am looking for a simple cable management system that will allow
 a quick stow/deploy for a pair of trap arrays on drum winches. The loom drops from above, which currently makes for a lot of climibing to the cats and tying off / playing out the loom. Lack of space excludes a counterweighted loom.

If the bumper could just catch the loom it would be easy.. is there a rated, professional equivalent to a wide mouth beer keg tub?

CM chain bag?
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Jonathan Kok

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2012, 08:15:45 PM »

  I am looking for a simple cable management system that will allow
 a quick stow/deploy for a pair of trap arrays on drum winches. The loom drops from above, which currently makes for a lot of climibing to the cats and tying off / playing out the loom. Lack of space excludes a counterweighted loom.

If the bumper could just catch the loom it would be easy.. is there a rated, professional equivalent to a wide mouth beer keg tub?
I would think a standard cable retractor, of the type used in mechanical shops, would suffice for your purposes.  Like these:
Cord Reels
You may need to modifiy it to get rid of the auto-stop feature that would normally allow the cable to remain played out (ie, you want it to always retract).  You haven't specified the wire types you have going to the arrays, but assuming they're passive boxes, you could simply replace the ends with NL4 or whatever you need.  Or, contact the manufacturer and have them load it with the exact cable you need.

EDIT: ...and a bit of googling came up with this:
Speaker Cable Retractor

« Last Edit: April 16, 2012, 08:21:54 PM by Jonathan Kok »
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Hayden J. Nebus

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2012, 06:59:31 AM »

The ninja reel is pretty cool but I'd need several.

The loom is a 50 ft length of socopex trunk.

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Tom Young

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2012, 11:13:51 AM »

The ninja reel is pretty cool but I'd need several.

The loom is a 50 ft length of socopex trunk.

Heydon-

What you want is a cable bucket that sits on top of the array/bumper bar and collects the cable by allowing it to coil into the bucket as you go up. When you come down it reverses (obviously).

These are custom designed and fabricated. You will need a 60"-72" diameter bucket and with enough depth to capture all of the loom. Smaller diameter might work.

The cable loom runs through the bottom of the bucket and is secured/strain-relieved to the cluster.

One of the keys to success is to hand coil the cables as you create the loom so there are no individual cables which "fight" the overall coil. Make sure you have nothing that catches such as sloppy wire ties.

If I have time I will post a photo or 2.
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Tom Young
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Tom Young

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2012, 05:10:15 PM »

Heydon-

What you want is a cable bucket that sits on top of the array/bumper bar and collects the cable by allowing it to coil into the bucket as you go up. When you come down it reverses (obviously).

These are custom designed and fabricated. You will need a 60"-72" diameter bucket and with enough depth to capture all of the loom. Smaller diameter might work.

The cable loom runs through the bottom of the bucket and is secured/strain-relieved to the cluster.

One of the keys to success is to hand coil the cables as you create the loom so there are no individual cables which "fight" the overall coil. Make sure you have nothing that catches such as sloppy wire ties.

If I have time I will post a photo or 2.

So here we have a cable basket from one of the systems I designed about 10 years ago. It appears to be more like 36" diameter and is made from perforated metal with a tubular frame.

This worked like a charm and largely because the installers took the time to lay the cables in (allowing for their 'coil memory') before bundling and terminating them.

For anyone here who might be confused, the photo is of a "point source array". We used to use these in the old days before line arrays proved to be the only viable means for "good" loudspeaker system design   ;)    >:(    ::)    :'(   .
« Last Edit: April 18, 2012, 06:04:52 PM by Tom Young »
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Tom Young
Electroacoustic Design Services
Oxford CT
203-888-6217

Hayden J. Nebus

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Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2012, 06:53:46 PM »

So here we have a cable basket from one of the systems I designed about 10 years ago. It appears to be more like 36" diameter and is made from perforated metal with a tubular frame.

This worked like a charm and largely because the installers took the time to lay the cables in (allowing for their 'coil memory') before bundling and terminating them.

For anyone here who might be confused, the photo is of a "point source array". We used to use these in the old days before line arrays proved to be the only viable means for "good" loudspeaker system design   ;)    >:(    ::)    :'(   .

Thanks Tom. That's precisely what I'm looking for. Looks like anyone with a slip roll press could fabricate a pair for me fairly easily.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Array loom cable management
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2012, 06:53:46 PM »


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