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[Steven warner]

I came across a cheap reel snake that I have decided to rebuild. I have no idea what the best way is to label the male ends.
     I would like something highly visible and least half decent looking. The only thing I have thought of so far involves plastic print outs under clear heat shrink. I would really like to do something better, thoughts? 

[Tim McCulloch]

I came across a cheap reel snake that I have decided to rebuild. I have no idea what the best way is to label the male ends.
     I would like something highly visible and least half decent looking. The only thing I have thought of so far involves plastic print outs under clear heat shrink. I would really like to do something better, thoughts?

Do you want them to look pretty or do you want to be able to read them?

For the latter, white paper artist tape and a Sharpie.  You'll freshen them in about 6 months and replace them every year or 2, depending on how much you handle them.. but you'll be able to read the numbers in low light.

For the former, the channel numbers hot-stamped on heat shrink tubing with a clear shrink cover... looks really nice, lasts a long time and is almost impossible to read under low light. The imprint seems to always be opposite the latch mechanism, which means you probably can't see the stamping when it's plugged in.

The various snake builders sell heat shrink kits, but you'll be surprised at what they cost.  The artist tape and Sharpie looks very attractive...

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc

[Jordan Wolf]

I came across a cheap reel snake that I have decided to rebuild. I have no idea what the best way is to label the male ends.
     I would like something highly visible and least half decent looking. The only thing I have thought of so far involves plastic print outs under clear heat shrink. I would really like to do something better, thoughts?

Look for something like this at your local hardware store or electric/electronic supply house. 


After wrapping the strip around the desired channel, use clear heatshrink to cover it.  I like to leave about 3/4" overlapping each side of the number strip.  You may also want to make the label about 4"-6" from the connector, in case you need to cut off some of the cable for repair at a later date.

[Frederik Rosenkjær]

Learn the standard electronics color code and use Neutrik plugs with color coded rings and caps. This is by far the fastest as you can spot every plug miles away - don't have to twist and turn each one to find and read the number. Suddenly your hands will be the only bottleneck in how fast you can patch.

[Dave Dermont]

The Radio Shack Self-Laminating Cable Markers are cheap, and you can put them on with the connector on the cable.

[Dave Bigelow]

Tape and a sharpie is my vote. What happens when the snake has to be put on the other side of the stage and all those pretty ended cables don't reach now? Or if one goes bad and you don't have the time to fix it for a few gigs? Or you let a buddy borrow a handful of cables and he takes all of the odd numbered ones up to 15?

To me the only permanent marking on a cable should be the one that shows ownership.

[Mac Kerr]

Tape and a sharpie is my vote. What happens when the snake has to be put on the other side of the stage and all those pretty ended cables don't reach now? Or if one goes bad and you don't have the time to fix it for a few gigs? Or you let a buddy borrow a handful of cables and he takes all of the odd numbered ones up to 15?

To me the only permanent marking on a cable should be the one that shows ownership.

A snake without channel numbers is worse than useless.

On silver connectors you can just use a Sharpie right on the connector. I find I have to do this on rental snakes where the only label was the printed jacket, or Brady numbers where the clear shrink has yellowed. A big Sharpie number right on the connector is very easy to read.

You may be able to buy a set of pre-engraved connectors from Whirlwind or one of the other big snake manufacturers.

Mac

[John Halliburton]

Tape and a sharpie is my vote. What happens when the snake has to be put on the other side of the stage and all those pretty ended cables don't reach now? Or if one goes bad and you don't have the time to fix it for a few gigs? Or you let a buddy borrow a handful of cables and he takes all of the odd numbered ones up to 15?

To me the only permanent marking on a cable should be the one that shows ownership.

A snake without channel numbers is worse than useless.

On silver connectors you can just use a Sharpie right on the connector. I find I have to do this on rental snakes where the only label was the printed jacket, or Brady numbers where the clear shrink has yellowed. A big Sharpie number right on the connector is very easy to read.

You may be able to buy a set of pre-engraved connectors from Whirlwind or one of the other big snake manufacturers.

Mac

Great suggestions so far-I've used Sharpie on silver Neutrik XLR, Brother lablemaker and clear shrink, board tape and Sharpie, and yellow electrical tape(narrow rolls in a few colors are available).

Engraved sets are sold by Whirlwind.  There might be 2-3 weeks of lead time involved. 

I wish Neutrik would do a couple of things:

1.  Make an XLR shell with a flat intentation "ring" sized to hold a piece of the Brother label tape, preferably the 1/2" wide stock, but I'd live with either narrower tape too.  I feel that a recessed bed for the label on the male shell would last quite a long time without getting damaged, and custom patch snake labeling would be improved, and if you were really worried about it, clear shrink could still be used over the label and shell.

2.  Engraved male shells.  I'd think laser engraving would be fastest and easiest.

Best regards,

John

[Dave Bigelow]

Tape and a sharpie is my vote. What happens when the snake has to be put on the other side of the stage and all those pretty ended cables don't reach now? Or if one goes bad and you don't have the time to fix it for a few gigs? Or you let a buddy borrow a handful of cables and he takes all of the odd numbered ones up to 15?

To me the only permanent marking on a cable should be the one that shows ownership.

A snake without channel numbers is worse than useless.

On silver connectors you can just use a Sharpie right on the connector. I find I have to do this on rental snakes where the only label was the printed jacket, or Brady numbers where the clear shrink has yellowed. A big Sharpie number right on the connector is very easy to read.

You may be able to buy a set of pre-engraved connectors from Whirlwind or one of the other big snake manufacturers.

Mac

Haha, I wasn't saying not to label it! 

I end up with different people in monitor world half the time so I let them do whatever they understand the most. Some guys get lost when it is just numbers and have to keep going back to the input list. If it makes more sense to the guy to label the cable "SR GTR 2" on each end then so be it. As long as it comes up right for me out at FOH I don't care if they write former girlfriend's names on the ends.


Edit: The reason I think the only thing permanent should be the engraving of the company that owns the cable is that we do all kinds of stuff and the cables could get moved from work box to work box. For all I know the LD could have all of what would be my number 4s in the air if they went and robbed them without asking.

[Mac Kerr]

The reason I think the only thing permanent should be the engraving of the company that owns the cable is that we do all kinds of stuff and the cables could get moved from work box to work box. For all I know the LD could have all of what would be my number 4s in the air if they went and robbed them without asking.

I'm curious how the LD got your snake tails up in the air. No one in this thread is talking about labeling mic cables. Remind the LD he should be using DMX cables.

Mac

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