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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => The Basement => Topic started by: Bob Faulkner on October 16, 2019, 12:53:35 PM

Title: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on October 16, 2019, 12:53:35 PM
Over the past few years, people have posted questions/comments about cable covers, where to get them, price, quality, etc...  I'm looking at getting a few from DiscountRamps.    Will be used mostly for areas where vehicular traffic is present.  I'm considering ramps with the tray doors (no lay overs).

Question - the ends of the ramps that allow for interlocking with other ramps...  Anyone have issues with the interlocking part(s) breaking, bending, or becoming of no use? 

Question - looks like there's ramps made of rubber and ramps (perhaps) made from a polyurethane/plastic composite.  Is one better than the other? Are they the same?


Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim McCulloch on October 16, 2019, 02:00:14 PM
The original Yellow Jacket cable protector was made from 100% polyurethane by a company called Peterson Systems (their other main product was roller coaster and material handling wheels, IIRC).  I think Peterson sold the name and IP to someone else a few years ago but not absolutely sure about that...

The other brands - I'm not sure what the materials are.

We have Yellow Jackets in our inventory and have never had a connector failure.  In fact I'm not sure we've had any kind of failure... I attribute some of that to the polyurethane.  We've got some smaller cable protectors of a different brand, that are made of an unknown plastic and have had 2 coupler of breaks in 100 pieces.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim Hite on October 16, 2019, 02:48:56 PM
I think Checkers Safety or LEX are the places to go for the good stuff. It's expensive.

The cheap ramps don't really lock together in the first place, so you tend to end up with displaced ramps rather than broken connectors.

The cheap ramps made from "rubber" off-gas something noxious. Mine required a scrubbing with Purple Power degreaser and a bake in the desert sun to get the smell out most of the way.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dave Garoutte on October 16, 2019, 07:45:48 PM
I have a bunch of the smelly cheap ramps.
They are perfect for the small shows I do.
I just left them outside for two weeks to outgas before I put them in the truck, where they live.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Mike Pyle on October 16, 2019, 09:15:49 PM
Checkers 5 channel Guard Dogs with the "dogbone" connector are the ones I own, and the most common that I see in use elswhere. That is important if you need to rent a few (or a few hundred) extras that will mate up.

https://www.amazon.com/GD5X125-Polyurethane-Channel-Protector-Connector/dp/B004UMT88E

I was a dealer for a while, then Checkers decided that California should have just ONE distributor. Since then I can buy them online cheaper than the so-called distributor offers them. I know that Checkers used to offer direct sales though to some venues and soundcos, so you might try calling them.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on October 16, 2019, 10:40:47 PM
Thanks for the responses and suggestions!

Appears the cheaper ones don't connect well?  I may only need 30-40ft, to cover entry ways where vehicles drive; they wouldn't be used all the time.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on October 17, 2019, 08:25:39 AM
Any experiences with these people:

https://www.electriduct.com/cable-protectors.html

Looks like they carry rubber and polyurethane ramps as well as ADA compliant ones.  They had few Yellow Jacket models.  Prices appear to be good.  I searched for "polyurethane" on the discountramps website, nothing returned.  If polyurethane is better (take more abuse, won't break under normal usage), I'm willing to pay for it.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dan Mortensen on October 17, 2019, 09:41:20 AM
I bought a dozen from Discount Ramps, and the interconnects have been fine for the dozen or so times I've used them.

The smell was overpowering, though, and no amount of scrubbing (not using Purple Power or whatever, alas) did not abate to tolerable until they sat outside in the PNW for 3 years, and now it's only noticeable when you are in their direct vicinity and not anywhere in a large ballroom.

Wouldn't buy again.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Doug Johnson on October 17, 2019, 10:46:51 AM
I bought about 75 ft of cheap Chinese cable ramp off of ebay about two years ago.  They did smell right out of the box but, I just left them outside of a while and it went away.  On one piece the female connector had plastic from the molding process I had to cut and the wires for the hinges tends to want to fall out on a few.  Other than that they have worked well for me.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on October 17, 2019, 02:25:33 PM
Thanks again for the responses. 


Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim Hite on October 17, 2019, 11:20:53 PM
I bought about 75 ft of cheap Chinese cable ramp off of ebay about two years ago.  They did smell right out of the box but, I just left them outside of a while and it went away.  On one piece the female connector had plastic from the molding process I had to cut and the wires for the hinges tends to want to fall out on a few.  Other than that they have worked well for me.

Give the ramp a couple whacks with a hammer on the wire while it's running through the cover and ramp. It will bend the wire a bit and will stay together better.

Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Kemper Watson on October 18, 2019, 07:57:19 PM
Give the ramp a couple whacks with a hammer on the wire while it's running through the cover and ramp. It will bend the wire a bit and will stay together better.

Reminds me of my Grandfather's quote. If it don't fit don't force it. Just get a bigger man with a bigger hammer
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dave Garoutte on October 19, 2019, 03:23:04 PM
Reminds me of my Grandfather's quote. If it don't fit don't force it. Just get a bigger man with a bigger hammer
The idea is to bend the pin slightly so it doesn't slip.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim Hite on November 04, 2019, 03:22:37 PM
I just bought 100 ft of ramps off eBay and they are much much nicer than the first batch I got. The tabs lock together and they don't smell of sin and the tears of child laborers.

Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dan Mortensen on November 04, 2019, 03:52:31 PM
The tabs lock together and they don't smell of sin and the tears of child laborers.

Poetic!
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dave Garoutte on November 04, 2019, 04:39:45 PM
I just bought 100 ft of ramps off eBay and they are much much nicer than the first batch I got. The tabs lock together and they don't smell of sin and the tears of child laborers.

That's just because they have the right cleaner to remove that smell.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on November 06, 2019, 07:15:35 PM
What brand did you get?  Also, how many channels do the ramps support?
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim Hite on November 07, 2019, 06:10:36 PM
What brand did you get?  Also, how many channels do the ramps support?

Brand? Don't see one here but these are what I ordered.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Channel-Rubber-Electrical-Wire-Cable-Cover-Ramp-Guard-Warehouse-Cord-Protector/253703819118?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Bob Faulkner on November 08, 2019, 01:09:03 PM
Brand? Don't see one here but these are what I ordered.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Channel-Rubber-Electrical-Wire-Cable-Cover-Ramp-Guard-Warehouse-Cord-Protector/253703819118?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Nice.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Mal Brown on November 08, 2019, 08:40:00 PM
Are those really a 3 pack for $41 ?   When i bought a couple of years back they were a little under $40 a unit...
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Dave Garoutte on November 08, 2019, 09:15:38 PM
Are those really a 3 pack for $41 ?   When i bought a couple of years back they were a little under $40 a unit...
Each.
Title: Re: Cable protectors / DiscountRamps
Post by: Tim Hite on November 09, 2019, 11:52:37 AM
Are those really a 3 pack for $41 ?   When i bought a couple of years back they were a little under $40 a unit...

Yes Mal, they are indeed a 3 pack for $41. Get some while you can. I'll be buying more.

You can fit 80' of it in a half-caddy 22x45.