Hook up cable storage reel

[Richard Hurst]

Hi

Don't roast me on this but is there a right or wrong way of winding the hook up cable on the to reel I purchased in the shop, didn't know if you had to thread a bit through somewhere first. feeling very dumb right now as its been a long week. lol

This is the reel - https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/hook-cable-storage-reel

 

[AlanC]

The best way is to pop one plug through the hole in the side and pull the cable back into the smaller hole to capture it. Then just wind the cable in. It doesn't matter if you are left or right handed provided you do it the same each time.

Many folk wind a cable round their hand and elbow. This is the worst thing you can do as it twists the three internal cores as you do so. The cable will not lie flat after that and become a trip hazard.

I have spent many an hour coiling cables on film sets and we always looped them over one hand so that they laid flat for storage and when laid out in use, avoiding tripping a crew member or actor. A short piece of cord or Velcro type cable tie at one end is useful for tying the coil up.

Alan

 

[Hotel California]

Those things are a PITA .
You need a good (read more expencive) type of cable that is very flexible and soft rubber , mine has pirelli rubber .
This kind of cable you simply roll-up in your hand .
The money spent on a good cable is saved on the wind up thing and the misery later...

 

[AlanC]

Those things are a PITA .
You need a good (read more expencive) type of cable that is very flexible and soft rubber , mine has pirelli rubber .
This kind of cable you simply roll-up in your hand .
The money spent on a good cable is saved on the wind up thing and the misery later...

Rubber covered cable is also good in low temperatures. The more common PVC covered cables get very stiff and brittle when the temperature drops.

Alan

 

[GrannyJen]

I have 2.5mm rubber cables from tough leads. Superb....

But...

Just as it was with climbing ropes, I am still incapable of coiling anything up without it kinking

I often blame it on being left-handed.... starts to wear thin after a while .....

 

[AlanC]

I have 2.5mm rubber cables from tough leads. Superb....

But...

Just as it was with climbing ropes, I am still incapable of coiling anything up without it kinking

I often blame it on being left-handed.... starts to wear thin after a while .....

There is a technique where you place the cable end in the palm of one hand, left in your case, and then slide your right hand down the cable and make a loop of cable over the left hand. Slide your right hand down the cable again but flick the cable over your wrist this time, then placing it across the cable in your left hand. Repeat the process by laying alternate loops straight and then flicked across your left hand.

Basically the cable is being coiled up 'under and over' your left hand and if it was laid out flat, would form a figure of eight.

This will enable the cable to be pulled out straight easily but does take practice.

Alan

 

[GrannyJen]

There is a technique where you place the cable end in the palm of one hand, left in your case, and then slide your right hand down the cable and make a loop of cable over the left hand. Slide your right hand down the cable again but flick the cable over your wrist this time, then placing it across the cable in your left hand. Repeat the process by laying alternate loops straight and then flicked across your left hand.

Basically the cable is being coiled up 'under and over' your left hand and if it was laid out flat, would form a figure of eight.

This will enable the cable to be pulled out straight easily but does take practice.

Alan

Thank you x

I need all the technique that I could get.

The number of difficult rescues I've ben on where the poor sod was in danger of popping their clogs whilst I untangled hundreds of feet of kinked rope

 

[AlanC]

Climbing rope is slightly different to a power cable as it is much more flexible.
I doubt the 'over and under' technique is necessary here but the technique of looping it over your hand still holds true.

Alan

 

[BikerGran]

Many folk wind a cable round their hand and elbow. This is the worst thing you can do as it twists the three internal cores as you do so. The cable will not lie flat after that and become a trip hazard.
Alan

Odd. When I worked on a farm I was taught to wind ropes in exactly this manner in order that they would NOT kink! And I usually do it with leads for lawnmower, strimmer etc for the same reason. But it has to be done in a figure of 8 pattern to work.

 

[Private_Kelly]

The windy things are a pita. Very poor design imo. I don’t bother with the hole in the side anymore i just wind the cable in on top of the plug and it works ok.

 

[motacyclist]

I just coil ours up like a lassoe. Each loop is an arms length. Occasionally the loops won’t settle closely together and if that happens I rotate the whole coil to remove any twists out of the cable. On completion it goes into one of this circular bags with a zip on it.

 

[AlanC]

Odd. When I worked on a farm I was taught to wind ropes in exactly this manner in order that they would NOT kink! And I usually do it with leads for lawnmower, strimmer etc for the same reason. But it has to be done in a figure of 8 pattern to work.

Most folk just wind the cable round their elbow in one direction only, hence the eventual twist in the cores.

Alan

 

[Pete M]

I've spent 35 years coiling cable and rope so here goes
If it's a fairly short amount, i.e. once coiled you can hold it in one hand, hold the end and slide the other hand down the cable, this will give you approx a metre loop, now grab the next metre and as you bring it to you other hand TWIST it through you fingers as you bring it closer to the other loop. A 30m extension cable will lay flat after coiling like this.
If you hold it in one hand, velco tie the first hank and continue or use the figure of 8 method.

 

[GrannyJen]

I just coil ours up like a lassoe. Each loop is an arms length. Occasionally the loops won’t settle closely together and if that happens I rotate the whole coil to remove any twists out of the cable. On completion it goes into one of this circular bags with a zip on it.

and the circular bags fits neatly between the chairs stood in the tailgate .....

Just don't try connecting two cables together on a caravan club site.... it's not allowed. I got told off even though I was using a water shielded connection box.

 

[ArunAlec]

and the circular bags fits neatly between the chairs stood in the tailgate .....

Just don't try connecting two cables together on a caravan club site.... it's not allowed. I got told off even though I was using a water shielded connection box.

I expect C&MC HQ have a "beware" flag next to your name.... Pushing the boundaries! Maybe you could stand for the committee,stir things up a bit!

 

[GrannyJen]

I expect C&MC HQ have a "beware" flag next to your name.... Pushing the boundaries! Maybe you could stand for the committee,stir things up a bit!

Parking the wrong way round, using the tow vehicle to sleep in, connecting two cables together..... oh and driving the wrong way round the Warwick Racecourse site....

Definitely heading for persona non grata status......

No chance of me being elected to the committee though, I don't belong to a centre or go on rallies .....