Cables and wires 'til Hell won't have it...

[Hauksbee 103]

Much as I try to keep the desktop organized, there's wires and cables all over the place. If I put on my headphones, there's the TrackIR wire running to the computer, which forks and runs up to the camera perched on the monitor, plus the wires and audio jacks from the headphones to the computer in case I need TeamSpeak. Then there's cables from both monitors, and the two small auxillary speakers on the desktop...not to mention the joystick. Every other day I spend a half hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) sorting them all out. Has anyone here evolved a way of keeping all this spaghetti untangled?

[Slartibartfast 153]

As one of those in the IT industry I give a resounding NO! must admit never thought about it but my 2 work desks and my home desk are a mess of wires... good luck finding something.

[Panama Red 22]

You can purchase or make wire markers (colored tape) so you know which wire goes where. Plus you can buy velcro wire ties so you can bundle the wire, but easlily undo them to change a wire if needed in the future

[Rugbyfan1972 1]

Hauksbee,

 

I use cable ties to keep everything above the desk tidy (under the desk is a different matter), the 6 usb connecters I have above the desk I have used a zipped cable tie to connect then together and not clipped the end of the cable tie off, but have put it under the paper trays and printer stand so that it is neat and tidy and more importantly stays in one place.

[von Baur 54]

Spiral tubing!!

 

It's basically a plastic ribbon that wraps around itself to creat a tube. You can cut it to whatever length you need and wrap it around your wires. If you need to add or remove wires you simply unwrap it and rewrap it. Most convenient and versatile system I've ever seen. They used to sell it at Walmart but I got my latest box at an automotive store. I have to get off to work now, but I'll put up a picture this evening.

[Tamper 9]

At work (electronics and computers) we have access to the full range of means to secure and organize cables. Like at least one other post, I can tell you it's a constant, uphill battle; many just give up and try not to let it bother them *lol*

 

For me, I use 'zip-ties' or 'tie wraps' when I am absolutely sure something won't be coming apart again for a while. But for most things, they're just too permanent, requiring some cort of cutting to remove them if the need arises. The spiral tubing looks good, but especially if it's more than a few inches, is a pain to unwrap and remove or replace if a wire or cable needs replacing/re-routing. Compared to other (free) alternatives below, both of these are also fairly expensive.

 

What I generally prefer for your routine desktop cable clutter is either the Velcro-type strips (strong and reliable, but serviceable) or the 'twistie-ties' (or 'bread ties') that come wrapped around most electronic devices' cables and also in many packages nowadays to secure them to the inside packaging. These are also strong (if applied right), and serviceable. Just have to make sure they have no sharp edges or metal exposed. I've also used the old ratcheting type plastic garbage bag strips, if you know what I mean, but I don't see many of those any more. They were cool because there's no metal to worry about. I keep a few big containers just for scraps of these free wire tying materials.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Tamper

[sandbagger 1]

My 'man cave' consists of a work station PC, a wall mounted 47 inch TV/monitor, gaming PC, TrackIR, Wifi headphones and sender unit, 5-1 PC speaker system with amplifier, USB headphones, Xbox 360 with Kinect, Seat with MS steering wheel and foot pedals, Seat with Thrustmaster Flight stick/Throttle and Rudder Pedals, Midi Hi-Fi system and speakersplus various USB hubs etc.

 

Nylon spiro-wrap is how I keep things 'tidy' as well as routing the various cables and leads around the edge of the room.

 

Thankfully my wife doesn't often venture into that room!!

[carrick58 23]

Much as I try to keep the desktop organized, there's wires and cables all over the place. If I put on my headphones, there's the TrackIR wire running to the computer, which forks and runs up to the camera perched on the monitor, plus the wires and audio jacks from the headphones to the computer in case I need TeamSpeak. Then there's cables from both monitors, and the two small auxillary speakers on the desktop...not to mention the joystick. Every other day I spend a half hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) sorting them all out. Has anyone here evolved a way of keeping all this spaghetti untangled?

 

It can get worse. My wireless ( and internet connection went south a while back. In order to connect 3 Computers and have ( for the other 2 Grandsons when they come over) Land party availability, I am back to a wire connection. yep, now there is a cord running into 3 rooms. Oh well, gaming is hell.

Edited January 11, 2012 by carrick58

[Hauksbee 103]

Spiral tubing!!

Indeed. Sounds good. I'll check Wal-Mart today. If not this, then perhaps zip-ties. Thanks, guys.

[tranquillo 10]

+1 for the velcro wire ties - easily removable if necessary. Using double-sided tape on them can hold them where you put them whilst still being able to undo them.

[Bullethead 12]

And when I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was about WW1 airplane construction . But all is not lost! Just call in your riggers and have them take care of your desk. If they can sort out your combat ride, they can certainly handle a mere desk

 

To me, avoiding the tangle issue starts with the order in which you plug wires into the box. Things that will never move (speakers, rudder pedals, etc) go in before stuff that does move (headphones, TIR), etc. Also, I like using a powered USB hub on my desk behind the monitor, to which the keyboard, mouse, and TIR run, so only 1 wire from them all goes to the box.

[Hauksbee 103]

Also, I like using a powered USB hub on my desk behind the monitor, to which the keyboard, mouse, and TIR run, so only 1 wire from them all goes to the box.

A powered USB Hub! Didn't know such a thing existed. 'Must get one tomorrow. Thanks.

[von Baur 54]

As promised,

this is what it looks like out of the box, and

 

this is what it looks like holding the three wires out of the back of my joystick.

 

I will agree with Tamper that when you get to more than a foot or two it can get tedious to wrap and unwrap, but I'm assuming you won't be doing that terribly often. When you contrast that with the fact that it's fully flexible, completely contains the wires (unlike zip-ties, velcro tie-wraps or bread ties) for the neatest look possible, and you don't need tools to take it off and any scissors other than those used in kindergarten will trim it to length, IMO it's the best solution.

 

Like I said, the first place I found it was my local Walmart. But when I went back there last year looking for more (first box was only five feet) they no longer carried it...and I tried four different stores in two towns. I finally found it at O'Reillys Auto Parts. If you don't have one where you live and you can't find it anywhere else you might be able to find it from them online.

[Hauksbee 103]

this is what it looks like holding the three wires out of the back of my joystick.

Cool! Now I know what to look for. What kind of joystick has three wires coming out the back? Looks very heavy-duty.

[von Baur 54]

Logitech G940. Kind of pricey, but it's stick/double throttle/rudder pedals with force feedback on the stick. So one wire is from the pedals, one is to the computer and the last is the power cable. I didn't bundle the throttle-to-stick line in because it sits on the left when inuse and I detach it for storage.

[Hellshade 110]

Much as I try to keep the desktop organized, there's wires and cables all over the place. If I put on my headphones, there's the TrackIR wire running to the computer, which forks and runs up to the camera perched on the monitor, plus the wires and audio jacks from the headphones to the computer in case I need TeamSpeak. Then there's cables from both monitors, and the two small auxillary speakers on the desktop...not to mention the joystick. Every other day I spend a half hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) sorting them all out. Has anyone here evolved a way of keeping all this spaghetti untangled?

 

Yes, I drilled a few eyehooks into various places on my desk to keep the wires in place. Works wonderfully. Cost, about $1.50

 

Hellshade

[Olham 164]

Here's my setup.

I have made cutouts in the table, where the cables go down and continue under the board.

Same for the mouse cable.

The TrackIR is fixed to a rod about 5 inches behind the screen - works great now.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2012 by Olham

[Hauksbee 103]

Yes, I drilled a few eyehooks into various places on my desk to keep the wires in place. Works wonderfully. Cost, about $1.50

Simplicity has much to recommend.

[Flyby PC 23]

Ha ha ha!

 

Yesterday at work I tidied up all the cables where I'm working in case I tripped.

 

Today, I did trip, and pulled the extension reel, the 110V transformer, and the boiling kettle off the window sill, and the 110V halogen light, (yes, the last bulb too!!) slowly tipped over to hit the deck and knackered the bulb.

 

There's a message in that - If you trip on a messy cable, you will only kill your appliances one at a time. Trip up on some tidy cables and you and everybody else gets to go home early.

[Olham 164]

I always KNEW tidying up is a waste of time and energy! Thank you for that, Flyby!

Maybe your sub-conscious needed an early break?

 

.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Olham

[markl 1]

I always KNEW tidying up is a waste of time and energy! Thank you for that, Flyby!

Maybe your sub-conscious needed an early break?

 

.

 

To a large extent that's my way as well.

 

But I do use spiral wrap as well. The thing I like about spiral wrap is that wires can come out mid lenght and it is fairly painless to reorganise. So save a bit of reorganisation I use two sizes. Smaller one fo rwires running to one PC and a bigger size that can hold up to three bunches together. I have two PC's under my desk with one screen and keybourd etc and use a KVM switch box tto switch between PC's. As hand as I try it still is a bit of a mess.

 

I now also put on little tags so I know what the leads are for. You can get these at most electricians supply shops.

 

But the most important thing I have found is as Bullethead quoted. Think about how you are going to run the cables and plug them in first. But it does not help when you want to add something else. Just use bigger spiral wrap and add it in that way.

 

Good luck with what ever method you use.

 

Cheers MarkL

[NS13Jarhead 6]

But the most important thing I have found is as Bullethead quoted. Think about how you are going to run the cables and plug them in first.

This one cannot be stressed enough. Although not computer related I can provide an example:

In the California desert, we were setting up a 5 ton "portable" tower trailer, a 2 ton control station as well as a 1 ton generator to power them both. There was much assembly and prep work to be done to everything, so we broke the job down into three teams. The first set the tower, leveled it, attached all the electronic components, wires etc. The second set up the control station at the base of the tower. In the meantime a third team set the generator on the spill containment barrier, fueled it, oiled it and did a test run to make sure all was ready. Then we got the 2 inch diameter 100 foot long power cable out of a storage box on the trailer and when we tried connect the generator and trailer we found out that the two pieces were about 6 inches too far away from each other!:mega_shok:

[von Baur 54]

LOL, Jarhead...I can relate. The unofficial motto of my first duty station was "We can jerry-rig anything" due to the unpredictability of the situations in which we often found ourselves. This has led to the incorporation of quite a bit of not-according-to-Hoyle configurations around my home. And no matter how much planning I do, many times I find I've forgotten or misguaged something on my first attempt. My recommendation is to maintain flexibility, both with regards to your materials and your plan.

 

That's one reason I like the spiral-wrap. If you find you've cut it a little short you need only add what's needed and the seam will likely not be noticed by anyone. If you need to add some new wires later it's easily enough done without having to discard the previous installation, which is not the case with zip-ties. And unlike bread ties it can be used over and over without weakining and it holds bundles of all sizes. Try adding a couple new pieces of equipment to a bread-tie bundle that's already near it's limit.

 

Another advantage to it that hasn't been mentioned yet is that you can have wires going in or out at any point along the run of the bundle.