Wire labeling tape?

[MDS]

I am looking for the label dispensers that custom installers use to label wires. It is the kind that looks like a typical scotch tape dispenser. When you wrap the label around the cable, the clear portion of the tape wraps around and over the white part you wrote on and protects it from smudging or wearing off.

I checked all the usual places like monoprice, onecall, and parts$express, and Lowes and Home depot but can't find it anywhere. The only site I've found so far that has something that looks like what I want is this: http://www.ziptape.com/mm_rwdisp.asp

Anybody know of any other source for this kind of wire labeling system?

 

[Haoleb]

Those would be what you want. Looks just like the ones ive used. We also use labelers like those ptouch things but they dont stay on the wire as good as those wrap around types.

 

[MDS]

Haoleb,
Which of the models in the ziptape link would be appropriate? I'm thinking RW52 or maybe RW13 but I do not know the diameter of CAT5 and RG6 cables.

 

[Haoleb]

Im not sure on the diameter either, The ones I had used were just something we had on hand, I dont recall a model number but im pretty positive it was the RW13. I was using it on cat5 and it was fine. It would also be fine for any standard coax (RG6,RG6Q,RG59)

 

[Hi Ho]

I use those every day. They aren't cheap, $20 for a roll of 250 labels but it's the companies money and they agree that they are worth it. I love them. They are made by 3M. I get them from a ERI, a local electronic parts distributor. I'm sorry I don't know anything more about where to get them. I have never even been successful at finding the product on the 3M website. I will try and find a model/part number on the dispenser or label package tommorrow at work and see if I can find any more info for you.

The labels work very well and do not fall off, dry out, or rub off. I label every single cord I plug in, including power cords. It makes all the difference when something has to be replaced and the system has to be taken apart. The other install crews there use teflon tape and it is aggrevating when I have to replace something and I find that a label has rubbed off.

 

[MDS]

That would be great Hi Ho if you could find a part number or any idea of where to purchase them. I was just about to order the one from the ziptape link in my first post, but figured I'd hold out another day or two.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I get “old school” with all my wires and mark them with a permanent marker. No one can see them anyway.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

I get “old school” with all my wires and mark them with a permanent marker. No one can see them anyway.

LOL... I was thinking the exact same thing. A little black tick on the negative wire is all you need

Most wires that I have seen are already distinguishable with some sort of marking on the jacket, so there isn't even a need for additional labeling to prevent the crossing of wires.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yeah but I get all fancy and put a LF for right front, RS for right surround,...awe...you get it....

 

[MDS]

Most wires that I have seen are already distinguishable with some sort of marking on the jacket, so there isn't even a need for additional labeling to prevent the crossing of wires.

You're thinking of speaker wires. I want to label the cat5 and rg6 cables in the wiring closet with proper labels like 'office', 'living room', 'front bedroom', etc. so I know which is which and don't have to go through the hassle of tracing them all again.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

You're thinking of speaker wires. I want to label the cat5 and rg6 cables in the wiring closet with proper labels like 'office', 'living room', 'front bedroom', etc. so I know which is which and don't have to go through the hassle of tracing them all again.

If you're running the cables yourself, you'll know exactly where they're coming from when you're connecting them. The main point is to make sure your speaker wire polarity isn't crossed, and beyond that..... which cables are coming from where is quite elementary.

When you replace your pre-pro, AV receiver, or whatever you call your hub....... it's a simple transition. Just don't yank all the cables all and once and dump them onto the floor in a pile. Simply make the transition in an organized manner, and you'll be fine. It's not that difficult swapping a component and keeping track of which cable was connected to where in the process.

IE.. Lets say for example... even if you do make a mistake and accidentally plug your bedroom video cable-out to your theater PJ video input on your AV receiver....... it wont take you but 2 seconds to swap them once you discover the mistake.

If you really want labels, all you really need do do is cut a few small pieces of masking tape and a pen to effectively label your cables. Simply mark each piece of small tape, and attach it to the corresponding cable directly beneath each "banana plug/ or cable attachment", and you're done. There are always infinite worthy areas to spend more money on any whole house audio/theater system... IMO... cable Labels aren't one of them.

If your concern is looking cool in the back of your wiring closet behind where anyone can see...... well then... by all means.... dump $100 on a label maker

I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I just think you would be better served if you spent the money elsewhere

 

[majorloser]

Wire Labeling

If you don't find it here..........................

http://cableorganizer.com/

http://cableorganizer.com/wire-marker/#B

I personally like the tags that use small cable ties to hold them on.

 

[Matt34]

If you're running the cables yourself, you'll know exactly where they're coming from when you're connecting them. The main point is to make sure your speaker wire polarity isn't crossed, and beyond that..... which cables are coming from where is quite elementary.

When you replace your pre-pro, AV receiver, or whatever you call your hub....... it's a simple transition. Just don't yank all the cables all and once and dump them onto the floor in a pile. Simply make the transition in an organized manner, and you'll be fine. It's not that difficult swapping a component and keeping track of which cable was connected to where in the process.

IE.. Lets say for example... even if you do make a mistake and accidentally plug your bedroom video cable-out to your theater PJ video input on your AV receiver....... it wont take you but 2 seconds to swap them once you discover Ithe mistake.

If you really want labels, all you really need do do is cut a few small pieces of masking tape and a pen to effectively label your cables. Simply mark each piece of small tape, and attach it to the corresponding cable directly beneath each "banana plug/ or cable attachment", and you're done. There are always infinite worthy areas to spend more money on any whole house audio/theater system... IMO... cable Labels aren't one of them.

If your concern is looking cool in the back of your wiring closet behind where anyone can see...... well then... by all means.... dump $100 on a label maker

I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I just think you would be better served if you spent the money elsewhere

Some of us have OCD though.

 

[majorloser]

Some of us have OCD though.

And some of us know what to use, how to do it and where to buy it.

We're just too damn lazy to care

 

[darien87]

I always hear radio commercials for Brother P-Touch labelers. I think they're pretty expensive though.

 

[MDS]

Long irrelevant rant that totally misses the point.

It is not about speaker wire!

You have no idea what you are talking about. New homes have structured wiring where all wires lead to a central wiring closet. The cat5 wires can be changed from phone to network just by taking them out of the phone patch panel and plugging them into the switch. Of course you can do 'trial and error' as you suggest but wouldn't it be nice to know exactly which wire goes to which room?

Additionally, I have a bunch of wires that exit in the living room behind the equipment and none of them are labeled.

I had to trace every damn one of them to discover that the 16/4 green wire goes to the master bathroom. I found an RG6 cable that goes from behind the equipment in the living room to the other side of the room. I have two additional gray 16/4 wires that also go to the side of the room and 16/2 speaker wires that go up into the attic. How are they all related? If they were LABELED, I'd know and wouldn't have had to take off every single wall plate in the house and trace them myself.

Now I know where every wire originates and terminates and I want to label them so if in the future I want to add speakers and a volume control to the bathroom, I know which wires to use. I have already done that to determine that I can use one of the 16/4 gray wires to connect to the speaker wires for the patio.

Maybe you don't care to label everything properly but I DO.

You'd love how the builders labeled my breaker box. Every single label says 'Lighting' with no indication of which room is controlled by that breaker. From your perspective that is just fine because you can always flip every single breaker until you find the one you need.

 

[Hi Ho]

I found out the name. It is the 3M ScotchCode system. I found THIS site on Froogle.

 

[MDS]

Excellent Hi Ho. Thank you. It's twice as much as the Rite Wrap thing from ziptape.com but I'll check into it. Need to get moving on this wire labeling job.

 

[Hi Ho]

The RiteWrap may well be perfectly fine. I've never used them and only use the 3M labels because they are available at work.

 

[Haoleb]

Trust me, If you can label wires.. DO IT.

You wouldnt believe how frustrating it is to go to someones house and find out that none of their wires are labeled. Of course with a simple theater its not a big deal but with alot of the houses I usually work in.. Its very time consuming.

thank god for toners... thats all i have to say.