How to store controller wires?
What's the proper way to store controller wires? I'm talking both short term and long term. I hate to wind them around the controller like I've seen so many do, it makes it a bitch when you go back to play later. Not to mention, that can't be good for the wire itself. I've tried the zip-tie method, but then I always have to cut off a zip-tie when I need to use it. So what do you guys do?
Later,
Chrome...
I wrap the wire arround the controller. And I also give it a slight twist to the wire, so it will lay flat arround the controller instead of bunching up and twisting itself up. This also keeps the wires inside from twisting over themselves.
You mentioned tie wrapping them. yes, you do waste a tie wrap, but truthfully, how expensive are they? You can get a bag of 100 for like 5 bucks. Probably even carry them at a dollar store.
I'm just trying to keep from losing my mind!
Yeah, they aren't expensive, it's just the hassel of having to cut them off everytime you want to use them. I always get nervous any time scissors are near wires. Forgot to mention that a friend recommened velcro wire stays. I've never heard of them, and he didn't know where to get them. Any ideas there?
Later,
Chrome...
For twist ties, hell, I'm always taking them off things. I have boxes galore, though, so I just wrap the cord around the controller and chuck it (figuratively speaking, of course) into one of the aforementioned paperboard containers.
The "wrap-around" method is'nt always the best for me; sure, it's easyand effective, but sometimes the cord can be broken, cut or even be bent in a peculiar way, usually after years rubbing-up against it's controller.
I'll have to agree partly with Ed, here; twistie-ties/rubber bands are the way to go.
I have a way I tie all my cords and cables, although I'm not sure if I can explain it.
Take the cord and begin wrapping it around your fingers until there's about 6-8 inches left. Then squeeze it together so it looks like a bunch of rubber bands. Take the remaining cord and wrap it around the whole thing until there's only about an inch left. Then take the remaining last bit and shove it through the middle. You end up with a neat little bundle that needs no ties, doesn't stress the cord, and comes open at a moment's notice.
You mean like this right?Originally Posted by Flack
Flack's method always worked for me. Velcro stays are nice too. Most travelling bands use them for all their cables. Very convenient little things, especially when you don't want your guitar cables turning into a rat's nest. They are about a half inch wide, and usually about 6 inches long. On one tip is a strip a the softer velcro and on the other side of the opposite end is the harder velcro (the one with the barbs that catches the soft side). Just wrap it around the cable bunch and the ends of the vecro meet.
Now, with that said, the safest way to store cables of any kind is by making a circle...kind of like this:
This insures that there is no uneccesary strain at any point on the cable (now don't go making the circle too small, of course). Be sure that the cable doesn't twist as you do this...be sure it goes into the shape naturally. Now, I don't practice what I preach or anything, but this is the best method for cable storage. Believe it or not, Zakk Wylde's guitar tech taught me this when I helped them put away their set one night. Iirc, he used velcro ties. Seemed obvious to me afterward and I was surprised I hadn't thought of it, as it insures the cables don't take on the "shape" they were in when you take the tie off. The hardest part to get used to was making sure the twisting didn't occur when making the circle because it feels kind of unnatural at first, especially on longer cords..
-Rob
The moral is, don't **** with Uncle Tim when he's been drinking!
This is how I was required to wrap cords when I worked at GameStop. It's a good method in that it virtually eliminates the possibility of two controller wires getting tangled with each other. When I was there, it was 'officially' known as the "Funco Wrap".
I use little rubber bands.
For storage / sales like this...
I usually have one controller that is "out" for regular play, in the case of that one I coil the cord in a wide loop (about 5 - 6 inch diameter) and set the controller atop it. (like the picture rbudrick posted) Over the years this has become a natural motion to get the wires coiled at the proper diameter, (loosely around the hand) same way I do it for the above picture however there I then zip tie the center.
Nothing annoys me more than cords wrapped around a controller, especially when done tightly. All it does is put hard bends in the wire insulation and pull on where the wire exits the controller shell.
You should use a good pair of dykes / wire cutters to nip off the leftover end of a pulled zip tie and also to cleanly and safely cut them off.
I use Flack's method when I pick stuff up in the wild or before things are tested, disassembled, and cleaned. After that though it gets a zip tie.
try these they work great for my guitar chords. I actually use this style, but they work prettymuch the same and the former is more compact and less than half the price. you wrap it around your chord and through the loop so it stays on the chord when you undo the the velcro. These are the better (and reusable) alterantive to using zip ties that you have to cut :yikes: everytime you want to use them.
I don't use these for my controllers, cuz I never thought to, but now that someone turned that lightbulb on for me...
i also found this using google:
http://cableorganizer.com/ripwrap/
looks like a double sided velcro [one side hook other side loop]. unless you sew it on your cable, they fall off and could get lost though.
anyway, hope this helps. it did me!
There are lots of ways wrap them up. I use to use twist ties not knowing how long between uses, but they rips apart and became bare wires really fast and annoying to make it "clean" and untangled when stored in my toy chest. I hated wrapping the cords around the controller itself because, like others before me said, can break some of the older, frail wires. I don't want a hassle to find replacements. The best way I think you can do it is how a lot of the used video stores do, which is what Kuros has posted as a shot. The only thing I don't like about it are the ends where the cords bend, but oh well.
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And from this day forward, it shall no longer be known as the Funco method, and shall only be referred to as the Flack method.
Someone be sure to tell Funco.
Now known as the Flack Method®
-Rob
The moral is, don't **** with Uncle Tim when he's been drinking!
I'd be happy to, but we kicked them out of our town years agoAnd from this day forward, it shall no longer be known as the Funco method, and shall only be referred to as the Flack method.
Someone be sure to tell Funco.
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