Cable reel etiquette

[Onemanandhisdog]

What's a hook up cable?

Stop being naughty and tell us what you are up to!!

 

[klaatu]

Stop being naughty and tell us what you are up to!!

Obviously, he's found a nice site to stay on, and he's been told he will need a hook up cable. Hence his question.

 

[John and Jo]

What about cables run over gravel drive ways on campsites? Seen a fair a fair bit of that about when abroad ..less so in uk.

 

[PeteH]

Always a good "popcorn" Thread this. . One suggestion, IF you "Flake Out" the lead Reversing the direction. Any issue potential or otherwise with "inductive" Overheating is removed. The quality of the cable, and its design purpose has a greater bearing on ability to Carry Load , without Voltage drop, and potential to overheat. I also have a 40M cable that is described as as "Arctic" (Yellow) cable, which is heavy duty and flexible down to several Degrees below Zero (C), with no measurable Voltage Drop. Purchased originally to supply the R-V which we where living full time in when we where Building. But like everything in life it`s cost was substantially more than that of the (orange) cable from Towsure!. I carry two cables a Standard, and a short one. Most times the short one is adequate. It`s NEVER Clever to take chances with Electrickery. Cost too many good guys their lives.

 

[Spriddler]

What's a hook up cable?

A telegram inviting you to the opening of a brothel.

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[busby]

I always unroll my hookup cable fully..

However, at home I use a 50m cable on a reel with a thermal overload switch, I regularly use an electric chain saw, a Strimmer and other appliances without unrolling the cable fully.

The overload switches have never 'popped' and the cable doesn't even get warm.

And your not leaving it unattended whilst you are out or sleeping..BUSBY.

 

[busby]

I suspect many of us are just as well travelled if not more so, however, doesn't explain how you get on in Holland, Belgium, France, Spain or Italy where almost no one unreels.

Some don't,,most do. BUSBY.

 

[busby]

Can't believe it - a thread sugesting that it's worth risking using a coiled cable rather than being arsed to just unwinding it......

How much time does it take?....

Too busy being a motorhomer on holiday ?...



Do you feel lucky punk?....

Love it,,,some folk don't like a bit of effort..BUSBY.

 

[iandsm]

Following the long running thread on discounted cable reels (yes I bought 2), I would just like to confirm the etiquette when using them. I can coil 3m of my cable one way on the reel and the remaining 22m the other way, thereby only reeling out the minimum length required to reach the hook up point. For 8 months of the year I draw minimum current and nothing to trouble the ehu cable wound onto the reel, however, I know this subject sends some members dialling 999 and therefore wondered if it is only polite to unwind the whole cable just to prevent members having palpitations as they walk past my van. Do I do what I know is OK or is it only polite to try and please those that obsessively worry about these things? This of course only applies to the UK as we know on the continent they use a thinner ehu cable, leave it fully wound and don't have our sorts of problems.

Well as far as I am concerned the etiquette is do whatever you prefer, I am not obsessively worried what others do but I do unwind my cable. I think not to do so when there are known cases of melting cable or cable damage is pretty foolhardy. Yes I have seen lots of vans on the continent with cable still on the reel and I don't have any statistics on whether they have had issues. I expect there are quite a number of recipients of the Darwin Awards who didn't have statistics for what they were doing either.

 

[eddie]

Well given that if you buy a decent quality cable, you simply waste payload winding it around a piece of unnecessary plastic. I can coil a hook up lead neater than a hook up reel and I don't have to get involved with people talking about if my cable reel is/is not about to burst into flames

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[autorouter]

Always a good "popcorn" Thread this. . One suggestion, IF you "Flake Out" the lead Reversing the direction. Any issue potential or otherwise with "inductive" Overheating is removed.

Sorry to add facts to such a wonderful thread, but there is no 'inductive heating' involved with a mains cable. The live and neutral wires carry exactly equal and opposite currents at all times. Because they are practically touching each other, the gap between them is tiny, and the inductances cancel each other out, so the net inductance is extremely small. The heating is almost entirely resistive.

 

[Camping Gaza]

A few observations you may find informative ( NOT the correct thing to do! and I do not stay on camp sites)

Firstly I understand and work with electricity as a part of my profession, so what I do I do fully aware of the consequences and do not suggest you do the same and YES you should unwind all your cable and pay close attention on how it is rated by observing the information printed on the cable reel. Also use a cable that has some thermal protection or cut off switch on it

I have been on many location film shoots where it is impracticable to fully unwind cables. Our lighting guys would plug in 1KW lamps (before led tech) into a 13 amp cable reel and it would barely get warm for hours on end (not to be recommended)

I used to have the big 16 amp cable on a reel. Heavy, pain in the a*$e, totally over the top. Trying to power a few led lights a battery charger, laptop and a single electric cooking ring.

I know WHY its a 16 amp cable because it matches the expected current that you could pull through your vans 240v circuits at one time and then some.

Now have a DIY store 13 amp cable, 30meters. plug sockets on it totally un-PC Just like or Euro friends.

I leave it wound using only what I need to reach. It has been on gravel, concrete, laid in water and other vans have crossed over it It DOES NOT even get perceptibly warm. ( I never overload it!)

On the plus side its lightweight, small and stows away nicely

I do not recommend doing as I do, NOT AT ALL, but I just wanted to share my practical experiences with you.