Your Test Cable Etiquette  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 12:06:55 am
content: So .. how do you treat your test cables? Some of them can cost quite a bit (especially scope probes) but I have seen folks leave them attached to their equipment all the time. While this might reduce wear on connectors it can dramatically increase wear on the cables.I'm a put them away after use guy.Share your thoughts

author: electronbean
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 12:13:17 am
content: Quote from: BillyO on May 20, 2023, 12:06:55 amThank you for you share. I never think about this beware.I didn't understand how can cables get wear only stay connect and still on top of the work desk. Could you explain to me please? Thank you

author: aduinstat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 12:13:41 am
content: I could really use a cable hanger. Not that I will, just that Icould.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 12:16:55 am
content: Quote from: electronbean on May 20, 2023, 12:13:17 amThey get pushed out of the way when space is needed, they get tangled, stuff gets put on them, ..Unless of course you have a huge work bench with room for every imaginable situation.

author: KungFuJosh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 01:32:04 am
content: My meter probes historically have hung off the front of the bench lol. My scope is on a shelf on the wall, and the shelf has room for probes next to it. Commonly used probes stay out (sometimes attached), and all the rest are in cases or bins or drawers. As is all the other test gear that doesn't get used frequently.Oh yeah, I bought one of those Pomona wall-mounted probe hanger racks 5 years ago. I might even use it if I find it. 🤷

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 03:59:31 am
content: Generally hang most on several of these 3D printed racks but some longer ones in particular shielded have a drawer allocated. Put to many in that drawer and enjoy the untangling pain.If anyone wants to print one do it HEAVY and preferably in ABS for less creep over time if you store heavier cables (IEC for example). STL is in the Zip.

author: thermistor-guy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 06:25:09 am
content: Quote from: BillyO on May 20, 2023, 12:06:55 amI place them in resealable plastic bags, coiled with a generous radius. The bags are labelled.I keep the bags in transparent storage tubs which are stackable.The tubs are labelled.There are too many cables for a wall rack. I'd need several walls.I have separate tubs for cables that need repair; cables that are obsolete (e.g old Centronics printer and VGA cables);and cables that are beyond economic repair but can be scavenged/modified for another purpose.Then there are tubs with just cable connectors, unterminated wire and cable, and special-purpose cable assembly tools (e.g. crimp type).

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2023, 02:39:02 pm
content: I disconnect the scope probes when not in use but I leave the test leads on the DMM when not in use.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2023, 01:44:47 pm
content: I too leave my DMM probes hanging off the front of my bench. Also, I use older DMM probes for my power supplies. One day I was probing for mains voltage on a project and mistakenly grabbed a pair of the PSU supply probes. My power supply took quite a hit and even thick PCB traces were vaporized. I have since labelled all my probes, but they still hang off the front of my bench.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2023, 11:05:17 am
content: Quote from: BillyO on May 20, 2023, 12:06:55 amYou should try working on VNAs - the cables often cost more than many scopes

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2023, 11:06:44 am
content: Quote from: aduinstat on May 20, 2023, 12:13:41 amI'm about to run out of doorknobs in my lab, so a proper cable hanger is looking better every day

author: jjoonathan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2023, 03:24:23 pm
content: I obtained my first set of VNA cables by playing the "buy a lot of broken cables and mix+match" game. It worked out and also left me with a few spare broken cables for experiments. The armor on those Gore VNA cables (I mean the ones sold as HP 85131 or Anritsu 3671K50 or R&S ZV-Z9x -- I *think* Gore is the OEM) is actually quite good, especially when it comes to providing crush resistance and minimum bend radius. I'm not so sure about tangential strength, so you might still be in trouble if you yank one of these cables by accidentally leaving it attached or something, but I am pleased to report that if you run over your test bench with a monster truck the VNA cable might actually survive:https://www.dropbox.com/s/ekvzvekyc3io28q/2023-05-06%2019.04.18.mov?dl=0

author: Joel_l
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2023, 03:55:33 pm
content: For my scope, mine go back into their original storage pouches along with all their accessories. Helps keep things from getting lost.General coax and other test leads go into a drawer where they seem to mingle when the drawer is closed. Funny how nicely coiled cables find a way to get tangled with one another

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2023, 04:26:28 pm
content: Cables stay attached.It takes time to always put away cables after use, but more importantly i don't want to always look for cables and untangle them every time i want to use a piece of test gear. Not like they are more likely to get damaged. If anything this helps to focus wear and tear on one set of cables/probes, so that others stay in like new condition.That being said it is not like i keep 3 sets of cables on a tripple channel PSU, full set of 4 wire kelvin probes on my DMM and 4 probes on my oscilloscopes at all times. If i was doing some crazy setup that used a lot of cables/probes i tend to put some back. It is rare to use 4 channels on a scope with just day to day stuff. So instead i tend to just keep 1 or 2 probes connected to a scope since that's what is most often needed. When they are not in use the probe cable is coiled up and stuffed under the scope (the feet are high enugh to lift it up enugh). Similarly i keep a set of normal multimeter probes on my DMMs, coiled up under the DMM. That way i just tug the coiled up cable out from under it, and i am ready to use it.The more special rarely used bulky probes (like active probes) are kept in there original plastic carrying box. Those tend to be pretty big and bulky physically and they are much more mechanically delicate (such as a ceramic PCB inside the probe tip), so they do deserve a bit more protection, while they are more rarely used anyway.For the MSOX3000 scope at work that is more 'portable' i keep 1 or 2 probes attached but coil them by lifting up the scopes carry handle and placing the coiled up probe cable over the handle. The probe stays on the scope nicely, you can carry it around by the handle. When you want to use it then you just grab the probe and lift it upwards, making it uncoil itself and it is ready to use.