Not sure if anyone is building their own cables or if you buy pre-made, testing them before and after gigs is so crucial for peace of mind. I’m not offering any advice beyond the cable tester I bought for about 100 at this time. Essential item imho.
Thanks for the advice @Eyes2theSkies - testing cables regularly really does save so many headaches on site!
I’d definitely recommend moving from PowerCON to TRUE1 as soon as you can - they’re much more flexible, waterproof, and can daisy-chain inline without adaptors. It took me ages to make the switch and I’m still stuck with a load of PowerCON sockets, so the sooner the better!
It’s also worth moving to EtherCON if you haven’t already.
A cable tester is a great shout, though sadly on yours there’s no simple way to test TRUE1 or EtherCON. Given the amount of network troubleshooting I always seem to end up doing on site, it’s probably worth investing in a proper (and expensive) network tester. I’ve had my eye on the Fluke Networks CableIQ Qualification Tester one for a while, but it’s a couple of grand 
Cheers,
Seb
1 Like
I have been using this one for a while now and has saved my ass a couple times with network cables
but my main job is IT…
there are also cheaper brands around.
UNI-T UT685B KIT TDR
i have some good experiences with this cheaper one too
2 Likes
I’ve made the move to ethercon and I’m thinking making a short rj45 cable to female ethercon adapter for easy testing without removing the ethercon sleeve for quick testing. I’m making powercon, DMX and power extension cords too. My first network only tester was a dud. It worked for a few cables and then failed always. Was stressful despite not being at a real gig when I first tried making it. I bought a spool of outdoor cable and have never worked with it before. I was not prepared for the tacky stuff inside of it. The ethercon ends were bought from an Ali-store. Seller shipped partial because of low inventory. Sent me a email to cancel order but I missed it until it was too late. I ended up having to make a second order because seller would not ship remaining. I was quite P.O’d but ultimately I under-ordered the first time. They needed the Ali shipping rate and I guess the time guarantee would have timed out. Seller sent me two extra for the inconvenience/ dispute. Also, I found that power cable bought at electrician-centric store was a 1/3 cost from generic hardware store.
I love the look of that microscanner @mrfloppy88 ! And way cheaper than the one I was looking at. Although I’m not an IT professional like you it does feel like that sometimes on site!
@Eyes2theSkies it’s worth looking at a better network tester like this because in my experience network issues are rarely as simple as a bad connection.
cheers!
Seb
1 Like
I’d be interested to hearing how others (if) are color coding their cables. What are standard lengths?When I worked in a lighting shop, lengths were 5,10,15,25,50,75,100,150ft. Other companies were doing 4,8,12….(sorry for the imperial). With finite supplies, and no definitive gig in mind, it’s hard to decide how much cable to tie up in long lengths. I think it is against electrical standards in Canada to use velcro on power cables, in which case you should be wrapping with electrical tape. Pro-tip, don’t cheap out on e-tape or at least find one that breaks the way you like it. I cheaped out on power ends, as I am struggling to find Hubbell connectors at a decent price. I’ve been cutting up old garden extension cords to get started and finally bought a spool of 16/3 cable (I think that is .75mm). I’ve been chasing my tail a little with cable as not having enough power has had me taking all my extension cords for home use leaving me to set up again every time I leave my home. There are many people slinging cable on Marketplace, so you may find a decent premade or a nice long length for cheap.
This is the RJ45 tester I use:
Soft tape measures are awesome. Tack it down and measure & cut away. Also these are great for assessing trim height. eg. Roll out 6m, throw it over truss or stand or whatever and you’ve got your 3m height. I saw some at a cheapo store, which I regret not buying because I would like 3 soft tapes.
1 Like
