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Coiling cable

9K views 42 replies 11 participants last post by  1idejim 
#1 ·
Im the creepy hardscaping guy venturing into this side of the site....

So when we are on jobs and have to more heads for walkways, or add a zone or two for a new job, I have noticed a lot of guys 'coiling' up their control wires inside the clock box, and valve boxes.... is there a special tool/trick to this? Or are they just twisting it around a screw driver?


Back to the pavers........
 
#8 ·
The one really useful application of coiled wire is in a long run (100+ ft) between valve boxes. Midway between the exposed ends, you form the coil, and enclose it in a length of pipe you split, then taped back together. The reason for this is to allow for contraction of the wire in cold weather, with the enclosed coil providing slack.
 
#9 ·
It also gives you a nice coil for locating when you have a shorted solenoid. Even with a solenoid that ohms out at 0, a decent sized coil of wire will set the locator off. That and the fact that it gives you lots of slack to work with if you need to replace a solenoid are the reasons I do it.
 
#12 ·
I'll wait to see the side-by-side comparisons of coiled and uncoiled wire after a ground strike. Absent that, I remain a skeptic, because the inductance of coiled irrigation wire (it is inductance that blocks a voltage spike) is going to be close to zero.
I am sure if any of us could arrange for you to be directly involved in such an event, we would. Until then....:)
 
#13 ·
I'll wait to see the side-by-side comparisons of coiled and uncoiled wire after a ground strike. Absent that, I remain a skeptic, because the inductance of coiled irrigation wire (it is inductance that blocks a voltage spike) is going to be close to zero.
Being a audio desgine engineer, your safe with your skepticism. Their are reasons for coiled wire many...... in rragation their are no critical reasons. Outside of storeing extra inches of wire for future service.
 
#15 ·
Being a audio desgine engineer, your safe with your skepticism. Their are reasons for coiled wire many...... in rragation their are no critical reasons. Outside of storeing extra inches of wire for future service.
Being an audio design engineer leads one to think that you would:

1) spell better or
2) use spell check
sorry.....

Regardless, i would rather:

1) coil the wire and at least benefit from the extra wire.
2) ground the controller to a ground rod.
3) use copper dissipation sleeves.
4) use recommended MOVs.
5) use ground plates or mats on more expensive controllers.
6) read ASIC guidelines 100 - 2000 for more information.
7) do the job to the best of my ability and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

:)
 
#18 ·
Being an audio design engineer leads one to think that you would:

1) spell better or
2) use spell check
sorry.....

Regardless, i would rather:

1) coil the wire and at least benefit from the extra wire.
2) ground the controller to a ground rod.
3) use copper dissipation sleeves.
4) use recommended MOVs.
5) use ground plates or mats on more expensive controllers.
6) read ASIC guidelines 100 - 2000 for more information.
7) do the job to the best of my ability and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

:)
I swear its the auto correct on the android......
 
#23 ·
Outside of ancient radio circuits, I can't picture inductors that are simply coils of wire with an air core. Are they sometimes employed in speaker crossovers?
In audio Yes,,, simply because air coils are unaffected by the current they are carrying. A ferro coil will peak early during a moderate power event and then drop and introduce a harmonic artifact. In hifi you don't want distortion in the network. With air coils you have better power handling higher efficiency and operate near the 1ghz frequencies Ferromagnetic coils can suffer from iron loss also sometimes called copper loss at higher frequencies, not all but most ferro coils will loose it above 100 mhz.
 
#24 ·
1/2 inch pipe. It's done as a measure of safety against lightning
Really? Never heard that reason. I've always done it to allow a solenoid enough slack to pull it out of the box if needed when servicing, yet keep the wires neat in the box. And I've never heard of a lightning ground strike around here in my 30+ years in the business.
 
#25 ·
Really? Never heard that reason. I've always done it to allow a solenoid enough slack to pull it out of the box if needed when servicing, yet keep the wires neat in the box. And I've never heard of a lightning ground strike around here in my 30+ years in the business.
Derryberry and Lefty both feel the coils work. I don't know Derryberry but i have read his book. Lefty didn't write a book but he did teach me a lot about sprinklers.

I can't say that coils work and i can't say that they do. What i can say is, i would rather use the coils and never find out they work than not use them and have a strike or spike damage and wonder, what if???

As far as no ground strikes in your area, you're in a good place. We get them often enough in Jeff.

In '73 a cowboy and his horse were struck and killed while working a gate (in the Hollister hills i believe) . I don't remember his name right now but i remember it was his 21st birthday.
 
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