Dealing with Electrical Spaghetti ???

[el_draco]

Despite best efforts, my telescope is beginning to resemble a spiders web of cables for various cameras, guiders, power supplies and its gonna get worse with dew heaters in the near future.

Does anyone have any recommendations / suggestions for routing this stuff without causing electrical interference headaches? :shrug:

Rom

[Gama]

Get some flexible tubing, like here http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=HP1227&CATID=22&form=CAT&SUBCATID=817 .
It has a split down the side, so you just push the cables in, and all is neat.
Different sizes, so plenty to choose from.
Its also available at some Auto shops.

Theo.

[Louwai]

Rom

I have a side-by-side setup on an EQ mount.
5 x heater straps
2 x Kendrick temp sensors
1 x pwr cable for Motor focuser

All encased in the stuf theo has noted.


I built a small junction box which sits on the X-beam holding the 2 OTA's. So all of the heater straps can stay in place & pluged into the small box.
When I set up, I have the Ctrlr down below & the encased cables plug into the juction box. All nice & neat.

B

[[1ponders]]

I like to change stuff around and found using the cable too restricting. I've gone the double sided velcro wrap (5 meter roll) for tying cables together and stick on velcro (soft pad) to the mount. Works an absolute treat. Parts of my mount look like black moss. :)

[el_draco]

Thats really useful. I use a SBS as well and can probably make a similar arrangement.

Rom

[g__day]

Too the original question - avoiding interfence - my only suggestion is to try and group and seperate power from signal wires.

I try and seperately group power wiring (A/C or D/C) from signal wires. Rather than have two tight groups of wires - power I keep together - signal I seperate by at least 15 cms and try not to have tightly grouped.

USB I treat more as signal than power.

My two cents - keen to hear what others think!

[Louwai]

I agree matthew.
I'm not imaging, so I have no signal cables going up to the OTA's. I only have the heater cables & the pwr for the focuser.

My signal cables are all at the bottom.
Hand ctrlr cable (which you made for me)
Kendrick heater ctrlr cable
Auto Focus cable.
All running from the lappy to the base of the tripod.

[AlexN]

Agreed.. I rout all my power lines separately from my signal lines. I run the power down one leg of my tripod, USB down the opposite leg...

I too am a big supporter of double sided velcro and the soft stick on velcro... I have velcro everywhere on my mount from dew heater controllers, power splitters, cable routing etc....

I've got more cables that should even be legal... I call my setup Spaghetti Central as a matter of fact.. there is cables EVERYWHERE.. Eventually you get into a bit of a routine and things get organised (if you don't change gear too often..)

[Galah]

Have a look here: www.optechusa.com (http://www.optechusa.com)

From their info. sheet: STRAPEEZ™ uses a unique attachment system that easily adheres to itself or to other STRAPEEZ™


I haven't tried these and they won't decide the best routing methodology, but they might be an alternative to velcro and help keep some order.

I found no current local supplier.

Patrick.