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College Student Needs Research Feedback

post #1 of 28
3/9/10 at 9:33pm
Thread Starter 
Hello my name is Thomas Fernandez and I am a senior at SFSU completing my BSID degree. My final course is research based so I thought I would seek feedback from my fellow Head-Fier's. I am looking to address the problems of cable/wire management and if a better solution can be found.

My questions are: Do you currently use any product or system to manage your wires? If so what are you likes/dislikes about that product.

If you do not use a product/system to manage your wires please explain why? Ie. too much hassle, too expensive, ugly...

My goal is to highlight the current failures of products on the market and design a better solution aimed at consumers.

I appreciate any response or feedback you may have.
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post #2 of 28
3/9/10 at 9:52pm
Well, I often use zip ties to organize wires into groups if there are a bunch, say behind my main computer desk where a bunch of different wires run.

Beyond that, I usually don't use anything to manage my wires if there aren't a whole bunch. I just kind of shape them so they aren't all tangled and sometimes use the little wire ties (you know, the ones that come with new cables?) if the cables are too long.

Hope this helps.
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post #3 of 28
3/9/10 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
Yea zip ties are quick to put on but once they are on it can be a pain to alter.
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post #4 of 28
3/10/10 at 12:41am
I don't use a separate cable management system but I use the zip ties (or other bindings) that usually come with cables.

Likes: no extra cost, hassle-free, easy to adjust.
Dislikes: none that I can think of really.

I'm happy enough with them and not thinking about buying a separate cable management system.
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post #5 of 28
3/10/10 at 1:56am
Zip ties are the most convenient but they can't be removed for a quick change, eg. if you wanted to take out one wire you have to snip the whole thing, so I don't use any cable management system, and my desk (and floor around it) definately show it. I might post a pic if I get around to it.
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post #6 of 28
3/10/10 at 2:01am
I use velcro ties, they are just like zip ties but made out of velcro and takes longer to put around the cables... the bad part about them they get stuck to other things if they are tied messy
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post #7 of 28
3/10/10 at 2:09am
I try my best with rubber bands. Otherwise I just leave the wires lying around, and usually I don't mind.
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post #8 of 28
3/10/10 at 11:44am
I use Velcro. Buy it in a roll and cut to fit. Works great for me.
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post #9 of 28
3/10/10 at 12:14pm
I currently do not use any management system. Do not have all that much cables, but it would still me nice to have one.
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post #10 of 28
3/10/10 at 12:22pm
I don't use a cable management system, mostly because I move my stuff around so often that it becomes a pain to re-manage and undo cables whenever I need to get one out.
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post #11 of 28
3/10/10 at 12:43pm
ahhhh.... the bane of my existence. WIRES!! hahaha.

i've tried it all. zip ties, velcro straps, plastic tube, cable trays, etc.

the problem isn't in the wire management system. the problem is in the number and arrangement of the components themselves.

for example - my home theatre setup has a receiver, tv, record player, dvd player, Wii, apple tv, and cable box. i would bet there's at least 30 wires back there.

now - if all the wires flowed in the same direction, and were roughly the same length, it would be fairly easy to manage them.

problem is, some wires such as interconnects between dvd and receiver are short. others, like power cords, go their own separate way, and are longer. others still, like hdmi cables, go their own separate way and are of another length.
so, if you try to manage the mess, the ultimate question is this - for how long are they bundled? and when some wires peel away from the group, how is that handled? how many groupings of wires are needed?

so, trying to solve these problems in a real scenario just ends up ugly. even with wire management.

so in the case of my home theatre setup, i started off with good intentions. but every time i've upgraded or changed a component, i've simply plugged and played, with no wire management.

so i just push it all back against the wall and hope it can't be seen.
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post #12 of 28
3/10/10 at 12:46pm
I use the wire ties that invariably come with the cable. They are free and easy to remove. I usually make several 4 - 6 inch diameter loops with the longer cables to take up slack and wire tie those as well.

I have never used a cable management system due to cost and when I find the need for that kind of item I just manage with what I have on hand at the time.

If my cables were more visible, not behind desks or cabinets I might consider spending some $ for a neat and clean looking cable management system.

.
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post #13 of 28
3/10/10 at 4:47pm
No, my wires go absolutely everywhere without any kind of management. I move around equipment a lot and I've found that cable management is too inconvenient to deal with. The cables are still out of sight for the most part and that's all that matters to me.
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post #14 of 28
3/10/10 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Great feedback so far! I myself have several spots around the house that have wire entanglement issues. While there are several types of products on the market that attempt to solve this problem I dont see any that work particularly well. Many people that I have spoken to and several members here have pointed out that they create their own solutions rather (wire-ties/tape) rather than go buy a product.
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post #15 of 28
3/10/10 at 5:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWuss View Post
ahhhh.... the bane of my existence. WIRES!! hahaha.

i've tried it all. zip ties, velcro straps, plastic tube, cable trays, etc.
Could you elaborate on what you did not like about the velcro straps and zip ties?
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