Cable length measurement

Ian Sampson

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Hi all

Please advise on the accepted length measurement of cables.

I have a set of cables for sale but the prospected buyer disputed the length.

Best wishes

Ian

 

vacdac

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Chris
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I prefer to measure mine in Fathoms, Chains for the long ones.
Or Planck lengths for those very expensive Nordost ones.
:doh:

I thought everyone knew this. All cables should be measured in A.U.'s for shorter lengths & Parsecs of course, for anything that is longer than our own solar system.

Priceless! :roll: How could you not know that?

 

moggy58

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As rule, a cable is as long as the cable is, not longer, nor shorter, just the exact length that it is. :geek:

 

PhilofCas

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and if it's the length of the gap between the 2 bits you're trying to connect then it's of acceptable length :eek:j:

 

Willie Garvin

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The "Cable" causes much confusion, partly due to the method of cable construction and by its use as a measure of distance.

The heaviest UK RN cable-laid anchor cables were constructed by twisting together 3 hawser-laid ropes (clockwise); each hawser-laid rope was constructed by twisting together 3 ropes (anti-clockwise). This repeated twisting produced very strong water-laid cables which absorbed little water. Each stage of twisting reduced the length of the cable.

Manufacture of a 100 fathom cable would require 3 x 120 fathom hawsers. Each hawser would require 3 x 150 fathom ropes.

In 1830, the UK Admiralty defined the following:

  • Cable's Length (distance) Tenth of a nautical mile (approx 101 fathoms).
  • Cable-laid cable 100 to 115 fathoms.
  • Cablet 120 fathoms.
  • Hawser-laid cable 130 fathoms.


Fathom 6 feet. Man's arm span, finger tip to finger tip. Also used as a verb: To measure the depth of; to get to the bottom of, to understand.
Shackle of cable (UK RN, old) 12½ fathoms. Length of a section of (anchor) chain. (Used until 1949).

Shot or shackle of cable 15 fathoms. Length of a section of (anchor) chain between joining shackles or swivels.

Scope of cable The length of (anchor) cable paid-out. Measured by counting shackles. Approx 5 times depth of water, depending on conditions.

Cable (UK RN and Germany) 0.1 nautical mile. Approx 101 fathoms.

Metric Cable (France and Spain) 200 metres. Approx. 109 fathoms.

Cable (USA) 120 fathoms.

Other Cables Russia 100 fathoms.

Holland 123 fathoms.

Portugal 141 fathoms.

Nautical mile (international) 1852 metres (approx 6076 feet).

Nautical mile (UK RN, old) 6080 feet. 10 cables. After 1970, Admiralty charts were changed to use the 1852 metre international nautical mile.

Nautical league 3 nautical miles.

None of the above applies to Kondo cable which is measured in both kudos & wonga

 
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Valvebloke

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I have a set of cables for sale but the prospected buyer disputed the length.
One or other of you must be travelling close to the speed of light.

Oh, hang on, the shipping address didn't start "The Tardis, ..." did it ? Never sell cables to people who live in Tardises. From the outside it looks like it's sure to reach. But when you get inside ...

VB

 

Ian Sampson

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I shall try again.

Do you measure the length of cable from tip to tip, or from cable going into the termination?

The replies are worrying before I get them. :zip:

 

PhilofCas

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apologies before I start.......if I were to measure my John Thomas, I'd start at the end of my tip :^ .

and if the person who you sold the cable is querying it to that degree then he sounds like a right tit

 

Strider

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When I lay a cable it's usually in water and can be prone to surface break-up, if its out of water it starts to contract so accurate measurements are almost impossible.*

*Other effecting actions can be due to sweetcorn retention and fibre gathering.

 

moggy58

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I’m sometimes puzzled with the length of cables sold in pairs.

When the seller advertisers 1mtr length…

does he mean two lengths @1/2mtr = 1mtr.

or 2 x 1mtr lengths?

They never make it clear:dunno:.

 

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