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10-24-2018, 09:03 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Sugar Land, TX
Posts: 406
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I first tried printing wire numbers on paper labels with my laser printer, cutting them into small strips, sticking them on the wire and covering them with clear heat shrink tube. This worked but took a lot of time and didn't allow for easy changes when I didn't have the right pre-printed label. So I tried just hand writing on the paper label, cutting and applying with clear heat shrink over the top. This worked, but also took extra time and didn't look as good. Both methods were too fiddly for my liking - just a personal thing.
I ended up purchasing a Dymo Rhino 4200 label maker with black on yellow heat shrink label cartridges in 1/4" and 3/8" sizes. The 1/4" works for most single wires, and the 3/8" fits the 2 and 3 conductor shielded cables. I selected the black on yellow color as the yellow labels are easily spotted on the white wires in a large bundle.
These tubes start out flat, so when you open the tube and put it on the wire, it will hold in place until you shrink it. This allows me to leave the labels on the wires after pulling them, and then to put them into final position and shrink them after trimming the wire to final length for termination.
While this is a more expensive solution than the paper labels with clear heat shrink over the top, it takes me less time, is more flexible, and results in a professional installation. So after all the money I've spent on the RV-10 and high priced avionics, the additional few dollars for this solution is well worth the money to me.
As for just color coding the wires, while I am using some color coded single wires, good luck finding multi-conductor cables in anything other than white. And these are mostly what you use for the avionics wiring.
While it is very important to have a well documented set of wiring diagrams, they don't provide as much help if you can't easily identify the wires when you are trouble shooting or have problems. As a professional electrical engineer with 40 years of experience in industrial instrumentation and control, I would never consider nor accept an installation where the wiring did not include a logical system of wire numbering with the wires clearly identified with their respective number at each termination.
Just my 2 cents worth. As the builder of an experimental aircraft, we are all entitled to our own opinions and to build as we see fit. That's one of the privileges of our experimental hobby.
Regards,
__________________
Dave Macdonald
RV-10 First Flight April 1, 2020.  Currently in Phase 1
2020 VAF Dues Paid
Last edited by DRMA : 10-25-2018 at 09:45 AM.
Reason: corrected a couple of typos
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10-24-2018, 09:28 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Richmond Hill, GA (KLHW)
Posts: 2,189
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The Brady BMP21 is a great unit for wire labeling. There are options for heat-shrink labels, as well, but I just use the 3/4" black on white and wrap the label around the wire.
__________________
Ray
RV-7A - Slider - N495KL - First flt 27 Jan 17
O-360-A4M w/ AFP FM-150 FI, Dual PMags, Vetterman Trombone Exh, SkyTech starter, BandC Alt (PP failed after 226 hrs)
Catto 3 blade NLE, FlightLines Interior, James cowl, plenum & intake, Anti-Splat -14 seat mod and nose gear support
All lines by TSFlightLines (aka Hoser)
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10-24-2018, 09:34 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Sunman, IN
Posts: 2,189
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interesting
I had the opportunity to crawl around in a B-767-300-ER that was in for heavy maintenance recently.
The comment here's reminded me of some of the things I saw "behind the curtain". As most of the baggage compartment walls were removed, the wiring was plainly visible...literally thousands of plain white wires, hundreds of bundles, and running everywhere.
Even WITH the detailed schematics that I know they have, I would hate to have to troubleshoot a wiring problem in that jungle! 
__________________
Bob
Aerospace Engineer '88
RV-10
Structure - 90% Done
Cabin Top - Aaarrghhh...
EFII System 32 - Done
297 HP Barrett Hung
ShowPlanes Cowl with Skybolts Fitted - Beautiful
Wiring...
Dues+ Paid 2019,...Thanks DR+
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10-24-2018, 09:54 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketman1988
I had the opportunity to crawl around in a B-767-300-ER that was in for heavy maintenance recently.
The comment here's reminded me of some of the things I saw "behind the curtain". As most of the baggage compartment walls were removed, the wiring was plainly visible...literally thousands of plain white wires, hundreds of bundles, and running everywhere.
Even WITH the detailed schematics that I know they have, I would hate to have to troubleshoot a wiring problem in that jungle! 
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The big boys mark their wires the whole length. If you looked close you would probably find wire numbers stamped/etched every foot or so. Back in the 70's the avionics shop at TI had a wire stamping machine used to mark wires going into modification kits. I got a FWF engine package for my Navion that came off an Beech A36 and all the sensor wires were marked full length per their wiring diagram. And I just saw that ACS will sell you wire marked to your spec - really pricey but available.
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Greg
1950 Navion - flying
RV-6 - 18 yrs and 99.5% done
1940 Rearwin Cloudster project next
4 L-2 projects on deck
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10-24-2018, 10:21 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Sunman, IN
Posts: 2,189
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yeah
They probably were marked but it would still be a nightmare trying to find which wire you were looking for...
__________________
Bob
Aerospace Engineer '88
RV-10
Structure - 90% Done
Cabin Top - Aaarrghhh...
EFII System 32 - Done
297 HP Barrett Hung
ShowPlanes Cowl with Skybolts Fitted - Beautiful
Wiring...
Dues+ Paid 2019,...Thanks DR+
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10-24-2018, 10:49 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Stephens City, VA
Posts: 15
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+1 for Dave Macdonald's reply. The Dymo labelmaker along with Industrial heat-shrink labels work for me. Believe I first saw this recommendation in a HomebuilderHelp youtube video.
- John Munroe
RV-7: Bought & Flying
RV-8: Under Construction (SB wings currently)
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John Munroe
Base: Winchester, VA (KOKV)
RV-8: SB Wings
RV-6: Bought & Flying
VAF Dues Paid 'thru 2020
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10-24-2018, 10:49 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: US
Posts: 2,251
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketman1988
They probably were marked but it would still be a nightmare trying to find which wire you were looking for...
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This is one of the reasons for making neat wire bundles, without the sphaghetti criss-crossing of wires that I see in many airplanes...so that once you *find* a wire (or identify it at one of the ends), you can easily trace it through the bundle.
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2019 Dues paid!
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10-24-2018, 12:20 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Sunman, IN
Posts: 2,189
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yes
...but it the case of the 767, some of those bundles were as big around as a half dollar...
Anyone remember those half dollars? 
__________________
Bob
Aerospace Engineer '88
RV-10
Structure - 90% Done
Cabin Top - Aaarrghhh...
EFII System 32 - Done
297 HP Barrett Hung
ShowPlanes Cowl with Skybolts Fitted - Beautiful
Wiring...
Dues+ Paid 2019,...Thanks DR+
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10-24-2018, 12:56 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 1,301
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There's a whole 'nother part of documenting the wiring when it comes to avionics. Knowing what individual pins and wires are is nice, but it's also nice to know things at a higher level -- such as, serial port #1 from device A goes to serial port #3 on device D, that kind of thing. And similarly, all the input and output port settings on each device, all the autopilot gains, everything.
I documented all that in a spreadsheet, saved it as a pdf and have it on my cell phone. If I'm ever in the boonies with an avionics problem, they'll have the manuals with all the pinouts, but I'll be able to give them the as-installed sytem overview. There's a big difference...
And the avionics folks have standard color coding conventions. Better to use industry standards than invent your own.
Ed
__________________
RV-9A at KSAV (Savannah, GA; dual G3X Touch with autopilot, GTN650, GTX330ES, GDL52 ADSB-In)
Previously RV-4, RV-8, RV-8A, AirCam, Cessna 175
ATP CFII PhD, so I have no excuses when I screw up
2020 dues slightly overpaid
Retired - "They used to pay me to be good, now I'm good for nothing."
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10-24-2018, 01:27 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: US
Posts: 2,251
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketman1988
...but it the case of the 767, some of those bundles were as big around as a half dollar...
Anyone remember those half dollars? 
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That's why you end up with wires that are just abandoned in place. Rather than waste time digging one out of a harness, if you know the wire is bad somewhere between the endpoints, just run a new wire.
Fortunately, our little RVs usually don't have wire bundles that large 
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