NewYorkDave
Well-known member
I've done a number of design/install jobs in radio and TV plants, and I've tried all kinds of different schemes for assigning cable numbers. What I've settled on is assigning the number based on the patchbay position. For example, cable 101 goes to jack 1 on patchbay 1. This is normalled at the patchbay to cable 125 (assuming a 48-position patchbay with two rows of 24 jacks) or 149 (if using a 96-position TT patchbay). Of course, if you anticipate using more than 9 patchbays, it would be "0101" instead of "101." The "leftover" numbers are assigned to cables that don't go to patchbays. For example, if I see a cable numbered "197" I know it can't go to patchbay #1 since the patchbay doesn't have 97 jacks.
This system has been working well for me but I'm curious to hear about the schemes used by other designers and installers on this board. The main flaw I see in my scheme is that if you change to a different type patchbay, it throws everything off--although you usually don't change patchbays except as part of an overall system upgrade.
This system has been working well for me but I'm curious to hear about the schemes used by other designers and installers on this board. The main flaw I see in my scheme is that if you change to a different type patchbay, it throws everything off--although you usually don't change patchbays except as part of an overall system upgrade.