My preferred storage solution for such things - which includes all kinds of cables and plug-packs - is to put each set into a zip-lock bag. You can then dump all these into any storage container you like and they will never get tangled. Also far easier and quicker to sort through them - and FAR less likely to get damaged.
Here's a random sample from my unsorted
container. ![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1376045;image)
I used to do this as well... until my collections reached "fills a storage tote" size. When the pile is that dense, you can't see the trees for the forest and all definition of what the cables are gets lost in the silvery fog of the ziplock bags.
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1376795;image)
My solution is gardening ties. These come in a bulk container with a cutter as seen above. This means you get exactly the length you want, and if you need to tie a cable to a thing it belongs to, you're covered there too. They're usually available in a package of 100m of tie for $4-8, but I've even bought them from the Dollar Store.
mnem
I did try just that 3 years ago when I filled this container of power cords in preparation for the house move. Didn't work. Ties are way to fragile and often broke/snapped while I was tightening them onto the cord. Those that managed to survive the tightening, snapped a short while later on their own once in the box, or when digging into the cords to pick one up. Maybe the French
fries ties are more fragile than the Canadian ones, I don't know, but they are what they are... I think I used them none the less but not for power cords, rather for the container of plug packs, as their wire is very thin and flexible in comparison to a beefy power cord. So IIRC these ties worked fine for the plug packs.. though I don't really know because 3 years later I have not yet had a reason to look at them yet. Maybe they have snapped by now.
I could use just a bit of solid core electrical wire, of appropriate gauge/section, that would not break., I guess.
Problem with power cords I find is that if you put just one little tie in the middle, it's not enough to keep the ends/loops tight together, so that makes them take more space, and makes them prone to get entangled to some degree. The crapper/stiffer the cord, the worse it gets.
Putting the cord in a zip bag would cure that problem. I don't have as many cords as you do so not a cost issue here.
Plus, I am realizing that even once the garage is constructed, I still won't have that much space to devote to the lab or related storage. So I am now already trying to rationalize / diminish my pile of junk.
So I think I might throw away half of the power cords, because I will never use half of them. All my TE already has a power cord, the container is therefore only there to get me out of trouble for the odd old/used TE that would not come with a cord.... also of course need a few for test purposes and general fucking around, but that's about it. I don't need a full box of them, not even remotely.
So will sort through them, and make a selection.
Same with the loud speakers.. a container full of them, from all the old CRT or LCD TVs, mostly, that I took apart. I kept them originally thinking I could have some fun testing them once I get an LCR meter, to see if the were really 8 or 16 or XYZ impedance... but I don't need 100 speakers for that...
I am not even in audio stuff at all ! Other than this old Becker car stereo project I talked earlier about... but even for that I don't need speakers any more ! Now that I have a CD player/amp/loud speakers in the lab to listen to music, and an extra RCA audio cable hooked to TAPE2 input of the amp for testing audio appliances... I can use that for the Becker stereo as well !
So.. why would I even need to keep speakers around at all... OK it's fun to play with them with the sig gen or god knows what weird experiment.. and who knows maybe once I start actually designing and making stuff, I might want to add a little speaker in a project to give me some sound effects, who knows... so OK, I am good with keeping a handful of speakers, a few small ones from modernish flat TVs, and one large/medium one, OK.... but any more is just waste of space. They are all crappy speakers anyway. If I ever need one for a project I am sure I could get one of the appropriate size for a just few bucks anyway, so no need to stock up on them
![ThumbsDown :--](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_thumbsdown.gif)
A few yes, a container full no...
I would try to see if I can salvage the magnets from them though, you never have enough magnets !
![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
Same for the tiny DC motors I extracted from CD players or inkjet printers or tape players... a whole box of them, probably 100 or so, or a bit more... that's ridiculous. I will probably never use any of them. So again I will keep a few and dispose of the rest...
The only power cord I would eventually actually want to have many of... are those I don't have ! American cords for my old glowing Tek scopes ! 20 scopes, only one cord !!! And it's not in good shape... it's 60 years old after all. But even those cables, I don't need 20 of them... it's not like I would want, or even technically be capable, of powering them all at the same time !
![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif)
I only work or use, one at a given time. OK worse case two or three maybe in the future... like say a scope + my 575 curve tracer + this little type 1121 stand-alone pre-amp I just bought. So worst case I might need an extra US cord or two... but that's about it. Plus I can always convert my Tek scopes to IEC sockets anyway. Pre-amp nope, not enough space in the chassis for that, but the bigger 500 series scopes, no problem. One of them has already been converted by the previous owner. From what I see, plenty of room and quite straight-forward to do.
Anyway... today is power cord sorting day...