Coiling longer cables - Pros and Cons?

Shadowfax

Shadowfax

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What is everyone's view on coiling cables. ICs, PCs, and SCs?

I have no way to keep all my wires as neat and tidy as most people can because my rack houses 3 different systems, a VHS and Digital Converter and TV.

I have been slowly working to clean it up and stop ICs from running along with PCs.

So if one needs to coil, what is the drawbacks if any and which ones are suggested not to coil?
 
A coil of wire is an inductor and is not reccomended. Better to lay the extra cable in an "S" shape to help avoid adding inductance.
With non power carrying wires crossing Power Cables, always try to cross at right angles and avoid running in parallel with the power cable. Or space as far as possible.
Dressing wires is always a problem. Some manufacturers put the A/C inlet on the right and some on the left. Have even seen it on the side.
Follow basic rules and do the best you can with the rest.
 
Thanks David. It would be nice if all MFGs placed things in same locations. (no different than every other car having the Gas on one side or the other. How hard would it really be to universalize it?)
 
I'm not doubting what was said, just curious, if using high quality cables with the types of insulation etc. around them, would it still act as a inductor if coiled?
 
In response to Mr Peabody, If you have ever heard an interaction (hum buzz crosstalk etc) between two cables you have then heard the effects of either RFI/EMI. An inductor is made by coiling insulated wire. As additional dielectric (insulation) and shielding is introduced the electromagnetic field will be reduced and or eliminated.
Many of our so called "Audiophile" cables are either not shielded or poorly shielded.
A neat little test tool is an A/C detector available at Home Depot etc. It is battery operated and about the size of an electric toothbrush. Using it to test some of our "High Quality" Power cables can bring quite a surprise.
Nice video on coiling wire. WAY back in the day I used to clean pools and was taught a similar method for coiling the hoses we used.
 
While a coil of wire (1 conductor) is an inducto,r a coil of cord/cable (both conductors) is not.
Why? Because in a cable the field or one conductor is cancelled by the opposite field in the other conductor.

The above 'Over and Under' technique is the only way to coil long cables and AC extension cords.
 
Speedskater, in theory you are correct. This is often referred to as "common mode rejection". However with a sensitive enough meter you can still measure the change in a coiled 2 (or more) conductor cable both in inductance and capacitance. Minimal, granted but still present.
Does it make an audible difference? Who knows. That's up to each persons ears to make that judgement.
So many variables in this maddening hobby.
 
With a sensitive enough meter you can measure anything! Especially if you measure at the wrong place. Don'y make the mistake that electricians sometimes do. They measure an open line with a sensitive meter and get strange reading. It's called Phantom Voltage.
Try measuring at the audio output of the receiving component.

Does it make an audible difference? Who knows. That's up to each persons ears to make that judgment.
You can't hear what's not there. It's time to move on to more important matters.
 
Or rather than coiling, you could do a ribbon zig-zag fold.
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