There is an art to coiling cables. It is called "Over and Under".
Most untrained cable coilers do what might be called "over and over". They
grab an end with their left hand (for right handed people), and then grab the
cable about a diameter down, pull it up to the left hand, slide the right
hand down another diameter and bring the new loop up to the left hand in the
same manner, and repeat. When this coil is later payed out, it is very prone
to forming knots.
"Over and Under" starts with the same initial loop, but with the second loop
the new loop in formation is brought back *under* itself, to the waiting left
hand. The third loop is done in the initial manner, coming over the top of
the existing coil to the left hand. The next loop comes under, and the loop
after that over. And so on.
When this coil is unwound, it is far less prone to knotting up.
This works well for rope, wire, coax, etc. Stiff wires (copperweld,
hardline) are still a pain to coil, but the principle is still valid.
This is one of those subjects that is far easier to do than to describe in
words. Describing it would probably make a good exam problem for a technical
writing class.
73 - Jim K8MR
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