Lamp Cord pros and cons

[columbus27]

I think next season I am going to convert over to spt-1 or 2.

1. which one do you prefer 1 or 2
   
2. who has the best deals
   
3. pros and cons on the plugs
   
4. is there a better option
   

[shfr26]

1. I use SPT 1, the only difference is in the thickness of the insulation.

2. I get all of mine from Skycraft sales and Surplus in Orlando Florida, usually about 10 cents a foot.

3. Home Depot has them online only in like Oct and Nov, buy them quick, they usually run out.

4. In my opinion, no.

Edited December 4, 2012 by shfr26

[scubado]

Not really any cons.

SPT1 is fine for most applications, especially with leds. SPT2 maybe for some heavier duty applications or rodent protection.

Better options? Bigger wallet.

[LORisAwesome]

Much cheaper than buying extnesion cords.

You can make them any length you need, this way you don't have to coil up the excess.

If you have a number of cords which start together and end together, you can zip tie them together to create a kind of wiring harness.

I like to label the male ends of mine so I know where they go when I set up. For example 09-12 would be controller 09 - channel 12.

Most of my display is four colors (White, Green, Red, and Blue), so I often color code the female end with colored electricians tape, I just wrap it around the wire. Depending on what prop the wires are for I may also number the female plugs. This makes setup a lot easier for me.

Jerry

[craigecooper]

i started planning too late this year to get any wire shipped. Ended up with HD 250' x 2 spools of spt2, about $50 or 20 c / ft. Not great $$ but after stringing about 350 ft of ext cords, I can't believe I ever used pre-made cords, regardless of the price.

[Ivan Beaver]

I have used the "soft plastic" from Christmaslights.com and some hard plastic vampire plugs I got cheaper somewhere else-don't remember where.

I have had a good number of problems with the "hard plastic" plugs. The "soft" ones have worked fine for several years with no issues.

I make wire "looms" and ty rap them together. and color code or label the ends.with a sharpie. It makes it easier to hook up.

[Santas Helper]

I have bought all mine from CDI. They are having a sale here pretty quick (like next week or so).

I love those things. Saves ALOT of money purchasing extension cords AND you can have a nice "cord management" in the process. Make them to the length you actually need.

Nothing is worse than a bunch of orange extension cords sprawled all over the place in a display, especially when seen during the day.