How Do You Properly Wrap Controller Cords?

[bretthorror]

Anyone know the correct way to wrap up and tie controller cords neatly and so they won't break the controller. I have NES, Atari, Genesis, DC, PS2, etc... pretty much every controller you can imagine and if anyone has any tips for them in general or by specific type, it'd be greatly appreciated. I hate wrapping them around the controller because they always come unwound and it covers up the nice controller, not to mention, it surely must damage the cord. With 2600 joysticks, I have no idea how anyone would wrap them up and keep them secure. Maybe I'd just have to circle the cord around three fingers, then use a twist tie to hold it together?

 

I found a site that had someone doing it properly, with pictures, but I can't find it anymore. Why is that you find these awesome sites when you don't care about something, then when you do, you can never find it again?! Thanks a lot in advance, guys (and girl).

[Flojomojo]

Maybe I'd just have to circle the cord around three fingers, then use a twist tie to hold it together?

That's probably the best approach -- you don't want to wind them up too tightly or you could break the connectors. Some Velcro wire-ties would add some elegance if you want to spend the cash.

[Lemmi]

as a kid i used the wrap around the controller method

i have changed that to the most common wrapping type ive seen which is the figure 8 method with a twist tie

2 loops, one at the top and bottom with the twist tie in the middle

 

but my xbox controllers dont like that method, they seem to like the circle form more then the figure 8

[Video]

I always just wrapped the cord around the controller, there's no problem at all as long as your not the type to wrap it as tight as you can(that's when you start breaking wires and stuff)

 

The cord for NES andmost other game pad controllers, can just wrap around the center of the controller, leave the next to last loop extra loose, and stick the end of the cable through the loop, it should stay that way.

 

The older sticks were more square, so I'd wrap the first wrap around the left side of the stick, and the second around the right, when your done, do the same as I said above, and it'll stay put.

 

If you want to wrap the cord seperately, you can wrap it lightly around your hand, and just use a twist tie, or velcro to keep it bundled together.

 

I don't know if there's an actual proper way to do it, just don't try to pull anything, bend the wire to sharply or fold it, and don't keep anything tight. It should last as long as the controller itself lasts for.

[+remowilliams]

Maybe I'd just have to circle the cord around three fingers, then use a twist tie to hold it together?

That's probably the best approach -- you don't want to wind them up too tightly or you could break the connectors.

I'll second that. It's how I store my bazillion controllers. Keeps it nice and tidy, and you wont kink or break the internal wiring as long as the circle is of sufficient diameter.

[misspent_youth]

I wind all my cords around my thumb and pinkie finger, then with about 6 inches of cord left, you start to wrap it around the middle of the cord loops that you've made. The plug end will just nicely fit through one of the sets of loops, and you don't have to bother messing with twist ties.

[+remowilliams]

I wind all my cords around my thumb and pinkie finger, then with about 6 inches of cord left, you start to wrap it around the middle of the cord loops that you've made. The plug end will just nicely fit through one of the sets of loops, and you don't have to bother messing with twist ties.

I would strongly not recommend the 'technicians knot' method for storing cords on classic items...

[spacecadet]

The only controllers I *don't* just wrap the cord around are ones that just make it impossible or impractical (like big arcade sticks).

 

The one thing I'm careful not to do is twist the cord as I wrap. I don't do it the standard way of holding the controller in one hand and just wrapping the cord around with the other. I do think that's bad news for longevity, both because it increases tension on the cord and because the cords themselves just end up all kinked and nasty. Instead, I roll up the controller and let the cord go around it naturally, so the cord stays straight. Then of course I have to unroll it the same way, but I've gotten into that habit over the years so it's only an issue if I have people over and give them the controller before unrolling it.

[Emehr]

I always wrap them just how they came out of the box. They always have that "pre-bend" and it goes against the grain to wrap them any other way. I finish off with a rubber band. On the last rubber band loop I band the cord bunch to the back of the controller so all you see from the front is one loop of rubber band. I'm not talking thick banded rubber bands here but the ones you'd see wrapped around a newspaper.

 

I bought a used N64 controller from EBGamestop a while back and I swear they cut off the circulation to the poor cord, which to this day still has crush marks from that rubber band they used.

 

I never could stand cords wrapped around controllers. They always coil on you when you go to use them, like a gigantic phone cord. I especially grimace when I see cords wrapped around the stick part of a CX-40.

[misspent_youth]

I wind all my cords around my thumb and pinkie finger, then with about 6 inches of cord left, you start to wrap it around the middle of the cord loops that you've made. The plug end will just nicely fit through one of the sets of loops, and you don't have to bother messing with twist ties.

I would strongly not recommend the 'technicians knot' method for storing cords on classic items...

 

Why not?

[Zwackery]

Maybe I'd just have to circle the cord around three fingers, then use a twist tie to hold it together?

That's probably the best approach -- you don't want to wind them up too tightly or you could break the connectors. Some Velcro wire-ties would add some elegance if you want to spend the cash.

Dollar Tree sells a pack of Velcro wire wraps (several different colors), something like 10 or 12 to a pack, for only $1.

Edited December 29, 2006 by Zwackery

[shadow460]

I wind all my cords around my thumb and pinkie finger, then with about 6 inches of cord left, you start to wrap it around the middle of the cord loops that you've made. The plug end will just nicely fit through one of the sets of loops, and you don't have to bother messing with twist ties.

I would strongly not recommend the 'technicians knot' method for storing cords on classic items...

 

Why not?

 

I gotta ask this, too. My Saturn and N64 controllers have spent the better part of ten years with their cords wrapped this way, and I have zero trouble out of them at all.

 

Years ago, I wrapped an Atari Joystick extension cable in a similar fashin, but secured it with a rubber band. The rubber band melted itself into some games that were stored with the cable, and the cable failed.

I generally wrap the cord around my palm to start this process, then finish as described. My hands are big, so the loop is about four inches in diameter. The only exceptions to this rule are my Dual Shock 2 and my Gravis Game Pad Pro. It's way too tempting to just wrap those wires around the controllers. Sometimes I'll wrap the N64 pads so that the wire makes an X across the top of the pad.

 

And other times I'll just throw them in the drawer as long as there aren't more than a couple of other wires in there to get tangled around.

[Bruce Tomlin]

Its still better than wrapping them around the controller itself. It's mostly safe, unless the cable has a lot of wires, like the 5200 controllers. In cases where you worry about straining wires too much, make a loop out of the wire, then start winding the end in and out of the loop.

 

And it's certainly a lot better for the wires than leaving everything in a spaghetti bowl.

[shadow460]

My only working 5200 controller lies in the Atari Game Center atop the 7800 games in there. It's joined by a single Pro Line Joystick and a SuperCharger. I generally don't wrap any of those cables at all, but there's enough room in there that they don't tangle.

 

It's probably worse on the 7800 games than it is the controllers. There's a loose Tank Command and Mean 18 in there, and Tank has sustained a bit of damage to the end label already. Mean 18 is still in excellent condition.

 

IMO, the best place for a 5200 controller is in the compartment on the back of the console.

[Shawn]

Figure 8 wrap the controller wire and two loops around the middle of the figure 8 at the end of the wire and pull it threw one side of the 8 and your golden. Won't stress the controller, the connector or the wires.

[misspent_youth]

IMO, the best place for a 5200 controller is in the compartment on the back of the console.

 

I'll preface this with the fact that I just got my first 5200 a couple of weeks ago, so I'm new to the system, but how do you get all of the controller wire into the storage port on the back of the system if you have two controllers? I saw a picture in the 5200 instruction manual that has the cord wrapped around the joystick itself. That seems like it would put stress on the wires inside, but I couldn't really find another way to get two controllers in the storage case.

[Zonie]

Edited January 2, 2007 by Zonie

[Lemmi]

IMO, the best place for a 5200 controller is in the compartment on the back of the console.

 

I'll preface this with the fact that I just got my first 5200 a couple of weeks ago, so I'm new to the system, but how do you get all of the controller wire into the storage port on the back of the system if you have two controllers? I saw a picture in the 5200 instruction manual that has the cord wrapped around the joystick itself. That seems like it would put stress on the wires inside, but I couldn't really find another way to get two controllers in the storage case.

 

 

heh ive always wondered that myself and i never looked at the 5200 manual

 

i did the figure 8 wrap, i would put the cord part at the bottom and stick the joystick part though the holes of the figure 8, it was the only way i could get the lid shut

[Video]

IMO, the best place for a 5200 controller is in the compartment on the back of the console.

 

I'll preface this with the fact that I just got my first 5200 a couple of weeks ago, so I'm new to the system, but how do you get all of the controller wire into the storage port on the back of the system if you have two controllers? I saw a picture in the 5200 instruction manual that has the cord wrapped around the joystick itself. That seems like it would put stress on the wires inside, but I couldn't really find another way to get two controllers in the storage case.

 

 

heh ive always wondered that myself and i never looked at the 5200 manual

 

i did the figure 8 wrap, i would put the cord part at the bottom and stick the joystick part though the holes of the figure 8, it was the only way i could get the lid shut

 

I'm pretty sure that's the only way to do it, and still get the lid closed. Whoever mentioned wrapping the cable around the stick to atari, obviously never tried it themselves, as the wrap will come unraveled and you can't get the lid closed with two sticks in it.

[+remowilliams]

I'm pretty sure that's the only way to do it, and still get the lid closed. Whoever mentioned wrapping the cable around the stick to atari, obviously never tried it themselves, as the wrap will come unraveled and you can't get the lid closed with two sticks in it.

Oh you can wrap the cord around the stick shafts and still get the lid closed. I've done it, but it's sure as hell not good for the cords.

[shadow460]

I've done the technician's knot and closed the lid on my 5200 with both sticks inside.

It's easier for me to grab the case of 7800 games, though, than it is to reach to the back of my 5200 where it's sitting at. So I've got the one busted 5200 controller in the console, and the working one in easy reach.

[GrizzLee]

 

Love it. Great thinking.

 

Guess what I am going to do.

 

 

-Lee