That plus institutional momentum. I phrased it like this recently: If you have an idea to save money people will object because it will cost too much time. If you have an idea to save time people will object because it will cost too much money. If you have an idea to save time and money it will impact quality. If you have an idea to improve quality it will cost too much time and money. Therefore the only thing you can do is the same shit you always do.
Our low voltage guy uses the 145P tags, and he prints out vinyl labels to stick on them. It seems redundant. He does it that way for us because he does it that way for his carrier customers, and yeah that's what their specs call for. He could just print out wire marker labels, but that would require someone to change a spec. See above for why they won't. -Adam ________________________________ From: AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Trey Scarborough <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2025 2:15 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Question for old phone guys - Why 145P tags? It is also in some ATT, Centurylink, VZ, other LEC specifications and requirements for installation in their facilities. Especially for power cables. They probably have kept the standard and not allowed newer labels mainly because you can still read them even when you get large stacks of bundled cables. Also they are not likely to get pulled off. On 6/30/2025 2:42 PM, Adam Moffett wrote: I think that jives with my theory. We're using them because we've always used them. Since I can print out a non-conductive, self-extinguishing vinyl wire marker<https://tds.bradyid.com/TDSdocs/B-427.pdf> label on demand these tags aren't really important anymore. They're just still in various companies' cabling specs so we keep using them. I wonder what they used before that made "non-conductive" a noteworthy feature of the 145P. Steel dog tags? Wet paper? Cuneiform on clay tablets? ________________________________ From: AF <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> on behalf of [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2025 2:09 PM To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Question for old phone guys - Why 145P tags? I have been in the industry since 1978 and they way predate me. The ones that I used were made out of a compressed fish paper which is highly fire resistant. Frequently connected with a brass ring to whatever it is they were marking. They came in a kit with ink and a stencil to hand lettering the tags. Kinda like leroy lettering. Very durable. Best Regards, Chuck McCown McCown Technology Corporation 8401 N Commerce Drive Lake Point, Utah 84074 801-250-9503 Office www.microtrench-blades.com<http://www.microtrench-blades.com/> www.mccowntech.com<http://www.mccowntech.com/> www.terabitnetworks.com<http://www.terabitnetworks.com> From: AF <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> On Behalf Of Adam Moffett Sent: Monday, June 30, 2025 12:00 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [AFMUG] Question for old phone guys - Why 145P tags? How long have telcos been using these 145P tags, and what's the origin story? [cid:[email protected]] I see them called out in some specs. The manufacturers' pitch is that it's "non-metal" and "fiber-based" to make it safe around electrical installations. I see the installers are tying the 145P on things and then printing out a label on their label printer to stick onto the 145P tag. If the printed label is acceptably "non-metal" and safe around electrical equipment, then why did you need the 145P tag? Why not just print out a wire marker label? I'm speculating that these come from a time when you couldn't just print out a plastic label on demand, and you could tie this onto the cable and write on it with a marker, but I have no basis for that other than they don't seem to make sense any other way. -Adam
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