Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables • Hacker News Board

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#11

Post by MrDOS » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:04 PM UTC

tikhonj wrote: post #6

In my big box of cables I have, among other things, a double-ended USB-A cable. I understand that this is absolutely not standards compliant, and I have absolutely no idea of where I got it from. I have never used it. But it is a thing that exists. Getting rid of almost 10 different proprietary charging cables for pre-smart phones and some old laptops felt great though :P

I had one of those to charge a bicycle headlight. I gave it away with the bicycle, but in the span of time I had it, one visiting guest borrowed it to recharge a portable generic USB battery pack. So there you go, two product categories known to use that sort of cable!

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#12

Post by 0utcast » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:05 PM UTC

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Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#13

Post by sanj » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:05 PM UTC

tikhonj wrote: post #6

In my big box of cables I have, among other things, a double-ended USB-A cable. I understand that this is absolutely not standards compliant, and I have absolutely no idea of where I got it from. I have never used it. But it is a thing that exists. Getting rid of almost 10 different proprietary charging cables for pre-smart phones and some old laptops felt great though :P

This came with a double-ended USB-A for charging: https://www.rei.com/product/248291/biolite-luci-original-cle...

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#14

Post by jttnr » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:05 PM UTC

My cable box is my retirement fund. Copper prices are rising, and scrap-metal dealers pay pretty well for it. But jokes aside: last year I also sorted some out and took 10 kilos of household cables to the local scrap-metal dealer here in Germany and got €30 for them. Better than throwing them away.

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#15

Post by rickydroll » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:06 PM UTC

I try to keep only 3 or 4 of the same cable, and if one gets damaged, I throw it away after the fourth or fifth time I look at it and wonder if I can fix it.

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#16

Post by joeconway » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:07 PM UTC

do yourself a favour and buy some zip mesh bag on amazon (often used for children's toy sorting; they're much more robust than zip-locks) and use them to group your cables. the big box(es) goes from a source of stress to an absolute delight.

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#17

Post by dylan604 » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:08 PM UTC

random3 wrote: post #2

You’re not serious about it if you only have one box

I have one for video cables, one for audio cables, one for computer gear. Does that make me serious our mildly interested?

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#18

Post by jauntywundrkind » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:08 PM UTC

tikhonj wrote: post #6

In my big box of cables I have, among other things, a double-ended USB-A cable. I understand that this is absolutely not standards compliant, and I have absolutely no idea of where I got it from. I have never used it. But it is a thing that exists. Getting rid of almost 10 different proprietary charging cables for pre-smart phones and some old laptops felt great though :P

Mine came from usbsata adapters.

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#19

Post by toast0 » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:09 PM UTC

tikhonj wrote: post #6

In my big box of cables I have, among other things, a double-ended USB-A cable. I understand that this is absolutely not standards compliant, and I have absolutely no idea of where I got it from. I have never used it. But it is a thing that exists. Getting rid of almost 10 different proprietary charging cables for pre-smart phones and some old laptops felt great though :P

> double-ended USB-A cable.

Decades ago, I purchased a usb external hard drive case with a usb-a for the connection to the computer. Returned that pretty quick because eww.

Re: Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables

#20

Post by advisedwang » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:12 PM UTC

random3 wrote: post #2

You’re not serious about it if you only have one box

Challenge: come up with categories for the boxes such that every item has exactly one box that is correct for it.

I've got "USB", "AV" and "Networking & PC Accessories", which obviously has enormous overlap, but equally divides the cables I have pretty nicely.