Figuring wire length with a ohmmeter?

[GoldDigger]

Sorry. I typed "metre" and my Yank autocorrect fixed it.
But I could measure the length in "Flukes" using my meter as a reference.

Tapatalk!

 

[J.P.]

The wire is THHN. I hope I wouldn't attempt to ohm bare wire......

Judging by what was left on the spool there must have been quite a bit of wire.

7 guys, 2 lifts and some tired muscles later we got it all pulled. Even had a plant safety audit in the middle of our work. I guess those guys were bored.
One of our guys was wearing oakleys though instead of ANZI glasses.

 

[kwired]

Jraef kind of said what I was thinking - have him measure it while pulling it off instead of walking it twice, but you need a good supervisor to intervene here, otherwise the low pay guys only can handle one task/subtask at a time:happyyes:

You could try the low-tech method: Have a helper grab the end of the wire and start walking. When the reel is completely run out, have the helper measure the length with a tape measure. :lol:

Or the helper could do it on-line by having a surveyor's wheel with them while he/she walked. But wouldn't that require a Cat III certified helper?

Oh wait, it's ground wire and not energized, so probably not...

Another low-tech way that is neater and requires less space is to get a second, empty spool and set both spools up side-by-side on cable pulling stands. Have an assistant wind the wire off the filled spool and onto the empty spool, while you use a measuring wheel pressed against the wire on the spool to measure its length.

Or weigh the empty spool and the full spool. The difference gives you the weight of the wire on the full spool.
Cut one metre (39.37 inches) of the wire from the full spool and weigh that. Divide the weight of wire on the full spool by that, subtract one metre (for the bit you cut off) and you have the length in metres.
Simples....

If you are good enough buddies with your salesman at the supply house, just take the reel there and they will measure it with a cable length meter (if they have one to use) or they can run it though their machine and measure it as they wind it onto another reel. It probably helps if the reel you bring in has a tag with their name on it and not from some other supplier, but some may do it anyway.