Military Shipboard Catalog
Technical Information
MIL-DTL-M24643C
Conductor Identification Methods
Method 1. Identification Method 1 shall be surface printing of both number and color designations. The
legend shall be printed in contrasting color: preferably white ink on black or dark background or black ink
on white or light background. The printing can be on the conductor insulation provided the jacket is
transparent or on the jacket if the jacket is not transparent. The legend shall be repeated at intervals not
exceeding 3 inches and alternate legends shall be inverted. The character type shall be block and shall
have a height in accordance with the diameter over which it is applied as follows:
Height of Character
Diameter Range (inch)
0.045 to 0.070
0.070 to 0.095
0.095 to 0.115
0.115 to 0.200
0.190 to 0.250
0.235 to 0.325
0.330 and larger
Approximate (inch)
0.025
0.031
0.047
0.062
0.078
0.094
0.125
Method 2. Identification Method 2 shall be the use of translucent (opaque) polyester tapes which have
been printed with both the number and the color designation. The legend shall be printed with black ink
and shall be repeated at intervals not exceeding 3 inches and alternate legends shall be inverted. The
character type shall be block and shall be approximately 3/32 inch height.
Method 3. Identification Method 3 shall be the use of solid base colors or solid base colors with tracers as
required. The base color may be either the color or the insulation or the color of a coating applied to the
insulation. The tracers shall be approximately 1/32 inch wide ink stripes of the required color applied
helically with 1-1/2 + 1/4 inch lay. If two tracers are required, the second shall be half the width of the first.
Method 4. Identification Method 4 shall be the use of colored braids. Tracers shall consist of the required
colors applied by three adjacent carriers. Where two tracers are required, they shall be applied with
reverse lay.
Method 5. Identification Method 5 shall be the use of the printed letter on the outermost insulating tape or
the printed letter on a polyester binder tape over the insulating tapes. The letters shall be approximately
3/16 inch high and shall have been printed at intervals not exceeding 3 inches prior to the application of
the tape to the conductor. If the insulating tapes are white, no printing is required on the B (white)
conductor.
Method 6. Identification Method 6 shall consist of numerals printed in ink on the conductor insulation. For
conductors having a jacket directly over the insulation, the numerals may be printed in ink on the jacket, at
the manufacturer’s option. White ink shall be used for a red or black background; black ink shall be used
for a white background. Numerals shall be perpendicular or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the
conductor (see figure 1). Numeral width shall be proportional to conductor outside diameter (o.d.) as
shown in Method 1 (see 3.4.12.2.1).
Numeral width shall be 1/3 numeral height. Each numeric legend shall be underlined. Two digit legends
which are parallel to the longitudinal axis shall have the bottom numeral underlined. Legends shall be
alternately inverted and shall repeat at intervals not greater than 1½ inches.
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