Cable Reel Capacity / Length on Reel

How many feet of a given cable fit on a reel (or how much is left on a partial reel): length = fill x pi x (flange^2 - drum^2) x traverse / (48 x cable_OD^2), lengths in inches. A 30 in flange, 12 in drum, 18 in wide reel holds ~801 ft of 1 in cable; a fatter 1.5 in cable drops it to 356 ft, since the cable OD enters squared. The figure that tells the crew whether the pull is on one reel or two.

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Formula and source

length_ft = fill_factor x PI x (flange_dia_in^2 - drum_dia_in^2) x traverse_width_in / (48 x cable_od_in^2).

Reel-capacity identity by name (annular winding volume / cable cross-section, with a fill factor); first-principles geometry.

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