Types of TV Antenna Connectors

TV antennas use three types of cable connections to feed the signal into the TV. You can identify the different connectors by looking at the type of male connector plug they use. Connectors have different levels of impedance. Impedance is a measure of the resistance of a circuit to the flow of current, expressed in units called ohms.

The F connector is the type of cable connection used for North American home cable and satellite TV connections, as well as analog and digital antenna connections. Anyone who has used a heavy-stranded cable to connect a VCR or cable box to a TV has used an F connector. The connector uses a single pin connector, made from the center wire of the cable. A threaded cylinder surrounds the connector and screws onto the TV port to secure the connection. These cables include RF (radio frequency) cables and RG (government compliant radio frequency) cables. Other forms of video transmission also use the F connector, but RCA, S-video, and HDMI connections generally provide higher quality than other transmissions.

A twin-lead cable connection is an older form of connector used for North American television antennas. This type of cable splits into two separate insulated wires at the connector end. The U-shaped connector on each wire connects to the TV's connector. Screw-fixed connection. This type of connector has an impedance of 300 ohms, while the F connector uses 75 ohms. Few, if any, antennas still use this connection. No HD/digital antennas use two-lead connectors. TVs with this type of connection require an adapter that connects to the TV via twin leads and then to an F-cable.

Europe uses an air plug or Belling-Lee connector. This type of RF connector is older than the F connector used in North America. It has a single pin connector surrounded by a cylinder, similar to an F connection. However, the cylinder is not threaded, just plugged into the port. European broadcast TV antennas still use the antenna plug, but the F-connector has replaced it with a satellite dish. The Belling-Lee connector does not match the 75-ohm impedance of the cable on the satellite connection, which causes signal distortion.

The above mainly talks about the types of TV antenna connectors. If you want to buy TV antenna connectors, please contact us.

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