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What you see above are TNC Connectors. Depending on your device, they're probably shown much larger than actual size. There's a slight possibility you've seen them before but you're probably more familiar with other connectors like the F and RCA connector you see all the time. It's used for high-frequency antennas, so you might have seen it if you have a router with replaceable antennas. Otherwise it just might look totally unfamiliar to you.
In my opinion, one of the really annoying things about modern life is the sheer number of different cables out there. Just on the USB side there are 4 or 5 common ones, and then let's not even talk about all the different connectors for all the different wall warts in your life. And if you're like me and you've been playing around with consumer electronics for a while, you probably have 4 or 5 generations of old cables out there just in case someone brings you an old dot matrix printer and holds a gun to your head and demands you hook it up. (Although, I don't have a SCART cable and I kind of wish I did.)
Which kind of makes you wonder, are these manufacturers just sociopaths who enjoy the misery inflicted by forcing all these cables and connectors onto the world?
There are actually very good reasons why you would have a different kind of connector for a different kind of thing. In some cases it's just customary but in other cases there are some very good reasons for it. Let's take a look.
In baseband applications, it doesn't always matter so much what's going through the cable. A baseband signal is one that occupies a very large chunk of the cable's bandwidth, and this usually means old-school video and audio. I'm taking about composite video, audio, musical instruments, that sort of thing. In the past, before manufacturing became as precise as it is today, a specific cable or connector might have been needed but today that's really not true.
So, it doesn't really matter theoretically if you use 1/4″ (7mm) or 1/8″ (3.5mm) for headphones, and there are adapters that go both ways. Yet home audio receivers use 1/4″ jacks and cell phones use 1/8″ jacks. Obviously you couldn't put a 1/4″ jack into a cell phone but you could put the 1/8″ jack into a home audio setup. People don't, because, well, they haven't before.
To some extent this is true as well of the RCA connector used in old video setups. There are other connectors you could use, it's just not a big deal either way.
Digital connections like USB and HDMI need multiple very thin cables instead of one thick cable. It would probably be possible to make one connector that solved all your needs in this way, and the USB-C people are actually pretty close to that, but at least for the last 20 years it's been common to have each digital standard have its own connector, so you don't accidentally connect the wrong thing to the wrong thing. This dates back to the early days of personal computers when you spent a lot of time hooking stuff up and it was just easier if things only connected to one thing.
Commercial equipment tends to use 50-ohm cable, while home theater equipment uses 75-ohm cable. Conventional wisdom would tell you that 50-ohm cable is more sturdy and has less loss but the truth is you can build 75-ohm cable just as well as 50-ohm cable and 50-ohm cable can do a pretty poor job if it's done cheaply. So that doesn't hold water.
So really this is just part 2 of "because it's always been done that way," but at least there's something technical to back it up. Some connectors are definitely associated with 50-ohm cables, like TNC, SMA, and N, while others are always on the 75-ohm side of the street like F. (BNC cables can go either way.) Having a connector you recognize will help you identify a cable as 50-ohm or 75-ohm quickly, since it otherwise would take you a while to find the indication on the cable itself.
Believe it or not there are some connectors which are shaped in a particular way for a particular reason. Most connectors actually started out with a specific reason for existing. But, with high-quality cable and connector manufacturing that reason isn't as important. There are a few though. The design of the TNC connector gives extra shielding for very high-frequency signals like Wi-Fi and cellular antennas. The USB-C connector and Apple Lightning connector specifically work well for mobile. They need to be small, carry a lot of current, and let you plug them in easily. Even the lowly F-connector has a reason. The center conductor extra shielding. This protects it from stray radiation. Also, the screw-on connection won't pull off easily in the wind.
So, yes, you're likely to complain about the fifteen different types of connectors you have to use. You're also going to end up pretty glad you have them, at least most of the time.
I know there are a lot of places out there you can find weird cables. However, a lot of them are weird web sites that offer no customer service. There's one place you can get pro-grade cables from a company you can trust. Shop at Solid Signal for all of your cable needs. If you have questions or need something custom, we're here for you! Call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it's after hours, fill out the form below. We'll get right back to you!
The post Why do cables use so many different connectors? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
In my opinion, one of the really annoying things about modern life is the sheer number of different cables out there. Just on the USB side there are 4 or 5 common ones, and then let's not even talk about all the different connectors for all the different wall warts in your life. And if you're like me and you've been playing around with consumer electronics for a while, you probably have 4 or 5 generations of old cables out there just in case someone brings you an old dot matrix printer and holds a gun to your head and demands you hook it up. (Although, I don't have a SCART cable and I kind of wish I did.)
Which kind of makes you wonder, are these manufacturers just sociopaths who enjoy the misery inflicted by forcing all these cables and connectors onto the world?
Definitely not.
There are actually very good reasons why you would have a different kind of connector for a different kind of thing. In some cases it's just customary but in other cases there are some very good reasons for it. Let's take a look.
"Because it's always been done that way."
In baseband applications, it doesn't always matter so much what's going through the cable. A baseband signal is one that occupies a very large chunk of the cable's bandwidth, and this usually means old-school video and audio. I'm taking about composite video, audio, musical instruments, that sort of thing. In the past, before manufacturing became as precise as it is today, a specific cable or connector might have been needed but today that's really not true.
So, it doesn't really matter theoretically if you use 1/4″ (7mm) or 1/8″ (3.5mm) for headphones, and there are adapters that go both ways. Yet home audio receivers use 1/4″ jacks and cell phones use 1/8″ jacks. Obviously you couldn't put a 1/4″ jack into a cell phone but you could put the 1/8″ jack into a home audio setup. People don't, because, well, they haven't before.
To some extent this is true as well of the RCA connector used in old video setups. There are other connectors you could use, it's just not a big deal either way.
Because it's a digital connector of some sort.
Digital connections like USB and HDMI need multiple very thin cables instead of one thick cable. It would probably be possible to make one connector that solved all your needs in this way, and the USB-C people are actually pretty close to that, but at least for the last 20 years it's been common to have each digital standard have its own connector, so you don't accidentally connect the wrong thing to the wrong thing. This dates back to the early days of personal computers when you spent a lot of time hooking stuff up and it was just easier if things only connected to one thing.
Because it uses a different kind of cable.
Commercial equipment tends to use 50-ohm cable, while home theater equipment uses 75-ohm cable. Conventional wisdom would tell you that 50-ohm cable is more sturdy and has less loss but the truth is you can build 75-ohm cable just as well as 50-ohm cable and 50-ohm cable can do a pretty poor job if it's done cheaply. So that doesn't hold water.
So really this is just part 2 of "because it's always been done that way," but at least there's something technical to back it up. Some connectors are definitely associated with 50-ohm cables, like TNC, SMA, and N, while others are always on the 75-ohm side of the street like F. (BNC cables can go either way.) Having a connector you recognize will help you identify a cable as 50-ohm or 75-ohm quickly, since it otherwise would take you a while to find the indication on the cable itself.
And then there are a few connectors which actually are designed for a reason.
Believe it or not there are some connectors which are shaped in a particular way for a particular reason. Most connectors actually started out with a specific reason for existing. But, with high-quality cable and connector manufacturing that reason isn't as important. There are a few though. The design of the TNC connector gives extra shielding for very high-frequency signals like Wi-Fi and cellular antennas. The USB-C connector and Apple Lightning connector specifically work well for mobile. They need to be small, carry a lot of current, and let you plug them in easily. Even the lowly F-connector has a reason. The center conductor extra shielding. This protects it from stray radiation. Also, the screw-on connection won't pull off easily in the wind.
So, yes, you're likely to complain about the fifteen different types of connectors you have to use. You're also going to end up pretty glad you have them, at least most of the time.
Looking for custom cables or hard-to-find cables?
I know there are a lot of places out there you can find weird cables. However, a lot of them are weird web sites that offer no customer service. There's one place you can get pro-grade cables from a company you can trust. Shop at Solid Signal for all of your cable needs. If you have questions or need something custom, we're here for you! Call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it's after hours, fill out the form below. We'll get right back to you!
The post Why do cables use so many different connectors? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
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344 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68508 Replies
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2671452 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Anyone making their own breakfast sausage? I've recently been trying different recipes, found some I like, some I've modified...
36 Replies
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3538 views
Lifetime Supporter
Continuing the Kilauea thread in the Pub here. Perhaps the Iceland one too next time there's remarkable activity.
Currently there is precursory lava flowing into the crater, leading to the next episode that'll probably start within the next day.
You can see the pace of inflation / deflation here. It serves as the primary predictor for when the expect the eruptions, which coincide w/ inflation turning into significant deflation and last for several hours on average with significant fountaining.
www.usgs.gov
View: https://youtu.be/Uecu2seh4b4
Wife and I like the AfarTV feeds, for the discussion along w/ them, though they're otherwise just mirrors of the official USGS feeds.
View: https://youtu.be/iws3rh5vLAQ
Currently there is precursory lava flowing into the crater, leading to the next episode that'll probably start within the next day.
You can see the pace of inflation / deflation here. It serves as the primary predictor for when the expect the eruptions, which coincide w/ inflation turning into significant deflation and last for several hours on average with significant fountaining.
Monitoring Data for Kīlauea
For more information on how electronic tiltmeters and GPS receivers help monitor the deformation of Kīlauea volcano, see the HVO Deformation page.
View: https://youtu.be/Uecu2seh4b4
Wife and I like the AfarTV feeds, for the discussion along w/ them, though they're otherwise just mirrors of the official USGS feeds.
View: https://youtu.be/iws3rh5vLAQ
117 Replies
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3198 views
Some wild inflation and significant uptick in earthquake activity in the caldera. Magma intrusion, could lead to new fissure(s). Or not.
Summary: A shallow intrusion of magma is occurring within the summit region near the existing eruption location in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Activity Summary: Earthquake activity has increased in the summit region of Kīlauea beneath Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the south caldera region. Ground deformation patterns recorded by summit tiltmeters suggest that magma is intruding beneath the ground in this area, in an east-west orientation, near the western or southern part of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
Increased earthquake activity began this afternoon, September 30, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m. HST, underneath Halemaʻumaʻu. Since then, about 40 earthquakes have been detected and activity is still on-going. The largest event, so far, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake, occurred at 9:52 p.m. HST, 1.4 km (0.9 miles) beneath the surface in the northeast part of Halemaʻumaʻu. Starting around 8 p.m. HST., summit tiltmeters began to show extremely rapid changes consistent with crack growth in an east-west orientation possible near the current vent area, suggesting that magma is intruding in this region.
Historically, east-west trending fissures have erupted in the southeastern part of Halemaʻumaʻu and extending through the Keanakākoʻi crater area all the way to Chain of Craters Road near Lua Manu. The last east-west fissure in this area erupted in September 2023 and extended from the middle of Halemaʻumaʻu to the eastern wall just beneath the Keanakākoʻi overlook. An event of this type is also possible under current conditions.
Currently, there are no signs of a change at the surface as the existing eruptive vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu, including the north and south vents, continue to intermittently spatter with strong glow and flames; however, conditions could change quickly. It is possible that this event ends without reaching the surface or it produces a fissure eruption in a new location within the summit caldera region.
Summary: A shallow intrusion of magma is occurring within the summit region near the existing eruption location in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Activity Summary: Earthquake activity has increased in the summit region of Kīlauea beneath Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the south caldera region. Ground deformation patterns recorded by summit tiltmeters suggest that magma is intruding beneath the ground in this area, in an east-west orientation, near the western or southern part of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
Increased earthquake activity began this afternoon, September 30, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m. HST, underneath Halemaʻumaʻu. Since then, about 40 earthquakes have been detected and activity is still on-going. The largest event, so far, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake, occurred at 9:52 p.m. HST, 1.4 km (0.9 miles) beneath the surface in the northeast part of Halemaʻumaʻu. Starting around 8 p.m. HST., summit tiltmeters began to show extremely rapid changes consistent with crack growth in an east-west orientation possible near the current vent area, suggesting that magma is intruding in this region.
Historically, east-west trending fissures have erupted in the southeastern part of Halemaʻumaʻu and extending through the Keanakākoʻi crater area all the way to Chain of Craters Road near Lua Manu. The last east-west fissure in this area erupted in September 2023 and extended from the middle of Halemaʻumaʻu to the eastern wall just beneath the Keanakākoʻi overlook. An event of this type is also possible under current conditions.
Currently, there are no signs of a change at the surface as the existing eruptive vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu, including the north and south vents, continue to intermittently spatter with strong glow and flames; however, conditions could change quickly. It is possible that this event ends without reaching the surface or it produces a fissure eruption in a new location within the summit caldera region.
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.
I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
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214741 views
Tony as the director.
Would you rather have LaRoche ???Tony as the director.
No. Bring in someone new.
Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...No. Bring in someone new.
Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)
Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.
Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.
It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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14 views
Marques Brownlee
Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
0 Replies
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9 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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27 views
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
168 Replies
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7530 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Has anyone subscribed to NBA League Pass for 2026-27 and try to link their account to NBA.com to stream League Pass? I purchased it for 2026-27, and when I linked, I got a message saying success, but then I receive an error that my linked subscription does not include the preseason games for NBA League Pass. Is that how it has always been? I know satellite doesn't have the preseason games on the NBA League Pass channels, but I thought that I was able to stream the preseason once I linked my account on NBA.com?
2 Replies
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108 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
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1491 views
Nah, you just don't understand how ignore works, which is why you made your own NFL thread thinking there wasn't one
