Still excellent for SW, but not so much so for VHF or UHF...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Aerial_Plug

The Belling-Lee connector or IEC 169-2 connector, more often simply known as
the TV aerial plug, is the traditional European antenna connector for TV
sets and FM-radio receivers. It is the oldest coaxial RF connector still
commonly used today. It connects a receiver to a terrestrial VHF/UHF roof
antenna, antenna amplifier, or CATV network, via a coaxial cable.

== History ==
It was invented at Belling & Lee Ltd in Enfield, England, around 1922, at
the time of the first BBC broadcasts. It was originally only intended for
medium frequency broadcasts, where accurate impedance matching of an antenna
connector is not a concern.

== Belling-Lee vs other connectors ==
Unlike the coaxial F connector used today for the same purpose in North
America, the IEC 169-2 connector is not matched to the 75-ohm impedance of
the antenna cable used. The lack of impedence matching causes signal
reflections in the cable, leading to noticeable signal distortion on VHF and
UHF frequencies (but not MW or Shortwave).

The IEC-169-2 connector is recognized as a source of signal distortion and
has become a particular concern with digital signal reception, specificially
UHF HDTV.

DAB (digital radio) and other reception modes are not as severely affected
by the impedence matching issue, so only HDTV and satelite reception systems
are forced to use the F connector.

In spite of being somewhat unsuitable for modern analog VHF and UHF TV
frequencies, due to industrial inertia, the Belling-Lee connector is still
used today as a TV signal reception connector. In Europe and the Americas
this connector is not used to connect satellite TV antennas. The more
electrically suitable 75-ohm F connector is standard.

== Variations ==
There is also a Miniature Belling Lee connector which was used for internal
connections inside some equipment. It looks identical to a TV Aerial Plug /
IEC169-2 but is obviously smaller.

Max Power wrote:
Still excellent for SW, but not so much so for VHF or UHF...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Aerial_Plug

The Belling-Lee connector or IEC 169-2 connector, more often simply known as
the TV aerial plug, is the traditional European antenna connector for TV
sets and FM-radio receivers. It is the oldest coaxial RF connector still
commonly used today. It connects a receiver to a terrestrial VHF/UHF roof
antenna, antenna amplifier, or CATV network, via a coaxial cable.

== History ==
It was invented at Belling & Lee Ltd in Enfield, England, around 1922, at
the time of the first BBC broadcasts. It was originally only intended for
medium frequency broadcasts, where accurate impedance matching of an antenna
connector is not a concern.

== Belling-Lee vs other connectors ==
Unlike the coaxial F connector used today for the same purpose in North
America, the IEC 169-2 connector is not matched to the 75-ohm impedance of
the antenna cable used. The lack of impedence matching causes signal
reflections in the cable, leading to noticeable signal distortion on VHF and
UHF frequencies (but not MW or Shortwave).

The IEC-169-2 connector is recognized as a source of signal distortion and
has become a particular concern with digital signal reception, specificially
UHF HDTV.

DAB (digital radio) and other reception modes are not as severely affected
by the impedence matching issue, so only HDTV and satelite reception systems
are forced to use the F connector.

In spite of being somewhat unsuitable for modern analog VHF and UHF TV
frequencies, due to industrial inertia, the Belling-Lee connector is still
used today as a TV signal reception connector. In Europe and the Americas
this connector is not used to connect satellite TV antennas. The more
electrically suitable 75-ohm F connector is standard.

== Variations ==
There is also a Miniature Belling Lee connector which was used for internal
connections inside some equipment. It looks identical to a TV Aerial Plug /
IEC169-2 but is obviously smaller.

Two points, where I work we are "upgrading" for digital TV. SDI and
HD-SDI.
SDI copes nicely with 50 ohm BNC connectors. HD-SDI barfs with anything
less then the specified connectors(and coax!). It isn't commonly
understood
that while NTSC, and PALa nd SECAM, are (were) all 75 ohm, 99% of the
BNC
connectors were 50 Ohm. With a Fmax if less then 5MHz the 1.5:1 VSWR
was
not an issue.

If you are unsure of the type connector, 50 Ohm BNCs have a inner
plastic
sleeve that "true" 75 Ohms lack. The mating center pin is the exacy
same
diameter. In one way the upgrade has been very useful as I have rescued
some
nice, but older, coax cable, connectors and tools. The last thing we
want
is any more 50 Ohm connectors! And you have never lived until you try
to debug a video level issue where someone used a 50 Ohm Ethernet term
for a 75 Ohm. Great fun.


The second point is this prompted me to look up IEC power connectors.
Somewhere or somewhen I had read about the different styles of IEC
connector. I found the info usefull and printed it out for future
refference.
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/IEC320.htm

It is nice, but pointless, to know that the proper name for the "2 pin
PC
power connectors my R2000s use are really C17 and C18. Of course a
C14 will fit, there just won't be a ground connection.


Terry

About a week ago I read an article at www.tvpredictions.com that a
lot of people in England who bought HDTV sets can't pick up HDTV because
of problems with connectors (or something like that) which don't match
up properly.A few months ago the married Irish woman and her hubby in
England bought a new Grundig wide screen HDTV flat panel tv set.I assume
their new tv set is working ok,I haven't heard her squawkng about it.
cuhulin