Sounds a little off. Cables are important, with
impedance varying
with diameter, _Terminators_ are important, coming in the 50, 75
Ohm varieties mentioned, but the connector itself being 50 or 75
Ohm? First I've heard of this.
True and important. Using the wrong impedance connector or cable end
will cause a (sometimes insignificant) missmatch. The bigger problem
though is that mating a low impadance plug with a high impedance socket,
e.g. 50 ohm -> 75 ohm, will probably damage the socket due to the larger
internal conductor diameter of the plug. Mating a high impedance plug
with a low impedance socket, e.g. 75 ohm -> 50 ohm, will probably give
a poor contact due to the smaller inner conductor diameter of the high
impedance plug.
I'd read that too, but somebody sent me a private e-mail saying that the
mating diameters of the inner pins of both types of connector were the
same, it was the outer diameter of the socket contact that differerd (so
as to give the right characteristic impedance with the dielectric used).
And therefore there's no mechancial problem in inter-mating the wrong
connectors. And for this application there's no electrical problem either
(the other end of the cable has an RCA phono plug on it, well known for
not having a defined characteristic impedance). Any mismatch at the BNC
end would cause no problems.
I feel like getting a couple of plugs, one of each type, and sticking a
micrometer on the centre pin. And I am not going to trust the no-name
ones from the local hobbyist shop either (who knows what spec they're
made to!). Then I'll know (hopefully) for sure.
-tony