What’s this connector?

[bluejay]

I was looking at the SOL-20 and noticed an odd connector. I assume this is the video output for the internal VDM-3. I think I’ve seen these connectors on the back of Sony PVMs and BVMs. What are these called, and is it compatible with standard composite video?

 

[emerson]

The tumorous metal thing sticking off the back looks like an Amphenol PL-259 to BNC adapter. I cannot speak for the SOL-20 but my Sanyo VM4509 uses PL-259s for standard composite video input and output. I made a passive PL-259 to RCA cable and it works without issue.

[bluejay]

Thanks for enlightening me. Why does there have to be like 87924367846815236 different connector types for one thing.

[Stephen Moss]

I don't know if the PL-259 is the same as N connector but it looks to me like a N to BNC adaptor. Either way to connect to a composite video input you would need to have a BNC to Phono (RCA) cable, but that is assuming it is composite video as I have no idea if composite or modulate RF may be coming out of that.

 

I generally only come across N connectors used for frequencies higher than RF or composite (generally GHz) but they may have used it for composite in order to be compatible with the popular connector type at the time.

[emerson]

I received both the Sanyo pvm and the PL-259 connectors from my late grandfather's radio room. He was a HAM operator and used the PL-259s for his radio equipment. I don't know what bandwidths he operated in but that would give an idea of the application frequencies.

[Stephen Moss]

FM Radio, at least in the UK is in the the VHF range (30MHz - 300MHz) stations run from about 80MHz to 180MHz.

I believe Ham radio operates in frequencies lower than that so you grandfather probably di not use anything above 30MHz and may have used much lover depend on if was local or international transmission/reception.