Educate me - what is a female coaxial cable?

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Is it one that's got a split in the metal bit?

 

[weltweit]

ends of connectors are often called the male and the female halfs.

The male part goes inside the female part

 

[DotCommunist]

its the one with the round hole. ahem. but it is.

 

[pogofish]

No such thing as female coax cable!

Connectors however are male and female but there are a good few types, depending on the application. It would help to know which.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

No such thing as female coax cable!

Connectors however are male and female but there are a good few types, depending on the application. It would help to know which.

Connectors? That's what I meant!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

ends of connectors are often called the male and the female halfs.

The male part goes inside the female part

Well I guessed that bit

 

[mr steev]

Male on the left, female on the right

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Seem to have lost loads of channels this morning. However, it's not just through the Humax recorder, retuning on the TV isn't picking them up either.

It could be an external issue (as we heard man go into attic which I assume leads to roof where communal aerial is), but, I've always wondering about upgrading the aerials (ie. the one that leads from the wall socket is excessively long, and I know that can affect quality).

I'm trying to figure out what kind of cable I need from the socket in the wall to the Humax recorder, and what cable I need from the TV to the Humax recorder?

I keep reading about coaxials and aerial cables and male to male and male to female and I'm totally confuddled

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Male on the left, female on the right

oh right. I thought maybe the female one was the one that looked like the male one but with a slice of metal missing

 

[mr steev]

oh right. I thought maybe the female one was the one that looked like the male one but with a slice of metal missing

No. Some male ones have a split some don't. The split is just to make it easier to connect as the outer ring gives a bit.
You don't often use female coax connectors tbh as they are the ones that are usually in the appliance (like the back of a tv). I suppose if you're extending or splitting the signal then you might need one.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

No. Some male ones have a split some don't. The split is just to make it easier to connect as the outer ring gives a bit.
You don't often use female coax connectors tbh as they are the ones that are usually in the appliance (like the back of a tv). I suppose if you're extending or splitting the signal then you might need one.

oh right. I'm such an idiot not knowing these things

Right, off to check all four connectors to see what they are

 

[mr steev]

oh right. I'm such an idiot not knowing these things

You know now

 

[2hats]

Male on the left, female on the right

Nope. That's not right. That looks like a converter from threaded UHF to male coaxial.

Most likely you are looking for:

Female coaxial plug on the left, male on the right.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Right, it looks like the one that goes into the wall socket is female yes? (It's the TV connector that's used, no Sky here!)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Nope. That's not right. That looks like a converter from threaded UHF to male co-axial.

Most likely you are looking for:

Female coaxial lug on the left, male on the right.

ah, so the female one has a little hollow pin in the middle and the male has a solid pin?

 

[mr steev]

Nope. That's not right. That looks like a converter from threaded UHF to male co-axial.

Most likely you are looking for:

Female coaxial lug on the left, male on the right.

Yeah, you're right. It was the first pic I came to and didn't look too closely. It does show the difference though

 

[2hats]

ah, so the female one has a little hollow pin in the middle and the male has a solid pin?

We have a winner!

 

[mr steev]

ah, so the female one has a little hollow pin in the middle and the male has a solid pin?

yes

 

[joustmaster]

Male on the left, female on the right

this is wrong.

it looks like the same connector photographed from each end!

this is correct. (pair on the left)
the ones on the right, are for sky/virgin etc.

 

[DotCommunist]

think of it this way- the male one has a nob. that pin is a nob.

 

[joustmaster]

...and the male has a solid pin?

it depends how much its had to drink.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

We have a winner!

 

[2hats]

Right, it looks like the one that goes into the wall socket is female yes?

Yes. You need female coaxial to whatever the Humax accepts to get the terrestrial TV signal from the aerial to the Humax. Post a (clear) photo of the socket panels of each bit of the kit in the chain from aerial (well Humax) to TV and I'm sure one of us can suggest what's needed...

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I have far too clean a mind to be thinking of knobs!

Anyway, I've established I need a male to female (or female to male) cable from the wall socket to the Recorder, and the same thing from the recorder to the television.

So, I need to male to female cables, but what exactly is each cable called or do I just need two TV aerial cables of different lengths?

What's all this coaxial business?

 

[pogofish]

oh right. I'm such an idiot not knowing these things

At this point I'm hoping your coax connector is not of the types used in nuclear applications!

 

[2hats]

You need to check the connector types. Some devices use threaded, bayonet, push/snap to fit and are of varying sizes (depends on the frequency range they are being used at). Hence the suggestion to post photos of the sockets.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

At this point I'm hoping your coax connector is not of the types used in nuclear applications!

I see

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Right, here's the Humax


and here's the TV. It's a bit fuzzy, but it's a bit difficult getting around the back. Do you want me to take aerial lead out and do another pic?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

On about the umpteenth retune and still not finding all the channels. Bet it's going to just set itself right later on like it often does.

Latest retune using the TV remote has only found 32 channels, whereas I'm getting over 70 when I retune the Humax

 

[gentlegreen]

Sounds like the Humax has a more sensitive tuner than the TV.