Source: www.marcradio.org/New%20Stuff.htm

First a bit more information about the BNC. Developed in the late 1940's as a miniature version of the Type C connector, BNC stands for Bayonet Neil Concelman and is named after Amphenol engineer Carl Concelman. The BNC product line is a miniature quick connect/disconnect RF connector. It features two bayonet lugs on the female connector; mating is achieved with only a quarter turn of the coupling nut. BNC's are ideally suited for cable termination for miniature to subminiature coaxial cable such as RG-58, RG-59 and RG-179 to RG-316.

The BNC is designed to operate up to 11 GHz and typically yield low reflection through 4 GHz. Ham's typically use them to connect up to our handhelds, ATV and oscilloscopes. The next connector used in nearly every ham shack is the venerable old

UHF or "PL" style connectors. Invented in the 1930's by an Amphenol engineer named E. Clark Quackenbush (yes, I said Quackenbush!), UHF coaxial connectors are general purpose units developed for use in low frequency systems from 0.6 - 300 MHz. Invented for use in the radio industry, UHF is an acronym for Untra-High Frequency because at the time 300 MHz was considered high frequency. UHF connectors are rated at up to 500 volts peak (same as the BNC) but with a frequency range of only up to 300 MHz aren't suitable for the true UHF amateur spectrum we use today. Despite this, the connector is routinely used on most of the Dual-Band mobiles being sold today.

Lastly is the Type N Connector. Named after Paul Neill of Bell Labs after being developed in the 1940's, the Type N offered the first true microwave performance. The Type N connector was developed to satisify the need for a durable, weatherproof, medium-size RF connector with consistant performance through 11 GHz.
There are two families of Type N connectors: Standard N (for coax cable) and Corrugated N (for helical and annular cable). Their primary applications are for the termination of medium to miniature size coaxial cable, including RG-8, RG-58, RG-141 and RG-225. RF coaxial connectors are the most important element in the cable system. Corrugated copper coaxial cables have the potential to deliver all the performance a system requires, which is why Hams use this type of cable/connector in most repeater systems both VHF & UHF. This also helps to hold down intermodulation distortion. They are also easily installed using simple hand tools in the field and are highly resistant to pull off.
Thanks to a solid 50 Ohm impedance, a frequency range of from 0 - 11 GHz and a voltage rating of up to 1,500 volts peak, it is the connector of choice for most of today's high power amateur and commercial systems.
There are lost of other RF type connectors in use today, but these are the ones most often used by the amateur community.
Now that you know a little more about them, we can all make sure we pick the right connector for that next antenna project !. If you would like to learn even more about RF connectors, review Amphenol's website at www.amphenolrf.com.

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