Russian/Soviet and eastern coaxial connectors - who knows what? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2017, 09:10:53 pm
content: Is there anyone on this forum who can shed some light on the coaxial connectors originating from the former soviet union and/or its satellites?One thing that is notable is, that they gave a pseudo-metric designation to all series, even if they are not metric in itself. For example, N is called 3/7 by RFT (East Germany, former GDR), 1/3.3 is SMC, 2/6.6 might be BNC, 3/9.7 is a bayonet too (could be C?).Then, they had a connector which is very similar to N, but doesn't couple.Another one looks like 7/16, but has only 26mm locking nut, 16mm inner dia. of outer conductor, and a 6mm inner dia. on the socket for the inner conductor. Labeling on this one is small '32-28' and thats it. (No, it is definitely not 7/16, as a RFT-produced 7/16-adaptor is lying right before me and it is called 7/16 and mates with western ones ok.)And I think, that this is only the tip of the iceberg, as we nave produced a great number of series too, so why should they not?I would appreciate any hint, document or whatever sort of information anyone can provide.My aim is to know the name/designaton, if possible the related standard (GOS, TGL...) and the dimensions as well as the electrical data (impedance, max. frequency/voltage). Info on typical or known usage would also be great.Thanks in advance.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2017, 09:47:08 pm
content: They had basically every type of connector, but none of them would couple with foreign equivalents. I think is was just out of spiteHere are a couple of GOSTs that cover physical coupling dimensions of the coaxial connectors. The first one also mentions frequency characteristics:http://docs.cntd.ru/document/1200016021http://docs.cntd.ru/document/1200022038Also, wiki seems to have a great article on thishttps://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%8A%D1%91%D0%BC

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2017, 06:50:40 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on May 10, 2017, 09:47:08 pmJust like the railroad gauge, I guess-

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2017, 11:20:24 pm
content: Now that was helpful! But maybe I have lost a wonderful friendship because of it.The lady in question is an engineer and native speaker of russian, and when I asked her to translate some GOST docs, she became a bit agitated! But maybe I have to find the right motivation?!The series seem to be all there. And the wikipedia article shows exactly the problem: some do couple, some don't. So it's not '32-28' but the first character is the 'backwards E'.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2017, 11:26:11 pm
content: The letter is thishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_(Cyrillic)And all those E2-xx things are specifically adapters, not just connectors. And the numbers are meaningless, they just increment sequentially.

author: batteksystem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 01:49:53 am
content: Probably this is done intentionally, so that captured equipment during war cannot be utilized by enemies.

author: Andrey_irk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 05:38:08 am
content: There is another funny thing. Some "oldtimers" call certain types of connectors in the same way as its developing project was called. For example, SMA connector with metric thread can be called "type IX" or "Grad". N-type with metric thread is "type III" or "Expertise". On top of that each connector has its model number like ??-50-XXX or ??-75-XXX. Where ?? is "radio frequency connector", 50 - impedance, XXX - model number which doesn't mean anything to an ordinary person.The reason you cannot mate type III with type N is only the thread. Likewise you CANNOT mate type IX plug with SMA jack, but you DO CAN mate type IX jack with SMA plug

author: Andrey_irk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 05:50:18 am
content: Neomys Sapiens,This is a link to a web site of a plant which produces coaxial connectors:http://www.neywa.ru/cgi-bin/catalog/viewgroup.cgi?prigroup=502There you can download a catalog with the interfaces' drawings.BTW, what do you need all this stuff for?ataradov,are you Russian? (just curious)

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 05:51:01 am
content: Quote from: Andrey_irk on May 12, 2017, 05:50:18 amYes, born and raised.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 05:57:49 am
content: Quote from: batteksystem on May 12, 2017, 01:49:53 amThe west achieve the same effect by handing the construction of their military equipment to the lowest bidder.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 06:05:52 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on May 12, 2017, 05:57:49 amAnd yet we still end up with massively overbudget, feature limited and incompatible products even between the same manufacturers.Did we manage to hack the firmware on that helicopter yet btw?

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 09:10:07 pm
content: Quote from: Andrey_irk on May 12, 2017, 05:50:18 amWell I confessed it on my introduction and there is no denying it: I'm obsessed with adaptors!This does not only make me throw horrendous sums at the known suppliers, but it also makes me hunt for the missing exotic dingsbums-to-whatever AND any related information.Of course, it has a serious professional backgroud, as I have often been tasked with interface and system testing, re-engineering and getting things to work together that were never intended to do so. Having a well filled and sorted adaptor chest helps much to achieve this, especially when a demanding environment and critical signals are involved. Especially RF does not work in any other way but by providing good interconnections, and when you are doing this on a vehicle or under other detrimental influences, improvisation is not the best of choices.For the regular (western) stuff, I had data like the complete MIL-docs and the manufacturers catalogues.A hint: no one should assume Pasternack's 'Connector/Adaptor Identifier' booklet to be even close to complete.I already have covered some of this Soviet stuff, but there is much to do, as I know now.And I still harbour the intention to compile some of this information sometimes: either as a specialised publication centered on connectors and interfaces (Pinouts, adaptors etc.) or within a broader reference tome. Including, for example, the pinouts of ALL telephone-type connectors internationally. It started at a time, when there was no such info on the internet and a friend of mine called me in the small hours of the night to find out how to connect to a telephone outlet somewhere in former Yugoslavia.This can lead to interesting discoveries: I had a sales-cum-application visit from Radiall in my office recently and used the occasion to inquire about a certain adaptor (oviously Radiall complete with Rnnnnnn-number, BNC-to-x, where x is akin to UHF, but about 1.5 times the size with much finer teeth) and I got as answer: What? we made that?So it boils down to: If I can connect to it, I can measure it. If I can measure it, I can assess it. and so on until mission complete.

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2017, 09:38:25 pm
content: Also great info! That Neywa/Oktyabr plant makes the russian circular military connectors too, so I can complete my data on those too - the poor girl that has to translate it!

author: Andrey_irk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2017, 11:14:16 am
content: Quote from: Neomys Sapiens on May 12, 2017, 09:10:07 pmIf you want to gather information about all Russian and Soviet connectors then you are bound to fail (in my opinion).The thing is that plants like Octyabr produce only a standartized fraction of all connectors. Because there are a lot of custom ones. And sometimes they were produced in big quantities. This is because Russian and Soviet electronics is primarily built to develop and produce military stuff. In that field you often must make something really advanced at any cost. So they had to improvise.There is one man Kiva Borisovich Djurinskiy who has written quite a lot of books and articles about different types of connectors (primarily coaxial ones). Although usually he writes about Western connectors, there are a few articles where he observes Russian ones. He is an authority in that field. But of course, he writes in RussianHere is one of his books:http://www.radiant.su/files/downloads/djurinskiy_book.pdfIf you want to buy type IX or type III adapters- I recommend Micran:www.micran.com(they have catalog in English!)Their adapters are very good and quite cheap. I have a lot of them and have no problems at all. Also they produce VNAs, spectrum analyzers and so on.And there is Irkutsk Relay Factory which produces some types of coaxial connectors as well (but not much):www.irzirk.ru