Talk:RCA connector

message: In Holland, we commonly refer to these connectors as 'Tulip connectors' ( http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulpstekker ). Might be nice to add this somewhere. --Raboof (talk) 19:41, 29 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Synonym 

message: :Hi, just wondering if anyone could possibly find some better quality pictures to use on this article - the ones there at the moment seem a bit substandard. 144.173.6.77 11:22, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Better pictures? 

message: Anyone know the maximum length for one of these things?!! I have been looking for days....... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.69.63.29 (talk • contribs) 
:The maximum length for an RCA cable is limited by the cable capacitance, the source impedance, and the amount of induced noise. 12 feet is a common upper boundary for pre-made cables but I've built my own cables in the 20-some foot length.
:Atlant 13:32, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Maximum length? 

message: It says here that RCA's need two cable to carry one signal. This is, at least in my experiance, untrue. An RCA can handle one signal and one channel so you would need two RCA's for two channels (Right and Left) to get stereo sound . I have never seen an (audio) appliance connected to an amplifier with more than two RCA's. I don't belive that the "four cables" example is accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Reallybadtrip (talk • contribs) 
:One signal per connector (wire) unless it's digitally-encoded data. So you commonly see 1 conductor RCA cables, two-conductor stereo cables (Red+White), three-conductor stereo+video cables (Red+White+Yellow) or component video cables (Red+Blue+Green), and four conductor stereo "to/"from" cables.
:Atlant 13:32, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: The article makes the mention of the four cables in the context of Bi-directional stereo connections, maybe a sentence or two requires clarification? — Mobius 10:04, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  How many signals? 

message: The current photo of RCA jacks and plugs is very out of focus and has low contrast.  Could it please be replaced with a better image? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Navstar (talk • contribs) 
*Ask the uploader. And please sign your comments! huntersquid 19:57, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Better Photo 

message: is possible to use an RBG(M) cable in an RYW(F)? 
--61.68.27.183 15:47, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  RYW vs RGB 

message: While balanced/unbalanced audio signals should (and do) have their own wiki articles, this article should include a reference to the fact that using RCA connectors for audio implies that the connection will be unbalanced.
Snottywong 18:56, 27 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Balanced vs. Unbalanced 

message: Video is normaly 75 ohms, Sync Positive 1.4 v Peak to Peak, no matter what sort of connector is used. ..  In the good old days, it was carried on UHF or BNC connctors.  I think the Apple ][ was the first place I saw an RCA used for Video, and the place I worked sold rca-BNC and RCA to F connctors  the later as the RF modulator for the apple also put it's signal out on an RCA.
If you wanted to mention the video impredence, it should probaly be in the terms of "standard Video".  The 1.4 V BTW is 1 volt for the picture, and .4 volts for the sync.
The old RCA radios connected the jack to the grid of the 12SQ7 with a 0.5MFD cap, so they were High impedence by default.  Normaly low impedence is associated with ballanced circuts. cmacd 18:28, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Impedance 

message: If this isn't already in the article, someone should add it.  When you have RCA cables that are red, green, and blue instead of red, white, and yellow, the conversion is this: 
* red » red
* green » white
* blue » yellow
Meaning, plug a green cord into the white input on your tv or device, plug blue into yellow, and red into red.
Source 1: 
Source 2: Determining color code RCA cable left right 
actually it doesn't matter, the idea of a conversion is just silly.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.107.70.60 (talk) 07:18, 23 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Color coding 

message: When wiring RCA cables, you typically use the terms "tip" and "sleve" to referr to the inner part, and the outer part. For audio uses, the tip is negative (-) while the sleve is positive/hot (+). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.126.9.138 (talk • contribs) 
:Huh? Audio typically means alternating current so the concepts of "+" and "-" aren't very meaningful. In any case, the tip (prong) carries the signal and the sleeve (ring) carries the reference voltage (~ground).Atlant (talk) 19:26, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  Yes the concepts of "+" and "-" are perfectly meaningful in audio.  Read more.  71.167.68.209 (talk) 15:30, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

text: As rca/phono plugs are used for such a wide range of audio applicatoins  its hard to know where you refering to but typically when wiring speakers the pin that when positive generates forward cone movement is labled as positive (+ve). However I would typicaly agree that it is the sleave that is -ve or ground and that applying a positive voltage/signal to the pin would lead to forwards cone movment. Ive just tested this on a pair of alteclansing2100 computer speakers and they conform to that understanding (postive voltage on the pin with the sleave grounded premotes forward cone movment)dhutch 17:47, 30 December 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Wiring 

message: outside the US they're only know as Phono or Composite  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.107.70.60 (talk) 07:17, 23 August 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: The lead is also very confused, as it starts about the jack (female) connector, but then compares to phone plugs before introducing the plug (male) side.  It needs a good rewrite. Dicklyon (talk) 05:29, 29 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Not true. They are pretty consistently referred to as "RCA cables" or "stereo cables" (never as "phono" and rarely "composite") where I live. If you asked me for a "phono cable", I'd hand you a DIN-5 cable. I think the article should be untagged. 62.106.20.142 (talk) 23:36, 10 November 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm a professional live sound audio engineer who grew up and lives within California and I've heard both "RCA" and "Phono" but never "Composite" to refer to an RCA jack. To me, "Composite" means a video signal format that can appear on a connector which is sometimes a bayonet (BNC) style, rarely an 'F' connector and sometimes an RCA connector, especially if the gear is consumer or 'prosumer' level. Calling the video jack "Composite" is like calling the audio jack "Consumer line level"! Also, around here, "stereo patch cables" typically means a parallel pair of coaxial cables one to five meters long with male RCA connectors at the ends, four total. Asking for phono never results in a DIN-5 connector with anybody I've ever worked with. Just adding another data point... Binksternet (talk) 04:30, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

text: Should we even be listing a non-English name for this thing in the English wiki? Why? I don't think this helps comprehension, and should be left to the other language versions of the article. -- tooki (talk) 22:22, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
replies: text:  It's not a question of "non-English". "Cinch" here is not a foreign language word, it is simply the name of another company which which, in some places, there is strong association with these connectors. This name for these connectors is also not-unheard-of in the UK . There would be no harm in including other, country-specific, valid terms for the connector (suh as "tulip connector") but calling it e..g a "phono" or "composite" connector is simply illiterate; those are signal types for which many different connectors can be and have been used. However "phono" should be included as a misleading, but common, name, because (among other reasons) we have a redirect here from that name (because it is very common). Jeh (talk) 22:50, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
thread_title: Outside the US

message: I live in the UK and am confused by the different standards which operate here.
One standard is for AV cables, which uses 3 cables. These use a yellow, white and red scheme. Yellow is video, white is left audio and red is right audio.
Another standard is solely for audio cables, which use two cables: a black and a red. Presumably one is for left audio and one is for right. I am, however, not sure which way round they are meant to go. Is the black left or right audio?
(This article contains no reference to it and I have no idea which search terms to use on google - audio related terminology is not my strong point.)
--88.83.110.216 (talk) 02:03, 13 November 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I feel much the same way and I've taken the tag off the page. Binksternet (talk) 05:58, 1 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Colour scheme in the UK

message: This page does not mention the usual cable connected to such a connector.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.87.192.98 (talk) 16:06, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cable usage 

message: One of my TVs only has a single white female jack, instead of a white and red female jacks. I'm not an expert, but shouldn't the article cover what the difference is? --Scandum (talk) 04:58, 19 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Single female jack 

message: "in all three cases, red denotes right" presumably this is because they both start with the same letter so it's easy to remember?  But I don't know how to reference that to put it in the article. 71.167.68.209 (talk) 15:30, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  red = right mnemonic =

message: Is there any official standard for the size of this RCA / Cinch connector? For the plug I do find e.g. 0.125" for the inner pin (3.175 mm) and 1/3" for the female outer size (8.467 mm). Others name 3.2 or 3.7 mm for the pin,  8.7 mm for the outer size, 0.415"/0.425" for the inner plug dimension (10.54 mm/10.8 mm) and 0.445" for the outer size of the contact (11.303 mm) - and that's just a first random selection. Isn't there an IEC, DIN, EU standard? --Traut (talk) 10:15, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  official sizes 

message: I am reading that the RCA socket is expecting 1 Volt (RMS or peak to peak?), but I have HiFi gear that has 150mV sensitivity. What is the standard?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.243.167.3 (talk) 16:30, 7 March 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Signal levels 

message: What kind of current can these connectors take using DC Voltages of around 12V? This would be in conjunction with decent cables made myself rather than the the pre-made ones which frequently have thin wiring which would limit the current carrying capability.
User alan smith (talk) 13:15, 6 December 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: RCA is not made for higher currents. There may be certain female plugs with higher quality, but the usual contacts are not for frequent changes and not for multiple conducting points or areas. Personally, I used it for 12 V, 2 A, but would not recommend much more. If you want higher currents, take e.g. plugs for battery powered model cars. --Traut (talk) 07:11, 25 May 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Current carrying capacity? 

message: Article states 'by the 1940s'.  I have old radios from the late 1930s that have an RCA jack - does anyone know an exact date they came out? 64.91.60.209 (talk) 04:57, 27 September 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Figure 11 on PDF page 214 of the 1934 service manual shows the Victor 242 had a 4 connection terminal strip for optional turntable connection.  Just because your radio had a RCA connector, it doesn't automatically mean it was shipped with it. It's possible that someone modded that radio. • Sbmeirow • Talk • 23:49, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

text: The earliest that I found thus far is 1937.  I welcome hard proof from an earlier date!  • Sbmeirow • Talk • 23:53, 29 May 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Year of Introduction 

message: An IP editor has made changes to clarify that RCA was the inventor of this connector. The article previously indicated that the origin was unknown but made a case that it was RCA who popularized and named it. Neither the new or old assertions are well cited. The changes are a mixed bag and I'm tempted to revert it all but what we'd be reverting to is not clearly better. ~Kvng (talk) 16:03, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Uncited history changes 

message: What is the difference between gold tip and silver tip RCA jacks 2603:6011:947:F87C:78C8:50AE:94A6:326F (talk) 06:22, 6 September 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: The gold ones are gold plated and are less subject to corrosion so are claimed to make a more reliable connection. ~Kvng (talk) 14:00, 9 September 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  RCA jacks