Abbreviations & Symbols
Here is a list of abbreviations and symbols, including their meanings, which you may encounter in our Website.
A: Ampere or Amps (basic unit of electrical current flow)
ABS: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (a form of plastic)
AC: Alternating Current (voltage alternating from positive to negative).
Accs: Accessories
AC/DC: Alternating Current/Direct Current
A/C Head: Audio Control Head in a VCR (reads and/or writes audio and tape speed control pulses)
Ah: Amp Hours (rate of current flow for 1 hour in Amps)
AM: Amplitude Modulation (mode of radio transmission with audio modulation)
Approx: Approximately (roughly)
Assy: Assembly (components gathered together for a common purpose)
AUD or AU$: Australian Dollars
A/V: Audio/Visual (audio and video combined)
AVS or AV/S: Audio & Video cable with S-Video connector
BNC: Bayonet Neill-Concelman or British Naval Connector
BP: Brass Pulley (pertaining to motors)
CCD: Charged Coupled Device (pertaining to camera image sensors)
CCW: Counter Clockwise (refers to the rotational direction of motors)
CD: Compact Disc Format
CD-ROM: Compact Disc-Read Only Memory Format
CED: Capacitance Electronic Disc Format (uncommon type of Video Disc)
C-Mount: Cine Mount (type of screw-on camera lens mount)
CRT: Cathode Ray Tube (old style TV picture tube)
CW: Clockwise (refers to the rotational direction of motors)
dB: Decibel (unit of intensity of sound)
DC: Direct Current (positive and negative polarity as in batteries)
Diam: Diameter (the width of something round or cylindrical)
DLP: Digital Light Processing (in reference to projectors)
DRPS: Digital Random Program Selector (as seen on cassette players)
DTV: Digital Television
DVD: Digital Versatile Disc Format
DVD-R: Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable Format
DVD-RW: Digital Versatile Disc-Rewritable Format
DVR: Digital Video Recorder
eg: For example
EHT or EHV: Extra High Tention or Voltage (usually describes voltages over 1,000 volts)
EM: Electromagnetic (refers to the waves (or their quanta, photons) of the electromagnetic field, propagating (radiating) through space-time, carrying electromagnetic radiant energy)
EMC: Electromagnetic Compatibility
EMI: Electromagnetic Interference
EMR: Electromagnetic Radiation
EP: Extended Play (mode of recording and playback)
etc: Etcetera (and other similar things)
ex: From a previous place or use
EXT: Extension (extended length)
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
FET: Field-Effect Transistor (type of semiconductor)
FH: Distance from Face of Head to mounting holes on audio tape heads
FM: Frequency Modulation (mode of audio modulation in radio transmission)
g: Product weight in Grams
gcm, g-cm or g/cm: Grams per centimeter (metric unit of torque. 1 g-cm is equal to 9.80665E-5 Newton meter)
GHz: Gigahertz (A: A unit of measurement for alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequencies equal to 1,000,000,000 Hz. B: When referring to a computer processor or CPU, GHz is a clock frequency, also known as a clock rate or clock speed, representing a cycle of time)
HD: Distance between Mounting Holes on audio tape heads
HDD: Hard Disc Drive
HDMI: Hi-Definition Multimedia Interface
HF: High Frequency (radio frequency band between 3 and 30MHz)
HH: Head Height of audio tape heads
HiFi or Hi-Fi: High Fidelity
Hi8: Type of Video Cassette
HO: Hose Only (no end fittings attached)
HQ: High Quality (mode of recording and playback)
HW: Head Width of audio tape heads
Hz: Hertz (Cycles) (basic unit of frequency)
IC: Intergrated Circuit (microchip with many electronic components)
I/D: Inside Diameter (inside width of something round or cylindrical)
ie: "For example" or "in other words"
I/O: Input/Output
IR: Infrared (part of the EMR spectrum with a longer wavelength than visible light)
K: Kilo (x1,000)
Kg: Kilograms (1,000 grams) (metric unit of weight)
kHz: Kilohertz (1,000 Cycles) (unit of frequency)
KΩ: 1,000 Ohms (one thousand ohms or 1 Kiloohm) (unit of resistance)
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display (a flat panel display commonly used in TVs and Computer Monitors)
LED or LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes (type of light emitting semiconductors)
Li-ion: Lithium Ion (type of rechargeable battery)
Loc: Our store or warehouse Stock Location reference number
LP: Long Play (mode of recording and playback)
M: Meters or Metres (metric unit of length)
mA: Milliamp (unit of electrical current flow, 1mA = 1,000th of an Amp)
MAC: Apple Macintosh
mAh: Milliamp Hours (rate of current flow for 1 hour in Milliamps)
MC: Moving Coil (phono or record player pickup type)
MHz: Megahertz is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one million hertz (1,000,000Hz)
Misc: Miscellaneous (a mixture of various things)
mm: Millimeters (metric unit of length, 1mm = 1,000th of a Meter or Metre)
MM: Moving Magnet (phono or record player pickup (cartridge) type)
MOS FET: Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
mV: Millivolt (unit of electrical potential, 1mV = 1,000th of a Volt)
MΩ: 1,000,000 Ohms (one million ohms or one megohm)
N/C: Normally Closed (refers to relay and reed switch contacts in a non-excited position)
ND: Neutral Density (type of camera lens filter for prevention of overexposure)
Ni-Cd: Nickel Cadmium (type of rechargeable battery)
Ni-MH: Nickel Metal Hydride (type of rechargeable battery)
NLA: No Longer Available (product has been discontinued by manufacturer or supplier)
N-m: Newton Meter (unit of torque. 1 N-m = 10197.1621298 g-cm)
N/O: Normally Open (refers to relay and reed switch contacts in a non-excited position)
NOS: New Old Stock (a new item which has been in stock for some years)