Products > Test Equipment
Bought some attenuators
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mojoe:
Taking a chance on an Amazon purchase, since I can easily return them, I bought some attenuators to use with my new TinySA, NanoVNA H4 and LiteVNA 64 (fun stuff to play with and learn). I won't post a link, but if you search for "XRDS -RF SMA Male to SMA Female Coaxial RF Attenuator, DC to 8 GHz" you will find several values. I'm still waiting on some of them, but the 6 dB and 10 dB attenuators arrived today.

Of course, the first thing I did was break out the LiteVNA. The H4 only goes up to 2 GHz. I did a full calibration of the LiteVNA from 1 MHz to 8 GHz with 1024 points. The results for both the 6 dB and 10 dB values look good (I checked each pair). Up to about 7 GHz, they are +/- 0.5 dB or less. From 7-8 GHz, +/- 1.0 dB or less.

I'd post a screenshot, but I'm having trouble with the NanoVNA Saver software. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong. Later, I'll look around for other software to try.

When I ordered the two VNA's, I also ordered the Nooelec attenuator kit, but I wanted more of the 3, 6, 10, 20 & 30 dB values, and these XRDS ones were much less expensive (about $12/pair).

I'm just passing this along in case others are looking for some attenuators. I plan on checking every one, when the others arrive, to make sure I don't get a dud.

mojoe:
More testing - I looked at the return loss.

Above about 6 GHz the return loss gets worse than -20 dBm. The Nooelec attenuators did the same. Still, higher than I'm likely to ever need.
nonlinearschool:
Hey!
I just bought some attenuators. I bought one and did notice it was a N-type connector. |O So I ordered two more today, a 10watt 30dB and a 2watt 20dB. for my tinySA. Frankly I am just kind of in the dark on which ones to buy. I did not, forgot to check the max frequency but I guess I'll find out. I only want to check an assortment of HT radio antennas I bought. and the 5watt and 8 watt HTs.  I thought of contacting Joe Smith and ask him since he is so very familiar with this stuff. However I just took a chance and think this time I did OK.

Does anyone want a 10watt 30dB N-type connectors? I don't even have that type connector. maybe some old tv coax that I no longer have any reason to use.  Does anyone want 100ft of TV coax?
rhb:
FYI  The SMA connector is only rated for 500 connections before it needs to be replaced.  You'd be better off with an SMA-N adapter and N cabling.  If you stick with SMA be sure to put M-F "connector savers" on everything. Don't forget to put them on the cables as I did!  I've been cutting worn out SMA-M connectors off of cables so I don't use them by mistake.

Have Fun!
Reg
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