I ordered some parts for building a lightweight outdoor radio antenna. But while ordering I had a look around and noticed the BOXA-LOAD 50 Ohm RF Dummy Load - Sotabeams, a kit for building a dummy load. So I ordered one in kit form, with enclosure.A dummy load is for testing radio circuits, it gives the radio the ideally matching load since radio transmitters ideally expect a 50 ohm resistive load. A dummy load does not convert the electric energy into radio waves, it just converts the electric energy into heat in the resistors. I currently have an RF power meter on loan which I could use to test the dummy load so the dummy load was the first project to build and test.
Building was no problem with the very clear instructions given by Sotabeams. And after building it I tested it and found it perfect as designed with no reflected power. The maximum power input is 20 Watt which it can handle for 1 minute and will need to cool down again for 10 minutes.
A dummy load is for testing radio circuits, it gives the radio the ideally
matching load since radio transmitters ideally expect a 50 ohm resistive
load. A dummy load does not convert the electric energy into radio waves,
it just converts the electric energy into heat in the resistors.
I currently have an RF power meter on loan which I could use to test the
dummy load so the dummy load was the first project to build and test.
Building was no problem with the very clear instructions given by Sotabeams.
And after building it I tested it and found it perfect as designed with no
reflected power. The maximum power input is 20 Watt which it can handle for
1 minute and will need to cool down again for 10 minutes.