Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for Manual Variable Attenuators
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| 1) Are all of the rotary attenuators break-before-make? |
| All JFW rotary attenuators are break-before-make unless otherwise noted on the specification sheet. JFW does manufacture make-before-break models, although none of them are currently in the catalog. Please contact sales with your requirements. |
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| 2) Does JFW have 100 Watt rotary attenuators? |
| The majority of JFW rotary attenuators are only specified to 2 Watts average. For higher power applications, we recommend using a high power fixed attenuator to decrease the power down to a level (2 Watts or less) that you can input into a rotary attenuator. This does increase your insertion loss, but it is the least costly way to manually attenuate a 100 Watt signal. |
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| 3) Are rotors available that increase attenuation when turning the knob counter-clockwise? |
| Yes, we just don't have them in our catalog. The direction that attenuation increases (clockwise or counter-clockwise) is always listed on the specification sheet. |
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| 4) Are rotors available with custom step sizes (3 dB steps for example)? |
| Yes, we have designed and built many units that have non-standard step sizes. Please contact JFW at sales@jfwindustries.com with your specific requirement. |
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| 5) Are models available with mixed RF connectors? |
| Yes, you can mix and match whatever RF connectors are listed on the specification sheet. |
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6) How much does X dB of attenuation reduce the signal level by?
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| Attenuation | Power Reduction | | 1 dB | 20.6% | | 2 dB | 36.9% | | 3 dB | 49.9% | | 4 dB | 60.2% | | 5 dB | 68.4% | | 6 dB | 74.9% | | 10 dB | 90.0% | | 20 dB | 99.0% | | 30 dB | 99.9% |
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