Amateur ExtraE9E08
What is a use for a Wilkinson divider?
C
Answer
Antennas and transmission lines
Type
A
To divide the operating frequency of a transmitter signal so it can be used on a lower frequency band
B
To feed high-impedance antennas from a low-impedance source
C
To divide power equally between two 50-ohm loads while maintaining 50-ohm input impedance
D
To divide the frequency of the input to a counter to increase its frequency range
Answer Notes
A Wilkinson divider is a specific type of power divider circuit that splits an RF signal while maintaining matched impedances on all ports. In a standard amateur radio application, it is used to divide power equally between two 50-ohm loads while maintaining a perfect 50-ohm input impedance at the source.
The clever design uses quarter-wave transformers and a balancing resistor between the output ports to provide high isolation between the outputs.
Because it divides RF power rather than altering the waveform's frequency, distractors mentioning frequency division are incorrect. It is fundamentally an RF distribution component, not a digital counter or a high-impedance tuner.
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