Product Overview
Mini-Circuits CAT-6 BNC Inline RF Pad - 6dB Fixed Attenuation, 50 Ohm, DC to 1500MHz
Condition
Used, sourced from a government research facility. Nickel-plated cylindrical body with light surface wear. Markings legible: 6 dB ATTENUATOR, 50 OHM, DC TO 1500 MHZ. Stamped code 8524 14 visible on upper face. BNC connectors intact - PTFE dielectric white and clean, gold center pins present on both ends, bayonet slots and lugs clear of damage. Evaluation: Visual inspection only. Function testing not performed.
Ships same or next business day from our Idaho warehouse. Honest pricing, no nonsense.
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Product Overview
Mini-Circuits CAT-6 is a coaxial fixed RF attenuator - sometimes called an inline pad - rated for 6 dB of signal reduction across DC to 1500 MHz in a standard 50-ohm signal path. BNC male on one end, BNC female on the other, so it drops inline with no adapters required. The nickel-plated cylindrical housing is a known quantity in RF test benches and ham radio shacks alike. Maximum continuous input power is 1W.
Key Features
- Attenuation: 6 dB fixed
- Impedance: 50 ohm
- Frequency range: DC to 1500 MHz (1.5 GHz)
- Maximum continuous power: 1W
- Connectors: BNC male (input) to BNC female (output) - true inline coaxial form factor
- Housing: nickel-plated cylindrical metal body
- No external power required - fully passive
Applications
- Inserting inline between a signal generator and a spectrum analyzer to reduce signal amplitude by exactly 6 dB and protect the analyzer's input mixer from overdrive
- Improving impedance match (VSWR) in a coaxial test path during calibration work on a network analyzer
- Connecting a low-power transmitter or local oscillator output to an oscilloscope or frequency counter without overloading the instrument's input stage
- QRP bench work - attenuating a homebrew transmitter's output to a safe measurement level before checking frequency on a counter
- Makers and hobbyists building RF projects who need a shielded, flat-response pad instead of a bare resistor network that would introduce stray reactance at higher frequencies
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an Ethernet cable or network component?
No. Despite sharing the CAT-6 designation with a common Ethernet cable standard, this is a coaxial RF attenuator with BNC connectors. It has no relationship to network cabling or data infrastructure.
Will this work with 75-ohm cable TV equipment?
No. The CAT-6 is a 50-ohm device. Connecting it in a 75-ohm system will cause impedance mismatch and signal reflections. Mini-Circuits makes a separate 75-ohm variant, the CAT-6-75, for those systems.
Does it work above 1500 MHz - for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or 5 GHz applications?
No. The CAT-6 is rated to 1500 MHz. Attenuation accuracy and VSWR performance are not guaranteed above that frequency. For 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz applications, a different attenuator rated for those bands is required.
What is the maximum input power?
1W continuous. Exceeding this will permanently damage the internal resistor network.
Is a manual or calibration certificate included?
Not included. This is a used unit sold as a standalone part.
An RF pad this flat and this consistent is the kind of thing labs hold onto for decades - and government labs held onto exactly that. It is ready for the next bench it lands on.
