WR-28 High Power Termination
The WR-28 High Power Termination is a precision-engineered waveguide component that absorbs massive amounts of RF energy, safely dissipating it as heat to prevent signal reflection. It is specifically designed for the 26.5 - 40 GHz frequency range, serving as a critical building block in Ka-Band infrastructure.
High-power terminations feature a wedge-shaped ceramic or silicon-carbide absorbing element bonded to a large external heatsink with cooling fins to maximize thermal convection. At Ka-Band frequencies (26.5-40 GHz), WR-28 components must balance high power handling with the onset of millimeter-wave skin depth challenges. The 0.280" x 0.140" aperture is the workhorse for modern 5G networks and LEO satellite constellations.
Key Features
High Power Capacity
Rated for sustained high-power RF absorption with integrated thermal management for reliable operation.
Heat Dissipation
Cooling fin heatsink design provides maximum thermal dissipation for continuous high-power operation.
Rugged Construction
Heavy-duty OFHC copper body engineered for demanding transmitter test and system burn-in environments.
Full-Band Coverage
Maintains excellent VSWR and return loss across the complete operating bandwidth even at elevated power levels.
Ka-Band Use Cases
5G NR Infrastructure
mmWave small cell routing
Satcom Terminals
Ka-band uplink/downlink
Airborne Radar
High-res targeting systems
Defense Comms
Secure point-to-point links
More High Power Terminations
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a high power termination overheats?+
If the absorbing wedge exceeds its thermal limit, it can crack or outgas. More importantly, as it heats up, its electrical resistance changes, ruining the impedance match and causing massive RF reflections (high VSWR) back into your amplifier.
Why is WR-28 the standard for early mmWave 5G?+
WR-28 covers the critical 28 GHz and 39 GHz 5G NR frequency bands (n257, n258, n260, n261). Its physical size allows for high power handling at base stations while maintaining low insertion loss before the signal is distributed to the phased array antenna elements.
What is the theoretical cut-off frequency for WR-28?+
The dominant TE10 mode cut-off frequency for a standard WR-28 waveguide is approximately 21.08 GHz. This guarantees single-mode propagation throughout the entire Ka-Band.