Philco Ford 160-50B 50 Ohm RF Coaxial Termination N-Female Connector Dummy Load

Philco Ford 160-50B 50 Ohm RF Coaxial Termination N-Female Connector Dummy Load

The Philco Ford 160-50B is a 50-ohm RF coaxial termination — commonly called a dummy load — used to provide a matched impedance termination on RF transmission lines and test equipment. Built by Philco's Sierra Electronic Operation in Menlo Park, California, this unit features a substantial finned aluminum heat sink body designed to dissipate RF power as heat, and terminates with an N-female connector.

Specifications & What's Included

• Model: Philco Ford 160-50B
• Manufacturer: Philco Ford — Sierra Electronic Operation, Menlo Park, California
• Impedance: 50 ohm
• Connector: N-Female (N-f)
• Body: Finned aluminum heat sink construction
• Termination only — no cables or accessories included

Applications

RF coaxial terminations like the Philco Ford 160-50B are used wherever a transmission line or RF port needs to be properly terminated to prevent signal reflections. A 50-ohm termination is the standard impedance match for most RF and microwave test systems, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and coaxial transmission lines. The N-type connector interface was the dominant connector standard in high-power military, government, and commercial RF systems from the 1950s through the 1980s — the era this Philco Ford unit dates from — and remains widely used in satcom ground equipment, antenna systems, radar, and microwave lab setups to this day. Finned body terminations like this one handle meaningful power levels by radiating heat from the resistive element into the fins, making them suitable for bench testing and signal routing applications where a clean 50-ohm load is required. Philco Ford's Sierra Electronic Operation in Menlo Park, California was a supplier of RF and electronic components to military and government contractors through the Cold War era.