A dB is a RELATIVE measure of two different POWER levels. There's also dB
relative to VOLTAGE levels, but I won't go into those, as we're mostly
concerned with POWER levels in our discussions here. 3dB is twice (or half) as
much, 6dB is four times, 10dB is ten times, and so on. The formula for
calculating gain or loss in dB is: 10log P1/P2. It's used for stating the gain
or loss of one device (P1) IN RELATION to another (P2). Thus, I can say that an
amplifier has “30 dB of gain”, or I have “6dB total feedline loss”. I CANNOT
say, “My amp puts out 30 dB”, or “I have a 24dB antenna”, as you must state
what you're referencing it to, which is where the subscript comes in. The dB by
itself is not an absolute number, but a ratio.
For amplifiers, a common reference unit is the dBm, with 0dBm being equal to 1
milliwatt. Thus, an amp with an output of 30dBm puts out 1 Watt. How much gain
it has is a different matter entirely, and you can have two different amps,
each with an output of 30dBm (1Watt), that have different gains, and require
different levels of drive power to achieve their outputs. You can also have two
different amps with the same gain that have different output powers.
There's also dBW (Referenced to 1 WATT), but you generally only use those when
dealing with “Big Stuff”, as 30dBW is 1000w, and way beyond what we deal with
here!
For antennas, a common reference unit is the dBi, which states the gain of an
antenna as referenced to an ISOTROPIC source. An Isotropic source is the
perfect omnidirectional radiator, a true “Point Source”, and does not exist in
nature. It's useful for comparing antennas, as since it’s theoretical, it’s always
the same. It's also 2.41 dB BIGGER than the next common unit of antenna gain,
the dBd, and makes your antennas sound better in advertising. The dBd is the
amount of gain an antenna has referenced to a DIPOLE antenna. A simple dipole
antenna has a gain of 2.41dBi, and a gain of 0dBd, since we're comparing it to
itself. If I say I have a “24dB antenna”, it means nothing, as I haven't told
you what I referenced it to. It could be a 26.41dBi antenna (24dBd), or a
21.59dBi (also 24dBd!) antenna, depending on what my original reference was.
The difference is 4.81dB, a significant amount. Most antenna manufacturers have
gotten away from playing this game, but the reference will be different in
different fields.
Commercial antennas tend to be rated in dBi, as the people buying them
understand it, and Amateur Radio antennas tend to be dBd, as Hams are very
familiar with dipoles. Sorry to go on for so long, but as an Engineer, it bugs
me a bit to see things like this!
