1. What is dBm?

dBm (decibels-milliwatts) is a unit of power measurement that expresses absolute power in decibels relative to 1 milliwatt. It's commonly used in radio, microwave, and fiber-optic communication networks.

2. Conversion Formula

The formula to convert Watts to dBm is:

Where:

• \( P \) — Power in Watts
• 1000 — Conversion factor (1 Watt = 1000 milliwatts)
• \( \log_{10} \) — Base-10 logarithm

Example: 20 Watts = 10 × log10(20 × 1000) = 43.01 dBm

3. Practical Applications

Details: dBm is widely used in telecommunications to express signal strength, transmitter power, and amplifier gain. It provides a logarithmic scale that makes it easier to work with very large and very small power levels.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter power in Watts (must be positive value). The calculator will convert it to dBm using the standard formula.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does 0 dBm mean?
A: 0 dBm equals exactly 1 milliwatt of power.

Q2: How does dBm compare to dB?
A: dB is a relative unit (ratio), while dBm is absolute (referenced to 1 mW).

Q3: What's a typical WiFi signal strength in dBm?
A: Good signal is around -50 dBm, while -80 dBm is very weak.

Q4: Why use dBm instead of Watts?
A: dBm allows expressing very large and small power levels conveniently and makes gain/loss calculations simpler (just addition/subtraction).

Q5: What's the dBm equivalent of 1 Watt?
A: 1 Watt = 30 dBm (since 10 × log10(1000) = 30).