In general the answer is yes. Wilkinson, Reactive (Airline) and Hybrid circuits are all reciprocal devices, meaning that the insertion loss from port A to port B is the same as the insertion loss measured from port B to port A. The difference is in the level of performance that your system requires.

  • Reactive splitters offer higher power handling capability, lowest dissipative loss and superior PIM performance.  However, they do not have good input return loss or isolation when used as combiners.
  • Wilkinson devices offer good performance as both splitters and combiners, but they have higher dissipative loss, poor PIM performance, and they are typically not suitable for higher power combining applications since their isolation resistors are embedded in the circuit. The Dx-64FN is one of many such series of Wilkinson Splitters.
  • Hybrid combiners are usually the superior performers as both splitters and combiners. They offer lower dissipative loss and higher isolation, than the Wilkinson combiners/splitters.  When used as combiners, hybrid couplers can achieve higher power and low PIM performance by simply terminating the unused port with high power, low PIM 50W load. CA-84N is a typical 2 x 2 Hybrid Combiner.