Microwave Field Strength and Fading in the Presence of Intervening Ridges

Abstract

Experimental studies on microwave propagation in 2000 mc./sec. region on two paths, 14 and 54 kilometres long respectively, are compared with theoretical prediction of received field intensity and fading in the shadow region behind intervening ridges. Fresnel's knife-edge diffraction theory gives path losses which are too low. The negligible fading observed in the shadow region seems to compensate for reduced average signal level. It may, therefore, be advantageous to design some microwave links with intervening ridges.