Clark Telecommunications
Copyright CTEL 15/10/2011
Propagation Analysis
In order for an HF link to work properly, it must be designed to account for the propagtion conditions that will be encountered. This entails knowing the current solar flux and ionospheric status. This data can be obtained from published sources over the internet.
Modern propagation software can be used to plan the link based on this current data. Predictions are then compared to real field test results for confirmation.
For UHF & Microwave Point to Point Links, it is necessary to plot the great circle path between the two points on the Earth's surface. This can be done using digital topographic data. Once this is done, and knowing antenna details such as height and EIRP, propagation software can be used to calculate the receive signal level subject to path parameters such as obstruction, fade margin etc.
