Measurement of the Attenuation of Radio Signals by Jungles Jack W
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RADIO SCIENCE Journal of Research NBS jUSNC-URSI Vol. 68D, No.8, August 1964 Measurement of the Attenuation of Radio Signals by Jungles Jack W. Herbstreit and W. Q. Crichlow Contribution From the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colo. (Received March 27, 1964; revised April 10, 1964) Recent interest in jungle communications has indicated the desirability of publishing quantitative field strength measurements made in jungles by the authors during World War II. The jungle attenuation of radio signals is so great that for satisfactory communi cations over distances greater than one mile, skywave propagation or elevated antennas should be employed. 1. Introduction path. In the jungles selected for measurements in New Guinea, the trees were appreciably taller, rang A part of World War II was conducted in jungle ing upwards to 90 ft; however, the undergrowth was territory in the Southwest P acific area. In 1943, the not quite as thick and inaccessible as that in Panama. authors were m embers of Dr. W. L . Everitt's Opera Low power transportable Signal Corps transmit tional R esearch Staff in the Office of the Chief Signal ters on frequencies of 2005 kc/s, 3010 kc/s, 5880)w/s, Officer, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. 5975 kc/s, 44 1/1c/s, and 98.8 Mc/s were used with In this capacity they conducted a communications vertical whip antennas near the ground on all fre research study and quantitative field measurements quencies except 98.8 Mc/s. At 98.8 Mc/s, a half of radio propagation through jungles in the rain wave dipole mounted on an 18 ft mast was used with forests of Panama and New Guinea. The results both horizontal and vertical polarization. Cali obtained are given in Signal Corps reports [Herb brated field strength meters were used at all frequen streit and Crichlow, 1943; Bateman, H erbstreit, and cies for the measurements. Zechiel, 1944; War Department, 1944] but are not In order to obtain a m easure of the radiated generally available. Portions of these results are power of each transmitter-antenna combination, field published at this time because of recent interest in strength versus distance m eaS Ul"em.ents were made in radio propagation through jungles . It is believed Panama over flat open ground (golf course) . The that t he conclusions reached are still valid. The ground conductivity and dielectric constant of the original Signal Corps reports contain measurements ground were estimated by comparing the measure of atmospheric noise levels in jungle areas and appli ments with theoretical curves of field strength versus cations of both the attenuation and nc,ise measure distance computed for several electrical ground ments to the evaluation of the performance of constants. particular transmitting-receiving set performance. N ext, the transmitters were taken into the jungle . A more comprehensive atmospheric noise study bas and measurements of field strength versus distance been made following these original results and is were made at a number of distances along a radial available [CCIR, 1963a; Crichlow, Disney, and path from the transmitters. On 44 11c/s, a con Jenkins, 1957]. tinuous recording of field strength versus distance, which gives a picture of the large variations of the 2 . Jungle Attenuation Measurements field strength encountered in the jungle, was made as the transmitter was carried along a narrow jungle In order to determine the magnitude of the attenu trail. Similar measurements of field strength versus ation of radio waves caused by jungle growth, distance were made on frequencies of 3390 and 6070 measurements were made in Panama and New kc/s in the New Guinea jungle using Signal Corps Guinea of field strength versus distance at several transmitters similar to those used in Panama for frequencies. The jungles of both Panama and New these frequencies. FigUTes 1, 2, and 3 show the Guinea where the measurements were conducted results of the Panama measurements, and figure 4 were dense rain forests with many tall trees and the New Guinea results . These results are shown thick, almost impenetrable low level foliage of palms, in terms of the field strengths measUTed for the par bamboo, and other plant life interspersed. In Pan ticular Signal Corps target transmitters used and in ama the average tree height was approximately 50 ft, terms of transmission loss [CCIR, 1963b] which is and the thick foliage 10 to 30 ft. Generally, in order independent of transmitting and receiving equipment. to install the equipment at measuring points in the Figure 1 (a) shows measurements of field strength Panama jungles it was necessary to cut paths through versus distance at 2005 kc/s over the golf COUl"se and the undergrowth perpendicular to the propagation also in the jungle. At this location the jungle ended 903 at 1.6 miles, and the land was open and clear beyond tances at which measW'ements were made. The this point . It may be noticed that the field strength dashed line on the jungle cW've of figW'e 1 (a) is an did not fall off very rapidly after the end of the jungle estimate of the way the field strength would have was reached. The presence of skywave is not indi fallen off at greater distances if the jungle had not cated since no fading was noticed at any of the dis- ended. (NOMINAL TRANSM ITTER POWER OUTPUT = 25 WATTS) (NOM INAL TRANSMITTER POWER OUTPUT = 1.0 WATT) o (0) 2005 Kc/s (a) 44Mc/s w 120 100 i-;;:l-i-i-;:===:I=:==:I=:==:r::====;l ~ SCR 300 - 44 MCIS o <t VE RT ICAL PO LARIZATIO N 0: - 50 Go GROU NDED HALF WAVE ANTENNA z CALCUL ATED POWER ~ 100 60 f---+~~ ~ !"cou RADIATED ~ 0. 4 WATTS ~ ~Sc - C\J 20 70 o I~, ~( 4ft: 60 . - 60 I----t--t----t-- 0: o ......... 0- 4zc: l.L ~svG< ' .... olO', 2 uZ 4r 'VG' ..... ~ l'I)i)o CO c: - 40 (f) 90 (<" ... s/I'I) u~" <t Z C<; 60 ~ =---- <;' ,,- z 40 , <c: w w <;, " >20 f- , 4: > J'v-j> ~ ..... , '" <1;- Z , ('0 ~ 60 <t 0 (f) <t q.~ l.L W - .... w 11 0 <{ 1--", ...J '" S1? z aJ 40 _ 0<:5 <t ~ "<" z '0 u 0 20 , w I w..., f- <t , f- I J'~ 0: a: Z f - w <{ (!) SCR 694 - 2005 Kcls 60 (f) > 130 W Z VERTICAL POLARIZATION \ f- - 0 > w 20 ~ <{ 0: 16' WHIP AN TE NNA w :;: - 500 f- \ 0 - I Z f- 'i: (f) CALCULATED POW ER Z Ow ¢ - ~w l.L RADIATED ~ 0.2 WATTS ::J ...J o \ - 10 0 0 0 -= 400 ~ l.L <t ...J \ 150 W a: 1 I 1 1 (!) a: = ~ ~ l.L o - 300 w 0 0.03 0.05 0.1 0. 2 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.0 f- l.L - 20 w a: ° 0.03 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.5 1. 0 2.0 5.0 a DI STA NC E IN MILES 0 E DISTAN CE IN M ILES z I :;; ::J (f) 0 ::l a: o (b ) 597 5 Kc/s 0: (!) w 120 0 ( b ) 44 M C/S ~ l.L. W 100 a: > SCR 300 - 44 Mc/s 0 o " Goz!" aJ 0 l.L. <t J .1 CD VERTICAL POLAR IZAT ION 0: fi'sc '0 <t 50 ~u - 30 GROUNDED HALF WAVE ANTENNA (f) (f) ~ 4fc ~ CD CALCULATED POWER (f) f- 10 0 '0 (f) 60 0 " 4su I RADIATED ~ 0.4 WAT TS ...J ~ !'( '?c4t, (f) 'i: 0 I ..... , "1-;- ...J f- Z Q ' s C<I - 50 (!)z 70 0 l'. z (f) 60 ~ '" <c w (f) 0: 0 0: 60 o ~'\ " ~O'~<I (f) f- l.L Vv <' ;-~ (f) :::< 'k ~~ 0 (f) (f) 0 z G( ~ ' OC :::< ...J <t vi' (f) 90 <"~ . ' ,-~ ,,- 70 w 0: 60 ~ ~ Z f- <t l.L 40 w '9&~\ ' '''., 0: > f- o CD u.,~ ~ '~o <t ~ . \ 90 110 aJ 40 '0 r ~~ --- - 20 I I 0'" z SKY I SC R 69 4 - 5975 K cis ~ f - 600 (!) VER TICAL POLARIZATION i'\c W~ E_ 11 0 130 Z W 20 16' WH IP ANTENNA :: Iz 0: ", 'T -= 500 Q t;:j f CALCULATED POWE R - If- W (f) , ~l.L RADIATED ~ 10 WATTS ~ a - ~ 400 'j ~ ...J ~~ 130 w 150 w o : 300 l.L. 0.0 3 0. 05 0.1 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.0 -20 DISTANCE IN MILES 0.03 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.0 DISTANCE IN M ILES FIGURE 1. Measurements of field strength or transmission FIGU RE 2. M easurements of field strength or transmission loss loss versus distance over flat ground (golf course) and through versus distance over flat ground (golf couT.~ e) and through jungles of Panama. jungles of Panama. 904 J (NOM INAL TRANSMITTER POWER OUTPUT = 50 WATTS) THR OUG H JUNGLES OF NEW GUINEA (NOMINAL TRANSMITTER POWER OUTPUT = 25 WA TTS) o 12 0 ,---(:..::O~)-=9-=8~ . 8=-.M_e~/~s_-rV.::.E _RT_I--=C_A.;::L _P_0:...:L=-ArR_I.::.Z _ATTI-"O_N_--, w 120 ,..----....0---.----.----.---'-( a",)-,3""3 9,,,,0,---k c,--l_s -,----,--,----, ~ AN /TRC 1- 98.8 Mel. r r Ci CALCULATED POWER RADIATED ~ I WATT <1 Co a: <::", - 40 I- 100 C'o I- u-? 100 I---"tt-+--t-='~ <1 S(- ~ 1,.(- <1s a: v-?, - 60 o LL 80 ("1,.~ .... ~;, '1/. 0.' 0' 't-G' ,, "" .... 80 601--_+-- '(' /0" 60 ~ - " w <; "'1. .... '~o o> ro <;, .... C'v- 4 01--_+-_+-~ <1 100 <'1- ' ' <1,>, CD 40 E "0 iii 1 ' , ." foeo w ::> • ~ TEST OVER JUNGLE ROAD ~ I T~~ ...