BASIC PROPAGATION AND ANTENNAS - W3JJJ

1 AM 5-303 BASIC PROPAGATION AND ANTENNAS MAY 2012 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM FORT HUACHUCA ARIZONA 85613-7070 AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION i Veer. CHANGE PAGE LIST OF EFFECTIVE PAGES INSERT LATEST CHANGED PAGES. DISTROY SUPERSEDED PAGES NOTE The portion of this text affected by the changes is indicated by a vertical line in the outer margins of the page. Changes to illustrations are indicated by shaded or screened areas or by miniature pointing hands. Changes of issue for original and changed pages are: Page NO.

2 Change No. Page NO. Change No. Page No. Change No. Title ..0 1-1 -7-1 ..0 *Zero in this column indicates an original page A Change 0 US Army 2. RETAIN THIS NOTICE AND INSERT BEFORE TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3. Holders of this document will verify that page changes and additions indicated above have been entered. This notice page will be retained as a check sheet. This issuance, together with appended pages, is a separate publication. Each notice is to be retained by the stocking points until the standard is completely revised of canceled. AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION ii Veer.

3 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION .. 1-2 2 BASIC antenna THEORY .. 2-1 BASIC HF radio PROPAGATION : .. 2-1 Groundwave PROPAGATION : .. 2-2 Line of Sight (LOS) or Direct Wave: .. 2-2 Ground-Reflected Wave: .. 2-3 Refracted Troposphereic Wave: .. 2-3 Skywave: .. 2-4 Ionospheric Layering: .. 2-4 F layer: .. 2-4 E layer: .. 2-4 D layer: .. 2-4 Geometry of Ionospheric Refraction: .. 2-5 3 FREQUENCY SELECTION: .. 3-1 Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF): .. 3-1 Lowest Useful Frequency (LUF): .. 3-1 Anomalous Ionospheric PROPAGATION : .. 3-1 Sporadic E: .. 3-1 Ionospheric Storms: .. 3-2 Polar Cap Absorption: .. 3-2 Spread E/F.

4 3-2 4 MULTIPATH PROPAGATION : .. 4-1 Doppler spread: .. 4-1 Noise: .. 4-5 Manmade Noise: .. 4-5 Atmospheric Noise .. 4-6 Galactic Noise .. 4-6 5 DIVERSITY .. 5-1 Space Diversity: .. 5-1 Frequency diversity: .. 5-1 Polarization Diversity: .. 5-1 Time Diversity: .. 5-1 Path Diversity: .. 5-3 Diversity Combiners: .. 5-3 6 PROPAGATION PREDICTION .. 6-2 General: .. 6-2 Computer Prediction Models: .. 6-3 PROPHET: .. 6-3 IONCAP 11-year PROPAGATION Analysis: .. 6-4 IONCAP Point-to-Point PROPAGATION Prediction Tables: .. 6-4 MINIMUF: .. 6-4 7 IONOSPHERIC SOUNDING .. 7-2 AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION Ver iii PREFACE Improvements Suggested corrections, or changes to this document, should be submitted through your State Director to the Regional Director.

5 Any Changes will be made by the National documentation team. Distribution Distribution is unlimited. Versions The Versions are designated in the footer of each page if no version number is designated the version is considered to be or the original issue. Documents may have pages with different versions designated; if so verify the versions on the Change Page at the beginning of each document. References ALLIED COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATIONS (ACP): (1) ACP - 121 - Communications Instruction, General (2) ACP - 124 - Radiotelegraph Procedures (3) ACP - 125 - Radiotelephone Procedures (4) ACP - 126 - Communications Instructions Radio Teletypewriter (5) ACP - 131 - Communications Instructions Operating Signals US ARMY REGULATIONS AND MANUALS (1) AR 25-6 - Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) and Amateur Radio Program (2) FM Tactical Radio Operations (3) TM 5-811-3 - Electrical Design, Lightning and Static Electricity Protection (4) US Army MARS Net Plan (5) MIL-HDBK 413, DESIGN HANDBOOK FOR RADIO FREQUENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS DOD MANUALS (1)

6 DOD Instruction Other Government Documents (1) National Bureau of Standards - Monograph 80 (2) International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) -Report 322. (3) NTIA - Report 85-173 COMMERCIAL (1) BASIC Electronics, Components, Devices and Circuits; ISBN 0-02-81860-X, By William P Hand and Gerald Williams (2) antenna Engineering Handbook, By Henry Jasik Editor, McGraw Hill Contributors This document has been produced by the Army MARS Technical Writing Team under the authority of Army MARS HQ, Ft Huachuca, AZ. The following individuals are subject matter experts who made significant contributions to this document. (1) William P Hand AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION iv Ver.

7 Acronyms and Abbreviations Abbreviations Definition AM Amplitude Modulated APC Allied Communications Publication AR Army Regulation CCIR International Radio Consultative Committee CW Continuous Wave (Morse Code) dB Decibel DoD Department of Defense F Fahrenheit FM 1. Frequency modulated 2. From 3. Field Manual FOUO Official Use Only GHz Gigahertz 1,000,000 Hertz HF High Frequency Hz Hertz, one cycle per second IONCAP Ionospheric Communications Analysis and Prediction Program ISD Intermediate and Short Distance Skywave KHz Kilohertz, (1x103 Hertz) (1,000 Hertz) Km Kilometers (1 thousand meters) L Length LOS Line of Sight LUF Lowest Useful Frequency MF Field Manual MHz Megahertz, (1x106 Hertz)(1,000,000 Hertz) MIL Military MMF Multipath Minimization Factor MUF Maximum Usable Frequency Pf Picofarad (10 -12)

8 RF Radio Frequency SNR signal-to-noise ratio UHF Ultra High Frequency VHF Very High Frequency VLF Very Low Frequency AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION Ver 1-1 AM 5 303 antenna Theory and PROPAGATION 1-2 Ver. 1 INTRODUCTION An antenna is a device for radiating or intercepting electromagnetic wave energy. Virtually every transmitter and every receiver must have an antenna , and all ANTENNAS operate in accordance with certain BASIC principles, some of which are merely extensions of BASIC transmission line theory. Electromagnetic waves are produced whenever there is a radiofrequency current. Wires, RF coils, capacitors, and other components carrying this type of current are subject to RF power loss due to radiation.

9 The amount of energy liberated depends upon the amount of current, the size and shape of the conducting materials, and the environment. In our development of antenna theory, we are assuming that the antenna is being used for transmission purposes. Most characteristics of a transmitting antenna will be found applicable to receiving ANTENNAS . This does not mean, however, that any antenna used for reception is suitable for transmission with maximum efficiency. Only under certain conditions are the two ANTENNAS interchangeable. The antenna is effectually a transformer coupling the signal to the atmosphere, and in turn, to the receiving antenna .

10 There are about as many antenna types as there are people on this planet. In this discussion we will only consider the main general types and not get into the many very specialized types that have little valve for the type of radio communications we There are generally 5 BASIC types of ANTENNAS but within each type there may be many designs, some for very specialized use that we will not consider. The BASIC types are: 1. VLF Very Low Frequency 2. HF High Frequency 3. VHF Very High Frequency 4. UHF Ultra High Frequency 5. Microwave There are sub catagories within these broad types especially when you begin to consider microwave.