LOS(Line of Sight) Radio Links

Extremely powerful transmitters may be rendered

useless if the type of antenna chosen, height of
antenna from ground, or path loss considerations are
not taken into consideration. Due to the many
variables within the early design of a system, the best
approach is to perform a link analysis determining
the overall margin of the link, and from this, decide
where the cost effective tradeoffs may be made.

Atten (decibels) = 36.6 + 20 * log F(MHz) + 20 Log D(miles)

Printable version of above chart.

1. Use the nomogram to determine the attenuation in decibels or use the equation:
Atten (decibels) = 36.6 + 20 * F(MHz) + 20 Log D(miles)
Example: A 30 mile radio line of sight distance at 174 MHz will equate to
Atten = 36.6 + 20 * log(174) + 20 Log(30) = 110.95 dB

2. Next, verify that the distance in miles between the transmit and the receive
antennas is acceptable, given the installed height of the antenna on a tower at each
end. This will confirm that the curvature of the earth will not interfere with the radio
wave propagation. Each sight under consideration needs to be investigated for
obstructions between the transmitting antenna and the receive antenna. For example,
mountains, major buildings, heavy wooded forests, etc. all may have a substantial
impact to the quality of the link especially when rain, ice, and snow are covering the
above obstructions. Use the following nomogram to verify antenna height or distance
in miles between stations.

3. Determine the level of reliability desired within a communication link in terms of

percent reliability and read the corresponding value of fading/multipath losses:

Percent Reliability (%) Fading Margin (dB)

90 10
99 20
99.9 30
99.99 40

4. Calculate the path margin using the following equation:

Link Margin = [Transmitter Power] + [Transmit Antenna Gain] + [Receive
Antenna Gain] - [Cable Loss at Transmitter] - [Cable Loss at Receiver] -
[Attenuation Loss] - [Fading Margin] - [Receiver Sensitivity]

Example: Using the following typical equipment specifications coupled with the
desired reliability of 99.9% over a 10 mile path:

Radio Transmit Power (174MHz) 4 Watts (+36 dBm)

Radio with Receiver Sensitivity -105 dBm
Transmit Antenna Gain +7 dB
Receive Antenna Gain +3 dB
Tx Cable Loss (RG-8) .5 dB
Rx Cable Loss (RG-8) 1.2 dB
Attenuation over 10 Miles (above) 110.95 dB
Desired Data Reliability
99.9%
(Fading Margin = 30 dB)
Link Margin = 36 + 7 + 3 - .5 - 1.2 - 110.95 - 30 - (-105)
Link Margin = 8.35 dB

Final Comments
1. Always use the lowest loss cable possible (or within budget) for antenna cables.
Typically, remote sites have short cable lengths but base stations most often have over
100 feet of cable between the transceiver and antenna. In this common application,
standard RG-8 cable is suitable for the remote antenna cables but the base station may
benefit from use of a low loss rigid antenna cable for the long distance between the
antenna and the transmitter. Quite often, 3 dB of loss may be recovered through the
use of low loss cable instead of increasing the transmitter output power by a factor of
two.

2. The above link analysis is calculated on the basis of a clear Line of Sight path
meeting the above nomogram requirements. If dense foliage, trees, buildings, or other
obstructions are between the transmitter and the receiver, then much more margin will
be required to compensate for the poor weather conditions.