Measurement and analysis of instantaneous radio height-gain curves at 8.6 millimeters over rough surfaces

By the use of an array of ten vertically-spaced antennas and a rotating wave guide switch, a portion of the height-gain pattern for a short radio path was obtained as a function of time for a wave length of 8.6 millimeters. In the analysis of the data taken across a small lake, the reflection from the water is assumed to be made up of two components. One component is a constant value equal to the median signal received at the antennas over the sampling period and the other component is a variable signal of the proper phase and magnitude to give the measured total signal at each instant. The angle of arrival, phase and magnitude of the fluctuating signal are obtained for a short sample of data and their characteristics described.