Attenuation of 1.25-Centimeter Radiation through Rain

The attenuation of 1.25-centimeter radiation by rain was determined experimentally. The experimental setup consisted of an optical path of 6400 feet with nine equally spaced rain gauges. The techniques used made it possible to utilize both uniform and nonuniform rainfall rates. Drop-size measurements were also made but no conclusions could be drawn because of the wide scatter in the drop-size distributions obtained. If the maximum distance over which communication can normally be established is 100 miles, light to moderate rain will reduce the range to about 10 miles. The radiated power must be increased by 10²⁰in order to re-establish communication over the 100-mile path.