Portable field measurement of mobile radio systems, effective radiated power, and receiver sensitivity

Radios enable the military and other users to communicate in varying environments. Portable handheld and vehicle mounted military radios are often subjected to extreme conditions that can compromise a unit´s communications range which could result in failure during an emergency situation. The restricted range could be the result of damaged antennas, cabling interface systems or the radio´s transmitter and receiver circuitry. Standard Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is able to test these components individually but not as a system. This paper presents a novel method of fully testing the radio as a system that is a significant improvement upon existing methods.