Estimating satellite beacon attenuation from radiometer data: error statistics based on two years low elevation angle measurements at 11.2 GHz

Simultaneous measurements of radiometric antenna temperature and relative beacon attenuation have been made, using a single 2.4 m conical horn-reflector antenna with a measured sky coupling efficiency of h=0.98. This paper pertains to the initial two-year period from June 1988 through May 1990. The authors monitored the right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) 11.198 GHz beacon signal emanating from an INTELSAT geostationary satellite located at 24.5°W, with a path elevation angle of 5.8°. The statistical properties of both the effective medium temperature and the ratio of beacon to radiometric attenuations have been quantified, allowing these results to be incorporated into mathematical models. Such models are required to predict the success of schemes relying on radiometric measurements for purposes other than long term behaviour, such as satellite uplink power control or the estimation of site diversity statistics