Fog attenuation on V band terrestrial radio and a low-cost measurement setup

This paper is focused on the attenuation of radio waves on fixed, V band terrestrial link due to fog. Besides of the V band, fog attenuation measurements on a parallel operating Ka band radio link will be also shown. First of all the appropriate ITU-R recommendation is applied to calculate fog attenuation between moderate and dense fog conditions for different path length and temperatures, and it will be compared with real measurement data. Afterwards a new, simple optical fog density measurement setup will be introduced. The correct operation of the fog sensor is demonstrated by measurements; furthermore the calibration process, which is based on the measured attenuation, will be also shown. It will be proved that the sensor is capable to measure the liquid water content (LWC) and the attenuation can be predicted from this value. The outcome of this research is the applicability of this new device in the design process of V or higher band radio and FSO (Free Space Optics) links.