The attenuation of UHF radio signals by houses

The results of a measurement program that was conducted to determine the attenuation of UHF radio signals penetrating to the inside of a typical house is presented. This program is part of a study to determine the feasibility of using direct satellite communication to disseminate disaster warning messages. The measurements were made in a manner to determine the building attenuation as a function of frequency, construction type, climate, and the elevation angle to the signal source. Attenuation measurements were made in five cities: Boulder, CO, Duluth, MN, Kansas City, MO Little Rock, AR, and Houston, TX. The measurements were made at three frequencies, 860 MHz, 1550 MHz, and 2569 MHz, using the ATS-6 geosynchronous satellite as a signal source. Most measurements were made on two principal house types; wood frame with a wood outside surface, and wood-frame with a brick-veneer outside surface. The average measured building attenuation for all houses and all frequencies was 6.3 dB.