Studies of base-station antenna height effects on mobile radio

As is well known, a base-station antenna height gain factor of 6 dB/octave has been predicted theoretically for signal path loss over flat ground and has been verified by measured data. However, the 6-dB/octave rule for antenna height effect cannot be used to predict signal strength for terrain contours if the terrain is not flat. A model has been developed for waves propagating over a nonflat ground which allows the antenna height effect to be predicted in different types of actual terrain contours. In the model, the actual terrain profile is classified as one of two different kinds of general terrain types. The relative received power due to the actual terrain path contour is predicted by considering the reflection points of the waves along the path. Experimental data have been used to verify the theoretically estimated results and they show good agreement.