Tarlac State University

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Tarlac City







Compilation of Exercises in ECE 513
(Transmission Media and Antenna Systems)






Submitted by:
ELTON JAY G. BILDAN
ECE 5F







Submitted to:
Engr. ALEJANDRO A. CARANTO







July 2014
CHAPTER 15: RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION

REVIEW QUESTIONS
SECTION 15.2
What is the polarization of a wave with its magnetic field vector horizontal?
Vertical polarization

SECTION 15.3
All else being equal, larger antennas receive a stronger signal than smaller antennas. Why is this?
They have a greater effective area so they intercept a greater proportion of the radiated
energy.

SECTION 15.4
Explain why total internal reflection is possible when radiation travels from a medium of higher
index of refraction to one with lower refractive index, but not when radiation travels in the other
direction.
In this first case, the radiation is bent away from the normal and toward the boundary. For
an angle of incidence equal to the critical angle, the light will refract along the normal, and
for greater angles of incidence, reflection takes place. In the second case, the radiation is
bent toward the normal and away from the surface, and there is no angle of incidence that
will cause the refracted ray to lie along the boundary.

SECTION 15.5
Why can AM radio stations often be received at distances beyond the horizon?
Ground waves follow the curvature of the earth and ground wave propagation is possible
at AM broadcast frequencies.

SECTION 15.6
Why is HF radio propagation over long distances better during peaks in the sunspot cycle?
The ionization level in the ionosphere is higher during peaks of solar activity.

SECTION 15.7
Why is antenna height important for line-of-sight propagation?
Greater antenna height increases the distance to the horizon.

SECTION 15.8
Why is antenna height important in mobile communication, even when the distances involved
are much less than the distance to the horizon?
Greater antenna height results in reduced multipath interference and fewer obstructions in
the direct path.

SECTION 15.9
Why is frequency reuse important in a cellular system?
Cellular systems increase their traffic capacity by reusing frequencies at relatively small
distances.

SECTION 15.10
Why is tropospheric ducting not used very much for practical communication systems?
It is unreliable.

PROBLEMS

SECTION 15.1
29. Find the propagation velocity of radio waves in glass, which has a relative permittivity of 7.8.
v =

= 107.42 x 10
6
m/s

SECTION 15.2
30. Find the wavelength, in free space, of radio waves at each of the following frequencies:
a. 50 kHz
b. 1 MHz
c. 23 MHz
d. 300 MHz
f. 12 GHz
e. 450 MHz

a. 50 kHz
=

= 6000 m
b. 1 MHz
=

= 300 m
c. 23 MHz
=

= 13.04 m
d. 300 MHz
=

= 1 m
e. 450 MHz
=

= 0.67 m
f. 12 GHz
=

= 0.025 m

31. Find the characteristic impedance of glass, which has a relative permittivity of 7.8.
Z =

= 134.99

32. An isotropic source radiates 100 W of power in free space. Calculate the power density and
the electric field intensity at a distance of 15 km from the source.
P
D
=

= 35.37 nW/m
2

=


= 3.65 mV

33. What power density is required to produce an electric field strength of 100 volts per meter in
air?
P
D
=

= 26.53 W/m
2


34. A signal has a power density of 50 mW/m
2
in free space. Calculate its electric and magnetic
field strengths.
E = (

) = 4.34 V/m

H =

=


= 11.51 mA/m

SECTION 15.3
35. A certain antenna has a gain of 7 dB with respect to an isotropic radiator.
a. What is its effective area if it operates at 200 MHz?
b. How much power would it absorb from a signal with field strength of 50 V/m?
a. A
eff
=

= 0.897 m
2

b. P
R
= A
eff
P
D
=

[
(

] = 5.95 pW

36. A transmitter has an output power of 50 W. It is connected to its antenna by a feedline that is
25 m long and properly matched. The loss in the feedline is 5 dB/100 m. The antenna has a gain
of 8.5 dBi.
a. How much power reaches the antenna?
b. What is the EIRP in the direction of maximum antenna gain?
c. What is the power density 1 km from the antenna, in the direction of maximum gain, assuming
free-space propagation?
d. What is the electric field strength at the location in part c?
a. P = 50W antilog (25 m x


) = 48.67 W

b. EIRP = P
T
G
T
= (48.67 W) (antilog

) = 344.51 W

c. P
D
=

= 27.42 W/m
2


d. E = (

) = 0.102 V/m

37. A satellite transmitter operates at 4 GHz with an antenna gain of 40 dBi. The receiver
40,000km away has an antenna gain of 50 dBi. If the transmitter has a power of 8 W, find
(ignoring feedline losses and mismatch):

a. the EIRP in dBW
b. the power delivered to the receiver

a. EIRP = (8)(antilog 40 dB) = 80,000
EIRP
(dBW)
= 10 log 80000 = 49.03 dBW
b.

178.10 pW

38. What would be the effect on the received signal level of making each of the following
changes (separately)? Give your answers in dB.
a. double the transmitter power
b. reduce the distance by half
c. increase the gain of the receiving antenna by 10Db

a. let P
T
= 2 P
T
P
R
=

= 2P
R

Therefore, RSL (received signal level) increases by 10 log (2) = +3.01 dB

b. let r = r
P
R
=

= 4P
R
Therefore, RSL increases by 10 log (4) = +6.02 dB

c. G
R
= G
R
+ 10 dB
= 10 log G
R
+ 10log10
= 10log10G
R

Therefore, G
R
increases by a factor of 10 and RSL increases by 10 log (10) = +10 dB

39. A cellular radio transmitter has a power output of 3 W at 800 MHz. It uses an antenna with a
gain of 3 dBi. The receiver is 5 km away, with an antenna gain of 12 dBi. Calculate the received
signal strength in dBm, ignoring any losses in transmission lines.
L
fs
= 32.44 + [20log(5)] + [20log(800)] 3 - 12 = 89.48 dB
89.48 dB = 10 log

; P
R
=

In dBm, P
R(dBm)
= 10 log

= -54.71 dBm

40. Suppose that the situation is the same as in the Problem 39 except that the transmission line
losses are 1 dB at the transmitter and 2 dB at the receiver. What is the received power in dBm
under these conditions?

=




= 1.126 x 10
-9
W
L
fs
= 10 log

= 10 log

= 89.48 dB
Total loss (L
T
) = 89.48 dB + 1 dB + 2 dB = 92.48 dB
Therefore, 10 log

= 92.48; P
R
=

= 1.69 x 10
-9
W
Or, in dBm, P
R(dBm)
= 10 log

= -57.72 dBm

41. Suppose the situation is the same as Problem 39 except that the transmitter power is reduced
to 750 mW. What is the received power in dBm under these conditions?
P
R
=

= 8.448 x 10
-8
W
In dBm, P
R(dBm)
= 10 log

= -60.73 dBm


SECTION 15.4
42. Sketch the path of the reflected waves in each of the diagrams in figure 15.36.
a. b.
c. d.

43. Find the critical angle when a wave passes from glass, with
r
= 7, into air.

c
= sin
-1

= sin
-1

= 20.98
O


44. Sketch the path of the refracted waves in each of the diagram in Figure 15.37.
n = 1 n = 3
r
= 1
r
= 3
a. b.

r
= 1
r
= 3
r
= 1
c. d.

45. A radio signal moves from air to glass. The angle of incidence is 20
o
. Calculate the angle of
refraction and sketch the situation. The relative permittivity of the glass is 7.8.

2
= sin
-1

= sin
-1

= 7.034





SECTION 15.6
46. If the critical frequency is 10 MHz, what is the OWF at an angle of incidence of 60
o
?
OWF = 85% of MUF
MUF =

= 20 MHz
Therefore, OWF = (20 MHz)(0.85) = 17 MHz

47. At a certain time, the MUF for transmission at an angle of incidence of 75
o
is 17 MHz. What
is the critical frequency?
MUF =

(17 MHz) =

Therefore, f
c
= 4.4 MHz

48. If the critical frequency is 12 MHz, what is the critical angle at 15 MHz?
MUF =

15 MHz =

Therefore,
c
= cos
-1
(


) = 36.87
20
Critical
angle
7.034
SECTION 15.7
49. An FM broadcast station has a transmitting antenna located at 50 m above average terrain.
How far away the signal could be received:
a. by a car radio with an antenna 1.5 m above the ground?
b. by a rooftop antenna 12 m above the ground?
a. d = + = 34.21 km

b. d = + = 43.44 km

50. A boat is equipped with a VHF marine radio, which it uses to communicate with other
nearby boats and shore stations.
a. Name the mode of propagation.
b. If the antenna on the boat is 2.3 m above the water, calculate the maximum distance for
communication with:
i. another similar boat
ii. a shore station with an antenna on a tower 22 m above the water level
iii. another similar boat, using the shore station as a repeater

a. Ionospheric propagation

b.
i. d = + = 12.5 km

ii. d = + = 25.59 km

iii. d = 2(25.59) = 51.18 km

51. An FM broadcast signal arrives at an antenna via two paths, as shown in Figure 15.38.
Calculate the difference in arrival time for the two paths.

52. A transmitter and receiver are separated by water. If the difference in the lengths of the direct
and reflected paths is 2 m, calculate the phase difference at 400 MHz.


SECTION 15.8
53. A PCS signal at 1.9 GHz arrives at an antenna via two paths differing in length by 19m.
a. Calculate the difference in arrival time for the two paths.
b. Calculate the phase difference between the two signals
a. t =

= 63.3 ns

b. =

= 0.158 m
=

= 120

54. Use the mobile propagation model given in Eqn. (15.33) to calculate the loss over a path of 5
km, with a base antenna 25 m above the ground, for a:
a. cellular telephone at 800MHz
b. PCS at 1900MHz

a. L
F
= 68.75 + 26.16 log f 13.86 log h + (44.9 6.55 log h)log d
L
F
= 68.75 + 26.16 log (800) 13.86 log (25) + (44.9 6.55 log 25) log 5
L
F
= 150.359 dB

b. L
F
= 68.75 + 26.16 log (1900) 13.86 log (25) + (44.9 6.55 log 25) log5
L
F
= 160.186 dB


SECTION 15.9
55. How rapidly would the signal fade if a cellphone (at 800 MHz) is in a car moving at 100
km/h?
v =

= 27.78 m/s
Therefore, T =

)
= 6.75 ms

56. Suppose that the cells have a 3 km radius and that the vehicle in the previous problem is
moving directly across a cell. How long will it remain in that cell before it has to be handed off
to next cell?
d = 3km x 2 = 6km
Therefore, t = 6km x

x


= 216 s

57. How many hexagonal cells with a 3 km radius would be needed to cover an area of 600 km
2
?
N =

20 cells