VE6AB Mobile Ops
Hello....Can You Hear Me......
Recently while operating mobile in the downtown core of the city, I noticed that my HF rig operating HF RPR (Robust Packet Radio) APRS, was being heard and decoded on 30 meters by a distant HF Gateway located 3000 kilometers off in the distance.
With my mobile surrounded by tall buildings, it made me wonder just how much radio propagation is dependent on conditions which normally are a function of frequency, the height of the antenna mounted on my mobile, as well as the ground plane beneath the antenna.
Also, I don't want to forget atmospheric noise, reflection and refraction within the atmosphere caused by the tall buildings in the near field of my mobile, and of course the transmitter power that I had selected on this day.
Now operating HF mobile surrounded by tall buildings has its challenges, but operating VHF/UHF amongst (or within) tall buildings presents challenges as well.
It goes without saying that if your planning on operating in the core of the city, and possibly from within buildings where your signals are expected to pass through multiple walls, a UHF transceiver is a better choice than a VHF transceiver.
In rural areas where there are very few buildings and even fewer tall ones, you can operate just fine with your VHF transceiver being operated on simplex, or through a distant repeater.
Just some of the random musings coursing through my head while operating mobile under challenging conditions from within the core of the city.
Expand the photo for a closer look.....
