Study › Technician › T3A › T3A07

T3A07

RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION · Radio wave characteristics: how a radio signal travels, fading, multipath, polarization, wavelength vs absorption; Antenna orientation

T3A07T3A →

What weather condition might decrease range at microwave frequencies?

  1. AHigh winds
  2. BLow barometric pressure
  3. CPrecipitation
  4. DColder temperatures
Why At microwave frequencies the wavelength shrinks toward the size of raindrops, so water droplets absorb and scatter the signal instead of letting it pass. This 'rain fade' grows worse as frequency climbs, becoming very noticeable above roughly 10 GHz, which is why satellite TV dishes drop out in a heavy downpour. Snow, fog and hail cause similar loss, so any form of precipitation in the path can cut your microwave range.
Watch out Wind and barometric pressure by themselves do not absorb RF; pressure and temperature matter only indirectly, by shaping temperature inversions and ducts that can actually extend VHF/UHF range rather than shorten it.
Microwaves + water drops = rain fade. Think of satellite TV going out in a thunderstorm.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
← T3A06 All of T3A T3A08 →

The rest of T3A

  1. T3A01 Why do VHF signal strengths sometimes vary greatly when the antenna is moved only a few feet?
  2. T3A02 How does vegetation affect UHF and microwave signals?
  3. T3A03 What antenna polarization is normally used for long-distance CW and SSB contacts on the VHF and UHF bands?
  4. T3A04 What is the effect of antenna cross-polarization over a line-of-sight VHF or UHF path?
  5. T3A05 When using a directional antenna, how might your station be able to communicate with a distant repeater if bu…
  6. T3A06 What is the meaning of the term "picket fencing"?
  7. T3A07 What weather condition might decrease range at microwave frequencies?
  8. T3A08 What is a likely cause of irregular fading of signals propagated by the ionosphere?
  9. T3A09 Which of the following results from the fact that signals propagated by the ionosphere are elliptically polar…
  10. T3A10 What effect does multi-path propagation have on data transmissions?
  11. T3A11 Which region of the atmosphere can reflect HF radio waves?
  12. T3A12 What effect does fog or rain have on 10-meter and 6-meter band signals?
Baofeng BF-F8HP Pro Dual Band HandheldSponsored · View on Amazon →Powerwerx SS-30DV 30A DC Power SupplySponsored · View on Amazon →