Characterization of secondary radioclimatic variables for microwave and millimeter wave link design in Nigeria

Abstract

A reliable radio propagation data is required in other to propose a well-founded model for radioclimatic study in any area. The two major types of radio propagation data needed are the primary and secondary propagation data. The primary data include temperature, pressure and relative humidity or water vapour pressure, while the secondary radioclimatic data are radio refractivity gradients, geoclimatic factor (K-factor) and the effective earth radius factor (k-factor). In this paper, analyses of the secondary data are carried out instead of the usual primary variables in order to deduce the influences on the Terrestrial line-of-Sight (LOS) based on 5 years data (2009-2013) obtained from five different regions of Nigeria (Akure, Enugu, Minna, Jos and Sokoto). The k-factor values at the surface across the study locations are higher than the prescribed value of 1.33 by the ITU. The same trend could also be observed for the geoclimatic factor K. The overall result will be a very good tool for microwave wireless link design in Nigeria.