RADIO SURVEY

A radio survey is the process of measuring the propagated radio field strength
over an area of interest. It is an essential part of the cellular radio site-selection
process. Many survey radio-survey techniques exist, but few yield consistent and
satisfactory results. A radio potential coverage of a proposed base station site.
As a maintenance tool, a radio survey confirms continued satisfactory coverage.
A radio survey usually uses a field-strength measuring receiver located in a
vehicle to measure teh field strength. Sometimes the reciprocal path (that is, the
path from the mobile to the base station) is measured instead. Both
measurements are mathematically equivalent.
When measuring field strength, it is important to note that what is being
measured is a statistical variable and that the measurement technique must
allow for this.
Three factors operate together to produce teh measured field strength: path loss
(free space), log normal fading, and Rayleigh fading. Figure 5.1 illustrates teh
free (for example, unobstructed) path loss. This loss is the most significant in
microwave links, but it is only one of the losses in teh mobile environment.

The free space path loss PL is given by :

Figure 5.2 shows log normal fading. This process is called log normal fading
because the field-strength distribution follows a curve that is normally distributed
curve, provided the field strength is measured logarithmically.
Multipath, or Rayleigh, fading is a salient feature of mobile communications and,
to some significant extent, limits the coverage of mobile systems when the
mobile is moving in a multipath environment. It is not such a dominant factor in
handheld mobile udage but, in low-field-strength areas, it can be detected by
variations in noise levels as the receiver is moved. Figure 5.3 illustrates
multipath fading.

An empirical formula for the cumulative effect of these three types of ffading is
given in Recommendations and Reports of the CCIR, 1982, Volume V, Report 5672 as :

Where 15 percent of the area is covered by buildings (that is, an urban area).
This formula is based on field experience. Experience dictates that in different
terrains some or all the coefficients must be recalibrated. For general use, the
formula should be regarded as accurate to +- 10 dB.
It is often said that in the mobile environment, the loss is inversely proportional
to distance to the fourth power. You can see that this is consistent with formula
by looking at the last term (44,9-6,55 log hI) log dkm. This is the only term that is

a function of dkm. If, for example, hI=30 meters (the base-station antenna height),
then this term becomes (44,9-6,55 log 30) x log d km = 35,2 log dkm.
Because this is an expression for loss in dB, it can be rewritten in the form :

This reduces the relatively complex formula to approximately d km; the fourth
power relationship holds exactly at an antenna alevation of 5,6 meters.
STANDING WAVE PATTERNS
In the far field, where all these loss modes are operating, the fields strength
varies with distance and time. At any one instance, the field strength can be
shown as illustrated in Figure 5.4 on the next page.
The limiting case of standing wave patterns is one produced by a reflecting plane
at right angles for the line of propagation. A standing wave produced by a wave
incident on a plane reflecting surface (such as a wall) produces the familiar

2 standing wave pattern shown in Figure 5.5 on the next page.

Other forms of interference generally produce interference patterns with a
wavelength greater than 2 . The distance L, between the waves, is such that
2< L , but L can take any larger value. In practice, however, L
can be taken as the worst case. Notice that 2

= 0,16 m (16cm) at 900 MHz.

MEASURING FIELD STRENGTH

As a mobile radio must necessarily operate over its entire service area, the field
strength at a point becomes meaningless in terms of the overall performance of
a mobile receiver. Consequently, individual spot readings are also meaningless.
Some operators have tried to solve this problem by using a field-strength meter
in a moving vehicle and guessing the average level. This also yields
meaningless results, as you can see from the structure of a typical fields-strength
meter, which has some way to access the IF limiter or AGC (Automatic Gain
Control) drive stage to measure the output of that stage via a meter. A log-law
amplifier gives a usable output in Db. The meter is usually a conventional
moving-coil meter.
Because these field-strength meters are designed to operate in a point-to-point
environment, the smoothing capacitor C (or its mechanical equivalent) is usually
incorporated to even out small fluctuations due to log normal fading, and it likely
has a time constant of 5-2 seconds.
When such a meter is confronted with a rapidly varying signal, it tends to folloe
the peaks, as indicated in Figure 5.7.
Because the relationship between the peak value and the average value from
such a device is dependent on the depth of the fade and the multipath
frequency, no firm relationship between these values can be said to exist. Thus,

a sampling method that samples at a suffeciently high rate to mesure that actual
standing wave is necessary.
If this standing wave pattern were totally uncorrelated, the necessary sampling
speed would be the Nyquist rate ( 2 tims the pattern frequency) but, because of
the existence of a correlation in practice it has been demostrated that about one
quarter of taht yields results that are accurate to 1 dB.
SAMPLING SPEED
To calculate the required sampling speed in a mobile environment, consider a
vehicle moving at 100 km per hour through a standing wave pattern of a 900
MHz transmission.
The wavelength of that pattern is :

In the worst instance, the standing wave pattern is repeated every 2

m (as

in the case of a reflection of 180 degrees from a wall).

The Nyquist sampling rate requires two samples per pattern interval, or one
sample every 0,1665/2 meters. Thus, the nyquist sampling rate is 27,7/
(0,1665/2) = 332 samples/sec. As already mentioned, about one quarter of that
rate (oe 80 samples/sec) would suffice.
MODERN SURVEY TECHNIQUES
Modern survey equipment is based on the principles of the system illustrated in
Figure 5.8. The radio receiver can be a specialized communications receiver with
a wide dynamic range of both level and frequency, or it can be a special-purpose
receiver such as a mobile telephone. If the receiver is not designed as a
measuring receiver, some limitations will occur due to limiter time constants.
The two main criteria for the reciver are that the RF level is a monotonic (singlevalued) function of the RF level and that the limiter output has a bandpass
characterictic of about 100 Hz.
Most modern receivers meet teh requirement that the RF level is monotonic.
Some older wide-band communications receivers with a measuring capability use
switched attenuators to increase their dynamic range. Often the switching-in of
these attenuators causes discontinuities in the output level, which can render
them unsuitable for survey.
The respons time of the limiter is deliberately damed so that the device operates
only to compensate for level variations that ordinarily result from fading, but the
response frequency is limited so that RTTY, MORSE< and other digital signalss
can be passed normally. This damping can be as elementary as a simple RC
bandpass filter, or it may be more sophisticated.
Figure 5.9 shows the limiter/AGC response curve. If it was originally planned that
the receiver was to operate in a fixed location, this damping may limit the
response time of the limiter to the wxtent that it is unusitable for survey.

The easiest way to determine suitability is to input an AM square-wave

modulated carrier and compare the input with the limiter drive as the frequency
is increased. Provided the output trcaks fairly well up to 50 HZ the receiver will
be effective. Figure 5.10 shows the limiter response time of a survey receiver.
Most measurng receivers track onlu up to 50-100 Hz, although a few go a little
higher than this. Notice that the inability to sample to at least 50 Hz results in
damping errors of the same nature as those of a simple field-strength meter
previously discussed.

In a digital field-strength meter, the output of the limiter is read by an analog-todigital converter, which samples the limiter levels. As previously explained, the
sample rate depends on the RF frequency and vehicle velocity. Figure 5.11 shows
a typical A?D converter.
A single high speed analog-to-digital converter chip the limiter output voltage
and outputs the level to a data bus. Usually, a multiplexer chips is used to allow
multiple inlets to be sampled in turn.
Receivers not specificaly designed as measuring receivers may well hhave a
band pass characterisric similar to the one shown in Figure 5.12. You can see that
the limiter drive does not respond to low-frequency signal variations. Such a
receiver will probably see Rayleigh fading but will not respond to log normal
fades. Such a receiver may also have square-wave response, as illustrated in
Figure 5.13. Notice that the behavior of the receiver in Figure 5.13 seems to be
limited by a simple RC network.
These receivers also have a response to large-level changes that saturate very
readily at excursion of about 4-6 dB. Thus, they generally underestimate the
standard deviation and the decile value.
The speedometer pulses can be used to ensure that samples are taken regulary
over fixed-distance intervals. This is done to avoid the sample biases taht can
occur when, for example, the survey vehicle is held up at one spot (a traffic light,
for example) and so records many readings at that one point, which then give a
distorted average value for the area.
The speedometers in many modern vehicles are driven by a Hall effect device
(see Figure 5.8) that has sufficiently high output level to be read directly by the
A/D card by using it to gate the A/D card.
Position data can also be read and recorded along with the readings.
SAMPLING INTERVAL
Within localized regions, the average field strength as measured from a distant
transmitter can be shown to b approximately constant over intervals of 50 m to
500 m. Within these localized regions, the Rayleigh and log normal fades occur;
the log normal mode genrally dominates, although significant Rayleigh fading
may occur, particulary in built-up areas.

Studies by Oumua et al. Have shown that the local field strength in an area
bisected by a 50-500 meter path can reasonably be accurately described by a
single mean (average value) and a standard deviation. Figure 5.14 shows an area
represented by sample measurement.
Hence, an adequate record of regional field strength can be obtained by
sampling at the nyquist rate and obtaining the mean and standard deviation over
a 50-500 meter path. This is basic approach used by most computerized fieldstrength measuring devices, where the sample intervals can vary from 10 meters
to 1000 meters. In practice, it can easily b shown that samples over intervals of
50-500 meters yield consistent results to a few dB
Figure 5.15 illustrates the decile method a commercial measuring system. The
illustration shows the structure of the Radio Survey Master system from Telecom
Australia. The system has an external trigger (based on the speedometer pulses)
that ensures that samples are taken at fixed intervals. The system records mean,
standard deviation, decile value, the number of sample taken.

And loca time. The decile value is often used and favored by some because it
gives a more conservative estimation of mobile performance than the a average
value-especially in areas of deep multipath.
In Figure 5.16 (following page) the upper 10-percent decile corresponds to T; this
menas that 90-percent of the readings are above the level T dB V/m.
The 90-percents level is calculated using an iteration method. If the average is
also needed from this sample, you should note that, although decile levels can
be determined with equal accuracy, as an absolute level or the log of the level
(dBs), the values must be converted to absolute values ( V/m) before a true
average can be calculated.
In high-multipath areas with deep fades (high standard deviation), a measured
mean value does not tell much about the extremities of the readings and
particularly about the minimum (and hence,

Noisy) locations. Tken with the standard deviation, more can be extracted, but
the decile method eliminates the need to know about the standard deviation and
allows the use of a single standard-design field strength.
Figure 5.17 shows an example of log normal distribution of field strength
For example, if a field strength of 39 dB V/m average with a standard deviation
of 6 dB (in a suburban area) is considered the objective, this can be equated to
39 dB V/m 0,87 x 6 = 34 dB V/m for 90 percent of readings to define the
boundary corresponding to 90 percent of locations having 39 dB V/m average
90 percent of the time.

Because in lower multipath regions the 90 percent reading moves closer to the
mean (and coversely, further away in high multipath region) the method adjust
to the multipath environment in a way that an average reading cannot.
For example, if the field strength measuring equipment was set as above ( 34 dB
for 90 percent of readings) and it were to move froma suburban area (
dB) to a rural area where

=6

=2 dB then the measured field strength would

correspond to 34 + 0,87 x 2 = 35,7 dB V/m average.