Measurement and Characterization of a Tropical Foliage Channel in VHF and UHF Bands

This paper presents an analysis of signal propagation in a tropical foliage area, Marina South, located at the southern end of the Singapore Island. The results of frequency-domain channel sounding at VHF and UHF bands are presented and the different effects from canopies, tree trunks and wind on the signal propagation are analyzed. From the experimental data, the slope index n of the variation of path loss with distance in the foliage area is determined. Frequency domain results and analysis such as coherence bandwidth are also presented. Finally, statistical distribution of the temporal variations of the received signal is analyzed through the Rician distribution. Analysis of the Rician K-factor shows that it is frequency dependent