Propagation measurements campaign in Athens with ALPHASAT at Ka-band using Software Defined Radio technologies

The present work illustrates the basic concepts and challenges involved in the implementation of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) receiver targeting ALPHASAT´s Ka-band beacon; the receiver measures the beacon´s power which can later be correlated with meteorological data in an effort to statistically describe the various propagation phenomena. This shall allow the development of more accurate propagation models that are required for the reliable design of high throughput satellite networks at Ka band and above.