Tropo-Scatter Loss Optimization Considering Deviation in the Antenna Azimuth Angle for a Tropo-Scatter Communication System

In tropo-scatter communication, the transmission loss is greatly influenced by the distance between antennas and the scattering angle, which is determined based on the elevation angle of the antennas. As the scattering angle increases, the transmission loss also increases by approximately 10 dB. Therefore, it is advantageous to minimize the scattering angle when establishing a communication link. However, when implementing tropo-scatter communication in South Korea, maintaining a low scattering angle can be challenging due to terrain constraints. To address this issue, this paper proposes a method for establishing a communication link that circumvents elevated terrain by adjusting the azimuth angle of the antenna. The analysis considered the total transmission loss, which includes the additional loss resulting from azimuth angle distortion and the gain achieved by reducing the scattering angle. Through optimization of the antennas located in Seoul and Busan, it was possible to reduce the scattering angle by approximately 6.36°, resulting in an average reduction in scattering loss of approximately 7.16 dB.