Lesson 2/Learning Event 3
Learning Event 3:
SITING
HF PATH AND SITE ENGINEERING
1. In tactical situations, we are always making compromises.
Selecting a communication site is one of them.
Seldom will a site
satisfy all the physical, electrical, or security requirements.
In
some situations, the ground is too hard or there is foliage that
surrounds us.
2. Site Criteria.
An ideal
site
should
meet
as
many
of
the
following criteria as possible:
a. Level ground, or sloping towards the distant station.
b. Adequate amount of real estate on which to locate equipment
and antennas.
c. Away from the base of mountains in the path of transmission.
d. Preferably no foliage under the antenna, or at least not as
high as the antenna. Proper separation from wooded areas to meet the
needed take-off angle for the distance to distant station (pages 149
and 150).
e. Good earth ground conditions.
(Use a radial/counterpoise for
vertical antennas.)
f. Away from major highways.
g. Away from power lines.
h. Away from sources of reflection or absorption such as metal
buildings, other antennas, high fences, etc.
i. Meet site security requirements.
Clear area around the site
for at least 100 yards.
Surrounding hills should be occupied by
friendly troops.
3. Intervening Terrain Considerations. Intervening terrain can play
an important part in HF communication, especially short ground wave
and long distance sky wave communications.
100
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