Impact Of Atmospheric Parameters And Noise Temperature On Digital Terrestrial Television Signal Strength Overkarshi Area, Abuja, North-Central, Nigeria

In this paper, the impact of atmospheric parameters (atmospheric temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind speed) and noise temperature on digital terrestrial television signal strength over Karshi area, Abuja, North-Central part of Nigeria has been examined. Measurements were taken for a period of nine months (April 2019 – December 2019) to cover the commencement of rainy period and towards the end of rainy period. The results showed that atmospheric and noise temperature as well as wind speed weakly influenced the signal strength while relative humidity strongly influenced the signal strength. The effect of atmospheric pressure over the signal strength was not consistent during the period of measurement. The signal strength of AIT, NTA, Channels TV and ETV were negatively affected by the atmospheric temperature up to about88.8%, 25.6%, 16.5% and 93.2%, respectively; the noise temperature up to about 85.3%, 13.4%, 5.9% and 90.7% respectively and wind speed by about 89.2%, 26.8%, 16.3%, and 92.4%respectively. However, the signal strength was affected positively by the relative humidity up to about 87.9%, 18.7%, 10.1% and 92.4% respectively, while the atmospheric pressure affected NTA and Channels TV negatively by about 21.3% and 26.8%, respectively and affected AIT and ETV positively by about 22.7% and 26.8%, respectively. Findings from this study will be of help to satellite link designers, policy makers, antenna modelers and other TV transmission equipment designers on how to mitigate the effect of some of the atmospheric components on digital terrestrial signal strength reception in Nigeria.