A Study on Site Diversity Techniques Related to Rain Area Motion Using Ku-Band Satellite Signals

Directions and speeds of the motion of rain areas are estimated for each type of rain fronts, using time differences detected in the rain attenuation of the Ku-band satellite radio wave signals that have been measured at Osaka Electro-Communication University (OECU) in Neyagawa, Osaka, Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) in Uji, Kyoto, and MU Observatory (MU) of Kyoto University in Shigaraki, Shiga, for the past five years since September 2002. These directions and speeds are shown to agree well with those directly obtained from the motion of rain fronts in the weather charts published by Japan Meteorological Agency. The rain area motion is found to have characteristic directions according to each rain type, such as cold and warm fronts or typhoon. A numerical estimate of the effects of site diversity techniques indicates that between two sites among the three locations (OECU, RISH, MU) separated by 20-50km, the joint cumulative time percentages of rain attenuation become lower as the two sites are aligned along the directions of rain area motion. In such a case, compared with the ITU-R recommendations, the distance required between the two sites may be, on an average, reduced down to about 60-70% of the conventional predictions.