Estimation of the Effective Earth Radius Factor (K-Factor) for Precise Calculation of the Path Profile in Point-to-Point Radio Links

The article addresses the estimation of the effective terrestrial radio factor (K) to achieve an accurate calculation of the radio path profile in line-of-sight (LOS) point-topoint radio links.The radio path profile is essential to ensure the elimination of obstacles within the first Fresnel ellipsoid, through the precise placement of the antennas high above the Earth's surface.This arrangement facilitates proper reception of the transmitted beams, which arrive at the receiving antenna from various paths, all synchronized in phase with the direct line-of-sight beam.Additionally, the impact of the Earth's atmosphere on radio frequency (RF) signals is analyzed, two approaches to calculate the effective terrestrial radio factor are presented, and the procedure for plotting the radio path profile is described.