See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/260986303

Path Loss Model for Radio wave Propagation at VHF/UHF Bands using Electric
Field Strength Measurement over Ilorin Middle-Belt, Nigeria

Conference Paper · December 2012

DOI: 10.1109/ICTEA.2012.6462900

CITATIONS READS

12 417

6 authors, including:

Obiseye Obiyemi Abiodun Gbenga-Ilori

41 PUBLICATIONS 208 CITATIONS

University of Lagos
15 PUBLICATIONS 128 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
SEE PROFILE

Joseph Sunday Ojo

Federal University of Technology, Akure
204 PUBLICATIONS 937 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Obiseye Obiyemi on 22 October 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 2012 2nd International Conference on Advances in Computational Tools for Engineering Applications (ACTEA)
Path Loss Model for Radio wave Propagation at VHF/UHF Bands
using Electric Field Strength Measurement over Ilorin Middle-Belt,
Nigeria
Obiyemi. O.O, Member, IEEE, Ibiyemi, T.S, Gbenga-ilori A.O, Member, IEEE and Ojo J.S, Member, IEEE
Abstract—Propagation models are useful tools for
communication system planning and optimization of the radio
spectrum which is a limited natural resource. An investigation
on the suitable propagation model for Ilorin (8º30`N, 4º33`E),
a sub-urban area in the Middle-belt of Nigeria is presented
here. Experimental data consists of electric field strength
obtained through drive test for two television transmitters on
203.25 MHz and 583.15 MHz. Validated predictions for Free
space, Okumura and Hata models were compared analytically.
Result shows that these empirical models neglect the actual
terrain profile for television broadcast in Ilorin. Okumura
model stands as the most suitable with optimal values of root
mean square error (RMSE) and average relative error of
0.1319 and 0.4447 for 203.25 MHz and 583.15 MHz
respectively. Better results can however be obtained if
Okumura model is optimized for Ilorin to enhance electric
field strength prediction and coverage estimation.
I. INTRODUCTION
T elevision broadcast service is housed in the VHF/UHF
band, which remains the most reliable part of the radio
spectrum. Planning and monitoring of television broadcast
coverage becomes relatively important due to the digital
switchover plan which allows analog transmitters to coexist
with the new digital ones, especially during the transition
period. Routine measurement of field strength and coverage
estimation is often conducted to ascertain the quality of the
broadcast signal, transmitter’s compliance to regulations
and to avoid interference. This routine measurement is quite
rigorous and practically challenging. The predictive
approach however offers field strength estimation using
propagation models for remotely monitoring the transmitter
capabilities.
Propagation models are traditionally used for path loss
estimation, optimization of both the transmitter power and
the coverage area, and interference estimation [1].
Although a number of propagation model finds applicability
for system designs in the VHF/UHF bands, their universal
optimality is however questionable. Studies have shown that
such models possess varying suitability, as their
performance depends mainly on the local environment
within which such system is being deployed [2], [3]. The
O.O. Obiyemi is with the Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
(email:obiseye.obiyemi@uniosun.edu.ng)
T.S Ibiyemi is with the Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria (email: tibiyemi@unilorin.edu.ng)
A.O. Gbenga-ilori is with the Department of Electrical and Electronics
Engineering, University of Lagos, Nigeria. (email:gbengailori@unilag.edu.ng)
J.S. Ojo is with the Department of Physics, Federal University of
Technology Akure, Nigeria. (email: ojojs_74@futa.edu.ng)
978-1-4673-2489-2/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE 43
physical and empirical methods are the prominent
approaches to propagation modeling. While the physical
approach offers a complex analysis by relying on a thorough
description of the propagation environment, predictions
from semi-empirical models greatly depend on the city
structure. Although the latter is based on measurements
taken elsewhere and their appropriateness for selected
communication applications has been established in other
locations [4], [5], their suitability for television broadcast
service has not been ascertained especially for coverage
estimations in Ilorin, Nigeria.
This paper presents the drive test measurement of electric
field strength over two transmitters (203.25MHz) VHF and
(583.15GHz) UHF carried out within their respective
primary coverage areas. Measurement was used to find the
best propagation prediction model for the choice location;
Ilorin (8º30`N, 4º33`E), Kwara State, middle belt of
Nigeria. Measured data were compared with three widely
used propagation prediction models; the Free-space model
proposed by Friis as reported in [5], Okumura model
developed by Okumura and the modified Okumura as
developed by Hata and reported in [6]. They were selected
among several others because of their simplicity and the fit
between their required parameters and those available for
the selected transmitters. Although they both depend on
frequency and distance, their suitability differs from one
location to the other. Their neglect for the terrain profile
between the transmitter and the receiver was reported in [7]
and this presents predictions that are rather too optimistic
[6]. Efforts to correct these shortcomings account for the
diverse modifications on existing models. A similar effort
was reported in [8], where Hata model was optimized for
television planning in Lagos State, Nigeria.
II. PROPAGATION MODELS
The quality or strength of a signal is dependent on the
path between its transmitter and the receiver. Field strength
predictions rely on path loss models which are important for
path link designs. Selected among the most widely used are
the Free-space, Okumura and Hata models. Free-space
propagation model is used to predict received signal
strength when the path between the transmitter and the
receiver is a clear and unobstructed line-of-sight [7]. It is
the most ideal model and it is applicable at any frequency in
the radio spectrum. The path loss equation is therefore
expressed as:
 LF (dB)  32.45  20 log d  20 log f (1)  8 . 29 log 1 . 54 h re 2  1 . 1 dB

where d is the transmitter receiver distance in m and f is the  for f  300 MHz
a h re    (7)
2
station’s transmitting frequency in MHz.  3 . 2 log 11 . 75 h re   4 . 97 dB
Okumura model on the other hand is valid for predictions  for f  300 MHz

between 150 and 1920 MHz, transmitter-receiver separation
The path loss for suburban area is expressed as:
distance up to 100 Km, and transmitter antenna height from
3m to 1000m. The median path loss for Okumura model is
expressed as: 
LSU  LU  2 log  f / 282  5.4  (8)

L50 (dB)  L F  AMU ( f , d )  G (hte )  G ( hre )  G AREA (2) where LSU is the path loss in suburban area in dB, LU is the
average path loss in urban areas in dB, f is the transmission
where d is the transmitter-receiver separation distance in frequency in MHz.
kilometers, LF is the free space loss (dB) as described in (1),
III. FIELD STRENGTH MEASUREMENT
AMU (f,d) is the free space attenuation as a function of
frequency f (MHz) and distance d (km), G(hte) is the The measurement set up comprised of a portable 2 GHz
transmitter antenna height gain factor, G(hre) is the mobile spectrum analyzer/field strength meter (BK Precision 2640
antenna height gain factor and GAREA is the gain 2.0GHz RF field strength analyzer), a handheld GPS
corresponding to specific environment as obtained from receiver (GERMIN GPS 76) and a laptop computer for data
Okumura’s empirical plots [5]. Where, logging. The electric field strength for Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA Ilorin) and Kwara State Television
hte (KWTV) were experimentally monitored on 203.25 MHz
G (hte )  20 log( ) 1000m  hte  30m (3)
200 and 583.15 MHz respectively within Ilorin metropolis.
 h
 10 log( re ) hre  3m TABLE I
3 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TELEVISION TRANSMITTERS
G (hre )   (4)
 h Station Latitude Longitude Transmit Transmitter Frequency
20 log( re ) 10m  hre  3m (0N) (0E) Frequency Height (m) Band
 3 (MHz)

The Hata model provides a set of parametric equations to
replace the graphical path loss developed by Okumura.
Hata’s approximations for urban, suburban and rural areas
are preferred due to its short computation time. It is
however limited to frequencies between 150MHz and
1500MHz, transmitter-receiver separation distance from
1Km to 20Km, transmitter antenna height between 30m
and 200m and the height of receiver antenna from 1m to
10m. Hata’s model for urban area is expressed in (5):
LU  69.55  26.16 log f  13.82 log hte
 ahre   44.9  6.55 log hte  log d
where LU is the path loss in urban areas in dB, hte is the
height of the transmitter antenna in m, hre is the height of
the receiver antenna in m, f is the transmission frequency in
MHz, d is the transmitter-receiver separation distance in km
and a(hre) is the receiver antenna correction factor as
expressed in equations (6) and (7) for medium and large
cities respectively.
a hre   0.8  1.1log f  0.7 hre  1.56 log f
NTA 8.4969 4.5875 203.25 150 VHF
Ilorin
KWTV 8.5242 4.5978 583.15 175 UHF
IV. RESULT AND DISCURSION
Electric field strength was estimated for Ilorin as a sub-
urban area. The comparison between the measured and
predicted field strength for two terrestrial television links in
Ilorin is as shown in Fig. 1 and 2. The measured field
strength contours for two transmitters over Ilorin is shown
in Fig. 3 and 4. These models give similar results as they
(5)
present predictions while neglecting the actual propagation
terrain profile. The measured field strength however shows
the true variation of the transmitted signal as influenced by
the terrain and clutter characteristics of Ilorin. The Free
space and Hata’s predictions are similar at lower distances,
especially between 1 and 3 Km for the two transmitters.
They do not accurately predict the measured field
strength as they both overestimates the field strength for
television transmissions in Ilorin. On the other hand,
Okumura’s prediction is close to those measured, terrain
(6) negligence notwithstanding. It presented a suitable
performance on the two transmitters.

44
 TABLE II
COMPARISON STATISTICS FOR THE THREE MODELS
Transmit Propagation Standard Root Mean Average
frequency model Deviation Square Relative
Error
203.25 MHz Hata 3.7034 46.2753 0.5036
Okumura 3.7382 34.9258 0.1319
Free Space 2.4168 48.6305 0.5832
583.15 MHz Hata 3.3165 45.6512 0.9865
Okumura 3.4054 33.2864 0.4447
Free Space 2.1643 48.8562 1.1295

A better performance was documented for Hata’s

Fig. 1: Comparison of the predicted and measured field strength
on 203.25 MHz (NTA Ilorin)
prediction, although it did not present the best result on
comparison. Obvious however is the performance of
Okumura model with the lowest root mean square error and
the lowest average relative errors for the two transmitters. It
was observed that losses increased at the higher frequency
(583.15 MHz). The sharp variation of the measured
electrical field strength depicts the topography as influenced
by the altitude. This was neglected by the selected
propagation models with predictions that are rather too
optimistic. This is in agreement with the work of [6], which
affirms that Okumura model is not suitable for terrains with
irregular patterns. A better performance can however be
achieved if Okumura model is modified to suit the
environment. A similar modification approach was reported
in [8], where Hata model was optimized for television
planning in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Fig. 2: Comparison of the predicted and measured field strength

on 583.15 MHz (KWTV)

Results presented in Table II shows the comparison

statistics for the three models against the measured data.
The models under test were ranked according to the root
mean square (RMS) of the error [9]. The RMS is estimated
as:

RMS  2   2 (9)

where µ is the mean and σ is the standard deviation. The

average relative error used to assess the performance of the
models is given as:
E  EM
E P (10)
EM

where EP is the predicted field strength, EM is the measured

field strength. It was observed that the least standard
deviation was obtained in free space. The highest root mean
square and average relative error for the two transmitters
was also recorded for free space. Fig. 3: Measured electric field strength contour for 583.15 MHz
over Ilorin, Kwara State.

45
 [2] Z. Nadir, N. Elfadhil, and F. Touati, “Pathloss Determination Using
Okumura-Hata Model and Spline Interpolation for Missing Data for
Oman” Proc. World Congress on Engineering. 2008. Vol I. July, 2008,
London, U.K.
[3] Purnima K. Sharma and R.K.Singh, “Comparative Analysis of
Propagation Path loss Models with Field Measured Data,” International
Journal of Engineering Science and Technology. Vol. 2, no 6, 2010.
[4] Abhayawardhana,V. S.;Wassell, I. J.; Crosby, D.; Sellars, M. P.; Brown,
M. G. “Comparison of empirical propagation path loss for fixed wireless
access systems,” Proc. IEEE Veh. Tech. Conf. 2005, pp. 73-77.
[5] Sarkar, T.K., Z. Ji, K.J. Kim, A. Medour, and M. Salazar-Palma, “A
Survey of various propagation models for mobile communication,” IEEE
Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 45, no. 3, 51-82, June 2003
[6] M. A. Nisirat, M. Ismail, L. Nissirat and S. Al-Khawaldeh. “A Terrain
Roughness Correction Factor for Hata Path Loss Model at 900MHz,”
Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol. 22, pp. 11-22, 2011.
[7] Armoogun V., Soyjaudah K.M.S., Mohamudally N. and Fogarty T.
“Propagation models and their applications in digital television broadcast
network design and implementation,” Trends in Communications
Technology, 2010. pp 165-184, DOI: 10.5772/8471.
[8] Gbenga-Ilori A.O and Obiyemi O.O., “Optimization of Hata Path Loss
Model for Broadcast Communication Systems in Lagos State,” in Proc.
Int. Conf. Innovations in Engineering and Technology, Lagos, Nigeria,
August, 2011, pp. 335-342
[9] Dong You Choi, Jae Young Pyun, Sun Kuh Noh and SangWoong Lee,
“Comparison ofMeasured Rain Attenuation in the 12.25 GHz Band with
Predictions by the ITU-R Model,” International Journal of Antennas
and Propagation, 2012

Fig. 4: Measured electric field strength contour for 203.25 MHz

over Ilorin, Kwara State.

V. CONCLUSION
This paper has presented the result of the field strength
measurement campaigns within the primary coverage of
two terrestrial television transmitters operating on 203.25
MHz and 583.15 MHz in Ilorin, Middle-Belt, Nigeria. The
applicability of selected empirical propagation models was
investigated by comparing measured electric field strength
with corresponding predictions by Free Space, Okumura
and Hata models for the same reference locations.
Experimental results have shown clearly that the selected
models neglect the terrain profiles of the propagation
environment, presenting electric field strength predictions
that are rather too optimistic. The study however reveals
that Okumura model is the most suitable for the prediction
of electric field strength and for television broadcast
services and for other communication system designs in the
VHF and UHF bands, specifically for Ilorin. Okumura
model can perform better however, if carefully optimized
for efficient electric field strength prediction and coverage
estimation for the choice location.

VI. REFERENCES
[1] M.A. Alim, M.M. Rahman, M.M. Hossain, A. Al-Nahid, “Analysis of
Large-Scale Propagation Models for Mobile Communications in Urban
Area,” International Journal of Computer Science and Information
Security, Vol. 7, no 1, 2010.

View publication stats

46