Analysis of some weather variables' impacts on UHF and VHF receivers in Yenagoa Southern, Nigeria

Abstract

In this study, the effects of some important meteorological variables, such as temperature, relative humidity, and mean sea level pressure, were assessed on the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio signals from Niger Delta Television (NDTV), transmitting at 743.25 MHz UHF, and the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio signals from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), transmitting at 189.25 MHz VHF, both in Yenagoa, Southern Nigeria, within 6°20'17"N and 5°37’32″E. The Digital Community- Access/Cable Television (CATV) analyzer was used to measure the radio signal strength from NDTV and the radio signal strength from NTA Yenagoa, and a self-implemented weather monitoring device was used to measure the weather variables simultaneously at an equal distance within the Metropolis. Throughout the entire year of 2022, measurements were made continuously every six hours (respectively between 12 am and 1 am, 6 am and 7 am, 12 pm and 1 pm, and 6 pm and 7 pm local time). The results showed that the radio signals from both UHF and VHF television stations were directly proportional to temperature, inversely proportional to relative humidity, and did not follow any specific pattern of proportionality with mean sea level pressure. Inferentially, it was seen that these meteorological factors mostly affected the radio signals from the UHF television station, and that these impacts were stronger during the months with high relative humidity compared to the months with lower relative humidity. But based on these findings, a postulation has been put out that has to be verified further. These findings and the proposed postulation, it is thought, would undoubtedly be beneficial in supporting and directing the management of radio communication networks for planning and other reasons.