A time diversity coding experiment for a UHF/VHF satellite channel with scintillation: Equipment description

Satellite communications in the UHF and VHF bands has at various times and in certain receiver locations on the earth's surface been subject to moderate to severe degradation as a result of scintillation. The affected receiver areas are confined primarily to the equatorial regions and to a lesser extent over the sub-auroral to polar cap areas. For the equatorial region (more specifically, a band centered on the geomagnetic equator) the scintillation is largely a nighttime phenomenon beginning shortly after local sunrise and diminishing after midnight. In response to the potential problem on the Navy's UHF fleet broadcast channel we have conducted a study on the communication alternatives as well as an extensive field experiment. The field experiment was conducted between Hawaii and Guam over the Pacific Gapfiller (Marisat) satellite from August 1976 through January 1977.