Modification of the Propagation Measurement File (PMF)

The automated Propagation Measurement File (PMF) of NTIA/Office of Spectrum Managenment (OSM) and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Analysis Center (ECAC) includes extensive measurements of radio propagation loss over transmission paths near Boulder, Colorado. For some paths, since the received signal level was extremely small and could not be measured, the measurement system threshold level was recorded and documented. These threshold values were not identified or incorporated in the PMF when it was developed. These threshold values for incorporation in the PMF were identificed and coded. Other of these paths in the PMF have multiple antenna heights for height gain measurements. Quantization of these antenna heights into representative bins or height intervals, with corresponding nominal heights for convenience of statistical analysis of the measured data is induced. Methodologies for improving data bases of propagation measurements through use of multidimensional class intervals, or bins, are described. Tentative new definitions for effective antenna height are proposed.