Interference measurements on military vehicles at the HF band
Publish date: 2012-12-28
Report number: FOI-R--3517--SE
Pages: 30
Written in: Swedish
Keywords:
- interference measurement
- HF interference
- Ra1512
Abstract
Interference measurements have been performed for two different military vehicles, one Terrain vehicle 11 and a Toyota Land Cruiser. The purpose was to analyze whether the local interference environment at the HF band, generated from the engines of the vehicles, is in level of the external interference environment and whether there is a risk for degradation of the short wave radio, Ra1512, due to the locally generated interference. The vehicles were equipped with a loop antenna and a dipole antenna, respectively. The later was either in an upright or a bent position. It was stated that the interference from the vehicle engine of the Terrain vehicle 11 with the loop antenna was in a level to be able to degrade the radio performance. Also the interference from the vehicle engine of the Toyota Land Cruiser with the erected dipole antenna was affected, although the degradation was less than for the Terrain vehicle 11. For the Toyota Land Cruiser with a bowed antenna, the interference levels were minor and the degradation will probably be negligible. For the terrain vehicle the interference may result in a reduction of about 44 % of the communication distance. Highest interference levels were seen when a vehicle (Volvo V70) with its engine on was placed in front of the Terrain vehicle 11 or the Toyota Land Cruiser. When this was the case, a very distinct comb spectrum appeared in both vehicles measurement results. The comb spectrum was evident at the whole HF band with levels that could cause a substantial degradation of the Ra1512. The consequences of this interference can be distance reductions of about 58 %. In addition, the V70 needs to move 6 meter away (total safety distance of 10 meter) to avoid intersystem interference.