Woodland & Mountainous Environments:
Below is a high-level overview of some of the obstacles one may encounter when operating in woodland or mountainous environments, as well as some maintenance procedures for protecting your equipment.
In a previous post (Blog 13) I touched on VHF wavelengths, and how they compare UHF in an urban environment. While VHF wavelengths can also penetrate structures in an urban environment, UHF is still more effective in that type of setting. However, VHF is a good choice for rural, and some wooded areas.
The longer wavelength makes VHF favorable for rural, and some wooded environments because you can cover longer distances. If you are in an area that has a lot of hills then you may find VHF transmissions have success in being reflected over that type of terrain, and provide better performance than UHF.
Since both bands operate through line of sight, any obstruction that gets in the way whether you are on UHF or VHF, will weaken the signal to some extent, and this includes obstructions such as trees and vegetation.
Radio operation in mountainous areas have similar challenges that you may encounter in cold weather environments. Another important note about mountainous terrain is, it can be a poor electrical conductor, and you may want to consider using an antenna like a dipole along with a counterpoise to improve your radio’s performance.
No matter what environment you find yourself in, antenna height will always be a factor when trying to extend your range. If you discover you are at the edge of your communication range, then try to get to higher ground and re-attempt your transmission.
Another factor to keep in mind which affects performance is the density of the wooded area you are operating in. There is an argument to be made for using UHF in wooded areas because it can have more success in navigating around certain obstructions. However, the tradeoff is VHF can cover longer distances than UHF. If you have a clear line of sight, then VHF is favorable in those conditions because your signal has a better chance of getting further out.
If you are working with repeaters in this type of environment, mountainous terrain makes selection of repeater sites an important consideration. Terrain limitations make repeater stations an important factor for reliable communications.
As with a desert climate, there are some maintenance procedures you may want to consider for a wooded or mountainous setting to keep your equipment in working order. One of the conditions you will encounter are fluctuations in temperature, which will vary based on the time of year.
Regularly inspect your gear for condensation or water that may have seeped into the charging areas, speaker, controls, buttons, or any of the accessory jacks. Regularly cleaning your equipment from moisture, dirt, and debris is the first step in keeping your gear operational.
Another item to regularly inspect is your antenna. Antennas are usually one of the first things on a radio to get damaged if you happen to drop or fall on your radio. If you use your radio daily, then regular wear and tear eventually adds up, and you may notice cracks or tears on the antenna which can affect the overall performance. If you notice your antenna is starting to show heavy wear, you may want to consider replacing it.
If you are running into suspected range issues then a culprit could be damage to the antenna, due to long term wear and tear resulting in a diminished physical connection between the radio and antenna.
If you notice your battery is starting to drain a lot quicker than usual, you may be at a point where you need to replace it. Exposing your equipment to varying weather conditions, look for cracks on both the battery and radio housing. This could expose the internals of the battery or the radio’s circuit board to dirt and moisture and damage internal components.
Some preventative measures you can take include storing your equipment at ambient room temperature, away from direct sunlight our heat sources, and keeping them dry.