Short Hop Radio System Experiment

Because the ever-increasing need for more communications circuits is crowding the frequency spectrum below 10 GHz, it is imperative to study the problems associated with microwave radio systems at frequencies above 10 GHz. The problems involved in the use of these frequencies and the resulting system concepts and constraints are discussed in a companion paper. 1 To bring these system concepts closer to reality and to find out whether the associated hardware is practical in the light of present technology, an experimental radio line has been built which embodies many of the essential system concepts. This paper describes the experimental system and its relation to the fundamental system concepts. The experimental system is a research experiment on a system level and not a developmental radio system. Consequently many circuits and measurements necessary for a developmental system, such as order wire, alarm circuits, detailed cross modulation, and thermal noise measurements, were not made. Rather, efforts were confined to the more basic and unproven aspects of the radio line part of the system concept. 1577