Measurement of Electric Field Strength to Determine the Coverage Areas of VHF and UHF Television Signals in Niger State

Abstract

This study investigated the coverage areas of VHF and UHF signals of three television stations in Niger State at the onset of rain season, by means of quantitative measurement of the electric field strength. The signal levels of the Nigeria Television Authority, (NTA), Minna, Channel 10, (210.25 MHz); Nigeria Television Authority, (NTA), Kotangora, Channel 8, (196.25 MHz), and Niger State Television, Minna, UHF 25, (503.25 MHz) transmitters were measured radially along several routes with the transmitting stations at focus. Their corresponding distances from the transmitting stations and locations were also measured. These measurements were taken using Digital Signal Level Meter, GE-5499, having a signal level range 30 dBμV - 120 dBμV, and GPS 72 – Personal Navigator. Measurements were taken all around the towns and villages in all the Local Government Areas in Niger State. From the data obtained, Surfer 8 application software was used to draw the contour maps of the electric field strength around the transmitting stations to show the coverage areas around the state. The results obtained showed that the present configurations of the transmitters for all the three television stations did not give an optimum coverage area. Only 25.82% of the entire land mass of the state has television signal coverage during the onset of rain season. Consequently, some areas in the state are completely out of television signal coverage. So there is need to have repeater stations at certain intervals to provide reception of television signals for all the part of the states