Reflections from "pine needles" at 450

[Goshawk]

Hi everyone,

20 years ago, I remember a discussion about wet pine needles causing trouble in the Denver area mountains. Can anyone clear up this urban ledgend (?) for me.
Tnx.
John

 

[nd5y]

I read about that once. Pine needles are supposed to be really good
at absorbing RF especially when they are multiples of 1/4 wavelength long.

Tom

 

[DaveH]

This is not an "urban legend". Absorption (not reflection) by water in trees including needles and leaves is called "foliage loss". It increases with frequency, getting signifigant at UHF, and especially 800MHz where systems in heavily wooded areas don't always get the best coverage. The coverage changes by season where deciduous trees drop their leaves.

Dave

 

[Goshawk]

This is not an "urban legend". Absorption (not reflection) by water in trees including needles and leaves is called "foliage loss". It increases with frequency, getting signifigant at UHF, and especially 800MHz where systems in heavily wooded areas don't always get the best coverage. The coverage changes by season where deciduous trees drop their leaves.

Dave

Thank you gentelmen,

My grey-matter has been 'saturated for so long, most of what I've known is now, what I thought I knew.

 

[OutPost]

In reference to "Foilage Loss" ........

Is this still a problem if one is just receiving??

 

[N_Jay]

In reference to "Foilage Loss" ........

Is this still a problem if one is just receiving??

Loss is loss!

The dirction the signal is going is irrelevent.