Meindert Sprang said:
VHF waves tend to follow the curvature of the earth slightly (just like
light diffracts around sharp corners), which indeed gives you more range
than the maths tells you.
Meindert
Yes, Meindert (the engineer) come up with the answer. Vhf does indeed
extend beyond Line of Sight, in all cases, and your math does not take
this into account. The straight that I live on, is 16 Statute Miles
wide, and my wife stands on one side, at the end of a road, at a boat
ramp, and I stand on the other side, in front of my cabin, on the beach.
Both our feet, are being lapped at by the water, at exactly Sea Level,
at that moment, and YES, we do communicate with one watt, Motorola
handheld radios with rubber antennas, and have for the last 15 years.
You made a BAD Assumption, when you stated that VHF (156Mhz) RF
Propigation was only Line of Sight. This is the downfall of your whole
construction. When you have as many years as I have in RF
Communications, you should, by then, have a better understanding of the
basic Laws of Physics, that underpin the technology that your espousing.
Me who knows the difference between Theory and Practice....