Estimation of atmospheric attenuation at 99 GHz using a total power radiometer

A total power radiometer operating at 99 GHz was implemented for a propagation experiment aimed to estimate attenuation along a slant path, in Madrid. Valuable data was collected during a measurement campaign in mid-april of 2012. The retrieved time series of radiometric attenuation allow the use of this technique at this frequency to be validated, under clear sky and cloudy conditions, using a low cost instrument calibrated with simple procedures. In spite of some hardware limitations, this experiment shows an interesting application of radiometric technique in order to study atmospheric propagation at 99 GHz.