Effect of antenna height and polarisation on short wireless links

A characterization of the short range (<; 100 cm) narrowband wireless channel is presented, appropriate to a dense network of wireless transceivers operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Transmission loss measurements have been made in vertical and horizontal polarisations using rectaxial antennas for a range of antenna heights and separation distances. A preliminary interpretation of the results suggests that surface wave propagation may be significant for short wireless links such as might be used in sensor network applications.