Site diversity experimental campaigns in Greece and UK using ALPHASAT at Ka and Q band

The ongoing migration of satellite communication services to higher bands, namely the Ka- and Q-bands offer numerous advantages; however, signal propagation at these bands can be severely impaired by the various atmospheric phenomena. To assist in the validation and development of new accurate propagation models in these bands, two propagation site diversity experimental campaign have been initiated between Greece and in the United Kingdom using ALPHASAT satellite beacons. In this paper, we present some technical details of the two site diversity experiments (receivers, ancillary equipment). Moreover, we discuss upcoming statistical results of the space-time correlation of the data and the employment of smart gateway diversity scheme for feeder links.